RPGs are not typically associated with Nintendo, but the company has made a significant impact on the genre through its Fire Emblem series. The series began on the NES with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo R&D1. The game was designed to be narrative-focused, with unique characters and unit classes, and the potential for permanent death. This helped define the tactical RPG genre. Despite its success, the game was not localized for the West until 2020, to mark the 30th anniversary of the series.
The series continued with Fire Emblem Gaiden, which introduced new gameplay mechanics like an explorable overworld. However, the game was not as well received as Shadow Dragon and its changes were largely abandoned. The game has not been localized, but there is a 3DS remake, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, that improves upon the original.
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem followed in 1994, remaking Shadow Dragon and including a brand new story. This game was the most successful in the series until Awakening, and it introduced Casual Mode, which allows players to disable permanent death. The game received a DS remake, New Mystery of the Emblem, which was only released in Japan.
The Jugdral duology, consisting of Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776, was released next and marked the last time series designer Shouzou Kaga worked on Fire Emblem. The Archanea Saga, a four-part downloadable set of episodes, was also released through the SNES' Satellaview service.
A canceled Nintendo 64 entry, Fire Emblem 64 or Fire Emblem: Ankoku no Miko was in development but ultimately canceled due to difficulties with the hardware. The project served as an early version of the first GBA entry, The Binding Blade, which was released in 2001. The game takes place on a new continent, Elibe, and follows the story of Roy as he leads an army to defeat an ancient dragon.
In summary, Nintendo's Fire Emblem series has a rich history that began on the NES and continues to evolve with each new entry. The series is known for its unique characters, unit classes, and potential for permanent death, which helps define the tactical RPG genre. Despite some entries not being localized for the West, there are remakes and re-releases that make the series more accessible to a global audience.
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