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Since its first entry on the NES, Fire Emblem has made an appearance on the majority of Nintendo’s major console, with sixteen core games appearing in the series. As a series with a long and rich history that has officially spanned over thirty years, there are many facts regarding the franchise’s history that fans of the series may not know. So today, we’re going to examine ten things about Fire Emblem’s history that you likely didn’t know!
10 The First Western Exposure Was The Anime
While many fans believe that the first exposure non-Japanese players had to Fire Emblem, was Super Smash Bros. Melee, the first time Fire Emblem was localized in any capacity was with the release of the two-episode Anime series. Dubbed into English in 1997, this obscure short-lived series actually had a lasting impact on the series, as Hikaru Midorikawa, the voice of Marth in this anime would go on to voice the character in numerous installments in the Super Smash Bros. series.
9 Canceled Nintendo 64 Game
While the Fire Emblem series has appeared on several major Nintendo consoles such as the NES, SNES, Gamecube, and Wii, it notably was not present on the Nintendo 64. This was not due to a lack of effort, as a new entry in the Fire Emblem series had been planned for the N64 using the Japan-exclusive disc drive.
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However, due to numerous factors such as the lack of success of said disc-drive, the project was scrapped. Despite this, some elements and characters from this game were worked into the sixth entry in the series, such as the characters of Roy and Karel.
8 The Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 VHS
While special collectors editions of games are commonplace in the modern landscape of gaming, this was not the case in the 90s. Despite this, the Japan-exclusive Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 received a special edition that came with goodies such as a map of the game’s continent, plushes, and uniquely, a VHS tape. This VHS offered additional insight into the game’s lore, establishing ties with Thracia 776’s predecessor, Genealogy of the Holy War.
7 Awakening Was Almost The Final Entry
After the comparably lackluster sales of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, it has been said that Fire Emblem Awakening could’ve easily been the final entry in the series, had it not performed well. For this reason, several features returned and were added to the game such as a child system and a greater emphasis on characters and supports.
6 Localized Thanks To Smash
The first appearance of Fire Emblem characters in a video game outside of Japan wasn’t in a Fire Emblem game, but Super Smash Bros. Melee. Marth and Roy were each included in the game, and were at one point were potentially planned to be removed from non-Japanese versions of the game.
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Despite this, they were left in, quickly becoming some of the most popular characters in the game despite not having any other appearances in the west. This was one of the factors that led to the eventual localization of the series.
5 Leif Was Almost In Super Smash Bros. Melee
As mentioned, Marth and Roy were each included in the roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee. While Marth was included due to being the protagonist of the first entry in the series, Roy was selected for being the protagonist in the at-the-time upcoming entry in the series. Before Roy was selected to be in the game, Leif, the protagonist of Tracia 776, the most recently released Fire Emblem game at the time was considered to be included in the game instead.
4 The Series Creator Is Still Making Tactical RPGs
While the individual credited as the father of the Fire Emblem franchise, Shouzou Kaga, hasn’t worked on a Fire Emblem game since Thracia 776, he has worked on and still continues to work on tactical RPGs. Designing the game’s Tear Ring Saga and Berwick Saga in 2001 and 2005 repectively, he most recently developed Vestaria Saga, a tactical RPG for the PC made using SRPG Studio.
3 Mario Kart Bonus Disc
There are some weapons that appear in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade that are only accessible through the use of a rare bonus demo disc that was including with some copies of Mario Kart: Double Dash. By using this disc, a players would unlock exclusive songs for the game’s sound test as well as several items such as the exclusive “Emblem Weapons” which would be given to a player by Saint Elimine.
2 Path Of Radiance’s Maniac Difficulty
Since being introduced to players outside of Japan, numerous Fire Emblem games have had difficulty options tweaked and changed. One of the most notable of these changes was the removal of Path of Radiance’s Maniac difficulty in all non-Japanese versions of the game. While Path of Radiance is often regarded as one of the easier and more beginner-friendly entries in the series, this Japan-exclusive difficulty throws that sentiment out the window, making the game a grueling affair.
1 Fire Emblem: Archanea Saga
Archanea Saga is without a doubt the least well-known entry in the Fire Emblem series. Available exclusively in Japan, Archanea Saga was released in 1997 for the Satellaview add-on for the SNES, allowing the game to essentially be streamed via satellite. The game uniquely featured voice acting and could only be played for limited periods of time due to the method in which it was streamed.
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