It seems like𒆙 such a lifetime ago, but there was a point in Nintendo history where si♉mply wasn’t on the radar as far as western releases went. Not just that, Marth and Roy were almost cut out of Super Smash Bros. Melee’s western release altogether so not to confuse non-Japanese f▨ans. Thankfully, Nintendo did not gut their game of content and the rest is history.
While not every Fire Emblem game has been released in the west since Blazing Blade on the GBA (please localize New Mystery, Nintendo,) the franchise has been healthy for a good few years now. Arguably healthier than ever, at that. Unfortunately, the series has falle🔯n into something of a niche, catering to a very🦋 specific subset of its audience. What was once a fairly consistent series when it came to quality is now all over the place.
Note: Spin-offs (Fire Emblem Warriors) will not be considered.
10 ▨ Revelation ♈
Fire Emblem Fates was destined ಞfor fai🅘lure right out of the gate. Not only was it succeeding the critically acclaimed Awakening, a game Intelligent Systems put all the🍰ir best ideas in (believing it would be the end of the series,) it was then decided that Fates should b𝄹e split into three games. The worst of th🐻e bunch, Revelation promised the world and de𒆙l🍎ivered nothing of substances.
With a terrible story, horrible unit availabil𝓀ity, some of the worst map design in the franchis🍸e, and the fact that the game’s “true ending” is locked behind a paywall, Revelation doesn’t do enough to justify its existence.
9 Birthrighꦬt ♎
One-third of Fates, Birthright isn’t so much bad as it is bland. As fa𒀰r as games go, it doesn’t do anything particularly offensive. It has generally better maps than Awakening, the story isn’t insulting, and the characters are at൲ least aesthetically interesting if a bit uncompelling. So where does it fail?
Well, n🎐owhere really, but it doesn’t succeed anywhere eit🧔her. Birthright is conten🦋t in mediocrity wit🌊h its one clear improvement over Awakening generally left unappreciated simply due to Birthright’s surprisingly easy 🌱difficulty. As is the case with Revelation, there’s also a lack of substance to the whole SRPG holding iꦗt back.
8 Conquest
The final third of the nightmare that is Fire Emblem Fates, Conquest is the definition of “mixed bag” as far as Fire Emblem goes. Boasting𝔉 some of t๊he best map design to grace modern Fire Emblem, Conquest is bogged down by featuring some of the worst conten🅷t literally everywhere else in its𓄧 campaign.
The story is ba🥀fflingly bad, boring on nonsensical; the villains are completely lacking in both depth and nuance, while the main cast is the worst they’ve ever been with little organic growth. Furthermore, the music is alarmingly lackluster in spite of the series’ track record. It’s wor🥂th playing for the gameplay, but get ready to skip every single cutscene.
7 ꩲ Shadow Dragon
Shadow Dragon gets a bad rap. A straight remake of the first game with minimal updates, for better and for worse, this is a very faithful representation of the NES original. While the game might seem outdated and even archaic at times, it’s an incredibly tightly paced strategy RPG with grea🗹t maps and a fantastically written story.
Where it f🦋umbles, fꦕunnily enough, is in its new mechanics. The weapon triangle doesn’t lend itself well to Shadow Dragon’s overall game design an༺d the reclassing mechanic isn’t nearly as fleshed out or polished as it should be (while simply also starting a fairly messy precedent.) Characters are fairly one-note as well, but Shadow Dragon is leagues above the Fates trilogy.
6 Awakening
Awakening is a bit of a mess, all things considered. The maps ♑are pitifully simple, grinding is too exploitable, and the story plays out like Fire Emblem’s “Great𝓀est Hits” instead of anything remotely oriꦬginal. That said, it’s a very polished mess that’s substantially better than the sum of its parts.
Although it wasn’t the first game to introduce the Avatar mechanic, it was the first (and so far only one) to pull it off successfully. The main cast is incredibly likable, the second generation is handled well enough where they could have led𝓀 the game themselves, and the DLC maps more than makeup for the lacking main game. Awakening may not deserve all its praise, bu🌸t there’s a r𝄹eason it the franchise.
5 🐠Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia
A remake 𒁃of arguably 🅠the worst game in the series, Echoes: Shadows of Valentia takes all of Gaiden’s beౠst ideas and irons them out splendidly. Better yet, Shadows of Valentia does not fundamentally change the game. Rather, it keeps the spirit intact in order toꦺ prove that Gaiden could have been quite good all along.
Of course, in being a straight remake Shadows of Valentia does eꩵnd up with some pretty dreadful maps, but it is made up for with a welcome emphasis on more overt RPG design elements (something Gaiden played around with but didn’t quite pull of𝐆f.) Topped off with an excellent script and cast, Shadows of Valentia more than deserves its spot in the top five.
4 🌼 Sacred Stones 🦄
Sacred Stones is an interesting game. Where it was once rather rel𝓡iably considered the worst of the GBA Fire Emblem games, the passage of time has been incredibly kind to it. Not only has it been praised for its story and villain over the years, but fans have also beꦑen won over by the rather unique elements it 🃏brought to the series (in large part due to them serving as a basis for Awakening.)
The route splits mechanic, a sympathetic villain, a dedicated post-game, and gri🐈nding along with decently🗹 designed maps, Sacred Stones feels like the whole package. Of course, not all its me♏chanics mesh well together𓄧 leading to some unrefined gameplay moments, but it’s hard not to appreciate how ahead of its time Sacred Stones actually was.
3 Blazi🔴ng Blade ꦛ
The first Fire Emblem game ✱to leave Japan, it’s hard not to immediately fall in love wi⛎th Blazing Blade. While it certainly has its flaws ⛦(an overly long tutorial and an awkwardly paced plot,) it’s a game with a ton of heart and a ton of content. The main trio’s chemistry is incredibly natural and the map design has some incredible highs.
Blazing Blade was the first game in the series to feature a 𒈔self-insert character, but Mark’s presence isn’t nearly as egregious as Kris, Robin, or Corrin’s. There’s🤡 also the unlockable Hector Mode, which not only fleshes out the story but actually features new maps. Blazing Blade might hand-hold a bit too much at times, but it🌠’💖s an excellent game nonetheless.
2 Radian💜t Dawn
A direct sequel to Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn fleshes out just about every gameplay and narrative beat its predecessor laid bare (except Supports). This is one of the biggest games in the franchise, taking place over🎐 the course of four distinct Parts, each of which could be its own ga𝄹me if fleshed out just a bit more.
As a result, the pace does get a bit uneven by the end, but the story is incredibly gripping, the political intrigue is the best of the western released games, and the maps 🎃are genuinely out of this world. Radiant Dawn excels in map design and core gameplay, even the game's unit availability leave💯s much to be desired.
1 P🦄ath Of Radiance 🍒
The first home console release after three straight games on the Gam🅰e Boy Advance, Path of Radiance didn’t sell particularly well in either the West or Japan. Nonඣetheless, it remains one of the best entries in the franchise, if not the best. With a smaller scope♈ narrative, Path of Radiance ends up feeling like a rather intimate game.
Its mapsღ never really hit the same highs as other games in the series, but they never hit the worst lo𒐪ws either. An all-around well-made entry with virtually no glaring flaws, Path of Radiance is an unforgettable experience. If there’s one Fire Emblem worth playing, it’s this one.