Best Fire Emblem Games of All Time

Fire Emblem is a very popular Nintendo-owned franchise. The game has 22 total editions released until now, with Engage being the latest one. Each edition was known because of its own uniqueness, but every game also had its positives and negatives.

Traditionally, Intelligent Systems with Nintendo develops the franchises, and Nintendo publishes the games. All editions of Fire Emblem are designed to be tactical role-playing games at heart.

Each edition undergoes numerous changes, but the rigorous fighting and exciting storylines are developed similarly. Fire Emblem is designed in an anime style that has now developed a dedicated fanbase worldwide. It stemmed from Japan, and after it boomed after being famous in USA.

Today, Fire Emblem has a brand reputation, and every franchise shakes the market, especially after Fire Emblem Awakening was released.

Tabulated Summary

Below is a table that has all the numerical details about the franchise games.

Name	Ranking	Release Date	Developer	Platforms
Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light	62	April 20, 1990	Nintendo, Intelligent Systems	Switch, Wii U, Nintendo
Heroes	72	February 2, 2017	Nintendo software planning & development	Android, iOS
Warriors	74	September 28, 2017	Omega Force, Team Ninja, Koei, Intelligent systems	Nintendo Switch & 3DS
Radiant Dawn	78	February 22, 2007	Nintendo software planning & development, Intelligent systems	Wii
Shadows of Valentina	81	April 20, 2017	Intelligent systems	Nintendo 3DS
Shadow Dragon	81	August 7, 2008	Nintendo software planning & development	Wii U, Nintendo DS
Engage	82	January 20, 2023	Intelligent systems	Nintendo Switch
Sacred Stones	85	October 7, 2004	Intelligent systems	Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U
Path of Radiance	85	April 20, 2005	Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning & development	Nintendo GameCube
Fates Birthright	86	February 19, 2016	Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning & development	Nintendo 3DS
Fates Conquest	87	February 19, 2016	Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning & development	Nintendo 3SD
Fates Revelation	88	March 10, 2016	Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning & development	Nintendo 3DS
Fates Special Edition	88	February 19, 2016	Intelligent systems	Nintendo 3DS
The Blazing Blade	88	April 25, 2003	Intelligent systems	Game Boy Advance, Wii U
Three Houses	89	July 26, 2019	Intelligent systems, Koei Tecmo, Koei Tecmo games	Nintendo Switch
Awakening	92	April 19, 2012	Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning & development	Nintendo 3DS

Metacritic’s positive reviews of the game have proved to be a stepping stone for the fame and success of the franchise. Therefore, to assess the best 16 Fire Emblem games, Metacritic is the best judge. Here are the 16 best editions per Metacritic reviews.

Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light – 62

• Release date – April 20, 1990
• Developers – Intelligent systems, Nintendo
• Publishers – Nintendo, Nintendo of America
• Platforms – Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 3DS, Wii
• Metacritic ratings – 62

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light was the pioneer or the ribbon cutter for other franchises. At the time of release, RPGs had yet to be adequately established into a genre, so Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light carved a trajectory for other RPG games to follow. This can also be the reason for its success.

The game follows the now supremely popular protagonist, Marth. Marth was a Lord-class character in the game, was featured in other editions, and is available throughout the remake of the original game.

While Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light came out on Nintendo Famicom, its fame made it available on the Nintendo Switch in 2019. Earlier, this upgrade was only limited to Japanese fans, but after Fire Emblem’s advent in the US, it was localized there and released on Nintendo Switch. However, this was undone after a time interval.

However, the downside to Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light was that the game was termed as basic and barely fulfilled the RPG category requirement. This is due to no prior establishment of RPGs as a substantial category. However, it kickstarted RPGs combo with tactical play.

Moreover, it must be mentioned that the initial limitations of the game were cleared after Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light were made available on the Nintendo Switch port. These include the feature to fast-forward the game and undo a player’s turns.

Fire Emblem Heroes – 72

• Release date – February 2, 2017
• Developers – Nintendo Planning and development, intelligent systems
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Platforms – Android, IOS
• Metacritic ratings – 72

Fire Emblem Heroes can be downloaded on Android and IOS for free. Released in 2017, Heroes is another tactical RPG, right in line with the tone of other Fire Emblem editions. The characters involved in Heroes are the same ones as in other editions.

In-app purchases are available in Fire Emblem Heroes to get some items quickly from the store. Gacha style of system is implemented to get new characters. This system is like a toy vending machine, and similar systems are implemented in other games, also.

Nintendo, to this date, updates the features and characters of Fire Emblem Heroes to keep the game relevant and fresh for the players. However, the maps used in this game are smaller than other Fire Emblem franchises, which is an obvious thing to do since the platforms are smaller also.

Nintendo’s purpose in launching Heroes was to capture the mobile gaming market or, even if it failed to do so, advertise the franchise to mobile gamers. The game received a warm welcome in the mobile gaming industry since it garnered many downloads and expanded its fan base.

The downside of Fire Emblem Heroes is that the maps used are smaller because the game is launched on Android and IOS. Also, playing Fire Emblem on a smaller platform compromises much of the exuberant gaming experience. This underlines the gameplay of Fire Emblem.

However, Nintendo with Heroes accomplished the goal of advertising and increasing the fanbase with a free-to-play game.

Fire Emblem Warriors – 74

• Release date – September 28, 2017
• Developers – Omega Force, Team Ninja, Koei, Intelligent systems
• Publisher – Koei, Koei Tecmo, Nintendo
• Platforms – Nintendo Switch, New Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 74

Warriors resulted from an amalgamation and collaboration of two of the most famous Japanese games: Fire Emblem and Dynasty Warriors. Both games had amassed colossal support, so a partnership between the two seemed necessary.

Partly features of Fire Emblem and Dynasty Warriors were taken to develop the game. As a result, the characters of Fire Emblem were taken and put into a hack-and-slash RPG – the gaming style of Dynasty Warriors. The prodigious result garnered immense support.

Fire Emblem Warriors demand a player to cut and slash through as many enemies as possible before the timer runs out or as the goal assigned is completed. This combination of the two games made the final game fun.

As a result of this collaboration, gamers that played only one of the two games developed an interest in the other, therefore, the game showed much success for both developers.

The downside to Warriors is that the Fire Emblem characters involved in Warriors are only from a few franchises and not all. The characters belonged to Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light, Awakening, and Fates.

Nevertheless, it is advised to get the Nintendo Switch version of the game since it carries a fast-paced game that offers a better experience.

Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn – 78

• Release date – February 22, 2007
• Platforms – Wii
• Developer – Nintendo, Nintendo Software planning and development, intelligent systems
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Metacritic ratings – 78

Radiant Dawn was the successor to Path of Radiance. The Path of Radiance was so comprehensive a game that most people believed it did not require a sequel. However, it was still widely applauded after Radiant Dawn was released on Wii.

As Radiant Dawn is a sequel to Path of Radiance, the game offers a data transfer method to directly transfer the data of Path of Radiance to Radiant Dawn. This is for gamers that have completed Path of Radiance.

Also being a sequel, Radiant Dawn was developed for the most pro-Fire Emblem players that were done with Path of Radiance early and still need to be satisfied with the execution of their strong skills. Furthermore, the harder modes of Radiant Dawn are still there to select if a player still considers Radiant Dawn to be underwhelming on medium difficulty.

Radiant Dawn utilized a unique way of completing the campaign. It constantly changes the players’ perspective and lets them select different characters to view the conflict. This way, the player grasps the logic behind conflicts better and enjoys the game more.

There are other plausible amendments to Radiant Dawn. The game provides more room for strategic play. This was made possible by the larger roster of units that can be played with, the customizable item forging, and the skill systems used.

However, there is also a downside to Radiant Dawn. The version of the game, released in the US and other western countries, had a few mistranslations concerning the game’s difficulty. Because of this, the game also received poor reviews from western players.

Fire Emblem Shadows of Valentina – 81

• Release date – April 20, 2017
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Developers – Intelligent Systems
• Publishers – Nintendo
• Metacritic ratings – 81

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentina was developed with an emotional connection from the developer. The director of this franchise, Kenta Nakanishi, was in awe of Fire Emblem Gaiden after he played that game copiously with his father, who passed away later.

Due to the story behind how the game came into being, Shadows of Valentina can be called the brainchild of Nakanishi. Right from the game’s introduction, it is a matter of a few seconds before a player realizes how much blood and sweat Nakanishi put into the game.

Since the director was astounded by Gaiden, he took inspiration from that game. He left no stone unturned to include to flood Shadows of Valentina with mesmerizing visuals, pleasing music, and some impressive characters. Some motivation behind the creation of this game for Nakanishi was his father also, so his extra effort is understood.

While the exceptional work put into Shadows of Valentina is commendable, some shortcomings were pointed out in the game. The size and quality of the maps in the game primarily drove these. They could have been better with other editions and dented the otherwise perfect game.

Perhaps this game’s unique selling feature was ‘Mila’s Turn wheel.’ This feature turned the way Fire Emblem is played by its head. This is because it allowed players to redo their turns, so they could undertake their missions again without having the compulsion to undertake the entire chapter again.

Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon- 81

• Release date – August 7, 2008
• Platforms – Wii U, Nintendo DS
• Developers – Nintendo software planning and development, Intelligent systems
• Publishers – Nintendo
• Metacritic ratings – 81

Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon was the 11^th installment of Fire Emblem and was the remake of Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon & Blade of Light. At the time of release, remakes were not traditionally developed, but regardless, Nintendo managed to receive good reviews on Metacritic.

The purpose of Shadow Dragon was to translate the story of protagonist Marth to the western world. Otherwise, the game followed suit with the other Fire Emblem editions. Shadow Dragon involved players in getting into a quest to destroy the resurrected dragon, Medeus.

Shadow Dragon was an exception because it pioneered certain aspects. This game introduced the series to multiplayer gaming – the need for which was extremely felt after the release of The Blazing Blade.

There were some downsides to the game, also. The game excluded the support system in every Fire Emblem franchise since Fire Emblem Thracia 776. The game was very basic in terms of the features it offered in the gameplay.

Moreover, the written dialogues also needed to meet the bar set in the other Fire Emblem editions. Since the game was released on Nintendo DS, it should have good quality graphics, but it needed them.

Shadow dragon was a challenging game to conquer, so it must be replayed numerously. Fire Emblem fanatics embraced this.

Fire Emblem Engage – 82

• Release date – January 20, 2023
• Publisher – Nintendo, Nintendo of America, Nintendo of Europe GmbH
• Developers – Intelligent Systems
• Platforms – Nintendo Switch
• Metacritic ratings – 82

Engage is the latest release of the Fire Emblem franchise. With such a short time to its release, it is already satisfying many people in the industry that it has earned itself a valuable Metacritic rating.

The storyline of Engage is that four kingdoms eliminated the Fell Dragon once, and now it has resurrected after 1000 years. The protagonist is a divine dragon that teams up with other characters, brings peace to the continent of Elyos, and takes the dragon down.

Players liked that Engage brought back all-time best heroes, Marth and Celica. Moreover, many weapons and skills are also used that have been featured in previous editions. This reminiscence players received was much celebrated.

While some enjoyed certain features of Engage, it also garnered many disapprovals. The story and visual presentation turned many people away from the game. The story made people raise many questions in terms of how exciting and interesting it is. The new characters are also very dull.

Here is all you need to know about the characters in Engage.

As Engage is released after Three Houses, it has to maintain a better standard since it has some bigger shoes to fill.

Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones – 85

• Release date – October 7, 2004
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems
• Platforms – Gameboy Advance, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U
• Metacritic ratings – 85

The Blazing Blade’s success in being launched on Gameboy forced Nintendo to develop another Fire Emblem for Gameboy. While The Sacred Stones was primarily developed for Gameboy, its colossal fame made it ported to other platforms also – Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

The Sacred Stones, the 8th edition of Fire Emblem, was allegedly the easiest one to dominate. Also, the gameplay of this game was very different from its other editions. It was also called the virtual successor of Fire Emblem Gaiden.

The claim to fame of Sacred Stones was the speed runs, and LTC runs it allowed. The Fire Emblem ROM hacks that were performed in this edition also added fuel to its increasing popularity. Hence, the high Metacritic ratings of the game are understood.

There are two unique things about The Sacred Stones.

Firstly, the game is an anomaly edition. All Fire Emblem franchises were either a successor or a predecessor to another game. However, Sacred Stones does not follow the trend and is an anomaly. The game is a standalone edition with its main story and timeline.

Secondly, Sacred Stones offers two different routes to undertake the main story. Both options for launching the game take the story to completion but in a distinct ways. Therefore, the game encourages replayability to try out the other available route.

It also has a branching promotion system which was presented in a refurbished manner in many other franchises also, such as Awakening and Fates.

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance – 85

• Release date – April 20, 2005
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems, Nintendo software planning, and development
• Platforms – Nintendo GameCube
• Metacritic ratings – 85

The protagonist in Path of Radiance is a noteworthy character, Ike. The plot of this franchise revolves around his struggles and efforts, which he does to avenge his father’s murder and repel a possible invasion. The need to build an edition around Ike was his evergreen popularity.

Path of Radiance radiates an exceptional reputation that can carry newcomers to Fire Emblem games and Fire Emblem maestros to play the game. This was possible after the product of the merciful difficulty of the game and the strong storyline.

The game, by its difficulty, welcomes beginners and hardcore veterans.

Many plausible things came with Path of Radiance. Foremost being the already-mentioned storyline. The story was accompanied by astounding gameplay and an exceptional array of characters.

The downside to the game is that getting your hands on the game takes time and effort. Even if someone is lucky to get his hands on an Amazon & eBay site that offers the game, the prices need to be lowered for someone to buy them.

The gameplay balances out the price and the gaming experience Path of Radiance offers. Therefore, the price and availability disadvantages can be neutralized for anyone interested in what Path of Radiance offers.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright – 86

• Release date – February 19, 2016
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems, Nintendo software planning, and development
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 86

This game was the fourteenth edition of the Fire Emblem franchise, but it was the first edition that offered a split version of the game. The two versions were: birthright and conquest. Birthright came before the Conquest.

Both versions presented an interesting and distinct story. Also, both games showed separate gameplay styles. Therefore, to completely comprehend and enjoy the experience created by the edition, they would have to complete both games.

Birthright involves Corrin, the protagonist, to ally with their blood relatives and force Nohr to end his corrupt kingdom rule.

Many gamers reported the gameplay to be similar to what Awakening had. Therefore, they also didn’t have to struggle much to get their hands on gold and experience points in the game. This is to be noted for anyone willing to start Fire Emblem but doesn’t know where to start.

There is a downside to Birthright. Many players disliked the monotonously repetitive nature of the game presented. The game follows a cycle as the protagonist meets her brothers and convinces them of the king’s madness and drops their weapons to help her. The game goes about this plot numerously.

Fire Emblem Fates Conquest – 87

• Release date – February 19, 2016
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems, Nintendo software planning, and development
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 87

Two editions were available at Fire Emblem Fates’ release: Conquest and Birthright. But the two stories have different storylines and must be played to understand the bigger picture. Since Birthright made the player fight against Nohr to take down his kingdom, Conquest demanded a player to ally with him.

Gamers called Conquest to be closer to the spirit of Fire Emblem and called it a classic. Arguably, this is the reason for its better rating than its counterpart, Birthright.

Many players enjoyed the game because of its maps. The map designs were more solid and fulfilling than most Fire Emblem franchises. Maps, hence, served as icing on the cake for Conquest. Its different perspective from Birthright, with exuberant maps, made it rank better than other Fire Emblems.

There are certain put-offs of Fates Conquest, but most are only for a fraction of gamers. They also appear to be acceptable to some gamers.

Conquest’s gameplay is much more complex and, therefore, less rewarding. Completing a map also rewards the player with lesser accolades, with some of the maps offering only a limited number. Moreover, there are more objectives to undertake.

Fire Emblem Fates Revelation – 88

• Release date – June 25, 2015
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems, Nintendo software planning, and development
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 88

While Fire Emblem, Nintendo, and Intelligent systems only planned to release two versions of Fire Emblem Fates, the third one came out after the first two’s popularity. Revelation was released as DLC, downloadable content; to download, a player had to have either of the first two editions.

Birthright made the protagonist stand against Nohr, Conquest allied the protagonist with Nohr and Revelation chose not to align the protagonist with any kingdom the game had to offer. This game amalgamated the two prior editions with the gameplay topped with some rewards of Birthright.

Since this game merged the gameplays of Birthright and Conquest, it had a huge arsenal of characters to select from. Therefore, this edition of Fire Emblem has the best game support system and is a must for players that prioritize and value the system.

With all the game’s positives, it must be noted that it was the most polarizing edition of all Fire Emblem franchises. This stemmed mainly from the core gameplay and the storyline. The story could bother some gamers.

The protagonist hides underground without partaking in any of the kingdoms that are daggers drawn with each other. Instead, the protagonist starts forming an army united into smaller groups and tinkering with the gigantic kingdoms. Strings were pulled to enrage the kingdoms against each other.

However, the shadow of the previous editions and some features of its own made this edition rank as the best franchise.

Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition – 88

• Release date – June 2015
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 88

Fire Emblem and Nintendo made a statement with the release of Fates Special Edition. It represented how hugely popular the previous three Fates had been that they had to come up with another edition. Unsurprisingly, all four of these editions were made to the best-rated games.

While the previous editions brought some luck, the Special Edition offered remarkable gameplay that attracted many enthusiastic gamers.

The biggest selling point of Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition was that it had all three previous titles to offer under one umbrella. Each of the three brought something unique to Special Edition. As a result, it created a masterpiece.

Birthright provided many incentives to newcomers willing to start their Fire Emblem journey. With its brilliant maps, Conquest presented the original spirit of Fire Emblem to gamers. Lastly, Revelation mixed the two to include a bit of everything to have something for everyone.

The game also raised some fingers because of the title and features. The title was controversial. It inducted a spiteful feature that allowed marriage between brothers and sisters. The internet made many memes of the game and so, the optics few weeks after the game’s release weren’t astonishing.

Fire Emblem The Blazing Blade – 88

• Release date – April 25, 2003
• Publisher – Nintendo
• Developers – Intelligent Systems
• Platforms – Game Boy Advance, Wii U
• Metacritic ratings – 88

Fire Emblem The Blazing Blade, also known as Fire Emblem, was the 7^th release of Nintendo Fire Emblem. The primary reason for the development of this edition was to allow western audiences to immerse themselves deep into the flavor of Fire Emblem.

After the two featured in Super Smash Bros, Marth and Roy had already captured western audiences’ attention. Therefore, Nintendo needed to capture the attention by developing a game built specifically for the purpose. This can also be the reason it was developed for Game Boy.

Many reasons justify the ratings this edition garnered and why this one, in particular, can be the best game to start one’s Fire Emblem career.

The way the tutorial of the game is designed is exceptional after considering all other games’ tutorials. The story is also Hector-centered, along with the many difficulty options to select; beginners are easily taken onboard.

There is also a Lyn mode in the game which annoys the ones familiar with it, but it has its importance. Lyn mode introduces all kinds of characters in the game and how each one has evolved into its eternal form.

While the beginners feel comfortable with the difficulties offered, the veterans are also offered something worth their salt. The Hector Hard Mode of the game is challenging enough to trouble the best Fire Emblem players.

There were three Fire Emblem games developed for Game Boy, but this one was considered to be the best out of the three.

Fire Emblem Three Houses – 89

• Release date – July 26, 2019
• Developers – Intelligent systems, Koei Tecmo, Koei Tecmo games
• Publishers – Nintendo
• Platforms – Nintendo Switch
• Metacritic ratings – 89

At the time of release, this game was unparallel to any other Fire Emblem franchise, if not other games. An estimate of the success of Fire Emblem Three House, the 16^th installment of Fire Emblem, can be drawn from the fact that the game is still being investigated.

Even before its release, Three Houses was to meet a high bar, and it did exactly that. The game was a prodigious amalgam of astounding characters, a greyish story morally, and exceptionally addictive gameplay. The game had its league in terms of the sales it saw.

A very plausible feature of the game is the customization it offers. There are many ways a player can take the game to and experience a different story and features accordingly. This was the most customizable installment of Fire Emblem.

The customization resulted from the class system available. This dynamic and flexible system allowed players to train each of their units in any way they liked. They teach them various skills and then qualify them for many classes.

To summarize, players can design an entire army in any idealized way they can imagine. The army can then execute the strategies a player has in mind.

The unbelievable success of the game has made the players applaud everything. Cosplay and fan art have their standings. The characters’ motives were unique and warming. The voice actors had their way of sharing their gratitude for the success.

There was only a single problem that the game saw: the game got delayed when it was promised. But after seeing the results, there was nothing left to complain for anyone.

Fire Emblem Awakening – 92

• Release date – April 19, 2012
• Developers – Intelligent systems, Nintendo software planning and development, Nintendo
• Publishers – Nintendo
• Platforms – Nintendo 3DS
• Metacritic ratings – 92

Fire Emblem Awakens has topped the chart for Metacritic’s rating. But the timing of its launch was more important than what it brought to the table. The success of Awakening is assumed to save the complete Fire Emblem franchise.

This edition was a comeback edition, and it was launched onto Nintendo 3DS to leave no stone unturned in satisfying western audiences. The launch timing and the game quality saved the day for Fire Emblem with its sales in Japan and the US.

Awakening certainly differed from the one with the selling Fire Emblem edition. Its importance lies in the sales it garnered when it was released. Fire Emblem was at its lowest, and Awakening could either make or break the future of Fire Emblem.

Many people, after playing the game, realized that only some things are perfect in the game. But the game certainly touched many hearts.

The time of the story Awakening is featured in is a post-period Shadow Dragon was in. Apart from this, the game included many fan-favorite features from previous editions, such as the branching class system, which was first used in Sacred Stones.

Another important feature inducted was the support system. It allows characters to marry and have children that can be recruited by their right. This system throws flashbacks of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War’s second generation.

Ending Notes

After going through and comprehending how Fire Emblem developed games that ranked top on Metacritic ratings, each Fire Emblem edition shared certain features and gameplay with other editions, keeping the spirit the same. But they also had features to top as their own and present a unique game.

Fire Emblem Awakening had the best ratings because of how good a game it was, and the time it was released. Combinedly, it can be termed the best game of the franchise.

The latest edition is Fire Emblem Engage, awarded 82 points by Metacritic. The game has some big shoes to fill as it is released after Fire Emblem Three Houses. Even then, Engage has managed to get some good ratings and satisfied many players.