The "Okay, fine. I'll get Fire Emblem, jeez" thread.

[Reila]

Shadow Dragon's art style is kinda awful. To be honest, so is Path of Radiance's. At least they improved the artwork in Radiant Dawn (or so it seems, looking at some pictures in the Fire Emblem wiki).

 

[Skyblade12]

Shadow Dragon's art style is kinda awful. To be honest, so is Path of Radiance's. At least they improved the artwork in Radiant Dawn (or so it seems, looking at some pictures in the Fire Emblem wiki).

Did... Did you just speak ill of Nephenee's design?

 

[Hong]

Yeah. I'm calling shenanigans.

The actual renderings in-game are not as good as the concept art, but still look nice enough for its time. I will agree that the more mature designs and rich colours in Radiant Dawn were better. I would be so bold as to say the character illustrations in Radiant Dawn are my favourite from the series by a long-shot. If only I could combine the creativity of Awakening character designs with the quality of Radiant Dawn.

On the previous tangent, Path of Radiance, on a technical level, may as well have been a 64 game. It is strange how little of the Gamecube's power it had used. For comparison sake, Smash Melee was designed as a launch title. Not only did the latter have IMO superior graphics, but there are more bones, collision, etc. It's ironic, because Intelligent Systems themselves started out developing the actual developer tools Nintendo would use for other products, since the Famicom days. Melee uses all kinds of tricks to make the game really pretty and rather fluid, meanwhile if you pick apart Path of Radiance, it felt like it was made by people unfamiliar with the hardware.

Granted, who knows? Path of Radiance is more or less the cancelled Fire Emblem 64. It could have been the same people working on it, with the same outdated knowledge. If they really wanted to keep development costs low, they may have imported stuff over.

For the record: Graphics quality is irrelevant to my enjoyment of a game. It's just something that fascinates me as a game designer.

 

[Reila]

Did... Did you just speak ill of Nephenee's design?

I said art style, not character design.

 

[Skyblade12]

I said art style, not character design.

Well, I think that the art style is sort of heavily related to the character design. I will agree with complaints about graphical fidelity, as the game did have relatively low polygon count, especially compared to what the GameCube can do. But I still adored the art style itself, and the character portrait sprites were utterly gorgeous.

 

[Reila]

Well, I think that the art style is sort of heavily related to the character design. I will agree with complaints about graphical fidelity, as the game did have relatively low polygon count, especially compared to what the GameCube can do. But I still adored the art style itself, and the character portrait sprites were utterly gorgeous.

I don't think so. See, I only complained about the art style in Path of Radiance. In Radiant Dawn, the same character designs look just fine. They improved their work considerably in the sequel. Also, just to clarify, I am not talking about the 3D models, I am talking about the character portraits/artworks. Polygon counts have no affect on them.

Anyways, I am on chapter 20 in Path of Radiance. Such a great game!

 

[Azureo]

"Sort of"?

Why everyone criticized Path of Radiance for ditching the awesome sprites of the GBA games, but no one even mentioned how bad Shadow Dragon looked is utterly beyond me.

I liked PoR's style, and sticking to the sprites on the gamecube system would've probably induced a lot of criticism as well. I did miss the critical hits though. Sprites win that one by a milestone.....I'll always keep a soft spot for non-Ragnell Ike's critical.

 

[JaidynReiman]

Yeah. I'm calling shenanigans.

The actual renderings in-game are not as good as the concept art, but still look nice enough for its time. I will agree that the more mature designs and rich colours in Radiant Dawn were better. I would be so bold as to say the character illustrations in Radiant Dawn are my favourite from the series by a long-shot. If only I could combine the creativity of Awakening character designs with the quality of Radiant Dawn.

On the previous tangent, Path of Radiance, on a technical level, may as well have been a 64 game. It is strange how little of the Gamecube's power it had used. For comparison sake, Smash Melee was designed as a launch title. Not only did the latter have IMO superior graphics, but there are more bones, collision, etc. It's ironic, because Intelligent Systems themselves started out developing the actual developer tools Nintendo would use for other products, since the Famicom days. Melee uses all kinds of tricks to make the game really pretty and rather fluid, meanwhile if you pick apart Path of Radiance, it felt like it was made by people unfamiliar with the hardware.

Granted, who knows? Path of Radiance is more or less the cancelled Fire Emblem 64. It could have been the same people working on it, with the same outdated knowledge. If they really wanted to keep development costs low, they may have imported stuff over.

For the record: Graphics quality is irrelevant to my enjoyment of a game. It's just something that fascinates me as a game designer.

Considering how the games sold like crap, its probably best that they kept the graphical quality low and the costs low. Radiant Dawn certainly looked quite pretty, though.

 

[sunshinesan]

I wouldn't mind if the games were cel-shaded. It fits the anime art style better. Shadow Dragon was the opposite of that, hyper realistic and lame.

 

[Senario]

O_O Reminds me back when I got melee and saw Fire Emblem on GBA. I literally picked it up because it had swords, the guy looked like Roy (It was his dad), and it was a strategy game(I love those!). Ah good times...I was afraid the series was going downhill with Radiant Dawn+Shadow Dragon but thankfully Awakening happened.

 

[Skyblade12]

O_O Reminds me back when I got melee and saw Fire Emblem on GBA. I literally picked it up because it had swords, the guy looked like Roy (It was his dad), and it was a strategy game(I love those!). Ah good times...I was afraid the series was going downhill with Radiant Dawn+Shadow Dragon but thankfully Awakening happened.

Very thankfully. Awakening was made as part of an ultimatum by Nintendo. The game was given a sales quota to meet, or it would have been the last Fire Emblem game. Normally, that is already a mark of doom, because few studios really support a project that is given a final run warning like that. But Nintendo supported it, translated it, and marketed the heck out of it (including the Awakening and SMT IV promotion), and we got a fantastic game because of it (and one that eclipsed the sales mark set by Nintendo for overall sales in Japan alone).

 

[jaytalks]

Got FE7 because I heard Roy was in it. And he was... as a baby...

I think Awakening is the best in the series for its sheer replayability. I have beaten more times than any other RPG or adventure game, and there are few titles that come close (I replay OoT once a year, and that's about it). It's the perfect entry point to the series, and a game I feel I can recommend to anyone. Which is just about the best praise you can give any game in my opinion.

 

[Raijinken]

After Marth and Roy were in Smash, Fire Emblem became my favorite game ever. So, hope you all like it. (And if you don't, I will politely think you just have poor taste)

As for which is the best, it'll depend on your taste. I prefer 4 and 5 on the SNES (never made it out of Japan), and ranked Awakening fifth best of the thirteen. But all of them are among my favorite games per system.

 

[PlayR489]

I tried the fire emblem awakening demo and loved what I saw. Still... I don't feel like forking over $40.00 USD to see this:

But my situation is the same with Kid Icarus Uprising. (I have been meaning to pick it up since the price went down by a little... or I'll go get it used)

 

[Hong]

Welcome to SmashBoards, @ PlayR489 . ^~^

In the future, if you can, please use the edit button beneath the post, and avoid double posting. It is recommended that you read the SmashBoards Terms of Service.

All that aside, it's a pleasure to have you here with us. Personally, I'd recommend that you wait for a price-drop. I'm surprised Nintendo did not have a sale on Awakening when Robin was revealed, but if that's not the case, they probably will have a sale related to Smash eventually.

 

[PlayR489]

@ Hong Thanks for editing it for me. I do have a 10$ walmart giftcard so I may get it now...

 

[Hong]

@ Hong Thanks for editing it for me. I do have a 10$ walmart giftcard so I may get it now...

Well, for what it's worth, the game has a lot of value. I bought it before its official day of release, and to this day I still play it. It's on my desk right now in sleep mode.

 

[PlayR489]

Well, for what it's worth, the game has a lot of value. I bought it before its official day of release, and to this day I still play it. It's on my desk right now in sleep mode.

If it has THAT MUCH replay value I might as well get it. (Relationships, Attack Styles) I really think these would be the 2 things that would make me replay... to see the story unfold differently then it did my 1st time playing.

 

[Reila]

Just finished my second Fire Emblem game (the first was Sacred Stone, years ago): Path of Radiance. I finished it with 25 hours clocked and...goddamn this game is great. Ike is amazing, isn't he? Elincia, Ena, Titania, Lethe, Marcia. Hell, even Sore are such likable characters. The plot with various small plot points being revealed here and there was kinda nice. That scene with Ena and you know who in the end was so heartwarming, by the way. This game is giving Sacred Stones a run for its money as my favorite game in the series (yes, I know people hate Sacred Stones, but I loved it :'D).

 

[PlayR489]

So.... should I get awakening, sacred stones, fire emblem, path of radiance, shadow dragon or some other one? (I have all consoles I need except for NES/SNES for the japan only ones)

 

[Hong]

Just finished my second Fire Emblem game (the first was Sacred Stone, years ago): Path of Radiance. I finished it with 25 hours clocked and...goddamn this game is great. Ike is amazing, isn't he? Elincia, Ena, Titania, Lethe, Marcia. Hell, even Sore are such likable characters. The plot with various small plot points being revealed here and there was kinda nice. That scene with Ena and you know who in the end was so heartwarming, by the way. This game is giving Sacred Stones a run for its money as my favorite game in the series (yes, I know people hate Sacred Stones, but I loved it :'D).

Elincia in particular is my favourite Fire Emblem character, ever. Almost my favourite video game ever, period (honours go to Cornet Espoir, followed by Cecil Harvey). If you don't appreciate her enough already as it is, maybe you will after you have played Radiant Dawn. I wish the game had started with her instead of Ike, but with all the same events. I'll agree with all of the other characters you listed as well.

And yeah, I don't think there is much wrong with Sacred Stones. It is easier than earlier entries, but lack of difficulty is only an issue when the gameplay isn't engaging. Since Sacred Stones engages the mind with its challenges (better than Awakening does IMO), it's 100% okay in my books. Great game.

So.... should I get awakening, sacred stones, fire emblem, path of radiance, shadow dragon or some other one? (I have all consoles I need except for NES/SNES for the japan only ones)

Skip Shadow Dragon.

Priority IMO should be Path of Radiance > Awakening = Sacred Stones > Blazing Sword (just "Fire Emblem" interntionally) and then whatever else. If you like Path of Radiance, go for Radiant Dawn. Anything but Shadow Dragon.

 

[ChikoLad]

I've always had the mind to get into Fire Emblem, but never the time or motivation. And just in general, other games have also been taking my interest. There are a lot of games I want to get into, and it's hard to find time to get around to them. Robin and Lucina have not really amplified this interest, though, but the return of Ike and his redesign makes me intrigued for his games in particular.

I played the demo of Awakening a long while ago, and I enjoyed it. However, I admittedly had more fun with the two Project X Zone demos, and that game is the other strategy RPG game that I am interested in as far as 3DS games go. I won't be getting to either game for a while though, because I'm being conservative with my money until I have both versions of Smash. Then after that, Hyrule Warriors and the Sonic Boom games take priority for me. And there are a bunch of games I have started, really enjoyed, but never finished yet.

Back to Fire Emblem, Awakening is the only one I will actually go out and buy. Since I can't really get any of the other games new anyway, I will just download those.

Just so I know, what's the average length of a Fire Emblem game (just to get to it's ending)?

 

[AustarusIV]

Just finished my second Fire Emblem game (the first was Sacred Stone, years ago): Path of Radiance. I finished it with 25 hours clocked and...goddamn this game is great. Ike is amazing, isn't he? Elincia, Ena, Titania, Lethe, Marcia. Hell, even Sore are such likable characters. The plot with various small plot points being revealed here and there was kinda nice. That scene with Ena and you know who in the end was so heartwarming, by the way. This game is giving Sacred Stones a run for its money as my favorite game in the series (yes, I know people hate Sacred Stones, but I loved it :'D).

I think the Tellius games have the best Fire Emblem cast in general. A lot of the characters you described are also some of my favorites, and are really good to use in-game to boot. Ike and Hector are probably my favorite blue-haired lords in this series.

BTW, did you defeat the Black Knight?

 

[Hong]

Just so I know, what's the average length of a Fire Emblem game (just to get to it's ending)?

This is a really rough estimation, but for a first timer, if you play on Hard you will take roughly 30 minutes to an hour for each chapter. The preliminary chapters should take even less than that, but those aside, that is how long you will spend actually commanding your units. This does not count time spent reading text, any resets, or such and such. Overall, it comes out to about an hour per chapter if you include reading, with an average of 25 chapters per game.

Even as a Fire Emblem veteran, I'll take about half an hour average for each chapter my first time playing the game, between planning and execution.

 

[.Shìkì]

My course of action after seeing Robins trailer: Register on Smashboards, find out who the hell that bad*** is, and then i grabbed some money, went the 1 hour + way to the next gamestop and bought that game. New. Becuse only a new one was gonna cut it X) Now I'll by playing through it when i go on vacation, but its so damn hard to resist starting it up til then...

 

[Metallaeus]

I'm gonna be real, after the trailer for Robin and Lucina (and Cpt Falcon i guess ), I debated buying Awakening and I did. I think i was totally worth it and I respect Robin a lot more as a character because of it. It was my 3rd Fire Emblem game. Nothing will replace the way I felt about FE7 though D:. Actually it was my 4th Fire Emblem game, i just used a lot of cheats in FE8.

 

[Reila]

I think the Tellius games have the best Fire Emblem cast in general. A lot of the characters you described are also some of my favorites, and are really good to use in-game to boot. Ike and Hector are probably my favorite blue-haired lords in this series.

BTW, did you defeat the Black Knight?

I did not. I was completely unprepared, so I just avoided him entirely until Nasir appeared. xD

 

[SphericalCrusher]

Been a Fire Emblem fan since the beginning -- played all of them. FE Awakening is the best game in the series hands down IMO.

 

[Skyblade12]

Been a Fire Emblem fan since the beginning -- played all of them. FE Awakening is the best game in the series hands down IMO.

I wouldn't say hands down. It's lacking in mission variety (kill commander or all foes only). It has relatively uninspired map design. There are a few mechanics missing that I really liked (destructible terrain, which ties back to map design, and fog of war). The cast isn't the best in the series (I think Blazing Sword beats it out for cast).

That said, I think the story is phenomenal, and they improved so many other game mechanics that it still does take the "series best" title.


Also, the child unit mechanic was so well designed and implemented that I'm honestly going to find it a step backward to ever play a Fire Emblem game that doesn't feature it.

 

[DakotaBonez]

I feel terrible that I haven't been supporting nintendo's hardcore franchises. I never bought F-Zero, hated Metroid Prime, and dont know sh#@ about Fire Emblem. I fear that I may be a casual gamer.
I only buy fighting games and other multiplayer games.

I've really wanted to try Fire Emblem for awhile now, when I was little, I played Shining Force alot, it was the first pc game I ever bought, it didn't run very well on windows 98 though.

I heard that Fire Emblem is basically the same game, but I never owned a handheld gaming device. I know that the games are on consoles, I saw that there was one for the wii and gamecube.

Are the console games a match for the handheld games? or are they sh#@$# like the pokemon console games?

I heard that Awakening has an option to turn off the hardcore feature where characters permanently die, is the game too easy compared to the others?
Which Fire Emblem game is the best? Which should I start with?
How does it compare to Shining Force?

 

[SphericalCrusher]

I wouldn't say hands down. It's lacking in mission variety (kill commander or all foes only). It has relatively uninspired map design. There are a few mechanics missing that I really liked (destructible terrain, which ties back to map design, and fog of war). The cast isn't the best in the series (I think Blazing Sword beats it out for cast).

That said, I think the story is phenomenal, and they improved so many other game mechanics that it still does take the "series best" title.


Also, the child unit mechanic was so well designed and implemented that I'm honestly going to find it a step backward to ever play a Fire Emblem game that doesn't feature it.

I said hands down because if you look at the next word, it says "IMO" stating that it's only my opinion. The story was fantastic and had many improvements although it lacked certain things.

 

[Metallaeus]

I heard that Awakening has an option to turn off the hardcore feature where characters permanently die, is the game too easy compared to the others?

I mean, it's really up to you. When you start off the game (save file), it asks you for difficulty and whether or not you want it to be casual (if u die its not perm) and classic (u die and that dude is just gone). It's a different experience based off of what you pick. Normal Casual mode is for people that just look forward to playing to the game, but of course it does get (more) difficult as you progress through the game and reach the later chapters. Hard/Insane(i forgot if that's what it's called) mode (tagged along with Classic) really bumps up the difficulty and really makes you think and always be cautious about your units. One small mistake and it could mean the death of a really crucial member. Since you get to pick, I wouldn't exactly say it's easier or harder than the others, or more like I wouldn't really be able to judge that by myself since I haven't played a lot of Fire Emblems to be honest. But you can just go Normal Classic for a standard experience with average difficulty where a few companions might die, but I like how the game really lets you decide. I personally tried doing Hard Classic at first because I thought I would be able to handle it due to playing through several FE games alright in the past, but I ended up creating a new file because it got really tough for me quick, maybe I'm just bad at the game.

 

[Azureo]

I feel terrible that I haven't been supporting nintendo's hardcore franchises. I never bought F-Zero, hated Metroid Prime, and dont know sh#@ about Fire Emblem. I fear that I may be a casual gamer.
I only buy fighting games and other multiplayer games.

I've really wanted to try Fire Emblem for awhile now, when I was little, I played Shining Force alot, it was the first pc game I ever bought, it didn't run very well on windows 98 though.

I heard that Fire Emblem is basically the same game, but I never owned a handheld gaming device. I know that the games are on consoles, I saw that there was one for the wii and gamecube.

Are the console games a match for the handheld games? or are they sh#@$# like the pokemon console games?

I heard that Awakening has an option to turn off the hardcore feature where characters permanently die, is the game too easy compared to the others?
Which Fire Emblem game is the best? Which should I start with?
How does it compare to Shining Force?

If I had to say, Fire Emblem: Awakening is probably one of the best games to start with. It comes with an ajustable difficulty setting, even ajustable permadeath, for those who aren't familiar with the series or just aren't interested in the permadeath concept of the game. Once you've got the hang of the game, you can bump up the difficulty or add permadeath and play it again, and that's easy, because FE:A has a LOAD of replay value.

The console games seem to be a match for the handheld versions. The biggest difference though, would simply be the graphics, the game acts a lot like other FE's, with a few added systems. But if you have a 3DS, you'll probably want to start off with Awakening.

 

[Drakonis]

I feel terrible that I haven't been supporting nintendo's hardcore franchises. I never bought F-Zero, hated Metroid Prime, and dont know sh#@ about Fire Emblem. I fear that I may be a casual gamer.
I only buy fighting games and other multiplayer games.

I've really wanted to try Fire Emblem for awhile now, when I was little, I played Shining Force alot, it was the first pc game I ever bought, it didn't run very well on windows 98 though.

I heard that Fire Emblem is basically the same game, but I never owned a handheld gaming device. I know that the games are on consoles, I saw that there was one for the wii and gamecube.

Are the console games a match for the handheld games? or are they sh#@$# like the pokemon console games?

I heard that Awakening has an option to turn off the hardcore feature where characters permanently die, is the game too easy compared to the others?
Which Fire Emblem game is the best? Which should I start with?
How does it compare to Shining Force?

Yay another Shining Force fan! :D
Let me tell you straight, if you love Shining Force, you'll at the very least like FE: Awakening. If not love it. Just start on Casual Hard mode and you're set.
Of course there are some things you'll need to get used to like the weapon triangle (which isn't as important in Awakening), the fact that there aren't any AoE attacks and that you move all your units at once instead of based on character initiative.
Shining Force 1 and 2 are a lot more archaic than Awakening, but Awakening also matches those games' speed (which is one of the biggest reasons why I still love them) AND has the option to skip/speed up battle sequences and enemy movement, which is a godsent in some situations.
FE: Path or Radiance and Radiant Dawn (the Gamecube/Wii titles respectively) for example, while still really good IMO (especially PoR), are way slower in their pacing.
Awakening can be fairly easy if you take your time to grind, which for some reason I did even though I usually hate grinding. I haven't tried it yet, but if you don't grind at all Hard Mode should be quite challenging actually.

 

[JaidynReiman]

Yay another Shining Force fan! :D
Let me tell you straight, if you love Shining Force, you'll at the very least like FE: Awakening. If not love it. Just start on Casual Hard mode and you're set.
Of course there are some things you'll need to get used to like the weapon triangle (which isn't as important in Awakening), the fact that there aren't any AoE attacks and that you move all your units at once instead of based on character initiative.
Shining Force 1 and 2 are a lot more archaic than Awakening, but Awakening also matches those games' speed (which is one of the biggest reasons why I still love them) AND has the option to skip/speed up battle sequences and enemy movement, which is a godsent in some situations.
FE: Path or Radiance and Radiant Dawn (the Gamecube/Wii titles respectively) for example, while still really good IMO (especially PoR), are way slower in their pacing.
Awakening can be fairly easy if you take your time to grind, which for some reason I did even though I usually hate grinding. I haven't tried it yet, but if you don't grind at all Hard Mode should be quite challenging actually.

Funny thing is, I loved Shining Force. Shining Force II is actually my very first introduction into the world of turn-based strategy RPG's and I really did like it (well, granted, like most things I played it years later, in 2001). When I later found out about Fire Emblem post-Melee, I just HAD to look into the games and I loved them even more.

 

[MindlessFire]

A bunch my friends who were smash fans got interested in Robin after seeing his moveset in the trailer. They were shocked and surprised when I told them Robin is the customizable avatar character the player assumes in Awakening. Two them even went and bought the game.

Nearly all of my friends are exclusive WRPG gamers mainly because they've been spoiled by games Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, etc. that allow them create and roleplay their characters rather than being forced to play as a predetermined main character in a JRPG usually with a predetermined class and skills. The only JRPG they played in the last 3 years was Dark Souls that didn't even feel like a JRPG to them even though the game was developed by From Software a Japanese developer.

It was really surprising for them to see that "Character Creation" was now a feature in Fire Emblem.

 

[Reila]

A bunch my friends who were smash fans got interested in Robin after seeing his moveset in the trailer. They were shocked and surprised when I told them Robin is the customizable avatar character the player assumes in Awakening. Two them even went and bought the game.

Nearly all of my friends are exclusive WRPG gamers mainly because they've been spoiled by games Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, etc. that allow them create and roleplay their characters rather than being forced to play as a predetermined main character in a JRPG usually with a predetermined class and skills. The only JRPG they played in the last 3 years was Dark Souls that didn't even feel like a JRPG to them even though the game was developed by From Software a Japanese developer.

It was really surprising for them to see that "Character Creation" was now a feature in Fire Emblem.

Ha, that is kinda cool, because what got me interested in Awakening was exactly the character creation feature. I love this feature.

 

[Hong]

That whole thing is interesting. As a Fire Emblem veteran, I used to hate the idea of My Unit and detest customizable inserted characters since they always felt tacky, I frowned upon reclassing, and didn't approve of Casual mode.

Though I sat there and thought about it, and really, I think I was being unfair. Nothing about the Fire Emblem I enjoy has gone anywhere, and all they've done is broaden the appeal. Awakening was the first foray for many people into the series since it has become so much more accessible and added in a lot of the features in games that have become popular in the industry.

I can still play Fire Emblem the way I want to. That's why these things are an option and not a forced change in direction. For me, I don't see My Unit as being me at all, and I resent that Nintendo of America changed the name of the feature to Avatar. All the same, there is nothing telling me that I have to have any attachment to Robin, and as such that is how I play the game. Even better is the fact they made Robin feel rather organic, in that she is actually a leading star in the story and has proper interactions with all the characters.

 

[Skyblade12]

Funny thing is, I loved Shining Force. Shining Force II is actually my very first introduction into the world of turn-based strategy RPG's and I really did like it (well, granted, like most things I played it years later, in 2001). When I later found out about Fire Emblem post-Melee, I just HAD to look into the games and I loved them even more.

Shining Force is one of the pinnacles of the Tactical RPG genre. I really wish that more TRPGs had the town exploration aspect.

That whole thing is interesting. As a Fire Emblem veteran, I used to hate the idea of My Unit and detest customizable inserted characters since they always felt tacky, I frowned upon reclassing, and didn't approve of Casual mode.

I think they handled reclassing a lot better in Awakening than they did in Shadow Dragon. By limiting the classes most units can reclass to, you can still keep them feeling unique (especially as skills start adding up), but add that layer of customization.

I can still play Fire Emblem the way I want to. That's why these things are an option and not a forced change in direction. For me, I don't see My Unit as being me at all, and I resent that Nintendo of America changed the name of the feature to Avatar. All the same, there is nothing telling me that I have to have any attachment to Robin, and as such that is how I play the game. Even better is the fact they made Robin feel rather organic, in that she is actually a leading star in the story and has proper interactions with all the characters.

I think Robin has the largest role in the story. Robin, then Lucina, then Chrom.

But, yeah, as customizable characters go, Robin still has a definite personality of his own. He's not a "blank slate" silent protagonist.

 

[JaidynReiman]

That whole thing is interesting. As a Fire Emblem veteran, I used to hate the idea of My Unit and detest customizable inserted characters since they always felt tacky, I frowned upon reclassing, and didn't approve of Casual mode.

Though I sat there and thought about it, and really, I think I was being unfair. Nothing about the Fire Emblem I enjoy has gone anywhere, and all they've done is broaden the appeal. Awakening was the first foray for many people into the series since it has become so much more accessible and added in a lot of the features in games that have become popular in the industry.

I can still play Fire Emblem the way I want to. That's why these things are an option and not a forced change in direction. For me, I don't see My Unit as being me at all, and I resent that Nintendo of America changed the name of the feature to Avatar. All the same, there is nothing telling me that I have to have any attachment to Robin, and as such that is how I play the game. Even better is the fact they made Robin feel rather organic, in that she is actually a leading star in the story and has proper interactions with all the characters.

Mmm... Agreed, "My Unit" is a better term because it doesn't associate you with being the character, like the term "Avatar" does. My Unit refers to a character you create, Avatar refers to you creating a character based on yourself.