Kid Icarus: Uprising Kid Icarus: Uprisingīarring some initial control discomfort, Pitt’s return in a fast-paced and compelling shooter was the makeover that the beloved character needed. Enjoyable for both hardcore fans and newcomers, Fire Emblem’s engrossing storyline, rich gameplay features, and addictive handheld tactics made every battle dangerous, worthwhile, and a white-knuckle ride to see if your strategy could win the day or inflict devastating losses on your army. The end result was the game that saved Fire Emblem from extinction, delivering both a critical and a financial hit that turned the franchise into one of Nintendo’s tentpole gaming properties. With the stakes higher than ever before, Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD set out to create a Fire Emblem game that was the culmination of the entire franchise and its history.
It had never quite managed to take off globally though, and with Nintendo ready to put the series out to pasture if this final entry didn’t meet its sales expectations, it was fittingly a do or die situation for Fire Emblem’s developers. Modern twists collided with a fairly traditional JRPG story, with Bravely Default easily earning itself a reputation as the best RPG on the 3DS.įire Emblem: Awakening Fire Emblem: Awakeningįire Emblem had always been one of the best-kept secrets in gaming (at least in North America), a tactical adventure with actual consequences thanks to its permadeath system that could rob you of a beloved character.