<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
,	O
also	O
officially	O
known	O
as	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Blazing	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
tactical	O
role-playing	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Intelligent	O
Systems	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
handheld	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
seventh	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
platform	O
after	O
Fire	B-Device
Emblem	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
Binding	I-Device
Blade	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
be	O
localized	O
for	O
international	O
audiences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
,	O
which	O
draws	O
from	O
earlier	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
entries	O
,	O
features	O
tactical	O
combat	O
between	O
armies	O
on	O
a	O
grid-based	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Characters	O
are	O
assigned	O
different	O
character	O
classes	O
that	O
affect	O
abilities	O
and	O
are	O
subjected	O
to	O
permanent	B-Application
death	I-Application
if	O
defeated	O
in	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
remained	O
exclusive	O
to	O
Japan	O
due	O
to	O
concerns	O
about	O
its	O
difficulty	O
,	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Advance	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
and	O
popular	O
demand	O
following	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
characters	O
in	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
prompted	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
localization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
positive	O
sales	O
and	O
international	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
,	O
establishing	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
overseas	O
success	O
caused	O
all	O
subsequent	O
games	O
(	O
except	O
for	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
:	I-Application
New	I-Application
Mystery	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Emblem	I-Application
)	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
outside	O
of	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
will	O
be	O
released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
Online	I-Application
+	I-Application
Expansion	I-Application
Pack	I-Application
in	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
is	O
a	O
tactical	O
role-playing	O
game	O
where	O
players	O
take	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
story	O
protagonists	O
Lyn	O
,	O
Eliwood	O
,	O
and	O
Hector	O
as	O
they	O
navigate	O
story-driven	O
missions	O
across	O
the	O
fictional	O
continent	O
of	O
Elibe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
unit	O
is	O
defeated	O
in	O
battle	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
subject	O
to	O
permanent	B-Application
death	I-Application
,	O
being	O
removed	O
from	O
all	O
future	O
encounters	O
and	O
the	O
overall	O
storyline	O
with	O
a	O
few	O
exceptions	O
for	O
story-related	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Outside	O
the	O
main	O
campaign	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
battle	O
against	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
Link	O
Arena	O
:	O
after	O
building	O
a	O
team	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
fights	O
a	O
battle	O
against	O
their	O
own	O
units	O
controlled	O
by	O
the	O
game	B-Application
AI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
also	O
features	O
a	O
Link	O
Arena	O
multiplayer	O
option	O
in	O
which	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
can	O
link	O
up	O
and	O
do	O
battle	O
with	O
teams	O
of	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
single-player	O
save	O
file	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
events	O
of	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
take	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
fictional	O
continent	O
of	O
Elibe	O
,	O
twenty	O
years	O
before	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Fire	B-Device
Emblem	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
Binding	I-Device
Blade	I-Device
:	O
in	O
ancient	O
times	O
,	O
humans	O
and	O
dragons	O
coexisted	O
,	O
but	O
humans	O
turned	O
against	O
and	O
banished	O
the	O
dragons	O
in	O
a	O
conflict	O
called	O
"	O
The	O
Scouring	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
her	O
quest	O
,	O
Lyn	O
protects	O
a	O
traveling	O
bard	O
named	O
Nils	O
from	O
an	O
assassin	O
guild	O
called	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Fang	I-Application
,	O
while	O
his	O
sister	O
Ninian	O
is	O
rescued	O
by	O
Eliwood	O
,	O
son	O
of	O
Marquess	O
Elbert	O
of	O
Pherae	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pair	O
discover	O
that	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Fang	I-Application
has	O
incited	O
Marquess	O
Darin	O
of	O
Laus	O
to	O
rebel	O
against	O
Lycia	O
,	O
and	O
Elbert	O
was	O
captured	O
when	O
he	O
refused	O
to	O
cooperate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
,	O
they	O
reunite	O
with	O
Ninian	O
and	O
Nils	O
and	O
learn	O
that	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Fang	I-Application
is	O
being	O
manipulated	O
by	O
a	O
sorcerer	O
named	O
Nergal	O
;	O
he	O
seeks	O
to	O
provoke	O
a	O
full-scale	O
war	O
in	O
Elibe	O
,	O
providing	O
him	O
with	O
an	O
enormous	O
amount	O
of	O
"	O
quintessence	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
life-force	O
from	O
fallen	O
warriors	O
,	O
and	O
force	O
the	O
siblings	O
to	O
open	O
the	O
Dragon	O
's	O
Gate	O
and	O
summon	O
dragons	O
to	O
Elibe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
Shrine	O
,	O
the	O
party	O
meets	O
the	O
ancient	O
hero	O
Bramimond	O
,	O
who	O
unseals	O
the	O
Blazing	O
Blade	O
Durandal	O
and	O
the	O
Thunder	O
Axe	O
Armads	B-Application
so	O
they	O
can	O
oppose	O
Nergal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	O
embittered	O
Zephiel	O
is	O
confronted	O
by	O
a	O
robed	O
man	O
who	O
accuses	O
him	O
of	O
awakening	O
a	O
demon	O
dragon	O
,	O
leading	O
into	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Fire	B-Device
Emblem	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
Binding	I-Device
Blade	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
:	I-Application
Rekka	I-Application
no	I-Application
Ken	I-Application
,	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
series	O
developer	O
Intelligent	O
Systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Character	O
designs	O
were	O
done	O
by	O
Sachiko	O
Wada	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
reprise	O
her	O
role	O
for	O
Fire	B-Device
Emblem	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
Sacred	I-Device
Stones	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Music	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Yuka	O
Tsujiyoko	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
every	O
game	O
since	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
inception	O
,	O
although	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
would	O
be	O
her	O
last	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
series	O
as	O
a	O
composer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
began	O
in	O
2002	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
The	O
Binding	O
Blade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
The	O
Binding	O
Blade	O
,	O
the	O
titular	O
"	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
"	O
was	O
represented	O
as	O
a	O
family	O
crest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
tutorial	O
was	O
included	O
because	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
steep	O
difficulty	O
was	O
proving	O
off-putting	O
to	O
new	O
players	O
;	O
an	O
inclusion	O
made	O
to	O
make	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
a	O
major	O
series	O
for	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
content	O
could	O
be	O
unlocked	O
by	O
connecting	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
Kart	I-Application
:	I-Application
Double	I-Application
Dash	I-Application
Bonus	O
Disc	O
via	O
a	O
GameCube	B-Device
–	I-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
link	I-Device
cable	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
in	O
early	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
second	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
while	O
also	O
being	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
newly	O
released	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
SP	I-Device
,	O
an	O
upgraded	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
for	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
on	O
May	O
14	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
localizing	O
a	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
game	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
had	O
been	O
around	O
for	O
some	O
time	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
combined	O
elements	O
of	O
extensive	O
use	O
of	O
text	O
and	O
a	O
view	O
that	O
tactical	O
RPGs	O
would	O
be	O
met	O
with	O
low	O
sales	O
overseas	O
had	O
kept	O
the	O
series	O
exclusive	O
to	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
major	O
factor	O
was	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
Roy	O
from	O
The	O
Binding	O
Blade	O
and	O
Marth	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
in	O
the	O
2001	O
fighting	O
game	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
were	O
difficulties	O
including	O
both	O
Marth	O
and	O
Roy	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
had	O
not	O
seen	O
an	O
overseas	O
release	O
at	O
that	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
growing	O
base	O
of	O
tactical	O
role-playing	O
games	O
including	O
Advance	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
interest	O
garnered	O
by	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
Roy	O
and	O
Marth	O
in	O
Melee	O
,	O
meant	O
Nintendo	O
was	O
more	O
willing	O
to	O
bring	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
overseas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
in	O
a	O
later	O
interview	O
,	O
localization	O
producer	O
Tim	O
O'Leary	O
said	O
that	O
localizing	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
more	O
difficult	O
than	O
its	O
successor	O
The	O
Sacred	O
Stones	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
smaller	O
in	O
scale	O
than	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
:	I-Application
Path	I-Application
of	I-Application
Radiance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
its	O
Western	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
subtitle	O
was	O
removed	O
,	O
with	O
it	O
simply	O
being	O
dubbed	O
"	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
on	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
for	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
on	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
in	O
Europe	O
;	O
and	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
December	O
4	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
met	O
with	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
aggregate	O
site	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
garnered	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
88/100	O
based	O
on	O
31	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
6th	O
best-reviewed	O
GBA	B-Device
title	O
of	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
magazine	O
Famitsu	O
praised	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
suitable	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
series	O
,	O
while	O
Eurogamer	O
's	O
Tom	O
Bramwell	O
cited	O
the	O
storyline	O
as	O
being	O
similar	O
to	O
better	O
examples	O
within	O
the	O
Japanese	O
role-playing	O
genre	O
and	O
its	O
near-seamless	O
integration	O
with	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christian	O
Nutt	O
of	O
GameSpy	O
praised	O
the	O
writing	O
as	O
highly	O
enjoyable	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
Japanese	O
and	O
Western	O
releases	O
,	O
and	O
IGN	O
's	O
Craig	O
Harris	O
believed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
superior	O
to	O
Advance	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
through	O
its	O
portrayal	O
of	O
characters	O
despite	O
some	O
minor	O
complaints	O
about	O
characters	O
that	O
remained	O
alive	O
for	O
story	O
reasons	O
despite	O
falling	O
in	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bramwell	O
praised	O
the	O
integration	O
of	O
RPG	O
elements	O
and	O
tactical	O
gameplay	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
finding	O
the	O
permanent	B-Application
death	I-Application
of	O
characters	O
a	O
suitable	O
fit	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dingo	O
was	O
positive	O
about	O
the	O
level	O
design	O
and	O
controls	O
,	O
but	O
warned	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
quite	O
short	O
and	O
lacking	O
in	O
depth	O
when	O
compared	O
to	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
Tactics	I-Application
Advance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Massimilla	O
found	O
the	O
gameplay	O
both	O
accessible	O
and	O
challenging	O
as	O
she	O
made	O
her	O
way	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
while	O
Nutt	O
was	O
skeptical	O
about	O
the	O
permanent	B-Application
death	I-Application
system	O
and	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
in-game	O
economy	O
despite	O
generally	O
enjoying	O
the	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Harris	O
again	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
Advance	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
but	O
said	O
that	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
had	O
enough	O
unique	O
elements	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
its	O
own	O
product	O
,	O
and	O
generally	O
praised	O
the	O
title	O
's	O
accomplishments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Burns	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
experience	O
of	O
earlier	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
worthy	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
and	O
a	O
good	O
entry	O
for	O
the	O
West	O
to	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
its	O
debut	O
week	O
,	O
Rekka	B-Application
no	I-Application
Ken	I-Application
entered	O
Japanese	O
gaming	O
charts	O
at	O
#2	O
with	O
sales	O
of	O
93,880	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2012	O
,	O
Rekka	B-Application
no	I-Application
Ken	I-Application
has	O
sold	O
272,000	O
units	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
no	O
exact	O
sales	O
figure	O
are	O
available	O
for	O
Western	O
territories	O
,	O
developers	O
later	O
stated	O
that	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
overseas	O
,	O
and	O
prompted	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Path	B-Application
of	I-Application
Radiance	I-Application
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
was	O
named	O
"	O
Editor	O
's	O
Choice	O
"	O
by	O
both	O
IGN	O
and	O
GameSpy	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
its	O
2004	O
awards	O
,	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
named	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
"	O
Handheld	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
International	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Association	O
awarded	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
"	O
Excellence	O
in	O
Writing	O
"	O
alongside	O
titles	O
including	O
Beyond	B-Application
Good	I-Application
&	I-Application
Evil	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Old	I-Application
Republic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
lists	O
compiled	O
by	O
IGN	O
,	O
GamesRadar	O
and	O
Game	O
Informer	O
,	O
Fire	B-Application
Emblem	I-Application
was	O
ranked	O
among	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
.	O
</s>
