Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 [ファイアーエムブレム トラキア776] - I've had this game for a long time, but I guess I'll finally talk a little about it.
Fire Emblem, as a whole, is a series that warrants almost no introduction. Originally released in 1990 by the mad lads at Intelligent Systems, it started a decades-long legacy of swords, sorcery and warfare that inspired many strategy games that would come later (and the game itself borrowed DNA from IS' prior strategy game, Famicom Wars, as well as inspiration from Kure Software Koubou's "First Queen"). While the series would, almost blasphemously, not see a proper English localization for more than 10 years (with the release of the GBA title, "Fire Emblem", which was actually the SEVENTH main game called "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade"... it probably wouldn't have even happened if Advance Wars and Smash Bros. weren't so popular), it was a legendary series for years in Japan. While its ascension to the series it is today was not paved with sunshine and rainbows the whole time (there is a fascinating falling out between Nintendo and the series' main creator, Shouzou Kaga, which led to his departure and two different series with gameplay connections, Tear Ring / Berwick Saga and Vestaria Saga), today's entry, "Fire Emblem: Thracia 776", was a critical turning point in the franchise.
Also dubbed "Fire Emblem 5", FE:T776 was not only the last FE game that had Kaga's involvement before he left Intelligent Systems (and the next to last IS game overall), but it was also one of the very last games released for Nintendo's Super Famicom console (followed by a small handful of others that can be counted on one hand) and perhaps the best game released on the system's deathbed. Initially released September 1st, 1999 as part of the "Nintendo Power Memory Flash Cartridge" line-up, it proved uncharacteristically popular, selling over 100,000 copies (low in the context of other FE games, but high considering the system was already almost 5 years into the PlayStation and Sega Saturn's reign as well as 3 years into the Nintendo 64) and later getting a standalone release in January of 2000 along with a simultaneous "Deluxe Pack" (pictured) for diehard collectors. Prior to the likes of Limited Run Games and company, FE:T776's Deluxe Pack was one of the only items of its kind officially released for the system with some notable bells and whistles. Besides the game, it included "The World of Fire Emblem" VHS, plushies of "Pegasus" and "Dragon", a cloth map, collectible cards, and 25 marker pins.
I won't go into an exhaustive discussion about this game's particulars as there is no shortage of info surrounding the series, but I will go over a few main elements of the game. Originally intended as a shorter side story back in 1998 before development turned the game into a project of greater scale, the game takes place in Thracia (specifically between Northern and Southern Thracia) during the year 776 of the Gran Calendar. FE 776 would serve as a interquel of sorts to 1996's "Genealogy of the Holy War" and takes place around the time of that game's second generation. Players control Leif, the deposed heir to the Republic of Munster, who has been passed around and on the run for most of his life due to the occupation of Jugdral by the tyrannical Arvis (one of the main antagonists of GotHW / FE4). The ultimate goal of the game is to build Leif's ragtag army into a formidable force and free Munster and Northern Thracia from the Grannvale Army.
FE 776 builds on the mechanics found in the previous game but also introduced several new mechanics, some which would become series staples and some that stayed unique to the game and helped the game earn its reputation as one of the most difficult titles in the series. These features included "Fog of War", "Capture" (introduced in this game and partially introduced in some future games), "Fatigue" (unique to this game as an attempt to avoid relying on specific characters too much), "Gaiden Chapters" and "Escape Chapters". The weapon triangle returns (but has lower priority and is thus easier to ignore) and while the game is difficult, there are also several fun exploits in the game (deliberately being captured by enemies with certain characters to halve their stats, weapon weight formulas, etc.) that keep things interesting. The game looks and sounds pretty good and ultimately helped send the system off in style (it's better than most of the games coming out towards the end of a system's life actually).
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Game Highlights 52:
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 [ファイアーエムブレム トラキア776] - I've had this game for a long time, but I guess I'll finally talk a little about it.
Fire Emblem, as a whole, is a series that warrants almost no introduction. Originally released in 1990 by the mad lads at Intelligent Systems, it started a decades-long legacy of swords, sorcery and warfare that inspired many strategy games that would come later (and the game itself borrowed DNA from IS' prior strategy game, Famicom Wars, as well as inspiration from Kure Software Koubou's "First Queen"). While the series would, almost blasphemously, not see a proper English localization for more than 10 years (with the release of the GBA title, "Fire Emblem", which was actually the SEVENTH main game called "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade"... it probably wouldn't have even happened if Advance Wars and Smash Bros. weren't so popular), it was a legendary series for years in Japan. While its ascension to the series it is today was not paved with sunshine and rainbows the whole time (there is a fascinating falling out between Nintendo and the series' main creator, Shouzou Kaga, which led to his departure and two different series with gameplay connections, Tear Ring / Berwick Saga and Vestaria Saga), today's entry, "Fire Emblem: Thracia 776", was a critical turning point in the franchise.
Also dubbed "Fire Emblem 5", FE:T776 was not only the last FE game that had Kaga's involvement before he left Intelligent Systems (and the next to last IS game overall), but it was also one of the very last games released for Nintendo's Super Famicom console (followed by a small handful of others that can be counted on one hand) and perhaps the best game released on the system's deathbed. Initially released September 1st, 1999 as part of the "Nintendo Power Memory Flash Cartridge" line-up, it proved uncharacteristically popular, selling over 100,000 copies (low in the context of other FE games, but high considering the system was already almost 5 years into the PlayStation and Sega Saturn's reign as well as 3 years into the Nintendo 64) and later getting a standalone release in January of 2000 along with a simultaneous "Deluxe Pack" (pictured) for diehard collectors. Prior to the likes of Limited Run Games and company, FE:T776's Deluxe Pack was one of the only items of its kind officially released for the system with some notable bells and whistles. Besides the game, it included "The World of Fire Emblem" VHS, plushies of "Pegasus" and "Dragon", a cloth map, collectible cards, and 25 marker pins.
I won't go into an exhaustive discussion about this game's particulars as there is no shortage of info surrounding the series, but I will go over a few main elements of the game. Originally intended as a shorter side story back in 1998 before development turned the game into a project of greater scale, the game takes place in Thracia (specifically between Northern and Southern Thracia) during the year 776 of the Gran Calendar. FE 776 would serve as a interquel of sorts to 1996's "Genealogy of the Holy War" and takes place around the time of that game's second generation. Players control Leif, the deposed heir to the Republic of Munster, who has been passed around and on the run for most of his life due to the occupation of Jugdral by the tyrannical Arvis (one of the main antagonists of GotHW / FE4). The ultimate goal of the game is to build Leif's ragtag army into a formidable force and free Munster and Northern Thracia from the Grannvale Army.
FE 776 builds on the mechanics found in the previous game but also introduced several new mechanics, some which would become series staples and some that stayed unique to the game and helped the game earn its reputation as one of the most difficult titles in the series. These features included "Fog of War", "Capture" (introduced in this game and partially introduced in some future games), "Fatigue" (unique to this game as an attempt to avoid relying on specific characters too much), "Gaiden Chapters" and "Escape Chapters". The weapon triangle returns (but has lower priority and is thus easier to ignore) and while the game is difficult, there are also several fun exploits in the game (deliberately being captured by enemies with certain characters to halve their stats, weapon weight formulas, etc.) that keep things interesting. The game looks and sounds pretty good and ultimately helped send the system off in style (it's better than most of the games coming out towards the end of a system's life actually).
-GS
2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 37