The Blazing Blade

Lyn, Eliwood and Hector's journey across Elibe, the series' first Western release.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, also released simply as Fire Emblem, is a 2003 tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It is the seventh game in the series and the first to be localized outside Japan.

A prequel to The Binding Blade, it is set on the continent of Elibe and follows three young lords, Lyn, Eliwood and Hector, who set out to find Eliwood's missing father, Elbert, and uncover a wider conspiracy threatening Elibe.

Quick Facts

Released: 2003 (JP, NA), 2004 (EU, AU)
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Place in series: Seventh game; prequel to The Binding Blade

Facts from the source article.

Background

Players act as a mostly unseen tactician directing an army in grid-based battles, chapter by chapter; each unit's class shapes its abilities, and units defeated in battle are lost for good. Development began in 2002 as a companion to The Binding Blade and ran past its planned seven months as features were added. The success of Advance Wars and the appearance of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee led Nintendo to localize it. It was released in Japan and North America in 2003 and in Europe and Australia in 2004 to critical acclaim and commercial success, and it established the series in the West.