''Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem'' is a
tactical role-playing
Tactical role-playing games (abbreviated TRPGs), also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as (both abbreviated SRPGs), are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (Turn-bas ...
video game developed by
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games with Nintendo and the ''Fire Emblem'', ''Paper Mario (series), Paper Mario'', ''WarioWare'', and ''Wars (series), Wars'' video game series. Originally, the company was headqua ...
, and published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
for the
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
home video game console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
in 1994. It is the third installment of the ''
Fire Emblem
is a fantasy tactical role-playing game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. First produced and published for the Famicom in 1990, the series currently consists of sixteen core entries and five spinoffs. Game ...
'' series,
and the first to be developed for the Super Famicom. The story is divided into two parts: the first part is a remake of ''
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'', while the second is an original story acting as a sequel to the first game. After defeating the sorcerer Gharnef and the Dark Dragon Medeus, peace is restored to Archanea and Marth restores his kingdom. His ally Hardin ascends to the throne of Archanea, but begins hostile military expansion across the continent, forcing Marth to confront his old friend and the force driving him. Gameplay follows the traditional ''Fire Emblem'' system of tactical battles taking place on grid-based maps.
''Mystery of the Emblem'' began development in 1992 during the production of ''
Fire Emblem Gaiden
is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Famicom. Released in March 1992, it is the second installment in the ''Fire Emblem'' series and the last to be developed for the Famicom. It bui ...
''. The staff from previous entries, including series creator
Shouzou Kaga
Shouzou Kaga (加賀昭三, ''Kaga Shōzō'', born 1950) is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the ''Fire Emblem'' series. During his career at Intelligent Systems, he would lead the development of ''Fir ...
and composer
Yuka Tsujiyoko
Yuka Tsujiyoko (辻横 由佳 ''Tsujiyoko Yuka'') is a Japanese people, Japanese video game music composer. She is best known for her contributions to the ''Fire Emblem'' and ''Paper Mario'' series, and several other Intelligent Systems develope ...
, returned to their respective roles. While originally conceived as two separate projects, the team eventually merged the proposed remake of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'' with the original story content of ''Mystery of the Emblem''. The gameplay, which had veered away from the first game's tactical RPG routes in ''Gaiden'', returned to its more traditional stance. The difficulty was lowered to encourage new players to try the series.
The game has been positively received by video game journalists; much praise went to its gameplay refinements and technical quality. It also set the best first-week sales for the series until ''
Fire Emblem Awakening
''Fire Emblem Awakening'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in April 2012 in Japan and 2013 internationally. It is the thirteenth in ...
'' in 2012, and with 776,338 units by 2002 was the best-selling title in the series to that date. A derivative title for the
Satellaview
The is a satellite modem peripheral produced by Nintendo for the Super Famicom in 1995. Containing 1 megabyte of ROM space and an additional 512 kB of RAM, Satellaview allowed players to download games, magazines, and other media through satell ...
, ''BS Fire Emblem'', was released during 1997. A full remake for the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
, ''
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem'', was released in 2010. In 2017, it was rereleased in Japan as part of the Japanese retailer versions of Classic SNES Edition.
Gameplay
''Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem'' is a
tactical role-playing
Tactical role-playing games (abbreviated TRPGs), also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as (both abbreviated SRPGs), are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (Turn-bas ...
video game where players take control of Marth's army and
Marth Marth may refer to:
* Marth, Thuringia, Germany
People with the surname
* Albert Marth (1828–1897), German astronomer
* Christophe Marth (born 1980), French rugby player
* Frank Marth (born 1922), American actor
* Tommy Marth
Thomas Christian ...
himself, the main protagonist of ''
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'', across story-driven missions on the continent of Archanea.
In between battles, characters engage in conversations with each other in cutscenes, which advances the story.
Battles are turn-based and take place on grid-based maps. Victory is achieved when an enemy base is captured or all enemies are defeated. Each character holds four weapons and four items, and each has an assigned character class, which affects their movement range, damage and what weapons can be used. Mounted units also have the option to dismount, which changes their abilities and stats while reducing movement range.
When combat is initiated, a separate screen shows the battle play out: attack power is based on the strength of weapons and their units, while damage is calculated based on both the type of attack used and the opposing unit's physical and magical defense. Critical hits triple the damage of normal attacks.
Each battle awards
experience point
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s, which raise a unit's experience level: their level and statistics cap at 20. When a character changes class, their experience level returns to 1 while their stats increase slightly.
Unit abilities can be influenced through a Support system: when two characters have a story-based relationship such as being lovers or friends, they boost stats such as attack power or dodging ability.
Synopsis
''Mystery of the Emblem'' is set on the continent of Archanea, and is split into two halves dubbed "Books". "Book 1" is a retelling of the events of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'': Marth, the prince of Altea, is forced into exile when his homeland is attacked by the neighboring kingdom of Gra. With his father killed and his sister Elice captive, Marth must muster a force to defeat the will driving the invasion: the dark dragon Medeus and his ally Gharnef. Marth's allies include the princess and Pegasus knight Caeda, Marth's mentor Jagen, Prince Hardin of Aurelis, kindly Princess Nyna of Archanea's Royal Family, and the Archsage Gotoh. His quest leads him to recovering Falchion, a magical sword which can defeat Medeus and which only Marth can wield due to his ancient heritage as a descendant of Anri, the warrior who defeated Medeus. Having recovered both Falchion and the magical Fire Emblem shield, Marth confronts Gharnef and Medeus, the latter of whom is leader of the last surviving tribe of Manakete, an ancient tribe which could shapeshift into dragons. In the end, Marth defeats Medeus and restores peace, surrendering the Fire Emblem to Archanea for safekeeping. Hardin marries Nyna and becomes the king of Archanea.
"Book 2" takes place two years after Book 1. Hardin begins the forceful military occupation of neighboring countries, with Marth's army being used as part of the conquests. When Marth grows suspicious of his role in Hardin's plans, he is branded as a traitor to Archanea and is relentlessly hunted down by Hardin's forces. Receiving the Fire Emblem from Nyna by way of a courier, Marth and his army escapes to the desert of Khadein and meets with Gotoh. He explains that Hardin has become possessed by the evil power of the Darksphere, which Gharnef secretly gave to him, and that only the Lightsphere can counter its power and save Hardin. Marth is also tasked with locating three other magical spheres in his quest: the Lifesphere, the Geosphere, and the Starsphere (the latter of which must be reassembled through the collection of Starshards). Marth and his allies journey through the icy mountains to obtain the Lightsphere, then stage a final assault on Archanea to liberate the continent from Hardin's madness. Though the Lightsphere nullifies the Darksphere's power, Hardin is critically wounded in his battle and can only apologize to Marth for his actions before he dies. If the player has not collected the five spheres, the game ends prematurely at this point; Marth is duped into believing Gharnef has been defeated, and soon has to fight another war against Medeus. If the player did collect the spheres, Marth inserts all five into the Fire Emblem and unlocks its full power as the Binding Shield.
Gotoh then arrives to inform Marth that Gharnef has kidnapped several female clerics, including Princess Nyna and his own sister Elice, to serve as sacrifices for the revival of Medeus. Marth leads his army to an ancient temple where Gharnef holds the ceremony. After killing Gharnef, retrieving Falchion, and rescuing the clerics, Marth confronts Medeus, who has taken the form of an enormous dark dragon. Using the Falchion and Binding Shield, Marth slays Medeus. With peace restored to the land, Marth and Caeda, now married, become the rulers of all Archanea.
Development and release
''Mystery of the Emblem'' was developed by
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games with Nintendo and the ''Fire Emblem'', ''Paper Mario (series), Paper Mario'', ''WarioWare'', and ''Wars (series), Wars'' video game series. Originally, the company was headqua ...
, the original creators of the ''Fire Emblem'' series, under supervision from publisher and studio owner
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
.
Development began in 1992 during the development of ''
Fire Emblem Gaiden
is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Famicom. Released in March 1992, it is the second installment in the ''Fire Emblem'' series and the last to be developed for the Famicom. It bui ...
'', with production lasting almost three years.
Shouzou Kaga
Shouzou Kaga (加賀昭三, ''Kaga Shōzō'', born 1950) is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the ''Fire Emblem'' series. During his career at Intelligent Systems, he would lead the development of ''Fir ...
returned as designer and writer. Keisuke Terasaki acted as director, while
Gunpei Yokoi
, sometimes transliterated Gumpei Yokoi, was a Japanese video game designer. He was a long-time Nintendo employee, best known as creator of the Game & Watch handheld system, inventor of the cross-shaped Control Pad, the original designer of th ...
returned as producer.
The characters were designed by Katsuyoshi Koya, who would go on to work on ''
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War''.
The music was composed by
Yuka Tsujiyoko
Yuka Tsujiyoko (辻横 由佳 ''Tsujiyoko Yuka'') is a Japanese people, Japanese video game music composer. She is best known for her contributions to the ''Fire Emblem'' and ''Paper Mario'' series, and several other Intelligent Systems develope ...
, who worked on the soundtrack with sound designer Masaya Kuzume.
She would later refer to the game as her favorite title out of the ''Fire Emblem'' games she had worked on.
Due to the increased hardware capabilities, the team were able to increase both the content and graphical quality. With the aim of encouraging new players to buy the game, the overall difficulty was reduced compared to previous entries.
After the unconventional gameplay of ''Gaiden'', ''Mystery of the Emblem'' returned to the traditional gameplay used for ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'', in addition to continuing the story of Marth after focusing on different characters for ''Gaiden''.
''Mystery of the Emblem'' was initially only going to include original story content, but after consideration, it was decided to include an upgraded version of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'' for those who had not played the original.
Another proposed plan was to split the release into two parts: a remake of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'' and ''Mystery of the Emblem''. Due to space limitations, some characters featured in the original version of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'' needed to be cut. The romance between Marth and Caeda was introduced as a refined version of a similar plot featured in ''Gaiden''.
As with previous games set in Archanea, the series' titular Fire Emblem took the form of a shield inset with five magical gems. According to Kaga, ''Mystery of the Emblem'' was intended as the last major title to be set on the continent of Archanea.
However, Archenea later provided the setting for ''Fire Emblem Awakening''.
Released overseas in 2013, ''Awakening'' is set over a thousand years after the events of ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.
''Mystery of the Emblem'' was released for the
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
on January 21, 1994. It was the first ''Fire Emblem'' title for the system, and the first to use a 24-
megabit
The megabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information. The prefix mega (symbol M) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 106 (1 million), and therefore
:1 megabit = = = 1000 kilobits.
The megabit h ...
cartridge. It would later receive multiple releases on Nintendo's digital
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
platform: the version for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
released on December 26, 2006; the version for the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
on April 27, 2014; and the version for the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
on June 22, 2016. Like other early ''Fire Emblem'' titles, it did not receive a Western release, though a full fan translation was released in 2008.
Reception
While no exact figure is available, ''Mystery of the Emblem'' stood as the best first-week debut for the series until the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
title ''
Fire Emblem Awakening
''Fire Emblem Awakening'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in April 2012 in Japan and 2013 internationally. It is the thirteenth in ...
'' in 2012. As of 2002, ''Mystery of the Emblem'' had sold 776,338 units. This made ''Mystery of the Emblem'' the best-selling title in the ''Fire Emblem'' series to that date.
''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' was generally positive about ''Mystery of the Emblem'', citing both its overall quality and the improvements made to the gameplay and presentation of content from ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.
Mike Moehnke of RPGamer felt that the story was "fine without being great", especially as it was a partial remake of the first game. While he enjoyed the gameplay, he noted that it felt like a precursor to the more refined and expanded mechanics of later titles in the series, despite praising the dismounting mechanic. The graphics he found unimpressive for the platform, while he found the audio a mixed effect with a lack of tunes in the first half and more variety and strength for the second half. He finished that the game was worth seeking out for series and genre fans, but that the language barrier and advances of subsequent ''Fire Emblem'' titles made it less appealing.
''
Nintendo Life
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
''s Gonçalo Lopes praised the general narrative, technical improvements and overall gameplay. He generally called it one of the best entries for the system and the series as a whole.
In a retrospective on the game for its 20th anniversary, ''
Dengeki Online'' called it both one of the best entries in the series, the genre and the system.
''
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
' ...
'' later ranked ''Mystery of the Emblem'' among the five best titles in the ''Fire Emblem'' series.
Legacy
Anime
''Mystery of the Emblem'' was adapted into an
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
(OVA): two episodes were released in 1996, but no further episodes have been produced following poor sales, leaving the OVA series unfinished. Marth's Japanese voice actor,
Hikaru Midorikawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production. He is best known for the roles of Softon in ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'', Tamahome in ''Fushigi Yûgi'', Seiran Shi in ''Saiunkoku Monogatari'' ...
, would go on to voice the character in subsequent appearances in spin-off and crossover media.
These episodes were dubbed into English and released in North America in 1997, six years before ''
Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken'' was localized. The localization was supervised by
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gree ...
.
''BS Fire Emblem''
''BS Fire Emblem: Archanea Senki-hen'', commonly referred to as ''BS Fire Emblem'', is an
episodic tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and released in 1997 following the release of ''Genealogy of the Holy War''. It acts as a prequel to the events of the first ''Fire Emblem'' title and ''Mystery of the Emblem''.
The four episodes of ''BS Fire Emblem'' were broadcast between September and October 1997 on the
Satellaview
The is a satellite modem peripheral produced by Nintendo for the Super Famicom in 1995. Containing 1 megabyte of ROM space and an additional 512 kB of RAM, Satellaview allowed players to download games, magazines, and other media through satell ...
peripheral service, a system where short games were downloaded via satellite at given times of day.
While it employs the same tactical gameplay as the mainline titles, it throws waves of enemies at the main party during a three-hour time limit.
''BS Fire Emblem'' was directed and designed by Kaga, while the music was composed by Tsujiyoko in her role as composer and sound director.
The character artwork was done by Rika Suzuki, a newcomer to the ''Fire Emblem'' series who would later go on to create character illustrations for ''
Fire Emblem Awakening
''Fire Emblem Awakening'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in April 2012 in Japan and 2013 internationally. It is the thirteenth in ...
''.
It was the first title in the ''Fire Emblem'' series to include voice acting, created using livestreaming during the original broadcast.
The game used the technology created for ''Mystery of the Emblem''.
The first episode, "Episode 1: Fall of the Palace", was broadcast on September 28; "Episode 2: Crimson Dragoon Knight" released on October 5; "Episode 3: Thieves of Justice" released on October 12; and the finale, "Episode 4: Time of Beginning", released on October 19. Since broadcast, the original game became very rare due to the method of release and the discontinuation of Satellaview service, requiring a cartridge with the game installed to be available. Even then, the original streamed voice acting is unavailable.
While forming part of the ''Fire Emblem'' series and technically the fifth entry, ''BS Fire Emblem'' is frequently not counted among the main entries. Instead, it is seen as an extension of ''Mystery of the Emblem''. Despite being included in the official timeline of its fictional setting, it is considered an "unofficial" part of the series.
Remake
''Mystery of the Emblem'' was remade and released in 2010 for the Nintendo DS titled ''Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem'', it was built upon the gameplay systems of the first game's DS remake ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon'', and incorporated a customizable avatar as the main character alongside Marth.
The story content of ''BS Fire Emblem'' was eventually re-released as additional content for ''New Mystery of the Emblem'', dubbed "New Archanea Chronicles". This is the first time a Satellaview title has been re-released in any form by Nintendo.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Intelligent Systems
1994 video games
Mystery of the Emblem
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Japan-exclusive video games
Video game sequels
Video games developed in Japan
Virtual Console games for Wii
Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS
Virtual Console games for Wii U
Single-player video games
Video games scored by Yuka Tsujiyoko
Nintendo Switch Online SNES games
Tactical role-playing video games