Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Play it on: Nintendo Switch
Current goal: Protect Lyn at all costs and stop Nergal from doing his weird shit

I was gleefully surprised that Nintendo’s latest batch of GBA releases on Nintendo Switch Online featured one of my first and favorite strategy RPGs of all time: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (also just called Fire Emblem, depending who you ask).

I hold deep nostalgia for this game, as I do with pretty much anything else from the GBA era. It was the first Fire Emblem released in the west, coming off the heels of Roy and Marth’s inclusion in a little unknown underground game you definitely haven’t heard of called Super Smash Bros Melee

Every time I boot this one up, I remember why I fell so hard for the GBA era of Fire Emblem. The combat animations are silky smooth and filled with charm. The permadeath rules presented a challenging experience that Young Jeb struggled mightily with, but I’m hoping my tactician skills have improved just a hair since then.

They also boast a deep roster of fantastic characters with profound, oftentimes tragic backgrounds. This is especially true for Blazing Blade’s Lyn, who remains one of my favorite Fire Emblem protagonists. Give Blazing Blade a shot this weekend and you’ll understand why I must protect Lyn at all costs. — Jeb Biggart