Fire Emblem has become one of Nintendo’s most profitable series; a far cry from where it was a decade ago. Fire Emblem Awakening is often lauded as the most important game in the series, saving and reinvigorating the strategy franchise. While that’s true, in actuality, the most important Fire Emblem game never even released in North America.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War released in 1996 on the SNES, known as the Super Famicom in Japan. This was a whole seven years before the franchise ever made its debut in the West.
When the first Fire Emblem released in North America it had everything that made the series so loved in Japan, but most of that stemmed from Genealogy of the Holy War.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War Set The Stage For the Series
Genealogy of the Holy War marked the debut of many features that would remain integral to the franchise for decades to come; chief among these the weapon triangle. Every single Fire Emblem game until the 2017 remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden (Shadows of Valentia), would continue to use this tried-and-true weapon triangle. It completely changed how players approached strategy, forcing them to group units together or evaluate the risk of moving one closer to enemies of different weapon types.
Alongside this came a massive overhaul to the uniqueness of characters, and the way that supports work. Each character was made far more unique, both in terms of their role in the story and their combat abilities. The ambitious story spanned two generations and characters could fall in love by building supports, which would influence the characters in the next generation.
Genealogy of the Holy War made a ton of other small changes that would become integral to Fire Emblem; mounted units could now re-move after their turn, attack range was fully displayed for allies and enemies, battle skills were added, and more. Genealogy was a complete redefinition of what Fire Emblem was, and it was so impactful that the franchise would only apply minor changes to the formula for years to come. In an interview with RPG Site, the director of Three Houses, Toshiyuki Kusakihara, even mentioned the idea for a “war school” came from Genealogy of the Holy War.
Why Genealogy of the Holy War Never Came West
There’s no specific reason Nintendo has ever given as to why Genealogy of the Holy War was never localized, but the series’ popularity simply wasn’t there for a long time. Awakening was meant to be the last game in the series if it didn’t sell well, as sales had declined in Japan and Fire Emblem had failed to attract any major attention in the West.
The Game Boy was the first system to see a Fire Emblem game in the US, well after the release of Genealogy. There simply wasn’t enough interest in the series to warrant translating a massive game like Genealogy; especially when Nintendo didn’t even have confirmation it’d sell well. After the success of Awakening the focus then became figuring out the future of the franchise, and Intelligent Systems has been busy every since putting out new experiences. Whether it’s because of a lack of popularity or lack of time, Genealogy has simply never had the chance to come West.
Why Genealogy of the Holy War Needs a Remake
When Super Smash Bros. Melee released in the US, most fans had absolutely no idea who the sword-wielding Marth and Roy were. For years they still wouldn’t know, with Roy’s game never releasing in the West and a remake of Shadow Dragon finally coming to the Nintendo DS in 2008. Now with Fire Emblem Heroes, the same thing has happened, with characters popping up from Genealogy of the Holy War and its sequel, Thracia 776. It’s a shame that players don’t have the same attachment to these characters as ones from other games, and it helps show the need for a remake. There are plenty of Japanese games out there that never get localized, but it’s rare to see such an influential game never make it over. Genealogy of the Holy War literally defined Fire Emblem’s future, and influence the strategy genre as a whole for years to come.
2017’s Shadows of Valentia was a brilliant re-imagining of Fire Emblem Gaiden, practically feeling like a new game. The Fire Emblem Echoes moniker could be used once again to re-imagine Genealogy of the Holy War. Fire Emblem is bigger than ever with the success of Three Houses, and looking back at the past is oftentimes the best way to find the way forward.
Next: 10 Best Fire Emblem Storylines, Ranked
