Fire Emblem is a tactical role-playing game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. First produced and published for the Family Computer (Famicom), the series consists of 12 original games, three remakes, and two spin-off, that are playable across multiple game systems. Described by its creators as a " role-playing game simulation", the gameplay revolves around tactical movement of characters across grid-based environments, while incorporating a story and characters similar to those in a more traditional role-playing video game.
A noted aspect of gameplay is the permanent death of characters in battle, removing them from the rest of the game should they be defeated. In the newer titles, from Fire Emblem : New Mystery of the Emblem onwards, players get the choice between Classic mode, where characters permanently die or Casual mode, where fallen characters will rejoin in the next battle. The series title refers to the titular object, the " Fire Emblem ", usually portrayed as a royally treasured weapon or shield, representing the power of war and dragons, a recurring element in the series. Development of the first game began as a dōjin project by Shouzou Kaga and three other developers. Its success prompted the development of further titles in the series. Shouzou Kaga headed development of each entry until the release of Thracia 776, when he left Intelligent Systems and founded his own game studio to develop Tear Ring Saga.
No games in the series were released outside of Japan until two characters, Marth and Roy, were included as playable characters in the 2001 fighting game Super Smash Bros.
