Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Considering Roy is one of the most well known Fire Emblem characters around, it’s especially strange that we’ve never actually gotten to play his game in the west. Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade was the first game in the franchise on Game Boy Advance, and features the red-haired swordsman himself.
The title features a story heavily inspired by Arthurian legends, as you take the role of Roy who assumes command of the forces of Lycia after his father, Eliwood, takes ill. As the militant country of Bern invades, it’s up to Roy to realize his destiny and take the battle to them.
Fire Emblem translated onto the Game Boy Advance just fine, as The Binding Blade is filled with vibrant sprites and an even deeper level of tactical complexity than before. It’s somewhat surprising we’ve never seen the title in the west, as it’s actually the sequel to Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, which was the very first Fire Emblem game in North America. While Blazing Sword was released after The Binding Blade, it functions as a prequel and focuses on Roy’s father Eliwood as well as his comrades Hector and Lyn.
Due to the popularity of both Roy and the nostalgia of the first Fire Emblem game in English, The Binding Blade seems like the obvious next choice for a remake. Nintendo could even opt to remake both games at once and feature them in a two-pack, or simply have them play out as different books inside one title. Both The Binding Blade and Blazing Sword feature some of the best storytelling the series has seen yet, and Binding Blade especially is filled with optional routes and Gaiden chapters to seek out. Layering on some new systems from Awakening, Fates, and Shadows of Valentia would only serve to deepen the story and gameplay even more.
