Fire Emblem : Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi

Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi is a Famicom tactical role-playing game set on the continent of Archanea. Prince Marth of Altea begins in exile on the island of Talys after the kingdom of Dolhr, led by the Shadow Dragon Medeus and aided by the sorcerer Gharnef, conquers his homeland. A pirate attack gives Marth the opening to begin gathering allies and set out to reclaim Altea.

The campaign unfolds across 25 story-driven maps. Each chapter gives the player a turn with a selected force before the enemy responds, and victory commonly depends on Marth reaching a castle or throne, though commanders and other threats must be overcome along the way. The battlefield is a square grid where distance, movement range, terrain, and the order in which units act shape every advance.

Marth is joined by knights, cavalry, armored soldiers, archers, pegasi riders, mercenaries, healers, mages, and other specialists. Their classes determine their mobility, defensive strengths, attack options, and the weapons or magic they can use. Mounted and flying fighters can cross ground quickly, while armored units withstand punishment and ranged units can attack from safer positions.

Combat gives experience to the participating characters. At 100 experience points, a unit levels up and receives increases to its attributes, making the army's growth a continuing part of campaign planning. Some classes can later use special items to change into stronger forms, expanding the role of veteran soldiers rather than simply replacing them.

Weapons are limited by both the character who can wield them and their durability. Swords, lances, axes, bows, tomes, staves, and valuable special equipment must be chosen carefully, while shops, villages, arenas, and storage points provide chances to obtain supplies, information, money, or new support. Villages can also be lost if enemy thieves reach them first.

Characters defeated in battle are gone for the rest of the campaign, and Marth's defeat ends the game. That permanent loss gives recruitment, positioning, healing, and risk management unusual weight; conversations and visits can bring neutral or enemy characters into the army, but protecting a growing roster is as important as winning a single map.

Developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo in 1990, this is the first Fire Emblem game. Its blend of a continuous fantasy story, named recruitable characters, turn-based grid battles, class-based units, and lasting consequences established the core approach that the series would develop in later entries.