is this a remake?

[Wolf_Baron]

is this a sequel to the original or is it a remake?

[Enaeius]

It's both actually. This game consists of two books (or parts, if you will) where Book 1 is a remake of FE1 and Book 2 is the sequel.

[SlippyToasterTrooper_UK]

I'd say book 1 is more of a remastered version of FE1 or a port. Mainly becuase there havn't been alot of huge changes (there is a fair number but when I think remake I tend to think of Metroid Zero Mission...maybe that game set the bar a little high though for what a remake should be...).

5 characters have been dropped as well as 5 maps compared to FE1. The balance and difficulty have had some improvements also (in the original FE1 only a few classes could promote for instance). That not to say there still aren't problems (Axe users are still pasable, maybe moreso than in FE1...).

The definitive version of book 1/FE1 is likey to be the DS version though. But if you're going to play through FE3 the reason the game came with book 1 was to help with the plot. And good reason too. Due to good marketing and timing its sold the most of any FE game (around the 650,000-700,000 mark) in Japan at least*.

*-I can't say if thats true for worldwide sales due to lack of data for America and Europe (but beleive me, Fire Emblem games in Europe bomb...bad! even 10,000 might be an estimate too high!)