Your FE (First Experience)

[ShinQuickMan]

I heard about the game from a friend, and started the series from the earliest release I could have found, Monsho no Nazo.

The greatest newbie mistake I made was the same one I made in the Shining Force series; try to clear the game perfectly. This included recruiting everyone (well,, almost everyone), no deaths, level everyone evenly, promote everyone (where possible) get every type of item (unique or otherwise), save every single village, kill every single enemy on the map (except in specific situations), etc. All in all, with the amount of times I took memorizing the text (I knew shit of Japanese)  and restarting the maps (and hell, even restarting the game file), it took me about 3 months to finally clear both books.

[Mage Knight 404]

I was one of those people that became first interested from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Late 03', my friend just managed to chance upon a copy of FE7. Having just finished FFTA, the thought of a new SRPG to try out filled me with excitement.

We started to play and I was smitten instantly. I didn't mind the tutorial; it was a nice welcome touch. I was one of those people that thought Lyn was a demigoddess at the time(my opinion of her has vastly changed since then.). I got to about Ch. 18 on my friend's copy before I decided to emulate the sucker. I charged through, didn't use Marcus unlike my friend(I happened to class changed Sain before I emulated it and noticed that he was far superior to Marcus).

I got through most of the game unscathed; the only units I lost were Fiora, Rebecca, and - surprise-surprise - Athos. Just at the same time I finished the game, I got my own copy.

I then joined GameFAQs for a brief period, then happened to go to FEP for a very short time, then happened to chance upon FESS after that.

[camus the dark knight]

I had kind of watched some older FE gameplay vids, though "Oh that looks cool, too bad it's only in Japan". Then I decided to pick up "Fire emblem" when it came out (aka FE7). It rather quickly became one of my favorite game series, and I immediately imported FE6, then later 3 then 4. I was forced to use the ROM of FE5 as I was too cheap to buy an actual cart. I played all of the games quite a few times (at that point in time I had quite a bit of free time), trying out many different types of play throughs for added challenge and such.

That's my first experience with the series itself, my first FESS experience... as many are posting theirs.

After I had played FE7 (Not long at all after release), I started to search for more FE related stuff, I eventually stumbled upon a small sight called "Fire Emblem Sanctuary of Strategy", it had less then 100 members at the time if I remember correctly... At that time, I was not really in to posting on forums, so I didn't join the site. However, every few days I would check back, soon enough, every day. And I watched as the site grew, soon enough an explosion of new members (and trolls) came to the site once FE7 started getting some notice. FESS also started getting some notice and as mentioned, grew relatively quick. I lurked, for quite some time, I was there to watch Superbus' arrival and rise to head of the forum, I watched as various mods/admin came and went (and those that lost it), I watched FESS2 for some time as well, and all the trolling it went through (Hell someone was banned just about every day at one point). I then finally decided to join after much time. And here I am.

[caleb723]

I kicked off the series by maining as Roy on SSBM.  Then, after a few years, time passed and I got better as Ness.  Evantually, I saw previews for FE8, and, not thinking about Roy or Marth and their SSBM godliness, said, "What a gay game."  A few months pass, and a friend comes to me with a copy of FE8.  He tells me that it's too hard for him to beat, and that I should try and beat it.  I agree, and began my experience into the world of FE.

I beat FE8 about six straight times, then my cousin bought a copy of FE9, just about as soon as it came out.  He had borrowed FE8 from me, and ejoyed it as well, but found 9 to be too difficult.  I took over, and after beating it another five or so straight times, I decided I had to find out more about the series.  I scanned the local Gamestops, (at this point, this was about 2005~6, so they were local EB Games then...) and got lucky and found FE7.  I played through that, and then bought FE10 the day it debuted.  Now, I'm waiting on FE11, and couldn't be happier with the series I have come to love so much.  It's worth noting that despite the fact I started FE through SSBM, I never once asked the hated question, "Are Roy and Marth in this game?"

As for my FESS (not FE:SS...) history, I've heard about FESS for a long time, but never had the time or the URL to join.  Finally, I was in the mood to join, so I google'd FESS, and here I r.  I plan on sticking around.  Much to all of your dismay... :-P

[BlackFire]

My friend owned a copy of FE7 wich I saw him playing it and thought Eliwood was Roy lol. Anyway, he was on Fargus' ship chapter and he always got Eliwood killed so I wanted to try it but from the beginning. I loved it. Lyn, Sain, Kent and damn.. the first time I saw Florina I said 'Azmaria! from Chrno Crusade!' lol when I used to be a bloody Otaku.. hey I'm going out of context . Also when you get the pic of Sain, Kent, Florina, Lyn and Will I said 'Damn, Lesbians!'

Then as I was playing I got in love more with the game so I borrowed it 'til Sacred Stones came out. And because I was a FE n00b, I thought it was a sequel to FE7.

After all that well, FESS became pretty much my favourite place to read about FE and all I know is from here.

And now to my friends I'm a talking FESS.

And that's my FE experience..

[Black Knight]

I'm American, so the first copy of the game I played was Blazing Sword. I remember it well. My brother had bought the game, but like many of the other hundreds of games in his collection he didn´t really play it. So I did. It was a breezy summer day, and I beat the game in one day. Or so I thought. After Lyn´s mode I thought I had beaten the entire game and just turned it off and didn´t pick it up again. Thankfully my brother started playing again and one day I looked over his shoulder to see some completely unfamiliar characters in a completely unfamiliar map. Naturally I thought "wtf?" and picked it up again. I beat the game with mostly maxed characters and I never let anyone die (I still haven't actually...).

I found FESS through my brother. I knew he had been a member for several years and after playing FE8,9,10 and a little of 6, I finally decided to join too.

[Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad]

 

My first encounter with FE involved me getting my ass kicked in SSBM when that first came out and everybody in my dorm who had a Game Cube (i.e. almost everybody) wanted a piece.  One of those gamers told me that Marth and Roy came from a series called Fire Emblem.  That was early '02.

Fast forward to the tail end of '03.  I picked up a Game Cube for myself during that summer, and I was eager to get some stuff to play on the Game Boy Player I'd just picked up.  I saw FE7 on the shelf at my favorite EB Games (now closed), and, remembering what I'd heard, I grabbed it.  That was December 7.  Took it home, fired it up, and that's where it began.

First playthrough: Because I picked up the strategy guide with the game, I only lost Florina in Lyn's Story, and I made sure to lose no one during Eliwood's.  Took me several months to beat the game due to having to restart chapters again and again, but I pulled it off.  ...  Started doing my 'fic shortly after my victory, and my trip through FE fandom kinda goes from there.

[Furry Curry is Furry]

Although I have to say I first heard about it SSBM like most people, I swear I had heard of it before that.

First played it through an emulator because I didn't think a GBA was worth it for the first year, and liked it enough. Only made it to... Chapter 15 before getting stuck (And having to return the computer I had it on- School computers an all).

Saw it again in a Best Buy a year later, picked it up. Went looking for Action Replay codes (Yes, the very thing I now dispise), and that eventually lead me here.

[YokaiKnight]

I'm another "found it through SSBM" guy. When, I don't know how many months later, my best friend pointed out in Nintendo Power that the series Roy and Marth were from was coming to the US, I was fairly interested. He ended up getting it and playing FE7 first, but by the time I got it a few months later he had both lost interest and lost his copy of the game. I proceeded to have a Marcus-abusing, death-rampant, getting-stuck-on-the-same-chapters typical newbie playthrough. The first playthrough, I got stuck on Cog of Destiny; the second time was on the Final Chapter. Either way, when I finally managed to beat it, I was pretty much officially addicted to FE.

[AceNoctali]

As a lot of FESS members, I discovered the Fire Emblem saga via SSBM, which I had as a Christmas present in 2002. During March 2003, I was really curious about the FE saga, and tried out Fire Emblem Gaiden. Believing it was yet again an RPG game (due to the fact you begin the game in a village), a genre I really despise save for a few rare exceptions, I haven't looked any further into it.

But I still looked for more info about the saga, as at the time, said infos were scarce. Then, in one of the FE3 FAQs of GameFAQs (if I remember right, it was the one made by Vengeance, which has unexplicably disappeared from the site now), more precisely into the Frequently Asked Questions part of it, I saw that one question :

"Q: Is this that game where you can match up lovers and have their kids fight for you?
A: Nah, that's Fire Emblem 4."

Love and generational system allowing for character customization ? That got me EXTREMELY interested, and in April 2003, I started playing FE4. That game was the one who definitely gotten me into the FE series, and is still the one I prefer of them all (and still is one of my fave games ever). I loved that game so much, that on September of that year, I launched a FE4 website, which would become the first French Fire Emblem site ever created on the web.


(So yeah, even if FE4 was the one getting me in the series, FE Gaiden was technically my very first FE game... That being said, while at the time, I didn't hooked to it, now I find FE Gaiden one of the most enjoyable games of the FE series)

[Tir]

My first encounter with FE was when my REALLY hyper friend, who usually wasn't as hyper as back then, shoved it into my face with the message 'YOU MUST PLAY IT!!!'.

So then I bought FE7 and we both went on a fangirl-tour about how great and different it was from our usual games, since then we've been trying out every game :D. I still love FE7 most, probably because it was my first.

[arashisama without the decorative symbols. RANDOM ENOUGH?!]

Whoops, let me get into more detail about my FE6 experience (since FE5 really didn't go beyond fifteen minutes of utter confusion).

Well... I thought Roy was cute, as were Lance and Alen, so I didn't overuse Marcus (or use him much... at all). I did generally fine, though I didn't understand what the deal was with wagers in the arena. I missed Gonzales and Garet, both times because I couldn't figure out that Lyrina recruited them. It was a little difficult keeping people straight, but I could otherwise guess who recruited other characters (e.g. Rei: hm... lime-green hair and blue eyes... hm... Lugh wouldn't happen to recruit him, would he? He did mention Rei...). I missed some gaiden chapters. I didn't know how support bonuses went. My second time around, I thought Intelligent Systems was stupid for throwing in a level 19 Swordmaster so near the end of the game... And when he leveled, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I couldn't understand what the deal with Cass was, but eventually she joined, so I got that. I didn't understand the Douglas part either, but I got the gaiden the first time because my thieves and everyone already were set (stole Narshen's stuff, killed Narshen, recruited Zais and Hugh), and because Lalum could talk to him... I just seized throne with him alive. Woohoo! Um... I didn't know there was a Sacae route. I went Ilia AND got the gaiden, so I figured Nintendo was lazy and just had Yodel pop up with Myulgre. I couldn't figure out how to recruit Gale, so I obviously missed the gaiden. It took me some stupid moments before I figured out how to open the gate to Zephyr... I did some Arena-ing; it gave Clarine the chance to promote. It sort of introduced me to my addiction to arena abuse.

Yeah. Not too badly, but not great either.

[piitan]

I was exposed to Fire Emblem's existence through SSBM.  However, it wasn't until a friend coincidently lent me the Fire Emblem OAV that I decided I liked it and proceeded to turn the internet upside down in search of the games.  Once FE6 found its way into my happy little hands, the rest, as they say, is history~. 

I'm not so perfectionist with games anymore, but before starting I researched and internalized Fire Emblem's cardinal rules (weapon triangles, the dead stay dead, etc.) so I pulled off an EXTREMELY frustrating first playthrough with no deaths or missing recruits.

[The Obsidian]

I think most people were exposed to FE by melee. Me being an enormous ninty fan was really interested in FE since Melee and since i never got Nintendo power or anything i missed out on FE 7 but got FE 8. Really i had no trouble at all with it (FE7 being really easy) and i grew attached to the series in a matter of days

[Crystal Shards]

FE7. Didn't finish it. Probably won't ever.

Actually, that's the only FE game I've played.

[Hinatalope]

I actually was NOT exposed to FE through Melee, but rather through searching for good GBA games to get since I had a long flight to Argentina coming up. After reading several reviews, I decided to get it. I had done my research, and I'm a fiend for reading instruction manuals, so I knew the basics (weapons triangle, people die permanently, don't rely too much on Marcus, etc.). I got HOOKED as soon as I started playing. I found FESS through GameFAQs (that or Google) and joined two weeks before the move to FESS2.

The only other FE I've beaten is...FE8. >>; I'm trying to get through FE6 now, and I think I started FE4 at some point. I also have an FE9 save on Bus' memory card, but the stupid thing won't let me get my save onto my own card, so it's either start over or wait until I get the chance to play at Bus' place (VERY hard to come by now that I'm home).

[theshim is the shimiest shim of all the shims that ever shim]

FE7. Didn't finish it. Probably won't ever.

Actually, that's the only FE game I've played.

Whuh?  Really?

(...why are you even here...?)

I was playing FE for years before I saw Melee...

[Marescio]

Started with seeing Roy and Marth in Melee, but they didn't spark my interest. Then while on a holiday in France (Hatake Asuka was also there) I read about Blazing Sword in a magazine and asked the game for my birthday. I've been hooked ever since you might say. I'm glad to see I was not the only one who thought the stat-increasing items were temporary :p . Somehow I did know you should promote at lvl 20. I was also playing very carefully out of fear one of my characters might die, and when that did happen I restarted. Completing the supports was one of the things that kept me playing for a long time.

I haven't gotten the Fire Emblems for the non-handheld consoles though. Since then I've bought Sacred Stones and I'm now playing FE DS on my r4ds. But Blazing Sword is still my favourite  .

[SlippyToasterTrooper_UK]

Although I have to say I first heard about it SSBM like most people, I swear I had heard of it before that.

The Nintendo taking "Emblem Saga" to court over being too similar to Fire Emblem news saga predates SSBM. That is certainly the first time I heared Fire Emblem used. Sadly, the journalism described it as an "Adventure game".

Fast forward to SSBM coming out and being Fire Emb...wha? Why have I never played this. Must be pretty import to be in SSBM. A friend of mine was like "There was a side-scrolling Fire emblem, you should thry that". Anyway grabbed the SNES games (missed out NES due to the emulation being dubious at the time*) that were out. FE3 was slow and I was like drat, not a sidescroller but some kinda stratagy game. Soloed the first map with Jeigan (he actually got stat gains on his level ups ) then went on to find the side-scroller...
*-They worked fine, I just didn't like the emulators.

FE4 was the next port of call. I call Sigurd Marth and I might have called Ethlin Roy (fun fact: A friend of mine thought Alvis was a Woman...Azel sure but Alvis...sadly he proceeded to destroy his FE4 ROM with the Fire Emblem gaiden patch as a certain emulation site says FE Gaiden is for the SNES). I get past prologue bearing no attention to the weapon triangle or character deaths thinking everything will be fine like every other SRPG. Chapter 1...everything wasn't fine...I had only Sigurd.

Went onto FE5 and it felt too complicated. I decided to try again with FE4 and got to Chpater 2. Some funny mistakes in this playthrough were Sigurd having the magic ring and more kills with the Steel Lance, brutally murdering Ayra and Jamuka (I kind of wondered why their battle themes sounded like the joining theme...). The end of the playthrough was finiding that out. Third playthough got me to chapter 3 that time. Couldn't handle a 3 pronghed assault at once and that ended the playthrough. I thought the mistake was character misuse and taking too long in maps...

Eventually FE6 came out and I worked through that not making any real mistakes. Some weird unit choices were made such as using Sofia despite having a Rei who was level 20 from 12x, not using the axe users as older FE games were, Axes suck, they are for you to get EXP off but not to use (Axes are not too brilliant in FE6 though). Eventually I saw some ZSNES movies of an FE4 playthrough. Like most ZSNES movies the things didn't work perfectly but that really opened my eyes as to what kind of tactics work well in FE4. I proceeded to do well in FE4 even if I did pick up the quirky trait of getting Diadora to about level 25 Warp staves and Return staves+Dancer and you can really get staff users well leveled in no time at all.

Not sure what happened after that but FE7s first playthrough was a case of trying everyone out meaning everyone sucked And avoiding pre-promotes like they were infected...ironically the pre-promotes would have been the best units to bring to the final chapter but oh no 20/1 Nino and 20/1 Rebecca HAD to be better than Pent and Louise (they weren't both in weapon level and stats...) becuase they were leveled...Athos pretty much handled that map with status staves.

After that FE3, FE5, FE2, FE8, FE9 were beaten in that order. I never did beat FE1, FE10 is currently at 3-5 and FE11 is at chapter 10. Wonder if i'll beat 11 before 10. As for that side-scrolling Fire Emblem game...I never did find it or the game the friend was tlaking about

As for communities. I joined (but never posted) at the FEER (Fire Emblem English Resources-The first English FE site...) Yahoo group. I lurked at FESS for a while and joined before FE7 Japan.

Edit: Ouch that was long....

[hyde]

Lessee, I had seen Marth and Roy in Melee like many others, but it didn't get me started on the series. I bought a game magazine whilst on holiday in France -even though I had only very little knowledge of French, go figure- and it features a special on the new Fire Emblem game. I liked the pictures, not kidding, and thought it looked fun.

Didn't think about it for a while after that, until I came home and discovered the magical world of ROMS. So I downloaded FE7 and played it to death. The first time only with codes to give everyone seemingly infinite HP though, since I sucked horribly. And I was your typical noob. Killed off all the recruitables, stuff like that.

Who would've thought it'd turn out to be my favourite game series and the first game (FE7) that I'd actually finish without using any cheats?