Fire Emblem Awakening

Fire Emblem: Awakening is a strategy RPG game for the Nintendo 3DS in the Fire Emblem series. The game was announced at Nintendo's 2011 3DS Conference ahead of the 2011 Tokyo Game Show. The story follows Chrom, a prince of the kingdom of Ylisse, and his companions as they struggle during a turbulent era. Players are able to combine the might of nearby allies to enter dual battles to defeat enemies. The traversable world map, last seen in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, and special skills like Astra from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn make a return. This game also features a customizable Avatar, a feature last seen in Fire Emblem: Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~. There is also a playable second generation of characters, which was last seen in Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu.

The Japanese release was on April 19, 2012. In June 2012, The European and American releases were announced for 2013; In October 2012, the European release was later narrowed down to the second quarter of 2013.

In Japan the game has sold more than 240,000 units, making it the fastest selling game in the Fire Emblem series.

This marks the second 3DS game to offer extra downloadable content. The DLC allows players to download new characters including classic Fire Emblem heroes such as Marth and Roy.

A download-able demo for Fire Emblem: Awakening was released in the Nintendo eShop on January 17, 2013.

Main
1st Generation= These are the 1st Generation characters.

2nd Generation= These are the 2nd Generation characters.

Spotpass Only= These are the Spotpass only characters.

DLC= These are the DLC characters.

Bonus Spotpass Characters
Besides the paid DLC characters, Nintendo has offered 120 free Spotpass characters based on characters from the previous games. Unlike the DLC characters which use new art, these characters all use stock art FE11= From Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon FE2= From Fire Emblem: Gaiden FE12= From Fire Emblem: Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~ FE4= From Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu Team 1 Team 2 FE5= From Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 FE6= From Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi FE7= From Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword FE8= From Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones FE9= From Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance FE10= From Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Various= From Various Games
 * Prince Marth (Lodestar)
 * Caeda (Pegasus Knight)
 * Ogma (Hero)
 * Navarre (Swordmaster)
 * Tiki (Manakete)
 * Minerva (Dragonmaster)
 * Linde (Mage)
 * Nyna (Sage)
 * Merric (Mage)
 * Gharnef (Sorcerer)
 * Alm (Hero)
 * Cellica (Sage)
 * Clea (Pegasus Knight)
 * Clerbe (Paladin)
 * Valbo (Knight)
 * Bowy (Mage)
 * Ryuto (Sage)
 * Deen (Swordmaster)
 * Norma (Sage)
 * Maisen (Great Knight)
 * King Marth (Lodestar)
 * Katarina (Sage)
 * Catria (Pegasus Knight)
 * Norne (Archer)
 * Etzel (Sorcerer)
 * Horace (General)
 * Athena (Swordmaster)
 * Malice (Mercenary)
 * Legion (Berserker)
 * Hardin (General)
 * Sigurd (Paladin)
 * Ayra (Swordmaster)
 * Arden (Knight)
 * Quan (Paladin)
 * Ethlyn (Valkyrie)
 * Raquesis (Troubadour)
 * Dierdre (Dark Mage)
 * Jamke (Archer)
 * Lewyn (Sage)
 * Arvis (Sorcerer)
 * Seliph (Swordmaster)
 * Julia (Sage)
 * Larcei (Swordmaster)
 * Ulster (Myrmidon)
 * Arthur (Mage)
 * Fee (Pegasus Knight)
 * Ced (Sage)
 * Ares (Dark Knight)
 * Altena (Dragonmaster)
 * Julius (Sorcerer)
 * Leaf (Trickster)
 * Nanna (Troubadour)
 * Finn (Paladin)
 * Evayle (Swordmaster)
 * Dagda (Warrior)
 * Mareeta (Swordmaster)
 * Salem (Dark Mage)
 * Olwen (Dark Knight)
 * Cyas (Sage)
 * Leidrck (General)
 * Roy (Hero)
 * Lilina (Sage)
 * Wolt (Archer)
 * Thany (Pegasus Knight)
 * Lugh (Mage)
 * Ray (Dark Mage)
 * Cecilia (Valkyrie)
 * Sofiya (Sorcerer)
 * Percival (Paladin)
 * Zephiel (General)
 * Eliwood (Paladin)
 * Lyn (Swordmaster)
 * Hector (General)
 * Serra (Cleric)
 * Matthew (Thief)
 * Florina (Pegasus Knight)
 * Karel (Swordmaster)
 * Nino (Mage)
 * Jaffar (Assassin)
 * Nergal (Sorcerer)
 * Eirika (Myrmidon)
 * Ephraim (Great Knight)
 * Seth (Paladin)
 * Moulder (Priest)
 * Lute (Mage)
 * Innes (Sniper)
 * Marisa (Swordmaster)
 * Amelia (Knight)
 * L'Arachel (Battle Cleric)
 * Lyon (Sorcerer)
 * Ike (Hero)
 * Elincia (Falcon Knight)
 * Titania (Great Knight)
 * Soren (Mage)
 * Mist (Cleric)
 * Mia (Myrmidon)
 * Zihark (Swordmaster)
 * Lucia (Swordmaster)
 * Geoffrey (Paladin)
 * Ashnard (Dragonmaster)
 * Micaiah (Sage)
 * Sothe (Trickster)
 * Edward (Myrmidon)
 * Leonardo (Archer)
 * Brom (Knight)
 * Nephenee (Knight)
 * Sigrun (Falcon Knight)
 * Sanaki (Sage)
 * Sephiran (Sage)
 * Black Knight (General)
 * Camus (Paladin) (FE1)
 * Ishtar (Sage) (FE4)
 * Trabant (Dragonmaster) (FE4)
 * Narshen (Dragonmaster) (FE6)
 * Ursula (Valkyrie) (FE7)
 * Lloyd (Swordmaster) (FE7)
 * Linus (Hero) (FE7)
 * Selena (Dark Knight) (FE8)
 * Petrine (Paladin) (FE9)
 * Oliver (Sorcerer) (FE10)

Main
* - SpotPass character
 * Gangrel*
 * Aversa*
 * Walhart*
 * Yen'fay*
 * Excellus
 * Validar
 * Hierophant
 * Grima

Minor
* - Also can be a NPC or later becomes a NPC
 * Garrick
 * Raimi*
 * Roddick
 * Orton
 * Victor
 * Vasto
 * Chalard
 * Campari
 * Vincent
 * Mustafa
 * Dalton
 * Gecko
 * Jamil
 * Xalbador
 * Cassius
 * Ruger
 * Nelson
 * Morristan
 * Gyral*
 * Dalen*
 * Ignatius
 * Farber
 * Cervantes
 * Pheros
 * Nombry
 * Ezra
 * Algol
 * Mus
 * Bovis
 * Tigris
 * Draco
 * Anguilla
 * Equus
 * Ovis
 * Simia
 * Gallus
 * Canis
 * Porcus
 * Zanth
 * Karn

NPCs
* - SpotPass character
 * Emmeryn*
 * Raimi
 * Phila
 * Naga

Classes
In Fire Emblem: Awakening all characters have a class which sets their appaerance and stats. Characters start with a set class, most of which can be improved to promoted classes by using a Master Seal after they reach level 10. All characters also have at least three sets of classes that they can change between using Second Seals. Classes are divided into base classes, promoted classes, and special classes.

Class sets
Each normal class set has one base class and one or two promoted classes. For example a Mage can be promoted to a Sage or a Dark Knight, however a Lord can only be promoted to a Great Lord. When a character in a base class is level 10 or higher they can be promoted, by using a Master Seal, into a promoted class. When being promoted the choice of which class to be promoted to is given. Each normal class has a maximum level of 20, however special classes have a maximum of 30, as they cannot be promoted.

Reclassing
Each character has three class sets wich they can be promoted between using a Second Seal. Characters in base or special classes can be reclassed to their other base or special classes once they have reached level ten. Promoted classes can be reclassed while at any level to their base or special classes. Highly leveled promoted and special class characters can be reclassed to any of their possible classes, base, special, and promoted. When ever a character is reclassed, they return to level one in the selected class. Promoted or special classes can be reclassed into the same class without losing any stats if they are at the maximum level for their class, which allows for continued leveling after a unit reaches its level cap.

Special Classes
Special classes are mostly character specific classes, which only apply to a very few number of characters. Special classes include villager, dancer, taguel, manakete, lodestar, conqueror, demon fighter, bride, and several non-playable classes. Notably the classes lord, great lord, tactician, and grandmaster are character specific, however they are not considered special classes because they can be promoted or are promoted classes, and they have a level cap of 20.

Each special class has a way in which it is different from normal classes. Taguels and manaketes use special stones to transform and attack. Dancers can choose to use a dance ability instead of an attack to give a unit, which has already moved during that turn, another move for that turn. Villagers are more of a novelty class, as they were in earlier games an NPC class. Lodestar and conqueror are the special classes created for Marth and Wahlhart. Demon fighter and bride are different from most special classes, as they are gender specific, as only male characters can be demon fighters and only female characters can be brides, and characters can only become them by using special items obtained through specific xenologues.

Spotpass Characters
Normal spotpass characters, spotpass Einherjar specifically, all have a set way classes are done for them. All of them are able to reclass to any normal class set for their gender. However, they are also able to reclass to the Tactician class set as well, meaning that they can reclass to the base class, Tactician, or the advanced class, Grandmaster.

A limited few spotpass characters are able to have special classes. Those characters always start as the special class when they are recruited. Specifically, Tiki has access to Manakete, and both Prince Marth and King Marth have access to the Lodestar class. The special classes that the characters have are based on what classes they were in their original game, with Tiki being a Manakete and Marth being a Lord. However not all characters carried over their original class, for example all lord characters, besides Marth, are not classed as lords.

Support System
The game also has a support system which allows characters to become friends and help support each other better in battles, and in some cases the characters can become married and have children. Each character has support levels for various other characters. When characters with support levels for each other fight together in battles or have conversations during battles while in battles, their support levels rise.

When two characters' support levels reach a certain amount, then they can have support conversations which raise their support's effect in battle with the other character. Most characters have at least three support conversations (C, B, and A) with other characters, however if the two characters can get married then they will also have an S level support conversation where they will get engaged. However characters from DLC levels and from spotpass bonus teams cannot have any support conversations.

In battle, when two or more characters stand next to each other or are paired up, they give the attacking or defending character temporary stat boosts depending on their support level.

Children
When two characters reach a S rank support for each other and Of Sacred Blood has been completed, the characters' child character's paralogue will be unlocked. In that paralogue, the child characters can be recruited.

The second generation characters, for the most part, are determined by the mother. For example Henry can marry Panne and have Yarne as his child, however if Henry marries Tharja, then he will have Noire as his child. The only exceptions are Chrom who will always have Lucina as one of his children, and Avatar who will always have Morgan as one of his/her children. However not all female, first generation characters can have children, notably Anna, Say'ri, Tiki, and a few other special characters. Though all female characters can marry Avatar, and can have Morgan as their child. Also not all male characters can marry each female character, notably spotpass paralogue characters, who can only marry the Avatar.

SpotPass
The game also includes download-able characters, items, paralogues, and double dual teams through SpotPass. Every week a new item, paralogue, or double dual team, as well as ten teams released throughout the week. The item distributed through SpotPass are rare items that can be obtained from the bonus box. The double dual teams can be activated from the bonus box, and battled in double dual mode.

The teams consist of a character from a previous Fire Emblem game as an Einherjar as well as several generic enemies. When a team is selected from the bonus box it will appear in a random area on the world map. When the team is encountered, you can check their stats, recruit the einherjar using gold, fight the team in order to recruit the einherjar, and buying items from the teams. If any action is taken besides checking their stats, then the team will leave the map. However the team can be brought back to the world map from the bonus box.

The paralogues distributed through SpotPass are special paralouges where characters from the man story can be recruited. Most of the characters were enemies or characters that were killed during the events of the story. One paralogue also include a new character, which doesn't appear in the main story, Priam. The downloaded paralogues can be activated in the bonus box, but To Slay a God must be completed to be able to play any of the paralogues.

Demo
A download-able demo for Fire Emblem: Awakening was released in the Nintendo eShop on January 17, 2013. It allowed for 30 uses. First it lets the player choose the difficulty (Normal, Hard, or Lunatic), and the game mode (only Casual). Then it lets the player design the Avatar, however they could only choose the Avatar's name, birthday, asset, and flaw, as all of the other options (namely appearance and gender) were disabled for the demo version.

Then it starts the prologue (including the beginning cutscene). After the cutscene is over, the battle beings, as well as an in-battle tutorial, that teaches how to play the game. After the battle, there is also another cutscene. The demo also lets the player advance to Chapter 1 as well, and after completing that chapter there is another cutscene, but after that the demo ends.

Reception
The game was received extremely well, getting a 92 from Metacritic and a 92.52% from GameRankings. The game also received a number of 3DS game of the year awards and some game of the year nominations.

The game sold very well too. Worldwide, the game sold over 1 million copies, making it the best selling Fire Emblem game. In Japan, it sold over 242,600 copies in its first week, making it the fast-selling Fire Emblem. 6 months after the Japanese launch, 1.2 million pieces of DLC had been sold, bringing in 380 million yen in revenue. In America, the game sold about 180,000 in its first month with 63000 being eShop downloads. By the European release, the game sold 390,000 in America.

Trivia

 * Sigurd, Eliwood, and Hector are the only Fire Emblem lords who do not have a paid DLC counterpart. They do however have a free Spotpass version.
 * Fire Emblem: Awakening has a stationary for Swapnote. The stationary's appearance is notably different in the North America from its appearance in Japan.
 * The game's cutscenes were done by Madhouse. They also returned for the trailer for characters Robin and Lucina for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/ Wii U.