The probably the best of the fire emblem GBA games. Decent story with pretty decent support conversations. Characters are archetypes that aren't deep but have a way into worming into your mind and the game has a enough subtext to them to make them stand out. Really addicting SRPG elements spiced up with the fear of permadeath. However, the best thing about an handheld Fire Emblem game, to both of its detriment and benefit, that its just a well done JRPG that doesn't really break any bounds. Blazing Blade is what probably the epitome of what I want from a good Fire Emblem game. A story that doesn't overstay its welcome, the usual difficulties in trying to navigate the levels, and very good mechanics that make playing it a joy.

The first Fire Emblem game released outside of Japan. The second produced without the series creator, Shouzou Kaga. The third Fire Emblem I’d ever played.

Blazing Blade is a good game. To prematurely summarize my feelings, I believe it is the most quintessential and “standard FE” in the series. Not Shadow Dragon, this game, feels like it exemplifies the very very core of Fire Emblem without a ton of extra flourishes for better and worse.

While I did say this was the third FE I played, it was the first I fully completed, I only made it to the Ghost Ship of Sacred Stones as a little kid, and not far into Mystery of the Emblem after. I bring this up because I think Lyn Mode is a fine enough tutorial and boosts up a new player’s confidence by giving them so many tools, even if you’re not a Fire Emblem master by the end of it, you feel like you learned a lot and completed a big story objective. It’s a great tutorial, even if too easy for veterans.

I like the variety of map objectives in this game, the general character balance, and the characters. It might be nostalgia talking on the last two but this game’s immense presence in online circles around unit discussion and character writing sticks with me.

The plot itself is just fine to me. It’s not my favorite, but it’s good enough. As I stated earlier, it’s very standard. The standouts are the trio of main characters, Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector. They’re always fun to see interact and their differences in personality are entertaining, Hector especially. To be honest I feel that way about the soundtrack too, there aren’t many standouts to me but I don’t dislike it, the whole OST is just “fine”.

However, a big comparison that doesn’t often come up, is how often this game rips straight out of Tear Ring Saga, you can find an analog to damn near every plot element from this game in Tear Ring Saga, except that game has better map design, more fun mechanics and units, and a more compelling story. I could list them all out but I don’t want to bloat this review too much, however if anyone’s interested I could list them in replies.

I do have a big soft spot for Fire Emblem The Blazing Blade. It is a very fun game, solidly designed. The biggest flaw this game shows is just, not being super standout. It’s good but not exceptional. Definitely worth a checkout and the one I always recommend as a perfect starting point for the series.

After taking a break from the overwhelmingly expansive, planning-heavy maps of Genealogy of the Holy war and the labyrinthian branching story paths that make up Three Houses, I was really in the mood of a more stripped back Fire Emblem experience. Once in a while, I don't want to worry about who is being reclassed to what, which skills I need to pick up at what levels, or which romantic pairings I need to build up enough rapport with to make the best "children" in the next phase of the game. I just want to hang out with memorable characters and enjoy the ride.

Thankfully, that's exactly what this game gave me. Eliwood, Hector and Lyn are already some of my favorite lords in the series, and I'm sure my opinion of them would be even higher if gaining support conversations weren't so bafflingly difficult to attain in this one. You have to put in WORK and waste many, many turns making sure two units end up next to each other again and again if you want a shot at even seeing the "C" level supports, which is a shame considering how likeable the cast is. Regardless, it's hard not to root for Eliwood and his crew throughout the 40 hour story. Even if the tale isn't anything revolutionary and has certain tropes that we'd continue to see echoes of in future installments, I think it hits all of those beats so well that they stand out on their own anyway. I genuinely got emotional towards the end knowing that my trio of multicolored-hair friends would be at the end of their journey once the big bad was vanquished, and Roy will certainly have big shoes to fill when I eventually start Binding Blade (I know it came before this one, but I'm playing in story order!).

The gameplay is extremely solid too. It's standard Fire Emblem--literally--but the progression of leveling up your units and skills just feels so good, and it's especially satisfying when you find new items and weapons to use via exploring towns or straight up stealing them from the enemy with thieves. The final map is the perfect blend of grueling and rewarding, using everything in your arsenal to survive a final boss that's almost impossible to kill, but not quite. Up until that point, the difficulty can certainly fluctuate more than some would like--I went from having to reset several times on a map where a magic user kept sniping me from the shadows to feeling overpowered and breezing through one laden with ballistae that didn't hit me a single time---but I see that kind of relief as being rewarded for slugging through the harder moments to find a feeling of empowerment on the other side. At the very least it's not as consistently easy to be over-leveled as it is in Sacred Stones.

With so many other supports to see, characters to try using, and a hard mode starring Hector, I'll definitely be coming back to this one in the future. Still a solid point to start in the series if you're curious.

I like this Fire Emblem a fair bit, despite some rough spots that didn't land for me.

The Blazing Blade looks amazing, with super expressive, smooth animations and lots of unique flourishes for each unit type depending on weapon use, hitting a critical, dodging, etc... The character designs are reminiscent of 90s high fantasy anime, like Record of Lodoss War, rather than the more extreme modern anime style of recent Fire Emblems. I like this approach better -- I can take the characters and events a bit more seriously.

Narratively, the game is fairly generic, but works well enough. The main plot is predictable, made more interesting (and a bit cheesy) by how far they are going to set up relationships and characters that appear in the game Blazing Blade serves as a prequel for, The Binding Blade. The majority of it is simple though overlong. There is a lot we are doing that feels like busywork, rather than something that makes sense in the story. It simply goes on for too long without enough motivation.
Additionally, the first third of the game is a sort of tutorial, where you play as a different character, which I think is a cool narrative device to introduce some major players, but it doesn't really have enough relevance to the main story.

The gameplay is, of course, the driver here. Map designs are mostly interesting, with a mix of small-scale castle assaults and broader field-based battles that are very different, but all feel tactical. Choke points, interesting terrain, and enemy troop placements reward forethought and planning. The weapon triangle is in full effect here, with the addition of a magic triangle that also works pretty well. Advancing your characters feels great because they gain access to new weapons, which lets them cover weaknesses or exploit enemy weaknesses.
Units have linear upgrade paths (cavaliers will always become paladins, warriors will always become knights), but it works fairly well because of the scarcity of upgrade resources. You don't diversify your army by choosing different specializations, but by choosing which specific units you want to advance and when. It really feels like there are a lot of viable units (even the pre-promoted paladin is viable until the end here!) so your army feels like it is truly yours.
Blazing Blade unfortunately does the Fire Emblem thing where the leader of every army has incredible stats and usually doesn't move, so you just have to get your most leveled character up there and hope you can kill them before they kill you. I don't find this to be particularly engaging or challenging and this game in particular ramps it up in the extreme in the last few chapters. It absolutely marred what was otherwise an enjoyable and challenging playthrough.

Blazing Blade holds up super well and is one of the better Fire Emblem games I have tried. It is a stripped down game in comparison to modern entries and lacks some quality of life features, but it is still a solid tactics game that is worth playing.

The first Fire Emblem game to be localized in the West, it's the seventh installment but better late than never.
This one is a great introduction too because the first campaign doesn't require any previous knowledge and serves as a tutorial for the rest of the game. I should probably mention The Blazing Blade is a prequel to Fire Emblem 6, but it's not necessary to play that in order to understand the plot.
Overall, I really liked Fire Emblem 7. I don't think it's necessary to explain any further since the game speaks for itself and this isn't a particularly obscure series. I'd say it's even good for SRPG beginners.

+Varied objectives
+Multiple objectives per map lead to side-quests and impactful moments
+Charming team-mates and recruitable units
+Challenging, grid-based combat
+Perma-death enhances importance of choice
+Balanced, controlled combat

-Exploitable bosses allow for grinding of EXP

A pretty solid entry
Got some decent balancing
at least in the harder difficulties
offers both an accessible experience for newcomers and a more difficult experience for veterans (though its far from the most difficult game in the series)
Overall an enjoyable experience, though it can be a bit of a slog at times