This one is split into two "books"
Book 1 is a remake of FE1 albeit with a handful of cut chapters and characters (due to cartridge space limitations) while Book 2 is a full sequel to FE1. Despite the cut chapters/characters, it is really nice having Marth's full story in one place so I can appreciate the effort put in there.
Gameplay wise we're back to standard FE after Gaidens little deviation. Breakable weapons and map to map progression are back meaning no opportunities to level grind characters. You can now click enemies to see their movement range (though it doesn't include attack range) and there are early battle forecast windows though you'll have to do the math for damage via the attack/defence numbers.
Unfortunately we're back to multiple items for promotions like the Elysian Whip, Guiding Ring etc which I'm not a huge fan of. We also have a new dismount feature for mounted units which can be handy for pegasus knights in a little archer pinch, but dismounting is forced for all indoor maps limiting movement and changing lance users into sword users.
Book 1 is a solid remake of FE1 with the updated mechanics making it more enjoyable to play. Book 2 features some more interesting recruitment objectives that help makes some maps feel more creative. It also has a true ending though in which you're required to collect 12 pieces of the shattered Starsphere, as well as all 5 spheres for the Binding Shield which can be extremely frustrating if you miss JUST ONE of them and find yourself locked out of the last few chapters. Now most of them are easy enough to pick up regularly but there are a couple that enemies are holding and you have to be quick to catch them. I am not a huge fan of FE locking an ending behind a "collect macguffins" requirement as you can't go back and try again if you realise later on you missed one in an earlier chapter.
Aside from a couple of missteps, this is a very solid title and feels a lot more playable than the Famicom titles before it. Its unique features also allow it to stand out from the later DS remakes and offer a charm that some people might prefer over those games
Book 1 is a remake of FE1 albeit with a handful of cut chapters and characters (due to cartridge space limitations) while Book 2 is a full sequel to FE1. Despite the cut chapters/characters, it is really nice having Marth's full story in one place so I can appreciate the effort put in there.
Gameplay wise we're back to standard FE after Gaidens little deviation. Breakable weapons and map to map progression are back meaning no opportunities to level grind characters. You can now click enemies to see their movement range (though it doesn't include attack range) and there are early battle forecast windows though you'll have to do the math for damage via the attack/defence numbers.
Unfortunately we're back to multiple items for promotions like the Elysian Whip, Guiding Ring etc which I'm not a huge fan of. We also have a new dismount feature for mounted units which can be handy for pegasus knights in a little archer pinch, but dismounting is forced for all indoor maps limiting movement and changing lance users into sword users.
Book 1 is a solid remake of FE1 with the updated mechanics making it more enjoyable to play. Book 2 features some more interesting recruitment objectives that help makes some maps feel more creative. It also has a true ending though in which you're required to collect 12 pieces of the shattered Starsphere, as well as all 5 spheres for the Binding Shield which can be extremely frustrating if you miss JUST ONE of them and find yourself locked out of the last few chapters. Now most of them are easy enough to pick up regularly but there are a couple that enemies are holding and you have to be quick to catch them. I am not a huge fan of FE locking an ending behind a "collect macguffins" requirement as you can't go back and try again if you realise later on you missed one in an earlier chapter.
Aside from a couple of missteps, this is a very solid title and feels a lot more playable than the Famicom titles before it. Its unique features also allow it to stand out from the later DS remakes and offer a charm that some people might prefer over those games