Happy Monday, folks, Shana Tovah, and welcome to the Weekly Video Games Thread! In lieu of a traditional prompt about autumns or Rosh Hashana or what have you, I’d like to follow the fine folks of the History Thread and tell a story—though a bit shorter, much less well-researched, and a retelling of something I mentioned once in a comment some years back. Don’t expect this to be a regular thing from me given my general Source Gaming writing, but I wanted to try my hand at this. It’s been a long time since I wrote something big for the Avocado.
When Intelligent Systems was preparing to sell Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, it needed a hook. This was 1990; the Japanese market had already experienced Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star II, and the Dragon Quest trilogy. The JRPG was hot, even if it was restricted largely to Japan itself. InSys, an independent company who had worked with Nintendo extensively on Metroid, Duck Hunt, and Famicom Wars, needed a way to distinguish its innovative tactical strategy game. Especially with virtually every gaming magazine in Japan docking it for either its obscene difficulty or its fairly simple graphics.
Of course, advertising any game was difficult when even high end graphics were so low and the average consumer TV only a bit better. Showing gameplay wasn’t as much of a winning strategy as it is today, which is why most visual ads avoided showing all but a scant few clips (if that) of the games they were advertising. Usually, a commercial would try to evoke the sensations of playing the game itself—or play to shallow stereotypes, cheap edginess, or some kind of broader consumer branding sensation. What InSys’s staff decided upon in this case was to dismiss any instance of game footage and focus on music, specifically the main theme of Shadow Dragon.
The “Fire Emblem theme” is a good piece of NES music. It’s satisfying, compositionally good, and has a strong beat. That’s presumably why Intelligent Systems decided to base their entire commercial around a cover of the song. Sung by Japanese singers in captivatingly ugly fantasy armor, their performance attempted to present the tone of Shadow Dragon in lieu of any actual gameplay footage. Again, it was extraordinarily rare for a commercial to front load the “game” part of the game it was selling, but this one did manage a sense of grandeur most gaming ads of this era lacked.
Behind the scenes, things were rough; the armor was so heavy that the actors’ staves were the only thing keeping them upright, and the horse kept getting scared by the chorus and fake lightning. But those problems are only the result of this absurdly lavish presentation, which is crazy when put in the context of a niche RPG that never intended to release outside of one market. Seeing this commercial for this series will never not be odd for anyone who wasn’t there when it aired (and it was almost certainly odd for those who were).
Remixed or arranged versions of gaming tracks were also not unusual, since that played much better for commercials than the Famicom’s limited beeps. What was unusual, however, was that this version had lyrics sung by a fairly large chorus. And they were quite interesting ones at that. Lyrics from a fan translation below.
Fire Emblem, tough simulation
When you’ll begin playing it, you won’t be able to sleep anymore
Although you should surpass your opponent, a critical hit!
When there’s nothing more left, Heal, when you’re in a hurry, Mend
Both in attack and defense, don’t press unwisely,
And don’t let anyone die!!
Fire Emblem, tough simulation
When you’ll begin playing it, you won’t be able to sleep anymore
Put too much effort on powerful people,
And your warriors on the whole will only be novices
Fire Emblem, tough simulation
A tale of love and courage
Fire Emblem, tough simulation
Come and win bravely!
When things become dangerous, run like the wind!1
Those who get cocky will put themselves in peril
Fire Emblem, tough simulation
Come and win bravely!
The obvious feature is also the most crazy: this is a vocal remix of the game’s theme, used in an advertisement, that gives you extensive advice on how to play the game it’s advertising. That’s really fucking weird, right? But it’s also all good advice. Not ignoring your weaker units over the ones that start strong but grow slowly, being careful, planning for critical hits, and retreating when necessary are all concrete parts of the combat. Fire Emblem can be insanely difficult and obtuse, as many early players and critics found. Having a campy song literally help you is a somewhat novel and certainly memorable approach.
Whether due to the commercial or any number of other factors, Shadow Dragon went from underperforming at launch to garnering strong sales over time, all from players who presumably used the advice to help Prince Marth unite the land of Archanea. It built a niche for tactical strategy games. And with its odd iconography amongst the Japanese gaming public cemented, the “Fire Emblem Theme” would be reused in some capacity in virtually every series entry since. Almost every sequel has it, typically in the game’s title screen or “Class Roll,” the section of the ending that reveals the fates of each party member. All of them, though, eschew the “tough simulation” lyrics. A shame.
And the weird, live action content of the commercials wouldn’t cease, not one bit. Fire Emblem Gaiden’s featured an old man fighting a dragon; it even kept the remix bragging that you’ll be compelled to keep playing! In the one for Mystery of the Emblem, an expanded remake and sequel to Shadow Dragon, a young woman is shocked to see Marth’s party rip themselves out of the pages of a book (it’s also the first one to show gameplay footage). Genealogy of the Holy War saw a more traditional battle but made time to nod to the game’s famous romance system.2 I’m not even sure how to describe the one for Thracia 776, but it damn sure doesn’t emphasize anything from Thracia 776. And a decade after recording it, InSys went back to basics and brought back the remix when they filmed the one for The Binding Blade. I highly recommend watching these when you have the time; all of the commercials I’ve linked to are delightfully bonkers even when they eschew the song.
With the Fire Emblem theme in general being a consistent feature, and the remix being reused twice, the latter apparently took on a somewhat memetic quality in the Japanese gaming scene. Tragically, it’s only known overseas to weird obsessives. Fortunately, though, the standard theme would make its way overseas… but not as a song in a Fire Emblem game. Instead, it would be part of the crossover that changed the series’ life.
The theme from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, one of the versions of the theme Westerners would get.
It wasn’t always clear if Super Smash Bros. Melee would keep its Fire Emblem content. The 2001 fighting game crossover had internally discussed whether to jettison two characters with whom the gaming public outside Japan had no relation. They did not, though, leading the franchise to finally have a global foothold; anyone who gets to be in Smash Bros. winds up being an A-lister, no matter where they started.
Alongside the princes Marth and Roy, Fire Emblem gifted Smash a single piece of music. Only titled “Fire Emblem” in Western releases of Melee, it’s actually a medley that places “Fire Emblem Theme” as a slower back half. The most memorable part was the first half, an arrangement of Shadow Dragon‘s leitmotif “Together We Ride” for when you recruit a new party member. Only renamed “Story 5 Meeting” in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seventeen years later, this was to most of the gaming public the musical face of the franchise—and specifically that kicky first half.
Two beloved fighters and an exceptionally popular song from an already respectable score cemented Fire Emblem as important. Within Smash, Fire Emblem became an even more central and substantial part of the series, but that didn’t just include characters or music in general. That included the “Fire Emblem Theme” itself. Alongside “Story 5 Meeting,” which has been used and beloved in every iteration since, eight other tracks from the four Smash Bros. games since Melee either remix or incorporate the piece. Some only used it in a portion of a larger medley, like “Id (Purpose)” or “With Mila’s Divine Protection” (both of which are iconic in their own right), while others were full reimaginings of the song.
The most important of the latter: “Fire Emblem Theme,” made for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Brawl famously had a grandiose theme with Latin lyrics, and the orchestral and singers were reused to perform a full remix of the song. This time, Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai decided to try his hand at making lyrics, recognizing that the iconic lines from the commercial weren’t exactly “appropriate”. The official English translation is below.
Fire Emblem, companions walk
The endless path together.
In the wavering shadow of spite,
Our home is faced by the oncoming spear,
Engulfed in flames.
I keep that unforgettable day in my heart
And now rise up together with my companions.
Fire Emblem, our bond shall be never broken.
We hold fast to protect tomorrow
And the one who awaits our return.
Fire Emblem, light gathers on the flag we unfurl.
Fire Emblem, we gaze upon the multitude of stars,
Gripping our blades.
If we do not bring light to the darkness in these lands,
The shooting stars will soar over a wasteland.
Fire Emblem, on whom does the morning sun shine
As she climbs over the edge of battle?
Somewhat unusual in tone even for the more grandiose brawler, the lyrics are dramatic, romantic, and because of that somewhat alien to the participants of Nintendo’s crossover. There’s a sense of death and war that the best Fire Emblem battles instill. I’m also a fan of how it connects the Fire Emblem, a relic that revolves around flame or light, to the sun and stars. It’s very emotional, which is perhaps not perfectly suited to a game where Pikachu can beat Solid Snake with a paper fan but nonetheless adds to Smash’s diverse collection of tones.
Brawl was something of a high point for Fire Emblem for a few years, as the latter struggled and almost died within a period of several years. Fortunately, Fire Emblem Awakening reignited the franchise, leading to its current state as a reliable 1—2 million seller. It also meant that the classic theme would continue getting remixed, if without lines that explain the importance of playing defensively. Instead, the lyrical heft would go to future classics like “Lost in Thoughts all Alone” or “Edge of Dawn,” which made their own stamp on the series’ musical canon.
Fortunately, even the dark times kept some of the oddness of the advertisements, though boasts about “tough simulations” were nowhere to be found. Nintendo of America’s first stab at a Fire Emblem commercial was live action (it would take several years for this trend to subside), setting The Blazing Blade up as a political thriller by showing a knight die of poisoned mutton at a feast. Japan’s was more friendly and casual with soft focus and a romantic ballad; Nintendo repeated that a year later for The Sacred Stones. It was only by Path of Radiance that Nintendo started putting the brakes on live action Fire Embleming, with the commercials slowly emphasizing game footage more and more until footage of actors in fantasy garb was struck from the earth. The practice was resurrected in Japan in 2017 for a Fire Emblem Heroes commercial—though that one had a more dour cover of the series’ theme, nowhere near the goofy heights the franchise hit so early on.
One of the most surprising releases, though, was a new crossover. Between Smash and Project X-Zone 2, crossovers weren’t inherently surprising for Fire Emblem, but 2015’s Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE was out there even still. It reimagined Marth and his blue-haired goons as Jungian “Performas” in the world of Shin Megami Tensei. Alongside sticking them in the Shibuya style you’d expect from SMT or Persona, it also features its own lyrical take on the Fire Emblem theme.
Ah, can you hear the song
Echoing across the world, as it calls to heroes
Vowing for eternity to bless your path,
Banish your woes
Though the wheel of fate may turn
Good and evil, black and white
Seize your destiny and look ahead
Time to awaken…
And raise your face to the light!
Fire Emblem, For the sake of the world you love
Transcending time, champions will forever rise
Fire Emblem, (I vow)
For the sake of the one you love (For all eternity)
You need no purpose but the bonds before your eyes
Now shall we arise…
“Opera of Light: Fire Emblem” is one of the final songs in the game. It’s the musical performance—the game’s about rising to the ranks as a pop idol, natch—for the final battle against Shadow Dragon‘s draconic arch-nemesis Medeus. It’s a pretty great choice for it, and it’s an enjoyable J-pop take on what’s a pretty old song by this point. Listening to the genre is weird in the context of the franchise, though its lyrics are surprisingly on point for the franchise. Put them into a more traditional orchestral remix, and this could’ve been a fitting theme for something like Fire Emblem Fates.
Two years after Tokyo Mirage Sessions, we were gifted yet another lyrical version, in the free-to-play mobile behemoth Fire Emblem Heroes. Every time you boot up the game, you get this song, with lyrics in either English or Japanese. English lyrics below:
Fire Emblem,
Your spirit shall shine
Across the generations
Now, and for all time!
Fire Emblem,
Heroes bringing us hope’s light
Journey from distant worlds
To still the coming night.
With sacred relics at your side,
See old champions fall from on high
In this land where timeless heroes live
And their legends never die!
Fire Emblem,
Great lords of the ages,
With my desire, your heart’s true,
Let’s start anew.
The end is within our reach,
Take up my fight, ’cause I beseech.
Two kingdoms ravaged by senseless war.
Bring us peace, forever more!
La
Lalalalaa
Lalalalalala
Lalala
Lala
Lala
Lalala
Lalalalaa
The strong await your brave commute.
All survive for the light we seek.
Hear my voice, great hero, hear my plea!
Come to me, come set us free! Oh!
This one is… fine. It’s perfectly acceptable. Certainly it’s good at meshing the general vibe of Fire Emblem to the mechanics of Heroes, where you summon dozens of characters from across the series’ history. And it’s fine as an interpretation of that classic NES song from 1990. But it lacks the mercenary goofiness of the original commercial or the sheer drama of the Brawl remix. Perhaps the use of English rhymes in this translation removes some of that older, classical imagery, or the more unique lines from the other voiced remixes?
Taking away the lyrics, and the Fire Emblem theme is a standard example of the way classic video game leitmotifs grow and evolve over time. Adding an orchestra or live instruments, threading it into medleys; these are natural in a medium where music is often part of branding and iconography. The themes for Mario, Zelda, Fallout, Sonic, and Halo are part of a creative and corporate identity, and they take on something of a life of their own. And it’s a good theme, if just one classic chiptune piece amongst hundreds.
But I think the inclusion of written lines—and it being part of this B-tier series with a crazy history—helps put this into perspective. This vaguely heroic theme about wartime honor and standing up to evil has become the vessel for so many different lyricists and so many games or crossovers or advertisements, all with their own takes or needs.
And what’s crazier is that they’re all unique. The Smash remix is the best, I’d argue, at crafting the grand and heroic fantasy war atmosphere. While I’m not nearly as much of a fan of Heroes‘ version, if you want something more traditional it does its job, as are the many fantastic instrumental remixes from each sequel. The Tokyo Mirage Sessions one works by going so far afield of the series’ musical inclinations. But then there’s that original commercial from 1990. A song so famous that when Intelligent Systems put together an anniversary concert, The 25th Anniversary of Love and Courage: Fire Emblem Festival made sure to include it.
Yep, that’s a man in a cape in 2015 singing about using healers and avoiding relying on your Jagens. For all of the objective goofiness of it all, the classic ad’s take on the song is incredibly fun. The pace is good, the energy satisfying, and the lyrics charming. They manage being a pitch and being sincere. A “tough simulation” indeed, this loopy bit of gaming music has more than earned its odd but respectable place in the margins of its brilliant, inventive, and not nearly as serious as it sometimes acts franchise.