Soriku imo you should get brawl first.

How many games do you plan on getting?

path of radiance is rare just to let you know like $40 used + ship

There you go.

Well I own and beat the gamecube one Path of Radiance. First off if you like the game of chess you'll proably love FE series. Yes its mostly battle after battle,but different strategy or theme each time new troops upgrades ect. Some levels you have to defend and fend off the enemy to win others you have to attack the mountain while boulders , giants arrows, and magic rain down on you. The game is quite hard atleast to me because I try not to let anyone die on my team . If they did die I would restart the level, so I had 30+ hours in that game. I got the Gamecube one for $15.99 used at gamestop and well worth it kept me busy for quite a while I suggest you check it out .

1. Its a strategy rpg. Its just going to be that. Its always going to be like that

2. 16-40 hours. thats the wii one

3. It's grid stuff. Its advance wars with medieval, fantasy theme, only instead of units you have characters that level up, class change, equip items and die and never come back.

4. Fire Emblems are generally really hard. Older ones are harder than the newer ones. The GC one is considered one of the easiest if not the easiest, while the Wii one is considered the 2nd hardest. The SNES one with Marth is ridiculous cause he blows ass monkeys. All the snes ones are the hardest not counting the wii one.

5. a video game.

6. the wii one is good. it has an easy option for you, as well as a hard option. You dont need the gc one to understand the story, but it does help.

FE, to me, was like a more difficult Final Fantasy Tactics but with no overworld map and no grinding random battles. Thus there's no real adventuring/exploring aspect, though the story is still pretty good. The actual combat gameplay was very similar too.

SPM plays like somewhere between a simple Mario platformer and an action RPG, you might like that one better, there's actual exploration, side quests, and stuff. The N64/GC Paper Marios were more traditional turn-based RPGs but with action-based elements (mobs are on the map and can choose to engage them, can do timed button-presses when you attack/defend for extra/less damage, etc.)

Soriku said: I've played a FE for the GBA once. I liked it but the lack of adventuring and just battle after battle seemed kinda lame to me. That was the only FE I've played and after that experience I didn't feel like buying a FE as my own. My questions: 1. Is the battle after battle stuff in ALL FE games? 2. How long is the typical FE game? 3. If I like mostly turn-based and action RPG games where you adventure a lot, would I like this game/series? Does the same apply for Paper Mario? 4. How tough is it (I like games tough, but how tough REALLY is it?)? 5. What am I getting myself into? If the answers above meet my expectations, answer this one: 6. Which one should I buy first? (I will only buy console versions, no handhelds). Thanks for answers!!

 1). You'll spend most of your time in battle in Fire Emblem.  Early battles are pretty quick, but get longer and longer as you make your way through the game.  Between bouts, I spend up to an hour in camp managing supports, buying, selling and forging weapons, re-equipping my party members, and awarding bonus experience.  So between battles, you'll have story sequences and then camp.  It's a good balance.

 2).  I started playing Fire Emblem with FE7 aka "Blazing Sword" (like most people in the U.S.).  That game, along with the "Sacred Stones" took about 30 hours.  Path of Radiance took me 42 hours (45 hours on Hard Mode) and Radiant Dawn took me over 70 hours.

 3). I'm a huge action/RPG or adventure/RPG fan myself.  But I also love strategy/RPGs.  They don't have much in common as far as gameplay fundamentals are concerned.  You'll have to try it and see for yourself.

 4). Fire Emblem is *very* tough for noobs.  Once you stick with it and understand it's game-logic, you'll become a pro.  I still make mistakes here and there and it costs me.  Just be ready to soft reset A LOT.

5).  A brilliant strategy/RPG series that has a very passionate fanbase (and for good reason)!!!

6). Buy Fire Emblem 9 (Path of Radiance).  It's a brilliant game with a great story that gets even better in Radiant Dawn.  Thank me later.

Hope this helps!

There are three options:

1)  You attack and you go into the battle window and watch the attacks.

2)  You attack and see the attack manefestations on the main playing field.

3)  You attack and both parties take damage.

#3 is the quickest and requires beating Radiant Dawn to unlock it.  The top two are selectable.  No need to watch the battle scenes if you don't want to.

@ Words of Wisdom:

I'm one of the (few?) people that sticks to option #1 exclusively!