1. Fire Emblem: Awakening
Although beloved by hardcore enthusiasts and gamers in Japan, for average players, the Fire Emblem series was best known as the game with Marth from Smash Bros. Its easy to see why people would be intimidated by the games, as one of its trademarks is perma-death, meaning that when someone in your party dies, they dont come back after the battle ends. It means theyre gone for good. Awakening, the most successful entry in the series worldwide, is also the first game in the series to make perma-death optional. Many believe that the implementation of casual mode takes something away from the experience, but I respectfully disagree with that sentiment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a game more inclusive, especially when said game happens to be this masterpiece. As many people as possible should experience the best game on the 3DS. That being said, youd be doing yourself an injustice playing this game on casual mode. By no means should you be ashamed by choosing this option, but perma-death adds an extra layer of tension to an already exciting and rewarding battle system. The engagements are challenging without ever being unfair, never presenting you with a no-win scenario. Every encounter in the game feels consequential, making every move feel like it could be your favorite characters last. And thanks to the largely likeable cast, a death in the party actually means something. Nearly every character has a backstory, motives, little quirks that give their deaths much more impact than those in most other games, especially when their death is due to your poor planning. This might seem strange, but there are times when youll play Awakening and spend the entire session just watching little interactions between characters, and one of the games more satisfying features is playing matchmaker with your team. The possibilities for romances between party members, while unfortunately heteronormative, are vast, and some slightly disturbing (I dont care if Nowi is older than she looks, she shouldnt be flirting with Lonqu). But these hookups arent just one-night stands, as these characters fall in love, get married, and have children that can actually join your party thanks to the time-travel storyline. The story itself, while nothing groundbreaking, explores complex themes such as dealing with the sins of our predecessors, and in turn, how our errors will impact future generations. By the time the credits roll, youll definitely have made a fair share of mistakes yourself. But just like the characters in this game, youll learn from those mistakes, and youll want to keep playing over and over again until you get it right. And with a game this outstanding, youll never get tired of trying.