10 Crucial Video Games That Saved Dying Franchises
1. Fire Emblem Awakening
A series which began back in 1990, Fire Emblem has
spanned over five generations of home consoles, and produced fifteen unique titles,
including multiple sequels and spin-offs. Beginning on the Japanese Family
Computer, and later thriving on the Super Famicom, Fire Emblem has always been
a huge success with Japanese audiences, but has never enjoyed much success in
the West, primarily due to poor localisation efforts on the part of Nintendo.
During an edition of Iwata Asks, former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that Fire Emblem Awakening was initially planned to be the final game in the series. After years of underperformance, Fire Emblem was finally being axed, and Awakening was developed as the final instalment in the franchise. Surprisingly, the game outperformed expectations, becoming the highest selling entry in the series, and earning itself a second shot.
Since then, Fire Emblem Fates has achieved a similar degree of success, with all three versions of the game selling over half a million copies worldwide. While many of the earlier entries in the franchise are still unavailable outside Japan, Fire Emblem may have finally cemented its legacy in the West, and secured a permanent place in our hearts.
Not bad for a series pronounced dead just four years previous.
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Which games essentially gave a huge HP boost to a critical health bar? Let us know in the comments!