JP: April 20, 2005
NA: October 17, 2005
EU: November 4, 2005
AU: December 1, 2005
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is a 2005 tactical role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the ninth main installment in the Fire Emblem series, and the third to be released in the west. As with previous installments, gameplay revolves around positioning characters on a battlefield to defeat an opposing force. If characters are defeated in battle, they are removed from the rest of the game.
The story takes place on the fictional continent of Tellius, inhabited by the humanoid Beorc and the shapeshifting Laguz. The game begins when the Beorc nation of Daein invades its neighbor, the kingdom of Crimea. The mercenary Ike and his companions set off to restore Crimea's heir, Princess Elincia, to the throne. The group travels across Tellius, allying with other countries to free Crimea from Daein's control and confronting racial tensions and long-standing resentment between the Beorc and the Laguz along the way.
Path of Radiance began development for the GameCube after the overseas success of the Game Boy Advance game Fire Emblem, becoming the first home console entry in the series since Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. The game is the first entry in the series to feature 3D graphics, full motion cutscenes, and voice acting. The series' transition to 3D caused multiple difficulties for the developers. The localization team worked closely with Intelligent Systems to ensure the localization was as true to the original Japanese as possible. Upon release, the game received widespread critical acclaim for its gameplay and story, but several journalistic sites and magazines made negative comments about the game's graphics. The game debuted at the top of Japanese gaming charts, and was considered to have sold well. A direct sequel for the Wii, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, was released in 2007 in North America and Japan, and 2008 in Europe and Australia.