CGC Trading Cards-certified Fire Emblem Eliwood’s Video Game Counterpart — Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

In December, CGC Trading Cards™ announced the expansion of its expert certification services to include 11 new titles from the most popular trading card games, including Fire Emblem Cipher (2015 - 2020). Fire Emblem Cipher cards celebrate many characters from the Fire Emblem video game series, such as Eliwood, Lyn and Hector featured on this card graded CGC 8.5.

Released in 2003 for the Gameboy Advance, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade could almost pass as a modern game nearly 20 years later. Strategy game developers from around the world often take inspiration from this game to approach the art of war. Character units in battle are not just soldiers but friends, and every one of them has significance on the team, like a band of brothers.

Game features, such as characters who die in battle becoming no longer playable throughout the game, bring a real weight of consequence to how players advance their units. That often means repeatedly restarting chapters to save one character or approaching each battle like a general who doesn’t have units to spare. This results in appreciation for not only loss in war but also the prevention of loss through successful tactics.

In addition to the realism of consequence, Fire Emblem enjoys its impactful place in game development due to very detailed and beautiful combat sequence animations. Whenever a lance is charged, sword slashed, arrow shot, ax slammed, javelin thrown, staff swung, book opened or spell cast, every single combat animation is detailed in its motion. The characters move with the grace and coolness of anime, with every spin, after-image, glow, twirl and impact.

Fire Emblem’s revolutionary animation combined with its character designs and landscapes delivered an experience for players that was arguably unmatched by other Gameboy Advance titles of the era. Meanwhile, the gameplay ushered in a new generation of strategy gaming, while maturing tactical gamers to the next level of combat. For many players, placing units on a Fire Emblem battlefield still conjures the inner tactician from years ago.

Like rereading a timeless classic, Fire Emblem is a game to revisit through the ages. And as far as your Fire Emblem Cipher cards, send them to CGC Trading Cards for expert authentication, grading and encapsulation.