Summary
After becoming a popular household name in Japan after the release of the firstFire Emblemgame in 1990,Intelligent Systemshas gone on to develop a wide array of fantastic titles over the years across a multitude of different genres. Most people will therefore be familiar with Intelligent Systems for their work on their flagshipFire Emblemseries, which has amassed a massive international fanbase over the years, but in truth, they’ve also taken a leading position on a plethora of other iconic video game series too.
First and foremost, Intelligent Systems excels at creatinglong and captivating RPG titleswhich are often very unique in how they play, with the developers having introduced some core mechanics to the genre that future developers have replicated into their own games. Considering just how much they’ve grown since their inception back in the 1980s, it’s well worth reflecting on the history of Intelligent Systems to see which of their vast catalog of games stands as the very best in the eyes of fans.
7WarioWare: Twisted!
Metacritic User Score: 8.6
For its time,WarioWare: Twisted!was seen asa hugely innovative gamein the way it played, presenting the player with short minigames called “Microgames” that they would need to complete in a set time to avoid dropping a life. Just as the name of the game suggests, a lot ofWarioWare Twisted’sminigames require the player to make use of the GBA’s gyro sensor, where they would need to rotate the device to complete a puzzle or fulfill an objective. The game also made good use of the system’s rumble feature, where it would spring off whenever the player is close to an item, or when they’re right on the cusp of completing a minigame.
Although the fast-paced gameplay of theWarioWaregames is well-established by this point, back in 2005 when this game was released, the fast-paced and hectic nature of the game hadn’t really been experienced by many players before, especially on a handheld system. Intelligent Systems decided to be very ambitious when developingWarioWare: Twisted!, and considering how wildly popular the series is today, this most certainly paid off in the long run.
6Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Metacritic User Score: 8.8
Carrying on the story from the massively popularPath of Radiance,Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawntook everything that people loved from its predecessor, while also introducing a few new mechanics to help freshen up the coreturn-based strategy gameplay. For example, a new “SS” weapon level was added which made training units a lot more worthwhile, and the re-introduction of Dark Magic also made the overall difficulty a little more forgiving, considering how immensely powerful it is, especially against armored units.
It also wouldn’t be aFire Emblemgame without a compelling narrative and a cast of lovable characters, both of which are presented inRadiant Dawnthanks to its pretty lengthy story which is packed full of twists and turns, alongside some pretty dark revelations along the way.Radiant Dawnis still a very challenging game, but so long as players can get familiar with the combat and all the systems outside of combat, then a playthrough will never end up becoming too arduous or difficult, making it very easy to pick up and play for newcomers.
5Fire Emblem: Three Houses
When developingFire Emblem: Three Houses, Intelligent Systems decided to double down onthe social-sim aspect of the seriesby letting players explore an entire monastery in between each battle. During these sections, players can chat with their companions, purchase items, and even lecture students to gear them up for the next battle. When paired with the exhilarating battle system, it creates a very addictive gameplay loop that always gives the player something to do, ensuring that there’s never a moment being wasted.
Upon booting up the game, players will also have the option to choose between three different houses, but these aren’t just simple re-skins or color palette swaps. Instead, each house features an entirely different storyline along with a different class of students, which not only makes for a thrilling story once all the houses are forced to confront one another but also adds a ton of replayability to the experience.
4Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Metacritic User Score: 8.9
WhileSacred Stonesshares the in-depth gameplay mechanics and charming visual style of other games in theFire Emblemseries, what makes it so special to a lot of people is the characters, and in turn, how well-written they are within the story itself. The plot primarily revolves around two siblings,Eirika and Ephraim, who set out on their adventures to secure the Sacred Stones, which are said to possess an immense amount of destructive power.
Along the way, they run into plenty of unique characters, such as Lyon, a man who once tried to protect the world from the stones, but became corrupted because of his lofty ambitions, resulting in what many consider to be the greatest villain in the series. Alongside the incredible story,Sacred Stonesalso featured plenty of intense and memorable battles which were complemented by incredible map design, along with the rock-paper-scissors weapon system which added a whole extra layer of strategy to the combat.
3Paper Mario
Metacritic User Score: 9.0
AfterMario RPGproved that the bright and colorful Mario universe could work within the realm of the genre, Intelligent Systems tried their hand at creating their own RPG title in the form ofPaper Mario, and it’s fair to say, that they knocked it out of the park. With a fully explorable overworld, recruitable party members, and a pretty challenging turn-based combat system, Intelligent Systems managed to successfully merge the world ofMariowith the classic RPG formula without needing to remove any of the core aspects or systems that had become synonymous with the genre.
Instead, the game is just as engaging as one would come to expect from an RPG title, and thoughMariogames aren’t usually known for their stories, it’s clear that Intelligent Systems put a lot of effort into making the narrative forPaper Mariofun and whimsical, while still having plenty of important story beats to keep it going. Many of the game’s original characters, such as Goombario and Sushi, have also gone on to become fan favorites, with the game kicking off what many consider to bethe most belovedMariospin-off series.
2Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
After the enormous critical and commercial success of the originalPaper Mario, Intelligent Systems somehow managed to crank out yet another classic withThe Thousand-Year Door, which replicates the quirky visual style and engaging turn-based combat, while also introducing a wide cast of brand-new characters. The general gameplay loop may be more or less the same, but with a bunch of new abilities per character, more techniques, and extra potential for different team set-ups, it ensured that it never felt too similar to its predecessor, and was leaning even more heavily into its JRPG inspirations, which certainly isn’t a bad thing.
It also needs to be mentioned just how stunning the artistic visual style is, with it looking just as good now as it did back then thanks to how timeless it is, and when paired with the eye-catching bright colors and thevisually stunning overworld, it is a feast for the eyes to behold. Charming, hilarious, and so much fun, it’s not hard to see why so manyPaper Mariofans see this as the best the series has to offer.
1Fire Emblem: Awakening
It might be hard to believe nowadays, but back whenFire Emblem: Awakeningwas being developed, the series was in real danger of being canceled because of its lackluster sales. As a result,Awakeningwas Intelligent System’s last chance to prove to Nintendo that their strategy-RPG hybrid had something unique to offer, and because of this, they went all out withFire Emblem: Awakening, creating what many claim to be one of, if notthe greatest game ever released for the 3DS. Though it is a little more forgiving in its difficulty thanks to the new Pairing system,Awakening’sexcellent level design and smart AI still make the game a real challenge, easing players into the experience before pushing them to the very limit later down the line.
Outside of the battles,Awakeningalso allows players to engage in Support conversations with other characters, and if they can reach S rank, they will even have the option to marry and have kids, who can then be recruited as their own units as they get older. All of this is complemented by a stellar soundtrack and a truly emotional story that feels like Intelligent System’s heartfelt farewell to the series. WhileFire Emblemhas thankfully gone on to achieve huge success, the sheer amount of love and passion that went intoAwakeningstill makes it a true standout.
