Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn version differences

The following is a list of version differences between the various ports of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Throughout the various releases, it has been subject to alterations of the script, core mechanics, and overall difficulty. Some versions also have various new additions not present in the original release.

English text differences

English text differences

Timeline of version differences

Japanese release

• February 22, 2007, the first release of the game.

North American release

Released in North America November 11, 2007.

• Support for 16:9 widescreen was added.
• A character illustration gallery was added, featuring many new character illustrations.
• Edward and Leonardo had both their starting level and their starting stats increased.
• Two skills had their activation rates altered to make them much easier and safer to trigger:
  • Wrath's activation changed from requiring 20% HP or less to 30% HP or less, and the activation rate was changed from Skill% to 100%.
  • Resolve's activation changed from requiring 20% HP or less to 50% HP or less, and the activation rate was changed from Strength% to 100%.
    • However, the in-game skill assignment menu and help text still state that they activate at 20%. Additionally, it states that they only have a certain chance of activating, even though the activation rate for the skills are 100% in the US and European versions of the game. These were corrected in the European version.
• The difficulty modes—Normal, Hard, and Maniac—were renamed Easy, Normal, and Hard in the localization. Unlike in Path of Radiance however, the difficulty modes were only changed at their names.
• In the initial North American release, a bug exists that cases the game to freeze when attempting a save data upload from Path of Radiance if the Path of Radiance data on the GameCube memory card included a save file on Easy difficulty. A revision of the North American release was subsequently produced with this bug fixed.
• The treasure bug was removed. In the Japanese version, the leader unit can repeatedly attempt to obtain hidden treasures by cycling through the Direct and Cancel commands.
• In the Japanese version, any playable unit was guaranteed to pick up hidden treasure items on their first try in Part 4 Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 (there were glowing spots indicating where the hidden treasure items are in these chapters). This was changed in the international versions so that there was no guaranteed chance that a playable unit could obtain any of the hidden treasure items on their first try.
• Battle Saves were added to the Easy and Normal Modes.
• The Japanese version's Forge Points system was cut in the western version of the forge system: In the Japanese version, 50 Forge Points were needed to Forge a weapon, which could be earned by selling weapons, with the amount of points earned depending on the Weapon Rank of the weapon sold. However, some of the game's text, such as the dialog for when the merchants first join, still refers to forging points. The European version removes a direct reference to forging points, but it is still alluded to.
• Three new items unique to the localized versions of the game were added as personal weapons for Edward, Leonardo and Nolan: Caladbolg, Lughnasadh and Tarvos respectively.
• Four new base conversations were added: three conversations in A Reason to Fight to provide the three new weapons, and a fourth in The Price, where Nico re-appears.
• Class change requirements for advanced units were altered: In the Japanese version, an advanced beorc unit required a Master Crown to promote to the third tier and could not do so by maximizing their level. In the localized versions of Radiant Dawn, second tier beorc units can change class by reaching level 21, thus nullifying the limitation imposed on the number of third tier usable beorc units. As part of this change, the number of obtainable Master Crowns was reduced from 13 in the Japanese version to 5 in localized versions (3 of them were replaced with Arms Scrolls while 5 of them were removed with no substitutions).
  • Similarly, while the Holy Crown is necessary for Mist to promote in the Japanese version, this is not so in the Western releases, as she will automatically promote in the latter the moment she reaches Level 21.
• On the screen that instructs the player to hold the Wii remote sideways when booting up the game, the background color was changed from black in the Japanese version to white in the international versions.
• The allowed length of forged weapon names was expanded from seven characters to twelve.
• The banners announcing phase changes have their letters in all caps in the Japanese version, just like in every version of Path of Radiance. The international versions changed this to just capitalizing the first letter of the words.
• In the Japanese version, a slightly longer script is played instead of the game's standard script when the game is played on Hard and Maniac difficulties. The extended script goes into greater depth on the game's story and lore than the basic script, though optional talks, base conversations, boss conversations and special flashback scenes don't show any changes. The localizations only use the basic script, with the extended script being cut entirely, however, the English version also added some extra lines of their own, fleshing out parts of the original story compared to the Japanese version. Among the story details affected by this are:
  • In the closing of Stormclouds, when Ranulf is defeated by Zelgius, in a haze of fatigue and confusion he asks Zelgius if he is "any stronger than I was when we fought in that port city", which Zelgius dismisses as a hallucination. This scene foreshadows how Ranulf realizes the Black Knight's identity and is the first proper hint at it, but in the basic script and the localization, there is no indication of how he learned this when he reveals it to Ike in Part 4.
  • In the opening of the fourth part of the Rebirth 4, Sephiran's explanation of his plot is more detailed and confirms that, after the Serenes Massacre, he personally gave Lillia and Lehran's Medallion to Ashnard.
  • Ike's conversation with the Black Knight in Rivals Collide was edited to change the reason for the Black Knight's survival: In the Japanese version, he claims had what seems to have been a Warp Powder malfunction that only sent his spirit and his blessed armor to fight Ike at Nados Castle. In the localization, the Black Knight instead claims had let Ike win after learning of how he only fought a shadow of Greil, and wished to face his style in its prime.

European release

Released in Europe March 14, 2008 and Australia April 10, 2008.

• The banners announcing phase changes were changed to have very different animations for their appearance. While the Japanese and US announcements had the words quickly rush in, the European releases have a simple, static fade-in and fade-out. Also, the "Ally Phase" was re-labeled "Partner Phase", presumably to match Path of Radiance.
• The capitalization of the "Miss!" and "No Damage!" pop-ups was changed, going from all-caps in US to only capitalizing the first letter of the first word in Europe, as well as the exclamation mark being removed.
• The Level Up screen was slightly altered in the European version to capitalize the "P" in "HP".

Help text strings

Several help text strings were edited for clarity and to correct errors made in the US version, although in one case, more errors were introduced. This list ignores strings that changed nothing aside from character, class, or location names.

Additionally, the European version altered the skill assignment menu text strings for seven skills—Shade, Stillness, Corrosion, Disarm, Discipline, Wildheart, and Mercy—to correctly display their respective exclusiveness disclaimers ("Beorc only", "Laguz other than herons", "Elincia only") in green text, like all other assignment criteria used by skills. This coloring was omitted from these skills' strings in the Japanese and US versions.

Class	US	Europe
Archer	Warriors who use only bows on the battlefied. They cannot counterattack direct attacks.	Warriors who use only bows on the battlefield. They cannot counterattack direct attacks.
Black Knight	This enigmatic knight was formerly one of Daein's Four Horsemen. He wields the skill Luna.	This enigmatic knight was formerly one of Daein's Four Horsemen. He wields the skill Eclipse.
Whisper	Mysterious shadow-dwellers who can incapacitate with a single blow. They wield the skill Bane.	Mysterious shadow-dwellers who can reduce an enemy's HP to 1 with a strike. They wield the skill Bane.
Arch Sage (Pelleas)	Scholars of all magics who wield terrible anima spells and staves. They employ the skill Flare.	Masters of powerful dark and lightning magic and staves. They employ the skill Flare.
Item	US	Europe
Florete	A lightweight blade that's easy to handle. It uses magic for direct and indirect attacks. For Mist only.	A magical blade that's easy to handle. Can be used for direct and indirect attacks. For Mist only.
Hammer	An axe for use against well-protected foes. It is especially effective against heavily armored knights.	A hammer for use against well-protected foes. It is especially effective against heavily armored knights.
Wind	Low-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units.	Low-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Elwind	Mid-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units.	Mid-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Arcwind	High-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units.	High-level wind magic. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Tornado	Extremely powerful wind magic. It is very effective against winged units.	Extremely powerful wind magic. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Rexcalibur	Wind magic of the highest order. It is very effective against winged units.	Wind magic of the highest order. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Blizzard	Long-range wind magic. It is very effective against winged units.	Long-range wind magic. It is very effective against winged units, except wyverns.
Breath (Black)	The ebon breath of a black dragon. It never runs out and cannot be unequipped or dropped.	The mighy breath of Goldoan's rulers. It never runs out and cannot be unequipped or dropped.
Silence	A staff that prevents enemies from using magic. Each turn, the wielder is cured of silence.	A staff that silences enemy mages for five turns. Each turn, the wielder is cured of silence.
Elsilence	A staff that prevents enemies from using magic. It has been strengthened by senators' research.	A staff that silences enemy mages for five turns. Senatorial research has strengthened it.
Ashera Staff	A staff that restores all HP to all adjacent units. It also restores their conditions to normal.	Restores all HP and restores conditions to normal for all allied, reinforcement and other units.
Arms Scroll	An item that raises the weapon level of the equipped weapon by one grade. For beorc only.	An item that raises the weapon skill level of the equipped weapon by one grade. For beorc only.
Silver Card	A special card that reduces all items to half price but does not earn any training points.	A special card that reduces all items to half price.
Shriek	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Shriek when you are at a base. For bird tribe laguz only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Shriek when you are at a base. For bird tribe laguz only, except herons.
Maelstrom	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Maelstrom when you are at a base. For bird tribe laguz only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Maelstrom when you are at a base. For bird tribe laguz only, except herons.
Wildheart	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Wildheart when you are at a base. For laguz only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Wildheart when you are at a base. For laguz only, except herons.
Blood Tide	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Blood Surge when you are at a base. For dragons only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Blood Tide when you are at a base. For red dragons only.
White Pool	An item that allows you to acquire the skill White Pool when you are at a base. For dragons only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill White Pool when you are at a base. For white dragons only.
Night Tide	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Night Tide when you are at a base. For dragons only.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Night Tide when you are at a base. For black dragons only.
Beastfoe	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Beastslayer when you are at a base.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Beastfoe when you are at a base.
Birdfoe	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Birdslayer when you are at a base.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Birdfoe when you are at a base.
Dragonfoe	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Dragonslayer when you are at a base.	An item that allows you to acquire the skill Dragonfoe when you are at a base.
Skill	US	Europe
Shove (Help and skill assignment menu)	Grants the ability to push another unit 1 space. The target's weight may not exceed this unit's by more than 2.	Grants the ability to push another unit 1 space. The target's weight may not exceed this unit's build by more than 2.
	Push another unit 1 space. Target's weight may not exceed this unit's by more than 2. Cannot unassign	Push another unit 1 space. Target's weight may not exceed unit's build by 2 or more. Cannot unassign
Critical +5 (Skill assignment menu)	Raise critical hit by 5. Cannot unassign	Raise critical hit chance by 5. Cannot unassign
Critical +10 (Skill assignment menu)	Raise critical hit by 10. Cannot unassign	Raise critical hit chance by 10. Cannot unassign
Critical +15 (Skill assignment menu)	Raise critical hit by 15. Cannot unassign	Raise critical hit chance by 15. Cannot unassign
Critical +20 (Skill assignment menu)	Raise critical hit by 20. Cannot unassign	Raise critical hit chance by 20. Cannot unassign
Critical +25 (Skill assignment menu)	Raise critical hit by 25. Cannot unassign	Raise critical hit chance by 25. Cannot unassign
Aether (Help text)	Can launch consecutive attacks of Sol and Luna. Vanguard	Can launch consecutive attacks, using the power of Sol and Luna. Vanguard
Colossus (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can multiply damage by more than 3 times the unit's strength. Reaver	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3. Reaver
	Can multiply damage by more than 3 times the unit's strength. Cannot unassign	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3. Cannot unassign
Luna (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and do 3 times normal damage. Marshall	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and multiply the unit's strength by 3. Marshall
	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and do 3 times normal damage. Cannot unassign	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and multiply the unit's strength by 3. Cannot unassign
Eclipse (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and do 5 times normal damage. Black Knight	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and multiply the unit's strength by 5. Black Knight
	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and do 5 times normal damage. Cannot unassign	Can neutralize an enemy's defenses and multiply the unit's strength by 5. Cannot unassign
Bane (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can incapacitate with a single strike. Does not work on all opponents. Whisper	Can reduce an enemy's HP to 1 with a strike. Does not work on all opponents. Whisper
	Can incapacitate with a single strike. Does not work on all opponents. Cannot unassign	Can reduce HP to 1 in an instant. Does not work on all opponents. Cannot unassign
Stun (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict 3 times normal damage and paralyze enemy for one turn. High-level airborne units	Can inflict 3 times normal damage and paralyze enemy until their next turn. High-level airborne units
	Can inflict 3 times normal damage and render enemy immobile for one turn. Cannot unassign	Can inflict 3 times normal damage and render enemy immobile until their next turn. Cannot unassign
Roar (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict damage at triple strength rating and paralyze enemy for one turn. Lion / Tiger	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3 and shocks enemy for a turn. Lion / Tiger
	Can inflict damage at 3 times unit strength rating and paralyze enemy for one turn. Cannot unassign	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3 and shocks enemy for one turn. Cannot unassign
Rend (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict damage at 5 times strength and paralyze enemy for a turn. Cat	Can multiply the unit's strength by 5 and shocks enemy for a turn. Cat
	Can inflict damage at 5 times unit strength rating and paralyze enemy for one turn. Cannot unassign	Can multiply the unit's strength by 5 and shocks enemy for one turn. Cannot unassign
Savage (Help text)	Can inflict damage at triple strength rating and halve enemy skill for a turn. Wolf	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3 and halve enemy skill for a turn. Wolf
Tear (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict damage at triple strength and halve enemy speed for one turn. Hawk	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3 and halve enemy speed for a turn. Hawks and Ravens
	Can inflict damage at 3 times unit strength rating and halve enemy speed for one turn. Cannot unassign	Can multiply the unit's strength by 3 and halve enemy speed for one turn. Cannot unassign
Sacrifice (Help text)	Uses unit's own HP to restore allied units' HP and return status to normal. Micaiah	Uses unit's own HP to restore allied units' HP and return conditions to normal. Micaiah
Glare (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can immobilize an enemy until the current map is cleared. Nailah	Can petrify an enemy until the current map is cleared. Nailah
	Can immobilize an enemy until the current map is cleared. Cannot unassign	Can petrify an enemy until the current map is cleared. Cannot unassign
Insight (Help and skill assignment menu)	Increases Hit by 20 and Vision by 5. Janaff	Increases Hit by 20 and vision range by 5. Janaff
	Increases Hit by 20 and Vision by 5. Cannot unassign	Increases Hit by 20 and vision range by 5. Cannot unassign
Wildheart (Help and skill assignment menu)	Cuts experience points gained in half but allows the unit to transform at any time.	Cuts ability points gained in half, but allows the unit to transform at any time.
	Cut experience points gained in half but allow the unit to transform at any time. Cannot unassign	Cut ability points gained in half but allow the unit to transform at any time. Cannot unassign
	Cut experience points gained in half but allow the unit to transform at any time. Laguz other than herons	Cut ability points gained in half but allow the unit to transform at any time. Laguz other than herons
Howl (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can immobilize an enemy unit for one turn after that enemy uses an indirect attack.	Can paralyze an enemy unit for one turn after that enemy uses an indirect attack.
	Can immobilize an enemy unit for one turn after an indirect attack. Beast laguz - lions, tigers, cats, wolves	Can paralyze an enemy unit for one turn after an indirect attack. Beast laguz - lions, tigers, cats, wolves
Quickclaw (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict damage equal to this unit's strength to an enemy unit after that enemy uses an indirect attack.	Can inflict damage based on this unit's strength to an enemy unit after that enemy uses an indirect attack.
	Can deal damage equal to this unit's strength after an indirect attack. Beast laguz - lions, tigers, cats, wolves	Can deal damage based on this unit's strength after an indirect attack. Beast laguz - lions, tigers, cats, wolves
Maelstrom (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can inflict damage equal to this unit's strength to an enemy unit after that enemy uses an indirect attack.	Can inflict damage based on this unit's strength to an enemy unit after that enemy uses an indirect attack.
	Can deal damage equal to this unit's strength after an indirect attack. Bird laguz - hawks, ravens	Can deal damage based on this unit's strength after an indirect attack. Bird laguz - hawks, ravens
Disarm (Help text)	Can cause an enemy unit to drop equipped items or weapons.	Can cause an enemy unit to drop his or her equipped weapon.
Resolve (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can raise strength, skill, and speed by one and a half times when the unit has less than 20% of its HP left.	Will multiply skill and speed by one and a half when the unit has less than 50% of its HP left.
	Can raise strength, skill, and speed by 1.5 times when the unit has less than 20% of its HP left.	Will multiply skill and speed by 1.5 when the unit has less than 50% of its HP left.
Wrath (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can raise the critical-hit percentage by 50 when the unit has less than 30% of its HP left.	Will raise the critical-hit percentage by 50 when the unit has 30% or less of its HP.
	Can raise the critical- hit percentage by 50 when the unit has less than 20% of its HP left.	Will raise the critical- hit percentage by 50 when the unit has 30% or less of its HP.
Flourish (Help and skill assignment menu)	Allows this unit to fight while causing only half of its normal damage.	Allows this unit to attack with half its usual attack strength.
	Allow this unit to fight while causing only half of normal damage.	Allow this unit to fight while causing only minimal damage.
Imbue (Help text)	Restores HP equal to this unit's magic power each turn.	Restores HP equal to this unit's magic power each turn. Not for spell casters.
Savior (Help and skill assignment menu)	Eliminates skill and speed penalities for carrying a traveler.	Eliminates skill and speed penalties for carrying a traveler.
	Eliminate skill and speed penalities when carrying a traveler.	Eliminate skill and speed penalties when carrying a traveler.
Pavise (Help and skill assignment menu)	Can nullify the effects of an enemy unit's attack.	Can nullify the damage of an enemy unit's attack.
	Can nullify the effects of an enemy unit's attack.	Can nullify the damage of an enemy unit's attack.
Smite (Help text)	Grants the ability to push another unit 2 spaces. The target's weight may not exceed this unit's by more than 2.	Grants the ability to push another unit 2 spaces. The target's weight may not exceed this unit's build by more than 2.
Command	US	Europe
Seize	Capture the enemy base and select Victory to clear the map.	Capture the enemy base to clear the map.
Flourish	Make an attack that does only half as much damage as normal.	Make an attack using half your usual attack strength.
Revert	Return to humanoid form.	Return to human form.
Stat	US	Europe
Range	The weapon range. Weapons with a range of 1 can reach adjacent units and 2 can reach units 2 spaces away.	The weapon range. 1 indicates a direct-combat weapon, 2 or more indicates an indirect-combat weapon.
Attack speed	The attack speed. If it is at least 4 higher than the opponent's speed, the unit will attack more than once.	The attack speed. If it is at least 4 points higher than the opponent's speed, the unit will attack more than once.
Capacity	The unit's capacity to possess new skills, the percentage of currently assigned skills, and maximum capacity.	The unit's capacity to possess new skills, the ratio between currently assigned skills and maximum capacity.
Constitution	The unit's body size.	The unit's constitution.
Authority	The unit's command level. This unit can have as many bonds as the number of star icons shown.	The unit's command bonus. According to the number of star icons shown, each subordinate unit gains a fighting bonus.