[quote name='botticus']I haven't played the GBA games yet and I love this one. From what I know, they're all in the same world, but usually generations apart, so even if characters are related to those in previous games, they don't affect the story at all.
40+ hours of goodness, last game I've been able to keep playing for that long.[/QUOTE]
I've played Path of Radiance and the first GBA Fire Emblem. They're both phenomenal. PoR definitely has the better story, but Blazing Sword has better replay value and 3 freakin' lords! If you're addicted to Advance Wars, give Fire Emblem a try.