I love Fire Emblem, both for being a hardcore tactical series and the stories they present. Each entry is different in a good way and brings the characters to life. I first came across the Fire Emblem characters when I bought Super Smash Bros Melee, which included Marth and Roy. A little later, I fell in love with both Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. The rest was history, but it bugged me I never got to play a game with the blue-haired Prince himself, until now. Let’s dive into Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.
The elephant in the Room
Let’s address the elephant in the room. It’s a Famicom release, reworked and upgraded for the Nintendo Switch. So, we got a fully translated and localized Famicom game (NES in Europe), which could have been added to the Nintendo Switch Online feature. Sure, that way, only people with NSO could enjoy it. On the other hand, by releasing it digitally on the E-shop, everyone can enjoy it. If you are planning on getting this title, it’s cheap – it only costs 6€, but you can also opt for the collector’s edition. This one is a little heavy on its price, though:
This collector’s edition of the game will include a nostalgic, stylized physical NES box and a replica NES Game Pak art piece with a protective sleeve that transports owners to the era of the original game’s release. The collector’s edition also includes a colorful, 222-page Legacy of Archanea deluxe hardbound art book and a game download code. It will be accompanied by an NES instruction manual, newly localized from the original Famicom release, along with a fold-out world map and a Mini Nintendo Power retro collectible. With this rich package packed with exclusive items, fans can finally play the original Fire Emblem game as it was always intended: with power!
Personally, I’m not that big on these kinds of CE’s, but I certainly see the appeal. It’s a hefty collection for a 30th-anniversary edition. This also explains why they did not add it to the NSO service (although it would have made perfect sense).
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light
Meet Marth and recruit some of the most beloved Fire Emblem characters in their 8-bit glory as you play through all 25 chapters of this classic Famicom tactical role-playing game, localized and released for the first outside Japan—for a limited time. These chapters range from defending the kingdom of Talys to facing off against the titular Shadow Dragon; this scrappy hero must be poised to take on any challenge. Luckily, he has a capable group of allies at his side: Tiki, Minerva, the Whitewing Sisters, and more! But keep in mind, once a frenemy dies, they die forever – no backsies.
In this release, you get to choose from over 50 playable characters and discover the roots of the strategic gameplay that defines the Fire Emblem series. It feels natural while playing through Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, although some may find it a bit slow and stale when comparing it to Fire Emblem: Three Houses. For those who like games like Advance Wars and the such, rejoice. This will be right up your alley. I’m not going to lie; it’s a hard game. Permadeath is real, and I lost many loveable characters in my first few attempts at taking the castles of the first few chapters.
Modern-day releases
Luckily, it’s 2020, and we got save states and the option to rewind. Sure, to purists, it might feel like cheating since you rule out permadeath. On the other hand, you can explore each option at your own leisure. To give you a small example, there is a certain chapter in which you can convince a bad guy to join you. But to do so, you’ll have to rethink your entire approach to the map, which I figured out a little too late. Luckily I made a save state and could go back to the mission at hand. Instead of losing some forces to the castle’s overwhelming forces, I gained a real powerful frenemy.
Conclusion
I don’t want to spoil too much about the story, but I’m happy to piece together some of Marth’s backstories, one of my favorite characters of the Fire Emblem universe. Hopefully, this release is just one of many reworks/remasters/reissues of older Japanese games that never saw the European/American light of day. It ticks off every box of old-school tactic games and brings a solid story with heartfelt characters. But it still makes me wonder, even though I can explain it for Nintendo, why they did not just add this to the NSO service; it belongs among them.
