Pokémon is a real money-maker for all concerned right now, but the franchise has a strong commercial history behind it, and that has led to some interesting spin-off titles - Pokémon Conquest being one notable example.
However, had that particular release not happened we could well have been playing another game which mixed Pocket Monsters with the world of Fire Emblem.
According to Nintendo's Hitoshi Yamagami and Kaori Ando - who have been speaking to Nintendo Dream - this very idea was raised a while back, and when it never went anywhere, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was born:
ND: Please tell us what led up to the planning of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
Yamagami (Nintendo Producer): 5 years ago, Ms. Ando proposed a plan [for a crossover], saying "You know, I think FE and Pokemon's rules are pretty compatible!" Though I agreed with her, by chance the Pokemon group had already proposed what eventually became Pokemon Conquest at the same time [so we were unable to follow through].Ando (Nintendo Director): Yes, which I was in charge of too.
Yamagami (Nintendo Producer): As the plan was a secret, she was put in charge of that first. (Laughs). And then, it took her less than a week to say, "Here's the next plan." The new plan was a collaboration with Atlus. At that time, new games like Xenoblade and Pandora's Tower were coming out, and, because I myself was quite interested in Atlus's games, I figured "This could work!" At first, we made informal plans within our own small group, but…
Takata (Atlus Producer): At that time, the organization itself was undergoing changes. and it was almost impossible to deal with Atlus as a second party, and so we almost decided to give up on it. After roughly 2 years, we heard from Hiraoka (board member at Atlus), "Let's try to collaborate and level up by making an RPG together." After that, we attempted to contact Nintendo repeatedly, asking "Do you want to bring that RPG to life [with us]?"
Yamagami (Nintendo Producer): We replied immediately with, "Let's do it!" We then quickly began to draft plans for the game, still only having a rough idea of what it would be. And so, we released an image that showed, "Shin Megami Tensei Meets Fire Emblem" to the public.
Would you have liked to have seen this game come to pass? As ever, let us know by posting a comment.
[source nintendoeverything.com, via kantopia.wordpress.com]
Comments 93
This could have been so much better than that "Tokyo Mirage" mess we got.
Tokyo mirage sessions is good, what mess are you referring to?
@Mahe have you played Tokyo mirage? It actually an excellent game.
Milk dem waifu's
I should choose my words more carefully...
Glad we got #FE instead. Poke/FE would have just been conquest 2 by a different dev with a new skin. I like atlus but do not look to them for srpgs and since we got Fates at the same time period it would have been four srpgs instead of three. And it likely would have been on 3ds because of Pokemon.
Yeah, thank God this turned out the way it did. I'd still rather see a Fire Emblem / Dynasty Warriors crossover, but Tokyo Mirage Sessions is MUCH better than watching Ike's Mercenaries battle it out with Team Rocket.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a superb JRPG. And stands among giants such as Xenoblade and Persona.
Yet everyone threw a conniption fit about it and then ignored it. Just like the tantrums about FE Fates, and Metroid Prime FF, and Color Splash, and...
Are there any Nintendo games that even release anymore where people don't scream bloody murder?
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was a sublime JRPG and I'm glad they didn't turn it into a Pokemon x Fire Emblem game. It's easily a Game of the Year contender for me alongside Fates and Bravely Second thus far.
It's a wonderful feeling to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way. It's too bad many gamers didn't give it a chance or thought localization choices was a valid excuse to give for missing out on this excellent game.
Why not both??
I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I absolutely love Tokyo Mirrage Sessions and Pokemon Conquest.
On the other hand... Pokemon X Fire Emblem sounds like the greatest game to ever exist!
Hopefully we see a Pokemon Conquest 2 featuring Fire Emblem characters.
Love TMS, fantastic game, but can't say it would have been a bad plan if they decided to do both. Indeed Nintendo always reuse their ideas so who knows what we will get next.
As long as it's gonna be another great game I won't complain.
I'm totally down for a Xenoblade Chronicles and Kid Icarus cross-over. Tetsuya Takahashi and Masahiro Sakurai collaborating would be golden!
On a separate note, why can't Nintendo just make Pokemon Conquest 2 starring Fire Emblem characters anyway?
Conquest 2! Tokyo Mirasse Sessions! FE X Pokémon! I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, I want it now!!!!
Good thing that never happened. The worlds and characters don't seem compatible to me at all. What business would Pokémon creatures have in a Medieval world were actual battle to the death is fought? None whatsoever.
@JaxonH I feel saying people "throw a fit" over Fates disservices many of the arguments against it (I believe I typed up a critique of the series direction not long ago and you largely agreed).
The reasons why people were upset about TMS is obvious- it focused on the most controversial installments of both series (locking out everything that wasn't Akaneia, going with a colorful and light hearted theme that is far and beyond anything Persona has done).
It's taken two fanbases with divided sects at each other's throats and smashing them together.
@Frank90 My thoughts exactly~!
I love TMS, such a great game.
While I am not very interested in (because I'm not very good at) strategy games and despite me importing Conquest from the UK, I wasn't really into it and didn't play it a whole lot. But I'd have been interested in a such a crossover for the pure curiosity of what it'd be like. Maybe even to the point of taking such a crossover over TMS#FE. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy TMS but still.
@CrazedCavalier People did throw a fit in regards to Fates over some truly asinine things as well. It was embarrassing to witness both as a gamer and as a Fire Emblem fan.
Nintendo fans also threw a fit as Xenoblade Chronicles X, Star Fox Zero, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and Metroid FF, and despite all the incesist whining, all of those games turned out to be some truly wonderful games. I agree with @JaxonH. Almost every game Nintendo releases these days either has people screaming bloody murder or has some "controversy," and I use that word very loosely cause most of those "controversies" we're hardly worth mentioning or discussing. The final product of every single game I've mentioned turned out to be better than expected or the quality of the game outshined whatever blemishes or issues people had with it initially.
I honestly wish gamers these days would focus less on complaining and more on playing, cause that's all I see these days, and more than half the reasons for people's ire or hate are unwarranted, especially when it comes to Nintendo.
I like Pokemon, but Fire Emblem has never clicked with me. If they did make this game, then it might have been able to get me into Fire Emblem more.
All the comments are making me want to try TMS.. I feel like I'm missing out!
Ganger used HYPNOSIS!
HYPNOSIS was ineffective because they have the ability: STAY WOKE.
@Darkthany It's an excellent game, which is no surprise considering Atlus developed it.
@CrazedCavalier
Well thought out criticisms are completely fine. And you'll see well thought out criticisms with pretty much every game. Even I myself have certain complaints with FE Fates, for example. Largely the story and characters. But that's not what I was referring to.
@Jasonmd I don't have a Wii U yet. But Tokyo Mirage Sessions was the game to make it certain that I will.
Good. TMS is incredible and I'd rather Pokemon stay away from FE
I'm starting to think the posters here at NL are either incredibly young or just aren't the type to jive with me. Either way I think I'm out.
Fwiw TMS Fe is by and a long ways the goty on the wiiu and there's nothing (literally or figuratively) that's gonna top it.
We almost got a lot of things. We almost got a new Zelda game last year and again this year. And we almost got a new home console of sorts this year.
Woulda shoulda coulda.
@JaxonH I don't think there are ANY games at all that don't make someone scream bloody murder.
It's an interesting concept. They could have it set during the period of the war that was mentioned in Pokemon X and Y. Humans and Pokemon fought together during that war.
Either way, I'm glad that TMS was made. I greatly enjoy playing the game.
@Lucina xcx and TMS are amazing. Can't speak for FF but SFZ is far from good. And yes I own it and bought it retail. Nearly beat it but it's just not fun at all.
OMG do I wish they made that crossover, my 2 favourite series in one game would be awesome.
@DarthNocturnal Yes... yes... YES... .
@Lucina @JaxonH I didn't deny that there was too much of it; a large part of the localization complaints and surface-deep criticisms were just dumb.
Just felt the need to clear things up before somebody starts lumping in those well-thought out criticisms and brings out the bias steamroller. I've seen it happen a lot, unfortunately.
@FierceRagnar Would you mind putting away your melodramatic obsession and hatred with modern FE? Your location on Serenes Forest is listed as "kneeling by Fire Emblem's grave", for goodness' sakes.
@ThanosReXXX You know could say virtually the exact same thing about Pokemon and Nobunaga's Ambition? Plus, NA has close ties with another series where you single-handedly kill faceless hordes by the hundreds.
And yet Pokemon Conquest happened, and was pretty good.
@faint @jasonmd, I believe he's referring to the fact a good amount of hype people had; for some the game didn't live up to expectation.
Oh yay more freaking Fire Emblem down the throat woo hoo
@Lucina Amen, One who flew over the cuckoo's nest, that was controversy. Compare these controversies to that, and you have the equivalent of little Jonny screaming over a tiny scrape over the guy who just received a broken wrist.
TMS sounds like the kind of game that makes me wish I had a WiiU (Just like Persona 5 and Persona 4 Golden do about PS4 and PSVita). I could enjoy Pokemon Conquest too.
Being a big fan of Fire Emblem, I'm sure I would have enjoyed a FExPokemon crossover. (though I liked the "old FE" style, I'm at least glad the new overly-anime games keep the series alive)
Now, after @WiiHawk 's idea, I have this huge itch for a Fire Emblem x Dynasty Warriors game! Please make it happen!
@FierceRagnar And yet that couldn't be farther from the truth. It's more alive than ever thanks to Awakening and Fates, and it's become one of Nintendo's major IP's. It would have become a dead franchise if it had kept the course and only appealed to its hardcore fanbase. Thankfully they didn't and Fire Emblem's popularity and sales have never been higher.
So quit being so melodramatic. Either accept the new changes or move on. It's that simple. But enough with this "Fire Emblem is dead" rhetoric. It's simply not true.
I'd cross Fire Emblem with everything!
@CrazedCavalier Maybe so, but I just gave my opinion and I just don't see the mix matching up, regardless of other games where it apparently did work.
Although Pokemon Conquest was indeed an amazing game, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is the game I want more than any other currently, this idea sounds amazing too!
Speaking of Conquest, that game should have been on the Wii U VC by now.
But I guess all the regions are merely playing catch up with one another these days....
I thought there was already a cross involving Pokemon & Fire Emblem called Super Smash Bros.?(j/k incase someone misunderstands)
I quite like the idea of getting a Pokemon X Fire Emblem or even a Fire Emblem Warriors. For the Pokemon crossover I can see it working like this:
-Similar to a Nuzlocke
-Pokemon still don't die (or faint) they are "decommissioned"
-Set during one of the Pokemon wars
-Have Fire Emblem Characters be the trainers of the Pokemon
battles with regular trainers will be normal FE characters and special trainers will be other lords. Boss battles (for lack of a better term..) will be character's like Nergal or Lyon.
@Mahe Tokyo Mirage Sessions was great. No mess at all.
As much as I like the Pokemon and Fire Emblem franchises, I don't think a crossover would end up that well
Glad we got the Atlus crossover instead
I would have totally played a Pokemon/Fire Emblem crossover. A Fire Emblem/Dynasty Warriors, or an Etrian Odyssey/Dynasty Warriors game would also be amazing! Heck, I want all three!
lol at people saying that they don't see pokemon and FE matching that well while praising TMS, back in the day a lot of people said the exact same thing about mixing FE and SMT. (turned to be persona but whatever xD)
@ThanosReXXX There are instances of death happening in pokemon. The first games. The first season of the show where ash and pikachu basically died https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwpXXf-WHws and traveled with ghastly, gengar, and haunter. They are more likely to mention death in the original japanese translations. There was also a traumatic scene where pikachu was being resuscitated multiple times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFjUkjRczrg I get that the games had to take away death for for international parents but. It is legitimized by the games being seen through the eyes of children, but kids need to learn and accept it someday. Putting it in an easy to conceptualize place is s start.
I would like a ZeldaxFE game.
I was expecting shin megamin tensei and fire emblem. Not persona and fire emblem. Never cared for the Persona spinoffs. I would have taken this pokemon x fire emblem over what we got. My opinion.
This would have been a great crossover, a mashup of two of my favorite franchises. I'm still hoping that something like this happens...one day.
Assuming the gameplay would have been like Conquest, I'm glad we got TMS instead. I have Conquest and enjoy it, but I prefer FE to it much more and I also love TMS a lot as well!
@ziffy Fair enough. Never really followed the cartoons, only movie 1 and 2 and I played the games on Game Boy Color and the first series on DS, after that I lost interest, so these are things that I'm not aware of.
But like I said, I was just voicing my opinion, and now, after having just seen a let's play of Pokémon Conquest, I haven't really seen anything to change that opinion. What they basically did is they "Pokéfied" the visuals to match the original Pokémon anime style, and they took a bit of the environments from the other game and then combined that with a turn based strategy mechanic like Fire Emblem and the like.
Which is why I can understand that from that point of view, people see that this could work, but to me it's just a simplified version of Pokémon with a bit of RTS sprinkled on top of it.
To me it feels like the Pokémon Stadium games on N64 or Pokémon Battle Revolution on the Wii where it is mainly the battle part that makes up the game instead of the whole adventuring, hunting and collecting part that a true Pokémon game consists of.
I was literally talking with a friend about a Fire Emblem X Pokèmon game last night. I can't believe they actually thought about making one.
I really hope they decide to do it someday, but it probably won't be anytime soon now...
wasn't this revealed on this very site months ago during the pre-publicity for SMTvFE?
It still needs to happen! The licensing fees to The Pokemon Company and risks of this hypothetical game's success would hardly be anything compared to TMS' respective costs and development history.
@ThanosReXXX Well said.
I do agree that pokemon conquest was basic. I did like it. I am a sucker for strategy and tactical games however.
@Mahe
I completely disagree. TMS may not be the crossover I expected but the game itself is great in my opinion.
@ziffy Fire Emblem fan here.
(and Advance Wars and such, if we stay in the handheld territory)
I think a shing megami x pokemon would make more sense, or an advance fox wars, or a xenoblade prime.... juas....
Damn!
I need to get myself a copy of Pokémon Conquest.
Genei Ibunroku #FE was the better choice to go with. I want to see an idea like this done with Dragon Quest. I hope there will be some kind of Dragon Quest x Fire Emblem crossover or a Dragon Quest x Pokémon crossover.
I agree with other TMS#FE was an excellent especially in terms of gameplay
@Darkthany If you like turn-based JRPGs you'll find it quite satisfying--unless you can't tolerate J-pop.
you mean pokemon conquest? lol
A crossover of Pokémon and Fire Emblem already exists:
Pocket Monsters Saphire
(Yes; there really is only one 'p' in the name of that game.)
The elements and text are wonky, but this game is actually very good from what I have read.
More on point, I actually would like such a crossover!
I love that we got TMS and Pokemon Conquest - the latter has a lot of replayability.
I don't know if Pokemon and FE would mix well.... While the RPG and Strategy mechanics worked in Conquest, I don't know if permadeath would work in Pokemon, it usually has a lighter story.
@JaxonH I'm sick of "Excellent game is 0/10 because invisible PC isn't Samus" or "because one minor change in localisation" etc.
Well, Pokemon has localisation changes too. They censored the name of the hero, and changed it to Red, or Ash for TV.
@ziffy The whole point was for Pokemon to not die because the creator was sick of kids saying "I died" in video games.
I'll definitely be picking up TMS when there's a sale. Thanks for the recommendations everyone 😎🎙🎶
That sounds 10 times better than both crossovers we did get. Ugh. Maybe sometime in the future
@Lucina Yeah,I'm getting sick of all the outrage and controversy. It's really wearing me out.
Pokemon and Fire Emblem are two of my favorite Nintendo franchises. So I wouldn't mind if a crossover was made, if they somehow manage to work. As for TMS, I've been enjoying it. Haven't beaten it yet, but I will eventually. I gotta admit that some of the localization changes suck, but I'm able to look past it. Definitely game of the year... For the Wii U anyways. And I also don't play that many JRPG games, only a few.
PokemonxSMT is my dream game, Imagine having your favorite Pokemon and demons at once in your party. Unfortunately, SMT is just way too mature and niche to crossover with pokemon
A Pokemon Conquest x Fire emblem would been perfect. The current crossover will probably never become cheap enough for me to even try, but this would have had me searching for a collector's edition sort of game.
Haha I like that the Atlus producer is like, "We contacted Nintendo repeatedly..." And very quickly the Nintendo rep is like "We got back to them immediately!!"
@ziffy Nearly beat it. It takes elements from all over SMT. Not just Persona. @Quizler SMT: Devil Children. Look it up.
Given how Conquest ended up, I think a Pokemon x Fire Emblem game could've been really good, but having 2 Pokemon SRPG spinoffs might've been a bit of overkill. I hope the developers get another chance at this, as these are my 2 favorite franchises.
TMS is fantastic, I'm quite pleased with what occured.
#FE and Persona Q have made me a little weary of crossovers. Persona/SMT and Fire Emblem were all about finding a working strategy in battle and #FE seemed all about finding the attack marked with a "!" #FE took out all the things liked in each franchise. I know I'm just a prick about games but I want the things i already enjoyed and not an overload of crossovers. Crossovers are fine if you like them but to me I feel like a majority of them are like suicide fountain drinks you made as a kid. They sort of work but the idea is cooler than the actual product.
Real easy if you make the player character units all prior gym leaders. Contain within your 'castle' a mini pokeregion and an avatar poke trainer that you play through the mini region (to get pokemon for it) and ultimately customize your mini-region (set the gyms, and even an elite four set) while progressing on the fire emblem maps and in your mini region unlock more gym leader characters and pokemon in the mini region. Want to make it a rated 10 guaranteed game, let you import pokemon from your poke bank for you avatar character, and make four poke-avatar characters with their own mini-regions and stories available per save file.
Three save files.
The fire Emblem campaign has no less than 20 maps. With of course a story that's greater than any of the mini-region stories in a way that unites it all for one epic game.
Terrain affects pokemon types. Moves are also given ranges. Some map terrain may also effect ranges.
Add a six-on-six player character (so at max level someone would probably use four of their poke avatar characters and the pokemon within for their unit attacks as well as two gym leaders/elite four trainers that they've earned through gameplay) vs mode with 8-12 maps. No bigger than a 'paralogue' map from Fates.
Ability to download at least one player character and 'customized' mini-region from another player you beat either in online vs. mode or street passed with or whatever and play through that. Players set which of their avatar characters (if they've unlocked all four) and which campaign this character comes from on their own device, so you get what they choose to give. Ideally everyone will pick their 'very best, like no one ever was.'
OR....
seriously, just make another pokemon conquest already.
I would rather have that crossover than the waifu J-pop simulator we got instead.
@ThanosReXXX You are surely not alone
I keep hearing good things about Tokyo mirage... Maybe I should pick it up! But Pokemon fire emblem crossover sounds cool but fire emblem X Zelda sounds even better!
For everyone defending TMS, the problem isn't that it's a bad game. The problem is that it isn't the SMT x FE game that was announced. It's Persona x FE which isn't the same thing at all.
@dsparil Except it is SMT x FE. It combines and reworks many mechanics and ideas from both franchises. The problem with the original trailer was that too many people were treating their own headcanon like it was fact when the fact is that the original trailer barely gave any information. The only thing the original trailer said was that there's going to be fire emblem, SMT and a modern city in chaos is going to be involved.
@crzysortagamer haven't you played shin Megami tensei 4? Because that was still strategic and this game is based off of that format.
@SamirMalik
The distinctive gameplay element in the mainline SMT games is demon negotiation and recruitment neither of which is in TMS. Mirages are basically the same as Personas. Don't forget that Persona and the other spinoffs that don't have negotiation and recruitment are not released under the SMT name in Japan. For example, Persona, Digital Devil Saga, Devil Survivor and the PS2 Devil Summoner games were all released under their bare name.
The original trailer barely showed anything, but what it did show was characters from mainline SMT which little in common with TMS.
@SamirMalik Yeah i played and beat SMT4, but i think what I dont like about #fe is that for me it was more about finding the attack with a green "!" regardless of enemy weakness. In SMT4 you might have to decide if a super strong attack is better than pinpointing enemy weakness. #fe just seemed like looking for the "!" and mashing the A button. Granted I only finished about 50% of #fe, and I could have been playing it wrong to begin with, but it wasnt fun for me. :/
Personally I hoped that Fire emblem could have shines trough a little more for tokyo mirrage sessions #FE. In other world a more true cross tittle of Shinigami tensei and Fire emblem. And meaby a little more of that Shinigami tensei darkness (something akin to devil survivor) would have been incredibly cool.
So yeah tokyo mirrage sessions was an ok game but I personally think it could have been a lot more if you take into what amazing games Fire Emblem have been lately and also how amazing some of atlus games been.
Tap here to load 93 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...