The Original Fire Emblem Is Coming To The West For The First Time Ever On Switch

So awesome, can't wait to play!

Already pre-ordered (on the eShop)

Yeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!

Gimme! I want it!

Edit: No European launch confirmed at present... I'm sad now.

Edit2: Wait, as soon I as I edited this, the article seemingly changed again. Either that, or I lost my marbles.

OK Mario 3D All Stars I could understand being time limited as it was celebrating 35 years and the games will be sold separately after 31 March 21 (of course they will).

This one game being time limited however doesn't make any sense.

Grim. Should be part of NSO

WHY a limited digital release? Just WHY? It doesn't sound like the 30th-anniversary pack will have it added to the game.

oh no they're gonna add marth to smash now

Is it maybe going on the NES app?

I'm starting to get a little concerned about this limited time only stuff. I'm assuming that it is on the eshop so why not keep it there? Are they planning on adding some if these to the online service a year after takedown or something? I just don't get it.

OK, that's stupid. The Japanese version is on NSO if you're registered in Japan. Sure, it doesn't have those new QoL features, but it's there (and IIRC in general Japanese NSO has more games).
And now they finally made an official translation into English... And it's a separate purchase with this idiotic time limit again. Why? I wouldn't complain if a straight localization of the game with no new features was added to NSO as well. What do I pay for?

While I DESPERATELY want that collector's edition, what's even more exciting about this announcement is that this opens the door for the other Japan-only Fire Emblem games to finally get official international releases. We're THIS much closer to an official English release of Genealogy of the Holy War.
This is huge for Nintendo to be honest since they hardly ever go back and officially re-release their Japan only games that require a decent amount of translation and it annoys me to no end that they're pulling the "limited time only" card again. With a 30 year old game no less..

That's reaaaally cool. And very out of nowhere.

Why is everything limited few months release?!?!

This is exciting!

Also, f*** Nintendo and their artificial scarcity bull

Need to pre order the physical ASAP, this was such a delightful surprise I’m so excited!!! I hope this means SMT1 has a better chance of being localized and given this treatment too ;-; one can dream

Cool to see it localized but not cool that's it is limited time like 3D All Stars.

@TheFullAndy If anything it suggests 3D All Stars will just disappear like the Wii version of All Stars. Both 3D All Stars and the Fire Emblem localization are anniversary celebration releases.

The limited time thing sucks, but otherwise this is a step in the right direction. Very cheap of Nintendo to only include a download code rather than a hard copy in the Special edition. At least it makes it easier to say no to.

but the empty box edition is limited looks nice but gave up on dust gathering items ages ago. have played it on a repo nes cart and good but dated game

I felt like the announcement tweet made it sound like the game was not limited. Just the special edition.

alrighty a new game on the list

God so sad the "Special Edition" doesn't include an actual cart BAH HUMBUG.

Great!
Hope they release Mother 3 in here now

@Grumblevolcano

The collection of the 3 games will certainly disappear but they will be released separately either right after 31 March or down the line.

Fire Emblem however is one game, at the end of the advert I expected to see it announced for the NES online service not as a separate release and having it a limited time release makes no sense as it will not be otherwise available.

For those complaining, it is another anniversary release just like the Mario games are.

And not every game being released recently is limited time. In fact, most aren't. Can people please stop making it seem like everything is only for a limited time.

Urgh, while this is cool in that it’s an official translation, a download code in the physical and this bizarre limited availability is just poor showing from Nintendo.

Hopefully that mean we'll get more translations like this

I'll get the game digitally, I'd buy the £50 physical release if it included all the non localised fire emblem games instead of just one

I want it preorder the collection

AGAIN WITH THAT LIMITED TIME BS?

Disgusting

For me it is goodbye ps5 news : D : D : D

I'm so glad that they finally translated the first Fire Emblem! And even more glad that they introduced this quality of life mechanisms (they reminded me of Chariot Tarot from Tactics Ogre and Mila's Turnwhell from FE Echoes). Of course the limited time is a bummer, but it will ensure that every SRPG enthusiast will get this game on day one.
I hope it sells well to stimulate the localization of the other Fire Emblem that were only released from Japan (especially the three games for Super NES).

Another ridiculous decision to limit it for no good reason.

Also, it kind of technically has been released before, since there was the DS remake?

Oooooh... interesting...

I assume this is separate from the NES app to cover translation costs.

Wonder how different the translation will be from the DS remake?

Ok, now that I have relooked properly:

Why does the physical version only have a digital download code?

Why is this game only available until March 31st?

These are serious questions. C'mon Nintendo, what the ****?

Considering how the original FE is still relatively obscure here in the west outside of that one DS remake. I am assuming the limited time release is a trick meant to draw peoples attention and boost sales

Whilst this should be awesome news they seem to have completely hamstrung this with the execution.

Maybe hopefully after the limited time expires for this, they'll release it on NES Online.

Awesome! But...for a limited time only? WTF? I really do not understand this stupid trend.

@TheFullAndy Fully agreed

Nintendo better have something special on the 31st...

And it's only on sale for a limited time, until April 1st, 2021, like Super Mario 3D All Stars. Does... Nintendo think the world is going to end on April 1st 2021?

Nintendo act like they gonna die after March 31, 2021 or something, why keep making crap limited especially a digital re-released title?

Me, a wary consumer: There's no reason this shouldn't be on NSO. Not to mention the limited time-only nonsense AGAIN, not that long after receiving a torrent of complaints about a similar practice with the Mario packs. It's a concerning tactic that will either end in mass backlash, or the migration of the practice to more AAA game publishers.

Also me, a Fire Emblem simp: crying as I pull out my wallet

Again, just another announcement we would have probably had at E3; which is now looking to have been a retro-palooza.

Really should have been shadow dropped for free on the NES app, but I’m not complaining. Now how about those Famicom Wars games...?

I can understand it not being on NSO NES. But Nintendo have spent actual time localising this only to have it as a limited time release?

There's either something wrong with that or it's the most Nintendo thing Nintendo have done in a while.

@tobsesta99 My thoughts exactly.

Pie in the sky hope: Return of the Virtual Console - and for the available games that people already own from previous VC generations are free to download!

Price is great given it's a new translation. Limited availability is nonsense, though. I bought SM3DAS day 1 in part because I was afraid I'd miss my chance. Not doing the same with this game. I might skip it altogether.

Ok, there has to be something big happening at the end of March. Mario 3D All-Stars, Mario 35, and now this are disappearing around then, and we're getting a new Monster Hunter game.

@Northwind I hope Nintendo is sorely disappointed and gives up on this artificial scarcity crap. If it didn't do that BS with SM3DAS, I probably would have preordered the physical copy, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was getting bullied. I decided not to buy it in any form out of principle, unless a second hand copy springs up somewhere, or if the games are released individually on the eShop, I'll just get the ones I want.

If I didn't do it with SM3DAS, I'm not doing it with a 30-year old game that time has long surpassed and already has a remake on the DS that is readily available on the Wii U eShop.

These limited time digital releases make zero sense. Nevertheless, I’m excited to finally play a localization of the original game. I already played the remake on DS, but this will be neat to check out for historical and comparison purposes. Here’s hoping some of the other Japan exclusive Fire Emblem games get the same treatment, minus the senseless artificial scarcity.

@MS7000 even if it would be US only, thanks to the exchange rate and the possibility to buy us eshop gift cards, changing your region and just make us eshop purchases, you probably would even be cheaper by doing it this way I bet it will be 5,99£ or 5,99€... It's a little work, but sometimes you can save a pretty penny/cent that way!

Collector's edition is pretty. It's tempting. I'll probably just buy it digital, though. I have an imported Famicom cart and have played through the fan translation on a Retron 5. Hopefully this does well and leads to official translations of FE 2-6 and 12. I own imports of most of them, but would pay for official translations.

@Solomon_Rambling

It's the end of Nintendo's Fiscal Year!

https://nintendotimes.com/2020/05/07/nintendos-full-fiscal-year-2020-financial-results/#:~:text=Nintendo%20has%20released%20its%20financial%20statements%20and%20results,console%20and%20ever-growing%20stable%20of%20exclusive%20hit%20games.

Nice. Hoping this sells well so we can see other older Nintendo games localized.

Also, I've always wanted to play an official release of this.

Not putting the game on an actual NES cartridge was a missed opportunity, though.

@Solomon_Rambling I know right? There's so much happening at the end of March. Will there be a new console revision? A huge Direct? A true Virtual Console? Maybe just a really cruel April Fools joke?!

I will try to get that CE.Not bothered by the limited release as it’s an anniversary game.

I’m surprised they didn’t just put this on NSO however.

Like others, I too am puzzled by the limited release schedule. However, the willingness for Nintendo to translate an older title and allow it to be released as a downloadable title shows a lot of potential! It could mean official translations for older titles (or "re"translations as Nintendo released the remake Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon on the DS). It could also mean an online eShop to download classic titles similar to the Wii U and 3DS eShop. (I don't mind the idea of accessible titles via NSO - I prefer downloading individual titles.)

I am generally assuming the limited time period is a trick to draw peoples attention and boost sales. If the game does well enough they might put it on NSO

Would buy it but I'm not supporting the limited time release crap. Sticking to fan translated roms.

Glad they're doing something special for the anniversary. Sad that it's also the year Cipher ended. Not thrilled about the limited availability but I was going to buy it day one anyway. This also gives me hope they're going to have the entire series in English eventually in one form or another.

@Darlinfan They probably want to make it feel more special like they did with the Four Swords Anniversary edition (yes, that was free, but still very similar).

This is honestly so cool. Ill be grabbing this as soon as its available!

@mazzel I meant more the collector's edition. =P But that is a point assuming I could be bothered to put in the leg work.

All those wondering about the significance of March 31st, it's the last day of the fiscal year. Each fiscal year is split into 4 quarters:

Q1: April 1st - June 30th
Q2: July 1st - September 30th
Q3: October 1st - December 31st
Q4: January 1st - March 31st

Next gen (Series X/S, PS5) will no doubt hurt Switch sales at least somewhat, Nintendo's probably doing all these limited time releases to reduce how much Switch sales are hurt.

Nintendo translated a 30 year old game = Mother 3 confirmed

@UmbrageHill Hilariously, this is the one time that meme actually makes a bit of sense. If Nintendo plans on finally localizing their back catalog and this isn't a one time deal, Mother 3 is right up there with FE4 or Pokemon TCG 2 for games that could make a splash. Big IF of course though.

Not for me but hopefully it opens the door to more FE localizations down the road. Shame that it's another limited release and that the deluxe edition doesn't come with a cartridge.

Need to pre order the physical ASAP, this was such a delightful surprise I’m so excited!!! I hope this means SMT1 has a better chance of being localized and given this treatment too

@Zoda_Fett I'm sorry to be the one to tell you - no physical game card is to be included. Doubly sorry, because we were thinking the same thing - early SMT games are high on my wishlist.

NCL, you are diligently destroying my goodwill. Amidst a drifting sea of grind-worn Joy-Con sticks, a complete lack of local game save functions, and the disabling of the Wii shop, I am coming to the conclusion that I will sit out the generation that follows the Switch.

You could also buy this DS version, which is a nice remake: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/ds/fire_emblem_shadow_dragon

Nintendo translated a 30 year old game = Mother 3 confirmed

@UmbrageHill Indeed, this will enflame speculation. It is an interesting move in the context of its age, I must say. I can imagine the impact that a higher NSO subscription tier would have if the Mother trilogy was made exclusive to it, or if a pseudo-Virtual Console were to make it available.
Something interesting will be introduced next year, that seems certain.

@gokev13 Makes you wonder what they are going to do to the eShop March 2021. I’m willing to bet it’s going to go through a big change. I’m also wondering if when we get a new console, we will get a new eShop. Either way, I haven’t spent money on a Nintendo product in ages because of that. I don’t want to keep investing money in their console of its going to be short lived.

@COVIDberry I noticed that right after I commented and I started digging more into the comments on Twitter. Really upsetting but I get it, the game is a super small file. The reason why I have more hope for SMT1 being localized is because I believe this was announced for the Japanese virtual console a bit back so I’m thinking they might do the same since SMT jus got onnit as well. I mean with the buzz from 5 and nocturne coming out next year it wouldn’t be a bad idea to drop it early 2021 to raise the hype even more

This is really cool for the FE fans BUT WHY WHY is this another limited release!!?? I hope this is just for Anniversary titles because Mario 35 and 3D All-stars are Anniversary games. Super Mario Allstars Wii was also limited. I hope they won't do this for anymore games though.

Should be on NSO, this limited release thing is asinine. Mongrels are running this company, sad to see.

So limited releases are the new norm for Nintendo? The person or persons behind this should be fired!!

Just get it online for free with the appropiate emulator! That will always be available somewhere on the internet.

While I've been asking for this for years, translations of the Japan only FE games, theres really no reason the digital should be limited time only. It's bad enough scalpers will be all over the limited edition because after March, assuming those game codes don't expire, it's the only way to get this.....

This looms amazing. 100% picking this up.

Amazing!!! That nes part love it!

Wasn't this on DS? Or was that a remake and this the 8 bit version? Surely translation will be the same?

@Northwind It's guaranteed that how well the Switch does this holiday is worse than it would've done had Series X/S and PS5 not existed. This is still true in the likely scenario that Switch is the best selling system this holiday.

You guys realize Nintendo is shutting down after March 31, 2021 and this is why everything is limited right?

The reason why I have more hope for SMT1 being localized is because I believe this was announced for the Japanese virtual console a bit back...

@Zoda_Fett I think sales of SMT V and the Nocturne remake are going to determine this. A Switch compilation, featuring, at minimum, SMT 1 and 2 (though Megami Tensei would also be appreciated!), is not impossible. Given the install base of Switch, I feel that even a relative failure for SMT V could put the series into a deep freeze.

Provided it appears on Switch, I wonder if Metroid Prime 4 will outsell SMT V.

Absolutely buying this. Though it annoys me that it's not on NSO.

The art book looks interesting.

Can you just not try to paint limited edition anniversary releases with a worrying narrative. You are a Nintendo site. You should be celebrating events, not trying to suck the joy out of them for the sake of consumerism.

I’m scared. Clearly something terrible is going to happen on March 31 next year, and only Nintendo knows what it is. It’s like the world is going to shut down on that date or something. I’m picturing a kind of Twelve Monkeys-style post-apocalyptic future...

Between this and Super Mario 3D Anniversary Collection having the same end date (March 31) you can't help but wonder whether Nintendo might have some sort of major announcement or release(s) planned for around that time. What could those surprises be, if they exist? Here are some personal thoughts and hopes:

1) Switch "Pro" announcement
2) Individual games from Super Mario 3D Anniversary Collection go up for sale...along with a fourth "bonus" title: Super Mario Odyssey 2 (which might be available for download at a cheaper DLC rate if you purchased the collection while it was available)
3) Zelda 35th Anniversary 3D Collection
4) Metroid 35th Anniversary Collection
5) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn Remaster

So Nintendo decides to to pack the two things I hate the most about digital distro (limited time release window and a ***** code in the damn "Special Edition" box) all in one package.
... it's a disgustingly anti consumer practice. Not going to buy it.

@Averagewriter I am in complete agreement. This was the kind of gesture I once associated with Ubisoft, EA and the like. They are treading on dangerous ground, if reputation means anything.

@MS7000 Why would they produce a cartridge for a game that's about 60 megs?

@JimmySpades How else are people supposed to play it on their replacement Switch in 30 years?

@MS7000 lol I should have thought so...

@GrailUK This is a news outlet regarding Nintendo related content. We're getting the full story. The upcoming release is exciting, but it's up to Nintendo Life to inform the readers that this will only be limited time. Otherwise, they would be purposefully withholding important information. You want Nintendo Life to stop showing off the backlash this upcoming release may cause? Tell Nintendo themselves to stop doing limited time releases then!

Speed delisting contest much?😅 Granted, it could just end up on CGC after a while. The original is already there anyway.

Which, incidentally, already counts as legal access in my conscience bargain book, and I've already beaten the DS Shadow Dragon to boot... yeah, never thought I'd say that about a retro legend finally coming to western digital stores, and cheap at that... but I don't readily see myself in the market for this one.

If anything, provided Belconsole or MyDevice show up among the "select retailers" in question, I could be more likely to buy the physical (well, "physical") edition, purely for the goods. Especially since special editions with 200 page hardbound artbooks tend to cost more than $60.

Now if only Famicom Wars and Super Famicom Wars had the same treatment.?

Please make it so nintendo!!!

@JoeyTS I get that I just don't share the same view point that it is a 'worrying trend' is all.

@ComposedJam Why is is shady? I don't get it. It's like saying limited edition orange Twirls is scummy practice.

@AtlanteanMan its nice thinking. All valid ideas beside 3/4, because why would it be connected to Mario? Nevertheless, I hope 3/4 will come eventually

as much as i wish they could remake the first game in the three houses engine, i digress... this looks super cool! nice to see they changed up some features for newcomers.

That collector edition looks amazing!

I’m guessing they get more money creating artificial demand with limited time and scarcity and for some reason judging by the comments people praising Nintendo that they are going the right path and soon they will port others, lol... I don’t know if you guys forgot the existence of the remake in the DS the second on 3DS so this is more like a cash grab, Nes rpg’s haven’t aged well at all they need a remake and the third one it’s the one they should be working on

@GrailUK Well Orange Twirls are a physical product and so are physical copies from Limited Run games. They don't have an unlimited supply of those so making them limited is fair since those are things they can't always uphold. On the other hand, games like 3D All Stars, Super Mario 35, and now this all are obtainable digitally. There's no stock for digital media. You can never run out of supply for a digital game. So making something a limited time release for a digital game is crummy because Nintendo is simply doing it as artificial scarcity! Making it seem like there is a shortage of copies for the game despite the fact that you can get the game digitally. It's just Nintendo's way of trying to squeeze more money out of the consumers by essentially forcing them to act quicker than they really need to.

@JimmySpades If they are really going through the effort of making a physical release, then why not? The game being small is irrelevant as far as I am concerned.

@ViewtifulJotun yes it is:
https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/ds/fire_emblem_shadow_dragon

I'm sure this will get buried under every other comment, but does anyone know where to pre order the FE 30th anniversary edition? Like what stores?

@GrailUK The rise of authoritarianism in the west is a worrying trend. This is standard business practice from a publicly traded revenue maximizing corporation which is responsible to its shareholders. But I'm not sursprised that neither a fan site nor most of its audience know the difference.

Can not wait for this!!! Day one for sure for me

I’ve preordered it. Figured for that price it would be worth trying. Annoying they decided to make it a limited time run though

I really really want that 30th Anniversary Edition but need too find out where it is going too be sold in Ireland.

@mazzel It's because 2021 is the 35th Anniversary of both Zelda and Metroid. I'm simply following the logic of Nintendo doing a 35th Anniversary compilation for Mario and hypothetically applying it to two more of their biggest franchises.

@JoeyTS Hmm. So the fact they are going to pull it once the anniversary is over is depriving them of basically free money, because it's not like they have to keep making it? Same with all digital sales I guess.

Shouldn't this be on NSO...? Or are we having some VC titles now as well?

@Fazermint @Heavyarms55 @Archius9 But it been available through NSO would mean it'll just be a lazy rom dump with no changes. This limited release is a localized release though similar to EarthBound Beginnings, the game will officially be in English for the first time. Would you really be fine to have this in NSO in its originality with no translation and all? I think not. Reason why Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Panel de Pon, and Puyo Puyo were all able to be on NSO was cause those could be play without the need of translation. I don't see the benefit of this game being on NSO though, for one if it was available there you won't get a localize translation, the game had no multiplayer so online play is out of the picture, and you still need an NSO account to play, once you decided to cancel NSO you won't have access to the game.

@ComposedJam I just see it as a timed event is all. Nice for fans. Nothing to get too stressed about lol. Probably not the last time we see it either.

Seems to me, with all these limited time retro games only being available until March, Nintendo is planning some kind of retro game program outside of S/NES online for next year.

@ViewtifulJotun I brought it up earlier. Yes, the original was remade for the DS as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. I played through it and enjoyed it as it was my first time playing a FE game.

@AtlanteanMan I see! Well, let Nintendo surprise us

I plan on getting the anniversary edition, but why are they doing these limited time releases now?

Well, it's cheaper than Earthbound Beginnings so I will probably pick this up although I stink at Tactical RPGS. I would guess that eventually this will see release on the Switch NES Online service.

Just wish they would get around to putting Earthbound Beginnings on there. I started it on the Wii U but never got around to finishing it.

ugh.... limited time only....

Nintendo. STOP.

I am looking forward to this since I really enjoyed Langrisser 1 & 2 on Switch. And this seems pretty close to that.

But it does feel a bit strange to have the NSO service, but release that outside of it when it would have given real value to the service and made it unique.
But maybe that is exactly the reason why.
Who ***** knows. This is all so random these days.

Oh good, a title I can use to actually voice my utter lack of encouragement towards virtual scarcity.

Time limit having the same cutoff as Mario makes me think that there's either going to be a new virtual console line, or there will be a big change to switch online next year

@Yanina I rather if they just release it like this instead of making it limited to NSO. As cool as NSO is, downloading it so you can play anytime is a better value. The only downer here is that Nintendo is making it as a limited release which is lame. This release as well as EarthBound Beginnings are proof that Nintendo are also willing to translate their import titles if it'll make them money. I'm hoping they translate Fire Emblem: Geneology of the Holy War so I could replay that on an actual console.

They should've included Secret of the Emblem and remakes for both in the physical release. I know the collectibles are the main selling point, but that's a little high for a single Famicom game.

@ComposedJam What's that saying about pots and kettles?

Despite what Nintendo would have you believe, this is in fact the third time this game has been released outside of Japan, having already been released on the Nintendo DS and the Wii U.

@Retro_Player_77 They could've done a Fire Emblem Anniversary collection. At least this game had a remake that was localized to go off of. Genealogy would've taken more effort, but been so cool. Unfortunately Nintendo won't do something that.

@Retro_Player_77 I personally also prefer it this way. It just feels all over the place.

@Christofu If they are testing this game for a potential VC rebirth I hope they just transfer all the games from NSO to become VC releases so we don't have to wait for each one to re-released again. Hidden gem such as Demon's Crest is one such title I would rather download than to play it through a service for limited period of time.

@NIN10DOXD It depends on the money though, like you said I agree it'll probably be too much of a hassle for them to translate everything, they'll probably just remake that one. Remake or re-release it doesn't matter to me as long as they finally get to releasing it.

@Retro_Player_77 That's fair. I think the ideal would be if there was virtual console and switch online with NSO getting games whenever they release on virtual console. Off topic but at this point Nintendo seriously should just add a voice chat to the system for switch online subs. make it friends only if you want things to be safe, but no one wants to use a phone app when they could just... call their friends

The art in the special edition is absolutely beautiful

But like many fans negative feelings are more prominent because of the limited availability. I'm dissapointed in Nintendo. If Iwata was still alive I imagine he would condemn this practice as well. I remember his love for video games and how he wanted them to be accessible. Even if this practice leads to more sales, some people (perhaps a very small amount) will be dissapointed they missed out. This is no way to show appreciation to us customers.

Not diggin this “available for a limited time” trend Nintendo got going on recently...

I've been wanting to play this ever since I first heard about Fire Emblem in Nintendo Power's monthly Epic Center feature back in the 90s. Super excited to get to play it.

@Christofu "I think the ideal would be if there was virtual console and switch online with NSO getting games whenever they release on virtual console."

That would be sweet yeah!

@Christofu That's a good idea too and they had two perfect partners in handling VC releases as well such as HAMSTER and M2. M2 originally handled the Wii VC releases so I think if they would bring VC back it'll be through them again.

Wake me up when they decide to localuze 16 versions.

Technically, this came to the West already via the Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon DS remake. (I'm assuming this was pointed out already, but I'm not reading through 150+ comments). A decent FE entry overall with excellent art, but it does show its age in some respects. I still don't know how you can do a no-death run against Medeus. I tried and eventually had to just take a couple of losses for my sanity.

I don't have any interest in the Famicom original, but props to those who want to play this as it was originally intended.

@Gasarakii where are the pre-orders?? I don't see any stores offering it yet.

@Rayla When Iwata was alive they allowed Four Swords Anniverary for a limited time as well. Maybe he fought against this though,we don't know🤷🏽‍♂️but it's very sad that Nintendo are doing this

Okay, I skipped the Mario collection mostly because I'm not super interested in 3D platformers, but this I am very tempted to ignore ONLY because of the limited release BS. Feel free to limit physical copies if you must, but there's no reason to do the same with downloads other than putting pressure on people.

Not sure how I feel about the whole limited release thing... but, it's nice to make it official. Honestly, I was not expecting this as this game really has not aged the best and probably is a niche game even among the Fire Emblem faithful. Though... this means we might get Geneology of the Holy War.

Nice gesture by Nintendo and I guess it makes sense why this might be a limited release as it is a very, very niche title within a niche franchise. Maybe this might get moved to NSO in a few years... who knows shrugh.

Guys Nintendo has been doing the limited time releases for a loooooong time now. Remember the Zelda 25th anniversary? Four Swords Anniversary edition was available for free on the dsiware shop and if you missed it, you lost your chance to have that upgraded version of the game for good.
In fact, it's inclusion on certain models being sold on eBay has boosted the price in some cases! Anyway my point is, this is nothing new for Nintendo and they won't change. It's fantastic from their point of view (just look at the sales of 3D All Stars)

@Retro_Player_77 Poor Hamster. Sure old arcade games are cool but virtual console is better. I'd rather play gameboy or n64 games than the arcade stuff. Seems like Nintendo is underusing them

@JMR_Alden the four swords thing was so limited almost no one I know even knows it existed

What an absolute bunch of bass turds!!!

An expensive limited edition with no cartridge?!

What the hell's the point of that?

Even when they drop a bombshell like this, they manage to screw it up.

I'll just stick with the download and skip the tat.

Nice! Hoping the other ones follow suit.

Really hoping for both Jugdral games to be officially localized!

Strange decision. Anyway, a Collector's Edition with a digital code? Not for me. I'll get the cheap digital release, just for the novelty. I've never played any game in the series.

Lol i'm commenting too much, but if this is getting translated does Mother three have a chance

...probably not but it does make you wonder

@JMR_Alden Shhhhhh don't point out facts to people. People don't like facts unless they are subjective to their feelings about a game.

All joking aside they've done this before with stuff like Physical Bayonetta 1 (only in the first printings of Bayonetta 2 on Wii U), Zelda Collection (GCN), Mario All-Stars (Wii), Xenoblade Chronicles (on the Wii it had a short print run sold only through Gamestop), this is not the first time nor the last time. Eitherway I know I'm buying it because I'm a huge fan, but this game is super niche.

@Silly_G I think the reason it's not on a cart may have to do with the manufacturing cost of the title during COVID. This title is super niche even with Fire Emblem fans who probably care more about the artbook and NES replica cart. Though it would had been nice, but not a total deal breaker.

@COVIDberry yeah that makes more sense. Considering how 4 did pretty good on 3DS and with the huge hype around persona I can see both of these games doing pretty well if the release windows for them are good. I do think prime is going to sell more than SMT and will probably have the most sales the series has seen(tbf the bar isn’t super high). Especially with these rumors we’ve been having for a bit about the trilogy coming

@atombomb66 go to the eshop and click on "featured". It will be at the top.

I am in the USA so might be different if you are elsewhere

@Wexter : They would only need the smallest capacity cartridge (1GB?) and the cost would have been negligible (they're virtually guaranteed to sell out every single unit produced). As a fan and collector, if the game itself isn't included in a package, the rest of the junk is completely insignificant.

No cart in the physical edition?! I’ll pass.

How NOT to do things, brought to you by Nintendo.

Two things to definitely DO if you want to do what you shouldn't do:

Limited digital release
Limited "physical" release without actual physical game

People who want it will buy it anyways, definitely under pressure. And EVERYONE will be talking about it.

@Silly_G The game is probably a few hundred kilobytes hardly enough to even fill a megabyte flash drive. Would be so wasteful to produce a 1 GB cart and put only a few hundred kilobytes on it. It's such a waste for the environment as at least these other goodies are a bit more substantial and have art books and is a physical NES Replica Cart which is a nice display piece in your collection (which is what FE fans are probably more interested in than a physical cart of a niche FE game which they will probably play through once). It makes way more sense to put a little slip with a code in there to provide to fans to download it as the cost of manufacturing a GB Cart and put a small few hundred kB on it has way more overhead and that cart can be used on other games. It's just not economical from a business standpoint and a waste of resources.

@ComposedJam Hey, I don't need your sympathy (but thanks anyhow!). I'm just taken aback by how seriously you are treating this lol.

@GrailUK It's just a crummy tactic overall. Super Mario 3D All Stars and soon this game for example are both downloadable on the eShop. Nintendo can very well keep the games up for years and years to come but they are purposefully choosing to make it limited time to force consumers to buy their games before the end of their fiscal year. And I just can't fathom how you see this as "nice for fans". For one thing, look at the comments. Look at all these Nintendo fans who are detesting this limited time concept. You're in the clear minority here. Another thing, what should be nice for the fans is allowing consumers to purchase the game when they choose to, not when Nintendo essentially forces them to.

Sooo...again limited to March 31...
What the heck happens on that date? This seriously gives off some "planned obsolescence" vibes for the system...

@Einherjar If I were a guessing man I think Nintendo plans to revamp NSO and offer games to be purchased individually for non-members and a "Netflix" like subscription to have access to them. I'm just spitballing, but it is so weird that 3D All-Stars and original Fire Emblem both stop being sold digitally on that day. Maybe they plan to offer NES, SNES and N64 under a single app?

@Einherjar Their fiscal year ends.

@AtlanteanMan With Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury releasing in february next year it's very unlikely that Super Mario Odyssey 2 is coming the same year imo.

@ComposedJam I don't buy digital full stop lol. I buy physical when I can. Never complained about limited physical releases and I don't see this much different tbh.

So have anyone found where NA or EU sold at?

@BTB20 They likely meant Galaxy 2, no way a new game would be part of a classics collection.

@ComposedJam Oh, I promise you there is no need to be concerned haha. Just out of interest, is Netflix and Gamepass being anti consumer when they rotate their films / games? (Don't have either so honest question.) I mean, then fact digital games have zero cost to reproduce and have potentially infinite stock renders them absolutely valueless lol.

@Wexter Now that you mention it, all limited content so far is either emulated retro console stuff and/or bound to NSO.
And a while back, they mentioned that they had plans to revamp the system.
I think you might actually be onto something here.

why are you guys acting like Nintendo hasn't done limited released before? This is hardly new.

Don't be ridiculous

@Grumblevolcano You're probably right.

Nintendo is officially expecting the world to end in April.

I wasn't too nonplussed about the limited time for Mario 3D All-Stars. I was gonna buy it well before March 31st and my Switch isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I'm also not gonna defend the practice. It's mind-boggling and if there are reasons outside of these being anniversary releases, I think Nintendo would be good in at least alluding to those reasons or future plans. A stay tuned.

But I think we're going a bit overboard in classifying this as a worrying trend or to point to the epic meltdowns I'm seeing on Twitter as we discuss, Nintendo is becoming a scummy company. I mean, this has happened with only two releases. Do we need to really sound the alarms at the moment? What evidence do we have that this is going to become the norm for Nintendo?

I love a good traditional JRPG. Weird how this series has been turned into a dating sim.

@GrailUK You just proved my point! Digital games cost nothing to reproduce and have infinite stock essentially. So why is Nintendo making these games limited time? Clearly there's no supply issue because it's digital. Nice for fans? Like I said, clearly it's not nice for fans when the bulk of the fanbase is speaking out against what Nintendo is doing. Netflix and Game Pass games get rotated out because they most likely lose the rights to the show or game. Yet, Netflix Originals and Microsoft First Party Games almost never get rotated out because the service provider holds the rights to them since it's their original made content. Likewise, Nintendo owns the rights to 3D All Stars and Fire Emblem. While Netflix and Microsoft rotate games out because of licensing and copyright, Nintendo is doing it because they want your MONEY!

@Gasarakii I this for the box set?? I assumed you pre-ordered that and not just the game. Guess I should have asked you first. Sorry bud.

Yeah, Nintendo can take this time-limited release ***** and stick it up their arses. I can live without this. No thanks.

@JoeyTS They want our money, but only for a limited time lol.

@Rayla What the heck are you talking about? Lmao Iwata would be disappointed? You mean the same Iwata that did it on Super Mario All Stars, Kirby Anniversary edition as physical editions and worst, did it with Zelda Four Swords Anniversary edition on 3DS which was digital?

@UmbreonsPapa Also Super Mario 35 and Jump Rope Challenge. Frankly the NES Mini and SNES Mini suffered from this as well though they are physical products. I think it's fair to raise a red flag. Look at how many PlayStation exclusives were limited time? None! Look at how many Xbox exclusives were limited time? None! The Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection and Halo Master Chief Collection weren't limited time releases but Super Mario 3D All Stars is! The rate of Nintendo doing this is significantly higher than almost every single developer and publisher!

@TheFullAndy This game is celebrating the anniversary of Fire Emblem.

@GrailUK It's a tactic simply put. Games that stay on the market can go on sale. Nintendo doing this for Super Mario 3D All Stars though means they can sell the game for a full $60 the entire time period and force people to pay that amount. Look at the sales. 3D All Stars has been extremely successful in sales. One big factor is the pressure Nintendo has put on the consumers. It just circles back to the fact that these practices need to be called out by outlets such as Nintendo Life. It's crummy and unnecessary!

@GrailUK I’ll celebrate with you! Wooo! Finally getting an official localization! Also it feels like this is the first time FE has been celebrated in the west. Good time to be a fan.

@lighteningbolt79 Everything is limited time if you look at it. They (Nintendo) will someday stop making Switch cartridges so other games will stop being produced, also the eShop will close one day.

But this will be added to NSO NES once the "limited" time runs out.

I think I will buy fire emblem 3 houses and then try this game as I have never played one before.

Welcome back, dull NES palette.

...wait if this is a limited release, doesn't that basically confirm 64/Sunshine/Galaxy won't get separate, standalone releases?

@JoeyTS Well, they've temporarily changed their minds on Jump Rope Challenge and I can certainly understand why they were hesitant with the mini console releases. Sure, hindsight showed that they were indeed popular and demand was there. But at the same time, I think I can understand not wanting to be burned by overproducing these things and being left it with inventory no one is buying.

But just to touch on your examples. My assumption (as I don't know much about those other collections) is that these current games are anniversary releases and those weren't? You might know better than I do. Again, I am not defending the practice in general. Just if Nintendo's plan is to have these as anniversary related things, I guess I can understand if that's their sole reason for them being limited in their current forms. And who knows what's going to happen after March and April. But I would not be at all shocked if these games became available for a more permanent availability in some other fashion

Why add value to NSO when you can screw the userbase over more?

Well, it's still cheap for me. But I agree with everyone else. The limited-time stuff is dumb, and not putting this on the NES app is dumb also.

@Nemesis666 Try to relax, I could be wrong and it's possible Iwata would fully support this as well. I do not care to defend the former president. However let's not forget how Nintendo changed over the past few years. My Nintendo and Miiverse dissapeared, it's nowadays odd if games don't get DLC, Nintendo online was introduced. I can't help but miss the days when Iwata was president and if these limited releases became a regular event that would truly show a decline in customer loyalty/service (whatever you want to call it). Ofcourse the blind fans will just claim that all of these changes are part of the time / inevitable

@lighteningbolt79

What's the point of limited time though? Just a stupid publicity stunt?

I get it with physical goods (still a dumb publicity stunt) but games can be sold forever digitally. Maybe that's all it is though. The 3d all stars stuff I expected would just be piecemealed after the 'limited' run for maximum profit.

I think Nintendo is testing the waters of something similar to the Virtual Console. They are trying to see if independent classics still sell.

@ComposedJam I do promise you I know where you are coming from. I am struggling to see how it is in businesses own interest to make something limited as opposed to being available indefinitely. Seems pretty short sighted (and Nintendo have never struck me as such). Maybe FE is rather niche? But then, if it is niche, a limited run would be no harm no foul. I don't know. I fear the internet is making a mountain out of a molehill over this. I'm not condoning anti consumerism (and like I said, I'm not convinced this is) just appreciating it for the event it is.

Oh my goodness! This news definitely made my heart jump! Never mind the fact this game didn't really have to be localized since we already have the superior remake, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, on DS. in the West. Never mind the fact the limited window to buy the game (which is... still pretty dumb). Never mind the fact it would have been nice to have on NSO considering it is already on the Japanese Famicom app in Japanese.

This news is great simply because it shows Nintendo is WILLING to localize older games. Sure, this game probably wasn't TOO much of a bother to translate since it is an old NES game (albeit an old-school RPG, but still). But this is groundbreaking. Remember, when they released EarthBound Beginnings on the Wii U, the game itself was already translated; it was just never released. In this case, they had to translate the game from the ground up and change the game's coding. This is extremely unusual for Nintendo.

I see a lot of people in the comments are pretty miffed about certain aspects of this release, and I totally get it, but for fans of obscure Nintendo games that were never localized, this is HUGE. I honestly won't mind shelling out the money to buy it because it is going to send a message to Nintendo that there is a market for this. I would argue it would be harder to gauge interest if it was free. Admittedly though, it shouldn't be available for a limited time on the eShop. That's Nintendo just being... Nintendo again.

At any rate though, I'm all in on this release. I'm a huge FE fan and somehow never got a limited edition release of any of the games. That's going to change with this release though! I hope I'll be able to pre-order it before it sells out. Here's to Nintendo localizing other games, especially the other FE games in the series (namely Mystery of the Emblem, Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776, and the Binding Blade).

@Ryu_Niiyama I know right. FE fans aren't going to miss out. Consumers might...but then this isn't an event for consumers. It's for fans. Shame some only see a profit and loss sheet and can't tell the difference.

Anyone else feel (Fire burns) burned this isn't Fire Emblem 6, like sure Marth, but we have the definitive version of this game on DS/WiiU already, we don't quite know who this "Roy" character is still.

We'll have to wait until the 35th anniversary for that? Will interest in the series wane by then?

On the other hand I really want to know, is this an old, shelved localization, or a romhack a la Seiken Densetsu 3?

@AcridSkull If I had to guess how this is going down, they are selling it separately first and then will probably add it to the NSO NES app after March 31st. Just a guess but if Nintendo is wise here, that's what they should do. Out!

@AlienX Nope this is a brand new translation. You can tell as the font is different from a ROMhack and the text is much cleaner which means there were not restricted by filesize to get accurate translation.

@JoeyTS

Huge scoop! You mean to tell me that a for-profit corporation wants my money? Outrageous!!!

@Mallow That’s not unusual. Obviously they do. But they’re using crummy tactics to do so. Mario 3D All Stars would have sold well regardless and this game will sell fine also. It’s the fact that they feel the need to create artificial scarcity which makes this anti-consumer if you ask me.

@GrailUK FE isn’t niche I would say but I know for a fact that 3D All Stars is certainly not niche. They just saw the success of 3D All Stars and are continuing to use artificial scarcity to sell their games it seems

@JoeyTS But it's Mario. Do you really think this will be the last we see of these games lol!?

@GrailUK This is the first time Mario Sunshine has been released by Nintendo since 2002. So yes, I’m inclined to believe that this may be the last we see some of these games. Unless they release them separately in which case, we’re just being ripped off.

I can't defend it either, but I wonder what's so special about March 31st aside from the end of the fiscal year

@ComposedJam I know you make a greater point in post #235. And I am being a bit facetious in addressing this. But wouldn't you assume FE fans already own a Switch? Hasn't there already been 2, 3 FE games on the console?

@UmbreonsPapa Well Halo MCC was actually for the 10 year anniversary for Halo 2 so the comparison between 3D All Stars being limited because it is for an anniversary isn’t exactly a valid reasoning. Sure, the games could be available in some fashion after March 31st. Has Nintendo told us though? Are we 100% certain? What if they just disappear forever? Nintendo isn’t telling us what will happen and so that only adds to the pressure of buying the collection. The games may or may not be sold separately after March, so do I bite the bullet and buy the $60 collection, or do I not buy it and risk losing the chance to get to play them? Nintendo is purposefully being vague about the whole thing.

@JoeyTS I do agree with that. They don't need to give a detailed plan on what their strategies are. But a vague reassurance might go along way in tempering some of the outrage. But again, I don't know if I'm ready to go along with this being a worrying trend of Nintendo. Nor am I ready to lump Nintendo in with the likes of EA and other developers/publishers with questionable practices. They aren't perfect, of course. And there's quite a bit to be critical about when it comes to Nintendo. I still feel, at the moment, they do a bit more right than awful

Where the hell can I order this!?!? Been lookin all over! I’m in the u.k

@Wexter that is very vague, a romhack can overcome those problems as well, things like variable width fonts are common nowadays. Trials of Mana does this in fact, it can fit more text on screen than the fan translation.

Nintendo has shown they can do assembly-level changes to games, they made the Pikachu surfing game available from the get-go in Pokemon Yellow.

It's too soon to really tell, I mean obviously they updated the script (if it's an old localization) and added the 2020 to the title screen, because they did that as well in DK Original Edition, a previously unreleased game.

@AlienX It's a vague assumption right now because we don't have the complete script. Though based on a few things FE Tubers have noted it seems this is legit a new translation. Could be wrong though.

Really not a fan of Nintendos recent jump into artificial scarcity as a tactic. Hopefully it's not a sign of them adopting more scummy practices.

where can we pre-order?

Limited offer once again is incredibly pointless I don't even feel like getting into that, but FE1 in itself is great and it's awesome that they're making a previously japanese only title available. I think FE1, despite being a NES game is remarkably playable and fun even today.

@JoeyTS @UmbreonsPapa They told us, it's limited. Plan on them going away forever. Then when they save the day by bringing them back we can curse them again for fooling everyone.

It's kind of dumb, it's not like everyone on earth can't emulate them if they wanted to. You would think (like with the Virtual Console) they want to make legit sales available for anyone who has integrity to buy them.

After years of mocking PS for their "Arrogant Sony" PS days it really has gone to the point where I have to declare it is now "Arrogant Nintendo". The direction the company is going down with limited releases is utterly appalling. Do I buy this? No, I'll replay Shadow Dragon on my DS and give Nintendo the middle finger for their anti consumer practices.

What about Mystery of the Emblem?

@JoeyTS

Whether or not people believe these tactics to be "crummy," is fine. But it is not new in the world of business.

Nike puts out limited sneakers. Record labels put out limited releases for Record Store Day (many indie labels at that). Records go out of print. Every clothing company changes their line each season. We dont expect the shirt at Zara to be there forever. Disney did this for years with their video releases. it is not new or unique to Nintendo. Cereal companies, fast food ("only for a limited time"), and beverage companies put out variations and special offerings routinely and I dont see the level of outrage. The world of video games suddenly is the exception?

And it isn't "artificial scarcity." The digital release will not be scarce. It will simply be a "limited time purchase." It's a business tactic to get people's attention to buy it now.

People can hate on it all they want, but hate on it everywhere and be consistent and dont act like Nintendo is breaking new ground here.

Already preordered, the limited release window means nothing to me.

We are all watching Nintendo slowly become a soulless slimey company

@Isaix This translation was carried out about ten yeras ago.

Such a shame this isn't an actual NES game.

@Christofu I'm glad I still have it on my New 3DS. Everyone with that game should hold on to it!

Put it on a cartridge and I'll pay $50

@Mallow The difference between Nintendo doing this and literally every example you mention is that those are all physical products. Physical products are understandable as a company can only produce so much of a physical promotional item but there is an infinite amount of downloads available for Super Mario 3D All Stars or Fire Emblem. Clearly, Nintendo can keep these games on the eShop as long as they want but the fact that they're choosing to purposefully take them away from the Switch user base is literally anti-consumer. Video games have never been an exception. Limited Run games, premium deluxe editions, special edition consoles, etc have all been accepted since they're all physical products. 3D All Stars and Fire Emblem have no excuse for this and that's what makes it crummy. It's understandable if the physical versions of these games were limited release but the fact that even the digital versions of them are limited time is absurd.

can confirm these games suck

6 more dollars saved. Limited time digital releases are absolute nonsense.

as cool as that box set is, it feels a bit incomplete without the game on a cartridge

I’ll probably be preordering this even though I just bought Shadow Dragon.

Ohh, this releases on my birthday? Sweet. I know it is a limited release but you still have access after the time is up right? Everyone crying, buy it and you have it. It is the same price as a NES virtual console game. Is the physical edition too expensive? Don't buy it. Stop whining.

I, for one, ain't mad as this is done because of the 30th anniversary of Fire Emblem.

However, the collectors edition being a download code is lame.

@JoeyTS

I understand the distinction that it is digital, but you cannot look at this industry the same as we always have. It is increasingly going digital, and that is its future (much to my personal disdain). Nintendo and other companies are going to have to adjust their models to continue selling you the same game over and over again. If everything is digital, it will take strategies like these to create buzz, make you buy, and then take it away until next console. That will definitely create more sales in a shorter time, boosting quarterly numbers (again, shareholders and earnings report being the main motivation behind corporate profits, not being "pro consumer" or your friend).

Practices like these and other tricks will be essential for companies moving forward, since customers have voted with their wallets to favor digital games. The goal of Nintendo is to sell as many as possible. Keeping it up on the eshop indefinitely, as other games compete for your attention, wont be as effective as this "fomo" model in the short-term.

I have a feeling though, like others have mentioned, that eventually, after they get you to buy, it will eventually find its way to NSO.

@Gasarakii Where did you pre-order from? I've searched Amazon, EB Games, and Best Buy. No listings. I'm tired of constantly missing out on these things. Already missed out on the SNES Mini, Mario Kart Home, and the 30th Anniversary Game&Watch.
Nintendo's limited availability is just frustrating me. Plenty of things that I'd gladly pick up at retail price, but I refuse to pay scalper prices.

LOOOL. AU$90 for the collector's edition (with no cartridge)?!

To hell with that! I'll happily settle for the AU$9 (or so) download.

I'd love to play this as I'm a fan of the modern FE. ...but I'm not buying any of Nintendo's limited time releases on principle.

Physical cart is the only thing that could have sold me on the Special Edition. Still gonna grab the digital for $6.

How is this not part of NSO?!

I can understand that they want to recoup the cost of localization, but what's the point of paying an annual sub for retro games if the most interesting titles will be shifted to individual purchases/limited releases?

They just said a while back they have 26m+ subs. They couldn't have taken a portion of that $720m+ to this localization as an NSO exclusive?

That's really lame.

... And I'll pick it up because I want to play it. Dammit.

@Mallow No it's not the future. Especially when a new console releases for Nintendo, they'll want to have enticing games to convince players to buy their system over other competitors. You need to have games that will last indefinitely to ensure that factor for getting a new system will always be there. The key to creating buzz is by making a good and exciting game. Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity has a lot of hype and excitement! Lots of people will be buying it because it's what fans are actually looking forward to yet it isn't a limited release. Games like New Horizons, Mario Kart 8, Sword and Shield, and much more are constantly in the best selling charts both physically and on the eShop. Clearly there isn't a problem of losing consumer attention if the games are what the fans want. I'd argue Nintendo doing this will only harm them in the long run. If their future is only limited time releases, they'd have to CONSTANTLY make games to avoid a potential time period where no game is available to play from Nintendo. Then we get into the argument of quality over quantity.

It's just not practical for Nintendo to make every game of theirs a limited time release and they won't. We need games that will last for generations to come for preservation of art and so that factor of convincing someone to buy a system will always be there. There will constantly be new fans of a Nintendo franchise and it's important to have these older games to introduce fans to the series and show them the amazing adventures Nintendo can offer.

@JoeyTS

I never said every future Nintendo release would be this way. But its a strategy they will definitely pursue, and it makes much more sense to do it with retro content. Again, like the old disney moratorium program. Nintendo knows there is a market for retro releases, and by doing this with 3D all stars and now this, it suggests they are toying with adopting this for new/special releases of older games. Again, i think it makes sense from their point of view the same way there has not been any virtual console. Rather than cannibalize indie sales, they kept their retro games to nso. Now, bringing in select retro titles under this model will surely bring them major sales in a short period. Rather than dumping a ton of retro nintendo games in the eshop week after week to compete with each other , indies, etc, do it selectively, create more hype, make a lot of sales, then move on.

We’ll see what happens

Wait, Caeda is pronounced `See-duh?! I always thought it was `Kai-duh.

@lighteningbolt79 That would be fine if it was a normal anniversary release, but this is the first time it's ever been available in English, so there's no original version to fall back on like there is with any other special editions if you miss the window. Naturally, people are complaining.

EDIT: Never mind. Anyone who misses the release window could always track down a copy of the superior DS remake or just buy that remake on the Wii U eShop if they can.

@Darlinfan Sorry, I originally responded to the wrong person. I fixed it now.

In any case, my point is moot anyway, since I realized that the superior DS remake is already available in English, so the limited release isn't the problem I thought it was.

@Averagewriter Still remembering the Fates SE that was "sold out" after a week of PREORDERS at GameStop, and I'm realizing "does it matter that much if it has a game inside? Most of the people buying it are going to be collectors/scalpers who don't even really care about opening and playing it." since Nintendo couldn't care to release the SE card as a standard retail game later on (let the collectors keep the other shiny trinkets), like almost any other company would.
(well, scalpers might care if SOMEONE ELSE cares about playing it)

So, I love that this is being localized and rereleased. I really hope that Nintendo keeps digging and giving us old classics that most people have never played.

That said, two obvious issues. One, the digital release is even limited, just like Mario 3D All Stars. It’s almost maddening. What happens if someone gets a Switch in April, oh well I guess you can’t play it for “reasons.” It’s limited a availability just for the sake of it, and that BS.

Second, and less important I suppose, but the limited edition does not have a game cart which I think is kinda weird. You spend all this time and resources, on an art book, a replica NES cart, map, etc, yet the only thing that’s completely digital, is the game itself. I dunno, it just seems like the easiest thing to make physical isn’t there. It couldn’t possibly cost that much to throw this on a 1 GB cart or something.

I would have gotten the 30th anniversary edition of this game, but the fact it's a download code and not a cartridge makes it a hard miss.

So I bought final fantasy 9 digitally earlier this year, to find its getting a physical version. Nintendo your messing up my wallet. Most items I've been told are digital only, so i reluctantly buy it. Is nintendo going to change their mind again. I prefer my physical games.

@tadams587 That was really Square's decision to finally release a physical copy of FFIX. (I feel your pain and would have bought physical in a heartbeat if I'd known it was coming.) Thus far, to my knowledge, Nintendo itself has never released a physical edition of one of their digital-only games.

Except Tetris 99, but that's more of a glorified Nintendo Online subscription.

While I will give Nintendo props for finally translating the Famicom version of Fire Emblem 1, its soured a bit by this limited time BS.

Plus, why not translate the SNES version of Fire Emblem 1 that also had another book that served as a direct sequel to this game?

I know I will get slammed for saying this, but it feels like Nintendo is milking their audience for all its worth.

I'll give them props for translating Fire Emblem I to English, but they aren't the first ones to take an old game that was Japan only and properly bring it over to other regions.

Sega did this years ago with Monster World IV, and Konami for all their issues in recent years did a proper translation of Kid Dracula and included it in the Castlevania Anniversary Edition.

Even with all the cool stuff, the limited edition feels like a ripoff since you're pretty much paying for extras and a digital code..

Why not a Fire Emblem collection that included newly translated versions of Fire Emblem 1-6 alongside Fire Emblem 7 and Sacred Stones?

That would have been a wonderful way to celebrate Fire Emblem's history.

I'm sorry, people can downvote me to hell for saying this, but Nintendo is reaping the rewards while being lazy. If any other company did this, they would be bashed to hell and back.

But because Nintendo finally translates one Famicom game, tosses a download code in a fancy box with other stuff(cool goodies, but still), and then has the nerve to say its a limited edition, then it's ok?

What scares me is the number of people who are defending this nonsense. What if Nintendo announces a remake of Zelda I and II next year, but its a limited edition with a limited print run, get your copy now!

People are eating this up, and giving Nintendo the message that it's cool.

This is not a good trend, and anyone who defends this is blinded by the Nintendo logo on the box. As I said before, if anyone company pulled this, people would be demanding blood.

Let's suppose Square Enix announced they were bringing over a newly translated version of the Famicom version of Final Fantasy III for the game's 30th anniversary, but it will be a limited run and it will be gone forever. You can buy it for $5.99 or get a collectors edition for 50 bucks!

How many people all over the net, even on this very site would be slamming Square Enix for such a cheap, underhanded tactic to drive sales, while still but are supporting Nintendo's nonsense.

They did this crap with the NES Classic, and now they are expanding it to games on their core systems.

Where does it end?

Also, candance of hyrule. Tetris 99 got a physical release in honor of Tetris being released with the original gameboy, back in the day.

@TG16_IS_BAE
I doubt there will be a major change to the eshop, perhaps the limited to March 31 trend has more to do with it being their year end or something.

I also doubt there will be a new console coming out soon except for maybe an upgraded Switch that can play better games but still play the existing library of games available in retail and the eshop. I could be wrong though. It happens from time to time.

Unless I misunderstood your comment it sounds like you haven't bought a Switch? I think my Switch has gotten the most use out of any of the Nintendo consoles I have owned due to a large and excellent library of games and the convenience it brings to the table. All things considered the Switch has been my favorite Nintendo console so far and that is even with the joy-con issues that I have had. Still, I doubt I would convince you to buy one if you haven't been convinced by now.

Time limited game dl only? That is pretty lame. Don't get me wrong I'll get it for 6 bucks the special edition just isn't worth it at all.

A day late and the box is already sold out on Gamestop…

Don't think my comments will get seen down all the way here,
but as to NSO...
this is certainly really cool that they're doing this, but just the font alone has me suspecting this is at best an emulator enhancement (like how people use something called LUA to add game-specific enhancements to fan emulators).

That is probably not doable on original hardware, certainly not with the original mapper.
A proportional font (like in modern games, or even the GBA games) takes processing time and video memory to render on older consoles, and NES is kind of lacking in them.
And in the latter would technically require a game not use ROM-based video memory, which this mapper does.
Plus the MMC4 mapper this game used (only used in the three Intelligent Systems tactical games), which was an enhanced version of the MMC2 that only Punch-Out used most distinctly used hardware trickery to swap ROM banks mid-scanline.
In particular this is used to allow the game to cue up and auto-swap between the geography/character tilesets and the font tileset when an opening (left) and closing (right) menu border tile is drawn.
(this is a drawing trick which seems to be unique to these Nintendo mappers, most other NES games only have the ability to swap tilesets based on vertical rendering position, not horizontal)

I had tried to fan-translate the ROM in the past, so I know just a bit of its technical workings.

Now, if they were working on the SNES version, that could easily handle modern-ish font rendering in native code (without needing emulation enhancement code, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did it anyways as it'd probably be easier than going the ROM-hacking route on their own game )

@gokev13 I own a switch, but I stopped buying things for it when I learned of the weirdness with temporary releases.

Ok so why do Nintendo think that fans want limited availability. Why do they also think that this is better than having it available permanently. And finally, why are they unable to localise Mother 3.

I'm more disappointed that the collector's edition is a digital code in a box.

I miss Iwata. Furukawa is just a Japanese Bobby Kottick clone. I'm starting to think of Nintendo as another EA & Activision best avoided.

@Mallow If it's about indies, if an indie game is unable to compete in the market with a 30+ year old game for 1980s hardware, the indie game deserves to fail. I'm not sure when gaming started assuming every basement hacker that wants to make a game deserves to have market share carved out for them by preventing better content from being available. There's far more games devs than there is demand for all their content, and that's not sustainable. 80s crash 2.0 is going to suck.

@NEStalgia lol @ the Bobby Kotick comparison. While probably they are not as bad right now, but the writing is on the wall. They do seem to get their inspirations from EA and Acti these days. I have decided not to buy any of their time limited stuff. This is totally unnecessary for a corporation like Nintendo and hopefully it hurts their image so bad that they stop this nonsense going forward.

All well and good, but even with all the other physical stuff this comes with, THERE IS NO PHYSICAL GAME????

COME ON!!!!

@Darlinfan it explains alot, the Nintendo vault has existed
since the famicom, its not just a meme that was made in response to 3d all stars and the disney vault. nintendo is still sitting on 30+ year old japanese games that were never localised.

@San_D hyperbole doesnt help peoples points, and no it wont hurt nintendos image because they are localising a game from the nintendo vault, backlash was already quantified.
im sorry if the bubble you live in was broken.

@HSuzumiyaVI I don't get your point, why will they get backlash for localising an old game? Rather this has made people hopeful for games like Mother 3. The backlash here is more for their limited time releases, for whatever reasons they thought it will be good for them.

Skipping this limited edition garbage

Okay, this.....doesn't make a lick of sense whatsoever. I am genuinely baffled with why Nintendo made this decision and how they thought it was the best move to make?
What we have here is what looks like another Earthbound Beginnings scenario (which, btw, for some reason isn't on NSO atm) where a previously Japan-only NES title is localised for the first time on Nintendo's current system; except instead of being treated as basically a slightly more expensive NES VC title like Earthbound: Beginnings was, instead we're getting an enhanced (albeit not much more than most NSO/VC titles), but limited-time only digital re-release, including a special collectors edition.

Here are some of the questions that arose from watching this:
Why not include a cartridge with the special collector's edition?
Why make it a limited-time product given Fire Emblem is no-where near the blockbuster levels of popularity that might make this a viable idea (although I'd argue even then it's not really that beneficial)?
Who is Nintendo exactly targeting with this re-release of an NES title?
Why announce it so late in the year, given the anniversary day was way back in April?
Why do this at all, given that there's a DS remake that's been available for over 10 years now?
Are there plans to do the same with some of the other Japan-only Fire Emblem titles, or is it just this one?
What is Nintendo thinking regarding it's retro library with the Switch? (This is more a general question, but this release does push the question into the forefront)

So yeah, I'm a bit confused with this whole announcement at the moment.

Thanks for reporting on where it could be pre-ordered. So glad you guys were there when I needed to pre-order the 30th Anniversary Edition for my brother for Christmas.

I don’t quite understand the limited time angle.

Can we get Mother 3 localized next year for 15th anniversary?

Lol I love Nintendo.

This is way too much effort for a dated Famicom game! I really appreciate the effort... but who really wants this?

They need to find a happier medium for preservation and celebration of their games. I could make a long list of games that needed a translation and some love way more than Famicom Fire Emblem.

I mean the package looks great... I just can't imagine enjoying a 30 year old Strategy RPG much in 2020.

But it is a super Nintendo move and I kind of love them for it... even if it strikes me as a bit crazy.

@TG16_IS_BAE
Oh I see what you mean now. I'm not super concerned about it at the moment just a little wary and confused I guess. I bought 3d All-Stars and I kind of get why that was a limited release. I am not sure why Mario 35 is limited but maybe they are planning on expanding the concept in an actual retail release or something and this is more of a demo. I am really not sure why a localized NES game is a limited release especially since it seems to fit better on the NES Online service. I am still considering getting it though.

Not too happy about the Limited Edition with no cart gimmick, but extremely happy than Nintendo is releasing a translated version of the game. Hopefully it sells well so Nintendo will translate the rest.

After three houses I want all fe games for NS)

This game will most likely be added to the Nintendo Switch Online app after its limited run. Especially since it ends its run on the same day as Mario 3D all stars, which those three games will also most likely still be on Switch separately from the collection. That’s why I’m not worried about it and nor should anyone else. The comments I’ve seen on this video about this topic is flat out ridiculous.

Why not just put the game on that NES cartridge? Now that would be cool.

"Limited time"...so kinda like how Nintendo's Wii games would have a first run of prints, and then never get re-released, physically or digitally?