You’ve likely seen the news that Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light is finally being localised in the west. Originally a Japan-only title, this NES game kicked off Nintendo’s prolific JRPG series and to celebrate Fire Emblem’s 30th Anniversary, it’s being re-released on December 4th with a new translation. Joining Three Houses on Switch alongside spin-off entries Warriors and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, this announcement caused quite a stir on social media, seeing criticism over the limited release plan and (unintentionally) renewing interest in a Mother 3 localisation.
First released in 1990, Fire Emblem was initially conceived by designer Shouzou Kaga, coming in as a joint development effort between Intelligent Systems and Nintendo Research & Development 1. Having finished development on Famicom Wars, Intelligent Systems wished to move away from that military setting, setting out to create an RPG with strong narrative focus, making you care about the characters. Utilising turn-based gameplay on a grid-based map, Shadow Dragon was soon born, and each character was unique, coming with different unit classes, individual stats and most notably, could die permanently.
This story took us to the Archanea continent, focused on the Kingdom of Altea and fair warning, some minor story spoilers will follow here. Formed 100 years previously when King Anri fended off the Dolhr Empire, Anri killed Shadow Dragon Medeus with the sacred blade, Falchion, ending Dolhr’s assault. Finding Medeus resurrected by evil wizard Gharnef, Dolhr launches a new invasion at his behest, killing Altea’s current king, Cornelius, and causing Prince Marth to make his escape. Taking refuge in the island nation of Talys, Marth sets out to reclaim his homeland with an army of knights several years later, allying with other royals like Prince Hardin and Princess of the Divine Dragon tribe, Tiki. After many battles, Marth finally succeeds, defeating both Gharnef and Medeus.
Though it wasn’t the first tactical RPG game, it went a long way towards popularizing this genre, seeing a lukewarm critical response initially but gaining significant traction amongst fans. Realising it was onto a winning formula, Intelligent Systems began working on a new NES entry, and two years later, Fire Emblem Gaiden launched. Though it features some links to Shadow Dragon like returning characters Est, Palla and Catria, this was ultimately a separate affair and took place on a neighbouring continent, Valentia. It’s a story better known these days for its superb 3DS remake, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
Marth’s adventures weren’t done yet, though, and come 1994, Fire Emblem made its SNES debut with Mystery Of The Emblem. Presented as a story of two parts, Mystery remade Shadow Dragon as “Book 1”, whilst incorporating a brand-new story into “Book 2”. Set two years after Medeus’ defeat, Book 2 shows us that Prince Hardin has become King of Archanea, but has begun a hostile military occupation of nearby countries. When Marth becomes suspicious of this, Hardin brands him a traitor but we soon discover Hardin is now under Gharnef’s influence, trying to revive Medeus yet again. Overcoming this dangerous threat once more, Marth prevails and is crowned King of Archanea.
Though Marth’s main journey ended here and subsequent games moved to different continents, Shadow Dragon remains influential to this day. It left a legacy that future entries would pay frequent homage to. Despite Fire Emblem undergoing significant gameplay evolutions, it never truly forgot those Archanean roots and come 2001, Marth was represented in Super Smash Bros Melee alongside Roy. The decision was historic, convincing Nintendo to localise Fire Emblem for Western audiences, but it’s since led to endless complaints about too many sword users.
Most significantly though, this legacy was celebrated on Nintendo DS and back in 2008, Shadow Dragon received a full remake, marking the first time it ever released in the West. Mystery Of The Emblem was also remade, though this was curiously never localised. It proved to be a faithful adaptation, one we thought pretty highly of ourselves. Receiving a full visual overhaul, local multiplayer, expanded difficulty choices, rebalanced weapons system and more, it begs the question: why Nintendo didn’t use this version for the Switch? By comparison, it makes the NES version practically redundant to all but hardcore fans, though this would also require reworking the dual-screen elements to fit the Switch.
Remakes are one matter but amongst the main entries, sales had begun declining and after Nintendo launched the 3DS, Intelligent Systems prepared for what could’ve been Fire Emblem’s last hurrah. Incorporating elements of previous games but making it more accessible to newcomers, Fire Emblem: Awakening finally brought back to Archanea, though these days it goes by the name Ylisse. Set two millennia after Shadow Dragon, our protagonist Chrom is Marth’s distant descendant, running an army called the “Shepherds” who combat undead monsters referred to as “The Risen”, separately dealing with hostilities from neighbouring country Plegia.
It turned out fantastically and though some elements proved divisive amongst established fans, such as including an option to remove permadeath, sales were strong. Fire Emblem was saved and subsequent entries soon followed. Beyond Awakening, Shadow Dragon’s influence remained prevalent and spin-offs aside, Fire Emblem continued visiting this setting. Though set on a different continent, Fates included several Awakening characters, briefly taking us back to Ylisse within the Before Awakening DLC too. In a similar approach, Shadows of Valentia also took us to Archanea, including a brand new sixth chapter which detailed the origins of Awakening’s main villain, The Fell Dragon.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light has been a long time coming for Western fans, and though it’s been over 30 years since launch, it’s certainly better late than never. Proving a crucial inspiration for tactical RPGs, there’s no doubt about the legacy Shadow Dragon left behind. Though the decision to make this a limited release has raised eyebrows, and choosing to port the NES edition over its DS remake is questionable, we’re about to see a significant piece of gaming history land on Switch next month and we simply cannot wait to give it a try.
Do you have any fond memories of Fire Emblem? What was the first entry you played? Let us know in the comments!
Comments 28
Honestly, Shadow Dragon’s balance issues and the original FE1’s multitude of issues make this a game I’m not particularly fond of, at least compared to other games in the series. I really wish we could have two ongoing series of FE games, classic style and the Three Houses style as I really do like both approaches. It could be like 2D and 3D Metroid or Mario.
@nessisonett Well said 👏👏
I like FE1 but I'm not dying to play it again. I'm mostly sitting on the sidelines of FE fandom waiting for IS to remake FE6-10, my favorite era of Fire Emblem
@TossedLlama THEY COVERED KELLAM’S FACE AND I NEVER NOTICED
@Bobb @TossedLlama If they’re going to do a remake, a GotHW/Thracia mega-game would be insane. Fix up the truly dreadful gameplay issues and drag it into the 21st century (I say despite Thracia coming out in 2000 even though it was on SNES) and it could be fantastic.
Fire Emblem is my favourite Nintendo IP, hands down, but I've never actually played through FE1. I'm pretty excited for its localization, though I am a bit worried about redundancy; I'm finishing up FE3 right now on Super Famicom Online, which included a full playthrough of Book 1. At the very least, it'll be interesting to experience the earliest roots of the series.
@TossedLlama @Bobb
Yes! Give me FE6 & 7 in a Switch cartridge and Nintendo can get my $60. Maybe Sacred Stones as an extra.
Likewise, give me both Radiance for $60.
Still got my Shadow Dragon DS cart, so not gonna get this. Still holding out for them to rerelease Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn... These two still go for crazy money second hand but I'm dying to try them eventually
@Hams96 The difference is this is on the Switch that the biggest change. Since alot of Nintendo gamers are now going Switch this just improves it chances to become more available.
shadow dragon on the DS was "okay". I was really disappointed with the graphical direction it took. the art by Shirow Masamune was fantastic (still have the lithograph from my pre-order pinned on my wall). but the in game sprites where just SO bland. Marth in particular was really bad. by comparison, the FAMICOM graphics are WAY more primitive, but more appealing to look ay.
I only own two FE games: Sacred Stones to remind me how awesome and how much I love the series, and Shadow Dragon to remind me how much Nintendo dropped the ball on FE during the DS era.
Series peaked in SS, loved the idea of monster fighting and not just boring soldiers.
@nessisonett I hear very good opinions about Jugdral duology but I never got around playing it. I'm sure it would be well worth being the next remake in the series. Echoes was really nice for a change of pace after Fates.
@jamesthemagi @TossedLlama FE6-8 were our golden age of Fire Emblem games but my heart belongs to the Radiant duology. I really like how they tackled important themes and told a compelling story with a likeable hero, with a challenging and rewarding gameplay (I'm not saying the others don't have that, by any means). I'd buy a remake/remaster in a heartbeat
Not so much interested in this to actually play, because it’s the first game in the series. It’s good like the original Metroid is good... “for its time”.
But I am very much interested in having it for preservation and official localization. Maybe one day we’ll have all 7 Japan-only FE games officially translated. At least they all have fan translations though.
When I first got a GBA, my first three games were Pokemon Emerald, Advance Wars and Fire Emblem. What a line-up. All three games became my favourite of the series. Not sure the first GBA game had a subtitle like Sacred Stones. Pretty sure it was just called Fire Emblem.
Hope you don't mind me fanboying for a moment.
FE1's DS remake, Shadow Dragon is not only my favorite entry in the series but also one one of my favorite games of all time. It just plays so incredibly smoothly even when compared to the more recent games, it's just straight up map-to-map gameplay with almost an arcade like feel (relatively speaking) for how fast paced the game is to play, which, to me is what makes Fire Emblem special compared to almost any other SRPG.
The roster of units is massive which gives it a lot of replay value, OG FE1 map design is remarkably well designed for being the first title in the series with only 1 or 2 maps I would consider straight up stinkers and I just love it so much how the game is actually designed around being played with the permadeath mechanic as opposed to the devs just assuming its an auto reset. Also as simple as the story is, I think the way the game is written is just incredibly charming, whoever was rensponsible for translating that game was definitely in their A game.
Every single variation of FE1 I've played is great and even though I already played the original this year I have no issues revisiting the game with the new official translation.
FE1 is basically ballistas go pew pew
My first Fire Emblem game was Shadow Dragon for the DS. I loved that game! It interested me so much that I bought Awakening, and am now a Fire Emblem mega Fan. I’d love to go back and play Shadow Dragon, but I will probably buy this version just to compare it.
@AlienX peaked? no... SS was only half baked. they didn't even bother finishing the character art. I suspect the game was going to be more, but rushed to market.
They should have just localised all of the NES/SNES games and sold it in a US$60 set.
I would have stomached the AU$90 asking price for the limited edition of FE1, but without a cartridge, it's a pass from me. I'll likely buy it via the eShop, but I doubt that the Fire Emblem games have aged well enough to stomach nowadays. Even the GBA games aren't as fun to sit through considering all of the QoL improvements that had been made with the 3DS instalments.
No one mentioned the limited time release in comments. Why is this needed? Awakening was my 1st but bought collector's edition of all subsequent games & played sacred stones on 3ds (my ambassador games after getting screwed & paying 33% more on launch), which was okay, but I'm sure it was way better at the time. I would like to play this, but i will not support this limited release garbage gimmick, so will have to pass.
@Yas Yep, FE7 was just called Fire Emblem in the West, confusingly enough. Also it’s a prequel to FE6. It’s a confusing series.
So, am I correct in assuming that the recommendation is that if you still have Shadow Dragon DS, you can pass on this and you're not missing out on anything? If so, I'll save my time and money.
@Coffee_Drinker
Shadow Dragon, sure, but not OG FE1.
Ballistas in FE1 are hot garbage. Their movement is abysmal and unlike later entries, they're not siege weapons.
"Receiving a full visual overhaul, local multiplayer, expanded difficulty choices, rebalanced weapons system and more, it begs the question: why Nintendo didn’t use this version for the Switch?"
... Because it's the first game's 30th Anniversary, not the eleventh's?
If the point was simply to present Marth's story, Mystery of the Emblem would have been the best choice, but that's not what they're doing here.
@Expa0 I've definitely found myself thinking of Fire Emblem as an "arcade style" SRPG.
Good article. Thanks.
I remember struggling with this game a fair bit. Actually made me hesitant towards other FE games (though still purchased them) until Awakening.
Still the loved the lore, characters and TBS gameplay
So, I'm debating about buying this for the Switch, but I've never played a Fire Emblem game. I'm intrigued however since it's the very first one.
If I'm a big fan of say, the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series on NES and SNES, would I like this game?
@Magrane I think you would like the game! If you like those other games, than FE shouldn't be a problem.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is what got me into the series and now, Three Houses is my favorite RPG of all time. I'm also enjoying FE1's translation as well.
Can't wait to see what's in store for the next new game/remake!
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