Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

(Note: After Nintendo discontinued Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, links to their page for the game now redirect to Fire Emblem Engage. So the link going to the wrong game isn’t my fault)

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, the first game in the Fire Emblem series, is a Turn-Based Strategy-RPG that was originally released only in Japan on the Famicom in 1990, although that’s not to say that this game has never appeared in a Western release prior to its port to the Nintendo Switch in 2020. The game received a remake on the Nintendo DS in 2009 that modernized every aspect of the game, updating the visuals, the interface, and even adding multiplayer functionality. However, none of this is what Nintendo Switch players are getting in 2020. Rather, this is a straight port of the original Famicom game with a new localization… for better or worse.

As such, the presentation here is about what you’d expect from a Famicom or Nintendo Entertainment System game – limited-palette pixel art visuals, chiptune soundtrack, and all. However, even with these limitations, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is a pretty ugly game, and it’s often difficult to make out different unit types. Likewise, I can’t say any of the music here is especially noteworthy or memorable, and sometimes it even reaches into “this is annoying enough to make me want to mute my TV” territory.

As for the gameplay, this throwback not only lacks the wealth of nuance and options we’ve grown accustomed to in modern entries in the series, but it also lacks a basic tutorial, and does a poor job conveying vital information to the player about how units interact. To be fair, this is a game from the era where much of this information was in the physical instruction manual… but this is a digital game, no instruction manual to be found.

On that note, that’s not to say that this is just a direct port of the original game. The Nintendo Switch version of the game adds in save states, a move rewind, and a few display options along with its new English localization. However, this is definitely a slightly-enhanced port, not a remake. And while I’m at it, I should mention the downside to this modern port – Nintendo has said that it will only be made available for a limited time, even though it is a completely digital release.

Okay, let’s just cut to it – Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is a game that I would argue isn’t really meant to be played, not in the modern day. Anyone who really wants to play a game like this is better off playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Heck, if you want to play this exact game with this exact story, you’re better off tracking down a copy of the Nintendo DS remake. No, this is a game that’s something of a digital collector’s item, a historical artifact, a discussion piece. And while some of the most die-hard series fans will thrill to have an officially-released port of the original version of the game, the overwhelming majority of players would have been better-served by a port of the Nintendo DS game, or perhaps even an all-new remake. But this? What we’re getting in this release is not just a relic of history, it’s outdated to the point of being nearly unplayable by today’s standards. Unless you’re one of those series die-hards, do not get this game.

tl;dr – Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, the first game in the Fire Emblem series, is a Strategy-RPG originally released only in Japan on the Famicom. However, time has not been kind to this game, as its game design and visuals are so archaic that it’s nearly unplayable by today’s standards. This may be a fascinating historical relic, but if you’re looking for a great game, you’re better off sticking with Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Grade: D

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