Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

"While not perfect, a fulfilling throwback to the halycon days of the series"

Introduction

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon marks the first time that gamers outside of Japan have been able to play through the first Fire Emblem game. As such, the roots of most of the character archetypes and gameplay elements will be instantly familiar with veterans of some of the more nuanced games released for the Game Boy Advance, Gamecube, or Wii. While not a straight remake, the characters and map designs from the original Famicom game are all present, and the variable difficulty levels seem tailored to allow newcomers to get a feel for the series before moving on to tougher titles like Fire Emblem 7 or 10. The updated graphics and soundtrack seem strange juxtaposed next to nearly-archaic gameplay relics that weren't updated along with them.

Gameplay

As a remake of a 1990 Famicom game, most of the gameplay elements introduced in later titles, such as Rescuing units in danger or Support conversations to gain stat bonuses, are absent. While this might be forgivable if the rest of the game felt and played like a Famicom game, elements such as the Weapons Triangle which were not in the original game are present, making the lack of Rescuing or Supports more jarring.

Nevertheless, the game is not as obtuse or frustrating as some of the more recent Fire Emblem titles. While character deaths are permanent, the number of characters available for recruitment is enormous, so a beginner will not feel punished if his unit dies on him. But the game also provides a way for seasoned veterans to play through on Hard through Merciless modes, in which every enemy has an A rank in weapons and units like Gordin who initially appear useless become useful as the player adjusts his strategy to compensate for the heightened difficulty.

New features in the game include Class-swapping, which allows you to change a character's class for a unique play-through each game. Got too many cavaliers? Swap one out for a Myrmidon! Don't like Wolf as a Horseman? Make him a General! While this feature is not totally balanced (most units are too specialized to make good use of it) it is a welcome addition that adds a unique flavor to Shadow Dragon.

The game also makes limited use of Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection, similar to how the GBA Fire Emblem games allowed players to combat each other through the link cable. The online shop also allows for rare weapons and items to be purchased, and loan units allow a friend to use one of your units if he's stuck and needs help. While they are not indispensable to the game, these Wi-Fi options act as window dressing to an already engrossing single-player mode, which most people likely bought the game for anyway.

A special note must be made about the Gaiden chapters. These chapters are new to Shadow Dragon and require that the player either not recruit certain characters or kill off weaker members of his party in order to access them. In a series where permanent character death is often a reason to restart a frustratingly difficult chapter, this addition appears to have been added either to streamline the player's party into a core group that he will actually use, or to throw a bone to new players who may have screwed up and lost a few members. These chapters do not detract from the game's overall fun factor, and in fact add a bit of replayability.

Story

This is the most disappointing section of the game. Because the plot of the Famicom original was clichéd from the beginning, the remake makes no effort to change it in any way. All characters besides Marth have almost no lines apart from their recruitment conversations, and all of these recruitment conversations proceed extremely simplistically.
This escalates to the point of ridiculousness, as it appears that every male character is in love with Caeda, because she tends to recruit the male characters. The lack of support conversations only emphasizes the weakness of the character development.

Graphics and Sound

The original sprites have been given a complete makeover, appearing as 3D images on a pre-rendered background during the battle animations. Likewise, the character portraits now appear rendered in 3D, rather than the traditional hand-drawn portraits. While some have decried this new art style, I have no honest opinion of it. The graphics appear to be just a step beyond what the GBA would be capable of rendering.

The sound, however, has been fully remixed, and fits the mood quite well. It's nice to hear classic themes given such a treatment.

Playtime/Replayability

While not a lengthy as the 40-chapter Radiant Dawn, expect to spend a few afternoons with this game on Normal mode, with a few weekends thrown in for any of the Hard modes. The game lends itself to replayability quite well, with options to class-swap your characters and play through the game in different fashions, along with a bevy of recruitable characters to use instead of ones you used last play-through.

Final Recommendation

This game is a definite buy. Just don't expect something as complex as Radiant Dawn, and you're bound to be satisfied. If you're just starting the series, this is the definitive starting point. It's where the series started, and is geared to ease players into the series gradually. The difficulty is less punishing than other games in the series, and the overall enjoyment you will get out of it is only diminished by minor quibbles that stem from archaic game design.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/26/09

Game Release: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (US, 02/16/09)