The Fire Emblem series is now a massive phenomenon, selling millions of copies. But initially, it was an NES title released only in Japan, and North American audiences didn’t get a glimpse of the series until Marth and Roy were included in Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2001. Nintendo announced today that players will finally get a release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light with an official English localization.
Available digitally starting December 4th, 2020, and only available until March 31st, 2021, Fire Emblem will be available on the Nintendo eShop to download. Pre-purchase is now available.
If you’re not familiar, Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy game featuring Prince Marth, now a mainstay of the series. You’ll control Marth and up to 50 different characters, each unique, through 25 chapters of play. What makes this game notable is the use of permadeath, so if a unit dies, that’s it. They’re done.
Unless of course you play this new version on Nintendo Switch, which will feature save states and the rewind feature that we’ve seen in the NES and SNES games available with a Nintendo Online subscription. If you find NES games to be particularly brutal, there’s no excuse anymore! Even you can find joy instead of pain.
Help, I think I’m in love with a video game.
Nintendo has also announced that a physical edition will be available for purchase (sort of). The Fire Emblem 30th Anniversary Edition can be preordered from select retailers and includes a stylized, physical NES game box and a replica NES Game Pak art piece. The edition will also come with a 222-page art book, a translated version of the NES manual, a foldout world map, a mini Nintendo Power collectible, and of course, the download code.
This is a great way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of what has become one of Nintendo’s largest franchises, and it begs the question, what else is on the way?
