In another seemingly unexpected choice of bringing classic games to Nintendo Switch, the inauguralFire Emblemgame has re-released for fans. For $6, players can experience the originalFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Lighton Nintendo’s latest console, localized in English and released outside of Japan for the first time. The 1990 NES game never left its home country in its original form, only being remade as a DS game back in 2008 for worldwide release. Bringing the originalShadow Dragonand the Blade of Lightto Switch is a strange choice, but it could potentially open up the door for additionalFire Emblemre-releases.
ConsideringShadow Dragonhas now technically been released three times, that still leaves plenty ofFire Emblemgames that deserve the same localization and/or re-release treatment. DevoutFire Emblemfans could probably come up with several examples of underappreciated or non-localized entries that deserve more attention.Fire Emblem’s popularity saw a mild increase when it first came west in 2003, but now withFire Emblem:Three HousesandFire Emblem Heroes, the series has never been more popular. WhileShadow Dragon’s localization is great, re-releasing these iconicFire Emblemgames would be even more impactful for the franchise.
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Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (Sword of Seals)
Those among the hardcoreFire Emblemfanbase probably expected the sixth entry would be the first mention.Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade(alternately translated asFire Emblem: The Sword of Seals) was the franchise’s first foray into handheld gaming with the Game Boy Advance. Not only that, butBinding Bladealso served as the franchise’s resurgence in Japan after the NES. Western fans in particular know ofBinding Bladeas the one that got away, as the sixth game was one ofthe fewFire Emblementries never released outside of Japan.
Many figured that, since the game’s protagonist Roy ended up featuring inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, his respective game would eventually come to the west thanks to his (and Marth’s) newfound popularity. That never came to pass, even though the game’s prequel and successorFire Emblem: The Blazing Bladewas localized.Fire Emblem: The Binding Bladeis an entry enjoyed by hardcore fans for its narrative and immense challenge at higher difficulties. Even though emulation and fan translations aren’t that hard to come by,Fire Emblem: The Binding Bladeindirectly bolstered the franchise’s popularityin the west, and absolutely deserves a re-release on Switch.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Alternatively, theFire Emblemgame that did directly contribute to the series' popularity in the west,Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, could use a re-release. Known to western audiences simply asFire Emblem, the prequel to Roy’s adventure was released as a result of Marth and Roy’s surprisingpopularity inSuper Smash Bros. Melee. In a lot of ways,Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bladeemphasizes both the best of old-schoolFire Emblem, and arguably when the whole franchise was at its best.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bladeis a game for purists, a strategy game built upon a medieval setting, narrative, and character cast. This game doesn’t have a whole lot of bells and whistles that improve many of the later entries in the series. However,Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bladestrikes a serviceable balance between gameplay aspects that defined the old-schoolFire Emblemgames, while incorporating many of the features that would become mainstays in future entries. IfBinding Bladeisn’t going to get localized, re-releasing the game that jump-startedFire Emblem’s popularity in the westwould make just as much sense.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Perhaps Nintendo will want to follow in the steps ofShadow Dragonand re-release the secondFire Emblemgame,Fire Emblem Gaiden. However, localizing the second game would be a disservice to the fantastic remake released on Nintendo 3DS just a few years ago:Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Anyone picking upShadow Dragonhas to understand that,as a decades-old NES game, the firstFire Emblemis comparatively very archaic. Sure,Shadow Dragondid eventually receive a remake on DS so that’s theoretically a moot point, butEchoes: Shadows of Valentiawas released relatively recently in 2017.
DespiteEchoesbeing a ground-up remake ofFire Emblem: Gaiden, much of its traditional gameplay mechanics and features were retained alongside the graphical and systemic overhaul. There’d be no point in re-releasingGaiden, which in many ways is functionally identical toEchoeswithout modern accessibility.Echoes: Shadows of Valentiais a stubbornly traditionalFire Emblemgamejust as much asGaidenis, and the updated graphics would shine even better on Switch as a definitive version.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Ever since the Switch came out, Nintendo fans have been waiting to see if any GameCube games would eventually see re-releases/ports/remasters on its new console. As it turned out,Super Mario 3D All-Starswould be the inaugural effort withSuper Mario Sunshine. After a ton of buzz about howSunshinewas running via first-party GameCube emulation, fans got excited atthe prospect of more GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch. With that said, a perfect opportunity would be to re-release or remasterFire Emblem: Path of Radiance, arguably one of the bestFire Emblemgames of all time.
Marking the return to home consoles for the first time since the NES,Fire Emblem: Path of Radiancehad one of the most ambitious and impactful stories in theFire Emblemfranchise. Bolstered by the franchise’s excellent first effort into 3D graphics and voice acting,Path of Radiancewas one of the most successful GameCube games released in its lifespan, despite coming out relatively late. Assuming moreFire Emblemre-releases are on the way, Ike’s story could use the same treatment.
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