Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Review

The beloved Fire Emblem series finally arrives on the Nintendo DS, but instead of a new game we get a remake of the original title that started it all. No worries, though, as it was never before released here in America and it's been updated with modern features and graphics. Hardcore Fire Emblem enthusiasts may complain that it's not the deepest story in the series and the difficulty has been scaled back just a tad. But less fanboyish gamers will find one of the best turn-based strategy games on the DS. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a shining example of balanced gameplay and tight action.

This is a strategy RPG along the same lines as Final Fantasy Tactics or Advance Wars. On grid-based battlefields, players assign commands to each of their units one at a time and then sit back while the computer takes a turn. In order to progress to the next chapter, players need to seize one particular square with Marth, the lead character. With four games in the series already released here in North America, strategy fans know what to expect by now. What Fire Emblem lacks in innovation it makes up for in polish and balance. Every battle is expertly crafted and unfolds through a slick interface. Like so many first-party Nintendo games, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is simply a joy to play.

One of the key gameplay mechanics of Fire Emblem is the rock-paper-scissors triangle where swords beat axes, axes beat lances, and lances beat swords. This mechanic wasn't part of the original game, but was introduced later on and has been worked into this remake.

There is a lot more variety to the gameplay than your standard "defeat all the enemies" SRPG. Early on you are forced to sacrifice a unit as a diversion so your army can make its escape. Some units have special abilities that can exploit the battlefield. Thieves, for instance, can pick locks and steal treasure from area towns and castles. Moving units onto a house will allow them to converse with the locals and maybe gain some valuable insight into the current conflict. This actually is another strategic decision, since you have to sacrifice a unit's turn to get this intel. If you position the right character next to the right enemy, you might be able to convince them to turn to your side. This is a game where you can't zone out -- Fire Emblem requires your full attention.

With the English version already out in Europe, some fans have complained that the story in Shadow Dragon isn't as deep as others in the series. That may be true, but it's pretty impressive when you consider this is a story from a 1990 Famicom game. Prince Marth must flee his kingdom when his father the king is killed in battle, and Shadow Dragon follows his journey to reclaim his land. It's a perfectly engaging tale and I never found it to be lacking. Games are about gameplay, anyway.

Those who have played the original Famicom title will recognize the maps in Shadow Dragon. The same grid layouts of 1990 have been updated with contemporary graphics. Plenty of new features have been added, though. To begin with, four prologue chapters have been included at the beginning of the game, leading up to where the first got started. Some Fire Emblem features that weren't present in the original but have since become standard, like the rock-paper-scissors system, have been added.