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Fire Emblem: Shadow DragonBy Marlon Esmeralda - 03-23-09 Print  EmailThe Fire Emblem series first made its US debut on the Game Boy Advance. Since then the series has become quite popular, with new games being released onto the GameCube and Nintendo Wii. However, many fans couldn't help but wonder why the Fire Emblem series didn't make the jump back to the handheld. Well now fans finally have their answer with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon for the Nintendo DS. It's a remake of the first FE title, Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light, that came out only in Japan for the Famicom. While it isn't a new game in the franchise, it does give fans a chance to finally play the game that started it all. And Smash Bros. fans can also know the back-story of Marth, who is definitely a top favorite among many players. In Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon you will take on the role of Prince Marth, who is the heir to the Altea Kingdom. After a sudden betrayal of sorts from their supposed ally country, Marth has been forced to abandon his kingdom. With his Dad killed, and the whereabouts of his mother and sister still unknown, Marth is forced into hiding until he has matured enough to regain what was once his. On this path of redemption, Marth will meet many allies who each have their own motives to join in his cause. The story is quite enjoyable, but it isn't as deep as the other Fire Emblem titles. Much of this is due to the lack of interaction that Marth has with other characters in the story. You will meet lots of characters in the game, but may never get the opportunity to really know them. There are even characters who join your army without any introduction at all. Though the story may lack the character depth of other FE games, the gameplay is still just as solid. You can play the game in two ways. One way is using the standard D-pad and button setup. This style of play is similar to the GBA days of the series. The other style is by way of stylus. Using the DS's touch screen, players can control their units by dragging where they want them to go. Other things are also accessible on the touch screen, like picking weapons and checking out stats. While I favor the standard controls, the touch screen is certainly easy to use, should players prefer to use it. Like all the other Fire Emblem games, Shadow Dragon features the same grid-like systems of other typical strategy RPGs. Turns are alternated between you and your opponent, as you move your units across the map. The battle ends once you have met the specified requirement for victory, which seems to only consist of having Marth reach a specific point on the map. A favorite feature of the Fire Emblem series is their battle sequences, which is similar to those in Advance Wars. When two characters meet in battle, a scene pops up with both participants prepped for a showdown. Each character will take a turn to attack the other and if one runs out of HP they will fall; otherwise both units remain on the field. It isn't all about having two characters going up to each other and battling though, as there are many factors to consider before the battle even starts. The franchise's signature weapons triangle of lances, swords, and axes, make a return. Lances beat swords, swords beat axes, and axes beat lances. Its a pretty helpful thing to keep in mind as you gain advantages thanks to using the top weapon, like attacking twice and/or doing more damage. A very helpful stat window, called the battle forecast, will show off these advantages since it specifies many factors like the amount of damage that will be given and taken, as well as the accuracy of landing your attack. So by keeping an eye on this window, it should help you in deciding to engage in a certain battle or to retreat. You will also have the opportunity to switch your weapon on the fly so you can see the outcome of every possible situation. Other factors to keep in mind actually happen before you even enter the battlefield, as you can buy more weapons, choose which units to bring, and even change the class of a character, which will change their stats drastically. With these many factors, there are many possibilities in this game. And with the right choices, may prevent your characters from dying, which is something you may want to avoid. It's because the death of a character is permanent, meaning they won't be coming back after the battle ends. Having the unexpected death of a character is certainly frustrating, but thanks to the more accessible save points, you won't have to restart a battle from the beginning. Aside from having the usual save points showing up between chapters and being able to suspend a battle at any time, the game will also have save points on the battlefield. These save points will usually appear in either one or two spots on the map. Use them wisely though, as these save points have only a one-time use. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon may sound like a pretty complicated title, but the game has been revamped a bit so that newcomers can easily join in. Prologue chapters are included in the normal difficulty setting, and they will help those new to the franchise get use to the mechanics of the game. Veterans can also enjoy the game as well, since harder difficulties are available at the start. Though some veterans may feel that these new changes to the FE formula may make the game a bit easier than others. The graphics of Shadow Dragon are more modern that its original, but it's nothing that totally stands out when compared to other DS titles. Some nice character art is presented, along with blinking eyes and moving lips during dialogue sessions. It's too bad that they weren't able to have the characters show much more emotion. Some scenes in the game are also represented by a special art image, as well as for introducing certain characters. The true graphics of Shadow Dragon lay in the battlefield. In the battle sequences, the two participants are shown by way of 3D sprites on a 2D plane. They are well animated when performing their attacks, and also show off a different animation when performing a critical attack. While it does look nice, they don't compare to the awesomeness of the GBA sprites. I just feel that the 3d sprites weren't as animated as their GBA counterparts. It seemed a bit too plain, and didn't have the flashiness of the ones on the GBA. If you've played previous Fire Emblem titles, the music in the game would certainly sound familiar to you. Themes used across the series are also present in this game. Not surprising though, as this is the first title in the franchise. That's certainly not a bad thing though as I've always enjoyed the sweet sounds of Fire Emblem's epic orchestra soundtrack. No voice acting though, but I'm sure fans don't mind as the original title didn't have any either. The game consists of 20+ chapters, with a few hidden chapters, so it's pretty lengthy. The story alone will clock you at around 10 hours. Of course this is a very loose estimate, as your performance in battle can certainly make a chapter be completed in mere minutes to close to an hour. It may seem a bit short, but there are still things you can do once the story is done. Thanks to the game's Wi-fi features, players can now face other players across the world. This Wi-fi feature in Shadow Dragon is definitely the main highlight. Not only can it be used to face other players around the world in a 5-on-5 battle with voice-chat support, but also there are many other uses that affect your experience of the game. One feature is the ability to borrow units from friends, which you can use in story mode. A Wi-fi store is also accessible, which is full of strong and rare weapons that you can purchase for use, with special items being sold on specific dates. The Wi-fi is definitely a great addition to this series, and one I hope is used often on future titles. Nintendo has done a pretty good job for their first Fire Emblem title on the Nintendo DS. It may not be a new story to the series, but it certainly gives fans some insight on where it all began. The story may be old, but the many enhancements to the simple formula are certainly new. These changes and additions certainly draw out an experience that newcomers can easily enjoy, but veterans may feel they make the game a bit easier. Along with great Wi-fi features, the experience will certainly last a while. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a great starting point for the series on the DS, and while it doesn't necessarily do anything drastically new to the franchise, it certainly gives fans an idea of what to expect, should Nintendo bring another FE title to its handheld system. Ratings |
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