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Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon coming to DS in '09
At last, some good news for those gentlemen and noble women who believe battles are best waged in a polite, turn-based fashion. Nintendo has revealed that its cherished Fire Emblem series will see a new installment arrive on the DS, sometime during the first half of 2009. Well, a new-ish installment. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a remake of the original NES / Famicom game, albeit one packed with extra DS content. Nintendo has promised two new scenarios, six difficulty levels, and one-on-one Wi-Fi play, along with full voice chat when playing online (and yes, online play is a series first) or via local wireless. You'll also be able loan out your units to other players via Wi-Fi -- when you get them back, they'll retain all of the EXP, etc. gained while your friends have been using them. Would you try not to get our dudes killed, okay, hypothetical friend?
Fire Emblem dated for U.S, fantastic WiFi mode detailed
Nintendo just confirmed that Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a remake of the original NES / Famicom game, would be winging its way to the U.S. in the first half of next year, and while that happy news alone would have been enough for us, it's also going to receive a bunch of brilliant, extensive features for its WiFi mode. Like another much-loved Intelligent Systems-developed strategy title, Fire Emblem's online mode will feature full voice chat, as well as the ability to lend units to friends and have them returned after battles with improved stats, news that is +10 win. On top of this, there'll also be a Wi-Fi store with a constantly changing inventory. %Gallery-8394%
Toys R Us does 50% off select Wii games
Starting tomorrow and lasting until Saturday, Toys R Us will be offering select Wii games at 50% off. These games are actually some quality titles, too. None of that burning through their stock of Anubis II or anything, we're talking top-notch games. So what's on offer? Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles BWii: Battalion Wars 2 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Not bad, right? So be sure to check their site first thing tomorrow. Who's planning on picking up a game? And what game would that be? [Thanks, TheResidentEvil!]
Doing battle with Fire Emblem
The latest Fire Emblem is out now for Japan, which means we can get a closer look at the franchise's first outing on the DS. Not only have we tracked down a new set of screens -- mostly featuring battle animations and menus -- but if you want to get a peek at the opening cinematics without blowing everything by watching a full video, you can check out some captures here. If you're only interested in the screenshots, check out the gallery below. Some of them are full screens (both top and bottom) from glimpses we've had before, while others are totally new. All, of course, are in Japanese. %Gallery-8394%
Get fired up about Fire Emblem after watching video footage
If we lived in Japan right now (or had enough Japanese skills to import it), we'd be able to play Fire Emblem: New Dark Dragons and the Sword of Light in two mere weeks. Since that's not the case, though, we'll just have produce puddles upon puddles of drool while watching video footage (seriously -- we're that excited). We're sure that many of you don't need to be convinced to join the hype train, though, and are anticipating this one as much as we are. The two videos (one is posted after the break) are in Japanese, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's being highlighted. For one, you can see that the game will utilize the stylus to move around the grids. The announcer also talks about a few of the different classes, as well as features in the game (like class changes), but those are all things that Fire Emblem fans will be familiar with. Lastly, you'll get a glimpse into the Wi-Fi battle system, which put to rest our fears about the dreaded countdown timer. As it turns out, the dwindling clock is only a factor when it comes to online play. After the break, check out the Japanese TV ad which makes us want something else entirely -- Fire Emblem: The Board Game. Gallery: Fire Emblem DS
VC Tuesday: SRPG Tuesday
This is the week for Japanese gamers who like RPGs with long battles. Two classic, somewhat rare strategy RPG sequels are now available on the Virtual Console. Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is a quite late release in the Fire Emblem series, having been released as a download for a Super Famicom flash cartridge in 1999, when the Nintendo 64 was already out and tanking in Japan. Shining Force II was released on a plain old cartridge back in 1994, but it's interesting mostly for being a good SRPG. It's also got a better chance of being released outside of Japan, having been released in the U.S. and Europe as a cartridge.Also there's one shooter. It's still the Virtual Console, after all. It's a good shooter, though! Fire Emblem Thracia 776 (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Shining Force II (Mega Drive, 1 player, 700 Wii Points) Darius Plus (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Eleven seconds of Fire Emblem beats eleven seconds of anything else
Anyone who's ever played a Fire Emblem game knows that what's shown in the video above is the most basic of scenarios -- a simple battle, with no alarms and no surprises. On the other hand, if you've played a Fire Emblem, there's a good chance you're as in love with the series as we are and found yourself ecstatic after watching this clip, even if it was nothing but a big tease. The other wonderful thing about this short but sweet video is that we now have an idea of what the game will look like in motion. Not a completely accurate idea, since the resolution is a little out of sorts, but an idea nonetheless. While New Dark Dragons and the Sword of Light doesn't include super-wow graphics, we do think it looks better in motion. Granted, the mage is masking his face and the armored knight is wearing -- well, armor -- so we didn't have to be creeped out by any faceless sprites. Even so, we're warming up to the aesthetics bit by bit as time goes on; especially since the gameplay is going to rock us hard. %Gallery-8394% [Thanks, Kane!]
Fire Emblem DS wants website visitors to get over initial disgust
What better way to judge the aesthetic appeal of a game than by seeing it in action? If you thought the "it might not be good" style of Fire Emblem DS wasn't up to your impeccable standards, you can now get up close and personal with the official Japanese website -- and make some critical decisions regarding the fate of that cash roll in your pocket. Despite the incomprehensible script, the artwork and snazzy designs are easy on the eyes. Head on over to the official page for the standard introductory animations, and the page filled with extra information and videos can be found here. On top of that, extra pieces of charcters artwork are ready for staring at here -- though they won't be official in-game models of any kind. So, what to do now? Hope that the classic Fire Emblem gameplay holds up against the villified art direction? Pretty much. Besides, we all went crazy for ugly, ugly Advance Wars, so why should this be any different? %Gallery-8394% [Via NeoGAF]
Fire Emblem looks better in screens than scans
While we're still not completely sold on the look of Fire Emblem DS, we have to admit that the screens do the game much more justice than the scans we were basing our opinions on before. While we're forced to sit here and gawk at such temptations, though, lucky gamers in Japan will get to nab this title in one measly month. If anyone needs to get this game more, it's those of us outside Japan who never got to play the original NES title in the first place. Not that we're bitter or anything ... really. Putting all our envy aside (or at least most of it), we have to say that we're really looking forward to New Dark Dragons and the Sword of Light. While we love the console versions, too, having Fire Emblem back in handheld form just feels right. What about you, though? Do you prefer the series on consoles or handhelds? In any case, until the glorious day that localization is announced (and the even more glorious day of its actual international release), you can check out the newly added screens in our gallery below. %Gallery-8394%
Rare Fire Emblem sequel on Japanese VC in July
Nintendo has updated their Japanese Virtual Console site with a list of fifteen games coming out in July. That's nine more than we got last month. Even if we don't believe that the MSX games are actually going to come out (Eggy? Released?) that's a lot of games for Japan to enjoy.One of the more interesting titles is Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, which was released on the Super Famicom game download service called "Nintendo Power." Much like the rewritable Famicom Disk System disks, the "Nintendo Power" cartridge was a rewritable flash cartridge that could accept games downloaded from store kiosks. A cartridge version of the game came out later.A couple of retro-tastic Taito games show up this month: Chack 'n Pop is a direct precursor to Bubble Bobble (even including the same Monsta creatures), and Kiki KaiKai is the original Pocky & Rocky (also an ancestor of the recent Heavenly Guardian). The full list of releases is after the break.
Fire Emblem looks hideous, we still want it
When we first saw screens for Fire Emblem DS, we weren't too worried. They may not have been the prettiest screens on the block, per say, but there was plenty of time for Intelligent Systems to fix things up. But now that the game is set to release in, oh, six weeks, uneasiness has started to settle in. The new Nintendo Dream scans of Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken, for example, are more like a nightmare. While we've seen many of these images before, Nintendo Dream shows some comparisons with the original Famicom game that Fire Emblem DS is based on. Yet, just because it looks better than a NES game doesn't mean it looks nice. Check out the image above -- those battle animation sprites? Many words come to mind, but "ugly" is the predominant theme. We're not sure if Intelligent Systems realizes that Nintendo's hardware has improved since the GBA days. It's not all doom and gloom, though. The backgrounds are definitely an improvement over what we've seen before, and we like the more serious tone of the artwork. Not even all the sprites look terrible (the armored knights look fine, for one, since you can't see their facial features). But really, Marth? They couldn't have done a better job with the game's protagonist? We have complete faith in Intelligent Systems when it comes to delivering a great gameplay experience, though, so we'll swallow whatever distaste we have for the sprites and buy the game when it comes out here, probably on day one (whenever that may be). Gallery: Fire Emblem DS
Online battles ahoy for Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem fans must be fidgeting a bit too much these days, given the lack of details surrounding the upcoming DS instalment (lovingly tagged as New Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light). They want their turn at turn-based strategy, and are right to demand it. Advance Wars isn't enough! Settle on down, we have a hot new tidbit of information ready to satiate those hungers for fire! And emblems. As a remake of the original NES Fire Emblem way back when, what's the most obvious option for developing a fancy new version in this day and age? You guessed it -- online play! No longer will strategists be forced to sit close by and trade blows. The game will utilize Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection, with players choosing five of their best units from the single-player campaign and pitting them against a real life opponent. This is the first time online multiplayer has been introduced to the Fire Emblem series on any console, so progress is on the cards at Intelligent Systems. %Gallery-8394%
New Fire Emblem scans both excite and worry us
There are only fifty-six days until Fire Emblem releases for the DS in Japan (not that we're, uh, counting), and yet we still don't know too much about the title. Aside from the fact that the game relives Marth's glory days and includes Wi-Fi battles, details on Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (New Dark Dragons and the Sword of Light) are surprisingly scarce. One thing that we find slightly worrisome: is that a time limit in this Famitsu scan screen? You know how we feel about time limits. We can't be sure, since the timer might just be recording how long you're taking on a map, but the whole thing makes us a little uneasy. Are the rest of you Fire Emblem fanatics troubled as well, or would you appreciate the extra difficultly that a count-down might add to the game? Gallery: Fire Emblem DS
Rhythm Tengoku Gold, Stafy announced, Fire Emblem dated
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Fire_Emblem_Rhythm_Tengoku_Stafy_new_DS_games_for_July'; Nintendo of Japan's July release schedule has some pretty high-profile DS games on it that are total surprises to us. First, on July 10th, Nintendo plans to release a new game in Tose's Densetsu no Stafy platforming series, called Densetsu no Stafy: Taiketsu! Daiiru Kaizoku-dan (Legend of Stafy: Confrontation! Daiiru Pirate Squad). On July 31st, there is a listing for Rhythm Tengoku Gold, which is a sequel to the WarioWare team's amazing GBA rhythm minigame collection, Rhythm Tengoku. According to the announcement posted on the Rhythm Tengoku site, the new game uses the stylus (of course) and features many new rhythm games. Finally, though it doesn't appear on Nintendo's schedule (the August calendar isn't up yet), their page for the Fire Emblem remake now shows a date: August 7. There goes any fear that Nintendo didn't have anything planned for the second half of the year! [Via NeoGAF]
Fire Emblem arriving 386 Dawns late in Europe
When it comes to game delays in PAL regions, there are delays and then there are DELAYS. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, in case you didn't realize, falls squarely in the latter category. Japan received Intelligent Systems' strategy title back in February 2007, which is not much more than a faint dot in our memories. Almost one year later, and Europe is still waiting, while Australia will have to put its feet up until April. Remarkably, there's been a breakthrough on a European date, with Nintendo confirming that the game will ship in the region on March 14th, a.k.a thirteen months after Japan.
Fire Emblem date finally confirmed for Australia
If you live in Australia, the chances are high that you haven't had the pleasure of playing the Wii's year-old Fire Emblem game, Radiant Dawn. Released last year in Japan and last November in North America, Radiant Dawn will finally be heading down under. According to Nintendo Australia's website, Aussies can expect to get the title on April 10th. Unfortunately, there's still no word on a European date. We're hoping that translating the game into an additional few languages won't hold it up for too long, and that Europeans can enjoy the title around the same time as Australians. We'll let you know when we hear something tangible, though. [Via GoNintendo]
Dojo update: A fiery addition to the cast
Today's spoiler is a biggie folks, so if you have any interest in playing Brawl with fresh, untainted eyes, you'll want to not head past the post break.
Best of 2007: First-party games [update]
With the end of 2007 approaching at near lightning-fast speed, we thought it would be nice to check out what you, the excellent reader, thought about the games of this year. First up, we have the obvious: first-party games. We have a good idea which game you're going to say, but in the name of healthy debate, check out all of the choices past the break.
Wii Fanboy Review: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
When it comes to RPG franchises, a new entry in a series often introduces a different storyline with different characters, effectively providing a clean slate for the player. While Fire Emblem normally follows this tried and true formula, the creators decided to shake things up and make Radiant Dawn a direct sequel to the game that came before it, Path of Radiance. Whenever a sequel to a game comes out, it's important to know whether the game can stand on its own or if newcomers will be completely lost without playing the previous title. In the case of Radiant Dawn, however, this concern can't be fully answered in simple one-word terms.
Fire Emblem transfer glitch to be fixed
One neat feature in the Wii's Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is that you can import a save file from the game's GameCube prequel, Path of Radiance. This will give some of your characters stat boosts, not to mention a few other nice perks. For anyone who just rolled through PoR on easy mode in order to beat the game quickly and pump their characters full of bonus experience, however, Radiant Dawn will laugh at you and then slap you in the face for good measure. See, easy mode files don't transfer over to Radiant Dawn because (as you'll know if you've played the game), the word "easy" isn't in its vocabulary. Even if you try to transfer a normal or hard mode file while having any easy mode PoR files saved somewhere else on your card, Radiant Dawn will have none of that. Christian from The Tanooki decided to contact Nintendo on the issue, and it seems that Nintendo will have a fix ready by mid-December. In order to get your disc repaired (or possibly get a completely new disc), you have to contact Nintendo about the issue, give them your name, address, and phone number, and then send your disc to them when prompted. So, what lesson have we learned from all this? Well, that Fire Emblem is for badasses only, of course.