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Fire Emblem opening video is cinematic candy
We may have neglected Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn's release because of some other big releases this month, but we felt we had to show you the game's opening video because it's epic. Although Radiant Dawn came out earlier this month, the opening video seems to have only just hit the internet. If we didn't already own the game, we could see something like this making us rush out to buy it. If you're still on the fence about the new Fire Emblem game, though, never fear, Nintendo Wii Fanboy is here. We'll be reviewing this game in the near future, so stay tuned.
Guess who loves Marth? This girl
However hilariously fitting Elyssa's initials might seem, this personalized DS Phat looks leagues better than the previous project we featured. Nintendo actually threatened a recall after seeing that deformed system. Working under her deviantArt alias, Fruitsexual (lol), Elyssa spent three hours decorating her handheld with plastic paint, immortalizing her favorite video game character and Fire Emblem hero Marth. She must have been really happy to hear that Fire Emblem DS would be a remake of the first game in the series, Marth's debut. But probably not as happy as Kitanara, who commented on the customized Nintendo DS, "Uuuhh ... *moans and shivers* Marth is the best ... I luff him." Having a name like Fruitsexual must attract strange company, we suppose.
Wii releases for the week of November 5th
Today is a big week for releases on the Wii, as we not only get one first-party Nintendo game, but also two very high-profile third-party titles. It can only mean one thing: we're getting closer and closer to the holidays. Oh, will someone think of our poor wallet, please? Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Bee Movie Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games My Word Coach Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity So, going to pick up any of these games? Would like to pick something up, but lacking the funds?
Fire Emblem's handheld return
Having established its SRPG dominance on the GameCube and Nintendo Wii with its past two entries, Fire Emblem is finally returning to the portable field with its next title. Intelligent Systems -- the Nintendo's internal development studio behind the Fire Emblem and Advance Wars series -- hasn't published any specifics about the game, but we suspect that there will be plenty for us to talk about by the time Fire Emblem DS's 2008 release charges into view. Word on the street is that it is a remake of the first game, Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi, and will star Marth. Jeux-France posted a number of screenshots for the newly-announced title, and they appear just as expected -- zoomed-out battlefield displayed on the touchscreen, combat/data/conversations shown on the top. Enjoy them all in the gallery we've set up for you below. %Gallery-8394%
Dojo update: Lyn emerges
Another Assist Trophy was revealed over at the dojo today in Lyn, a character from the GBA game Fire Emblem. Wielding a weapon of similar stature to another Assist Trophy, her attacks are more deliberate and less on the reckless side like Samurai Goroh. Aside from that, the site suggests that once you summon her, you grab your enemy and hold on to them, allowing her attack to hit them point blank for massive damage. %Gallery-6869% %Gallery-3347%
PAX 07 hands-on: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
The Wii version of Fire Emblem should be quite familiar to anyone who's played Fire Emblem. The graphics and presentation are basically identical to the Gamecube version. That's not really a complaint-- the semi-cel-shaded style still looks nice. The game doesn't depend on motion controls for anything but cycling through camera views. However, for a turn-based RPG like Fire Emblem, this is a welcome decision. The demo started me in a town square in the midst of a bandit attack; I took on a group of three or four bandits with swords and magic. Movement is done on a grid, just like before, and attacks zoom into the more cinematic view seen above. After I had taken care of the first bandit, a new character named Leonardo showed up and joined in the fight, allowing me the use of an archer. People who liked Fire Emblem enough to want another one probably already have their minds made up: this is another one. But people who were afraid that waggle would ruin a strategy RPG have no reason to fear (this time).
Top 10 GBA game list is highly selective
Infendo's list of the Top 10 Must-Buy GBA Games definitely includes ten great games. We approve of Infendo's drive to fill the neglected bottom cartridge slot of the DS with excellence. However, it comes off as a list of the Top 10 First-Party GBA games, with no representation of third-party publishers at all. Every single game on the list, even Final Fantasy VI Advance, was published by Nintendo. We know that Nintendo fans tend to be loyal to Nintendo even to the exclusion of other companies that publish on Nintendo consoles, but a list of great Game Boy Advance games should really have at least one Castlevania game on it. Technically, the NES Castlevania is included as "anything from the Classic NES Series," but that's not what we're talking about. We're specifically talking about the three original Castlevania games made for the system. We'd personally include Astro Boy: Omega Factor as well, but we understand that to be a matter of opinion. And we've grown used to not seeing Super Dodge Ball Advance on best-of lists, because the world is a terrible place. The full list is posted after the break.
DS Fire Emblem possible
Try not to get too excited (we know how you Fire Emblem devotees can be), but in an interview with IGN, a few of the franchise's producers dropped some hints that may lead to a DS appearance. However -- and this is why we caution against jumping the excitement gun -- Nintendo's Hitoshi Yamagami voiced some hesitation at a DS version. While they think that the handheld is perfect for SRPGs, they prefer to see Fire Emblem on a television. The demand is considerable for such a title, though, so if we keep our fingers crossed and think happy thoughts, it just may happen. In the interview, they also discussed WiFi options and the fact that they wanted to implement online functionality in the Wii's Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn, but there just wasn't enough time. Wherever the next installment in the series falls, it's probably going to be online.
Fire Emblem to venture online?
Don't get too excited, though -- they're talking about games that will follow Goddess of Dawn, which is already out in Japan. Still, from the way several of the franchise's producers talked about online content, it seems that fans of the series have a lot to look forward to in the next installment, like downloadable maps and possible online multiplayer. Now if only we knew when we might be able to expect that next game. For that matter, it would be nice to know when we might see a localization of Goddess of Dawn. Apparently, they hoped to add some online functionality to Goddess of Dawn, but there just wasn't time. Nintendo's Hitoshi Yamagami also said something that may answer some of our questions about a lot of the earliest Wii titles; according to him, it was pretty late in the game before developers even knew what would be included with the Wii, controller-wise. While it makes us wonder if maybe things were a little rushed -- after all, we've heard versions of that before -- it also gives us hope for all the possibilities that will open up as developers become more and more comfortable with the Wii.
Even more Fire Emblem video
While this video suffers from some pretty severe watermarking issues (everyone just has to leave their mark, eh?), there's still a lot of amazing awesomeness that Fire Emblem fans won't want to miss. And yes, amazing awesomeness is a very technical phrase used to identify everything that's happening here in combat. You can thank us later for expanding your vocabulary. For now, just go watch the video, and if you missed the ones we put up last week, check 'em out.
Amazing Fire Emblem videos
These two new Fire Emblem videos are guaranteed to rock your socks. Behind the jump, we've got the full opening movie for Goddess of Dawn, and as expected, it's stunning. But the opening cinematics should always look good, and that proves almost nothing. So while the movie is not to be missed, it's the second video that's truly impressive, because it offers close looks at each of the units. The character models, as they will appear in combat, look fabulous.
Fire Emblem astounds and amazes
The official Japanese Wii site has updated with a new Fire Emblem video that is bound to bring a smile to the face of even the coldest and most hardcore among us. The girl test-driving the game -- classic controller in hand -- demonstrates exactly how we tend to feel when caught up in trying to puzzle out the details on Goddess of Dawn: enthralled and focused, with a slight dash of WTF. The game releases in Japan later this week, and we've got our fingers crossed for more footage. To see the video, just head over to the Wii site in the source link.
Fire Emblem Wii TV ad focuses on Classic Controller
One of Famitsu's criticisms of Fire Emblem: Dawn Goddess, which is released in Japan this Thursday, is that the game makes no particular use of the Wii's Remote. This could have been a GameCube release. But it's not, and yet there remains a perfectly adequate way to play Fire Emblem: get a Classic Controller (which is just what the girl in Nintendo's latest TV ad has done). Click through to see the TV spot and notice the girl's surprisingly honest facial expression -- does Classic Control mean profound boredom?
Wii and GameCube side-by-side
Loads of people, especially Nintendo haters, have been questioning the quality of the Wii graphics. French site, NGCFrance, has put up 13 sets of images from games featured on the GameCube and Wii one after the other to compare the difference, if any. We wouldn't completely trust these screens, fellow Wii fanboys/gals. We aren't saying that the site intentionally altered screens to try and make a negative point nor that the pictures are wrong due to our Nintendo fandom, we are just saying to look with an open mind. We especially love the Fire Emblem comparison. Magic blast vs. magic blast. Sweet. On a lighter note, Google translator is teh awesome. Check out what a Nintendo Fanboy from France had to say in Nintendo's defense: me yesterday I played there the mgs and DIFFERENCE EAST MUCH CLEARER than that!!!!!!!! because laWii same on a screen of 120cm reacted very well and remains super beautiful!! and sonic be superb!!! not no concern it above Wii will be more beautiful, more powerful and heuresement!! ^^ zelda tp pouwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwa!!! brilliant comamdes!!! Word.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops previewed
The first canonical Metal Gear Solid portable game was unveiled at E3 earlier this year. The idea of a real non-Acid non-graphic novel Metal Gear has made it one of the most-wanted games for the system, even without too much information to work with. The unofficial Metal Gear Solid site has a new preview, with a few new screenshots. The game takes place six years after Snake Eater, and has Big Boss arrested after FOX Unit begins a revolt in South America. With the help of his comrades in the FOXHOUND Unit, it will be their responsibility to stop the bad guys from using their "ultimate weapon." This game will be a crucial part of the Metal Gear series' storyline, as it'll explain how Big Boss went from good guy to bad guy in Metal Gear. With cutscenes in the same style of the Digital Graphic Novel, Portable Ops seems like it'll be an interesting ride, to say the least.Portable Ops will feature a more distant camera so that players have a better view of their surroundings. Interestingly, it won't be a one-man sneaking mission anymore: you'll recruit and command other soldiers to help you take on your missions. Not only will you have generic soldiers at your disposal, but you'll also get more familiar faces, like Ocelot to join you. But be careful, in Fire Emblem style, if a character dies, they're dead for the rest of the game. There's also multiplayer, in which you can trade your partners ala Pokemon. According to the unofficial site, new trailers for Metal Gear Solid 4 and Portable Ops will be shown at Leipzig Games Convention, so expect more info very soon.[Via 1UP Boards]
Fire Emblem: First details
European sites seem to have all the good Wii info lately. A German site, GamesCathedral, is posting freshly gleaned details (from where, who knows) on the mysterious Fire Emblem Wii. As you'll remember, this game's brief, anime FMV appearance in the E3 press conference made many feel all glowy and warm, yet no further details could be pried from the lips of Nintendo's faithful (ninja) executives. Apparently, the newest incarnation of Fire Emblem will feature two protagonists, one male and one female. The male, interestingly enough, is Sothe...the very same Sothe of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance fame. A direct sequel, perhaps? PoR was critically acclaimed for all kinds of rocking, and a continuation would hardly be ill-received. The female lead is a bit murkier, though it might be Ilyana from the same game. Finally, the article states that the game might be in full 3-D, a first in the Fire Emblem series. No more isometric view? Oh, our minds ache already.