Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light is a tough game to recommend in modern times. Yes, it’s the first time the original game has been released internationally. Yes, it’s available in a snazzy limited edition set. And if you don’t mind Nintendo’s oppressive approach to selling the game, you need to pick it up before it disappears from the eShop after March 31st, 2021.
Even if the argument around Nintendo’s business practices didn’t cloudy the picture, the original Fire Emblem game plays like a game that was made 30+ years ago. Limited by the NES hardware of its time, the game’s dialogue reads like the Coles Notes for another Fire Emblem game. You can’t see movement ranges for your heroes or your enemies, making it difficult to assess your movements. You don’t get the menu that shows the probabilities of hitting or getting hit. Worst of all, item management is handled so poorly that you’re better off playing the game as if it didn’t exist.
Playing Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is probably not worth the trouble. Even so, there’s something magical that the original game still possesses.
