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Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - official thread of "they're not ponies, they're pegasi!"

grandjedi6

Master of the Google Search
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Basic Information
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Nintendo said:
* Fire Emblem returns to its roots with a total overhaul of an NES™ classic never before released in America. New features include touch-screen controls, multiple save options and easy-to-follow tutorial chapters that shed new light on Marth's story. New players can jump into the action, even if they've never played a Fire Emblem game before.

* You are the general: Shape your army to suit your strategy by selecting from dozens of characters with unique spells and abilities. But guide your army wisely, because if a character falls on the battlefield, he's lost forever.

* Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is the first to offer players a chance to test their skills against other players in combat. Using your broadband connection, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and wireless play modes, players are able to send units they've trained into battle against those of another player. Collect optional cards to give your team a unique tactical bonus that can help you clench victory. During Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection matches, friends can talk to each other using the built-in Nintendo DS microphone.

* Touch-screen controls, multiple save options and an easy-to-follow tutorial allow novice players to jump into the action, even if they've never played a Fire Emblem game before.

* Borrow units wirelessly or through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and use them in your own battles with the Loan Unit feature.

* Six levels of difficulty ensure that even seasoned players can find a challenge in this new entry into the Fire Emblem series.

* Purchase rare and powerful items using the gold you've acquired during your single-player campaign with the Online Shop feature. You never know what items you might come across, because new items rotate in and out of the armory on a daily basis.

* Play through the events that brought Marth to the beginning of his quest through a new set of prologue chapters that were specially added to the game for its Nintendo DS release.

Game storyline: Medeus, the king of the dragonkin, has been revived and is forming an alliance with a fearsome sorcerer named Gharnef. Together, they threaten to the throw the entire continent of Archanea back to an age of chaos and war. Now, it's up to young Prince Marth and his small band of loyal followers to rise up and rally all those left in the land to make one last desperate push to free Archanea from the tyranny of the Shadow Dragon.

Characters: Many groups play a part in a story but undoubtedly the story's protagonist, Prince Marth, will be the focus for most. Marth has been featured in the Super Smash Bros.® series and has been extremely popular within those games, but this is his first time starring in a Fire Emblem game in the United States. At Marth's side is a support of fearless fighters, including the brave Caeda, a princess of the Talys kingdom. Other major characters include the evil sorcerer Gharnef and the sole surviving descendant of the royal House Archanea, Princess Nyna.
Official Website: Europe, North America

Genre: Strategy RPG

Rating: 7+ | E+10

Release Dates:

NA -- Bwahahahahahahaha.... :( 02/16/2009
Australia – 26/02/2009
Europe – 5/12/2008
Japan – Already out!

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Box Art
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(Soon to be) Frequently Asked Questions
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(Q)Does this game contain Marth and Roy?

(A) As this is a remake of the original game, Marth is in fact the the main character of this game. Roy is not included, he was actually from the 1st GBA game that never made it overseas.


(Q) Does this game contain a remake of Fire Emblem 3 too?

(A) No


(Q) Did they bring back support conversations?

(A) There is a character support system but it doesn't lead to any support conversations or altered endings


(Q) What's this "Class Swap"?

(A) Class Swap allows you to directly change a character's Class to any one of 6 Classes, ranging from Pegasus Knights to Priests. When a character uses Class Swap, their Level and Experience remains the same, but their other stats (like HP, Strength) and weapon proficiency may change.

You can use Class Swap as many times as you want (from Chapter 4 and onwards, and in the battle preparations menu only), although there is a limit on the amount of one class you have. For example, at one point in the campaign, you may only be allowed a maximum of 8 Cavaliers, 3 Mages, 1 Dark Mage and etc.

Also, characters with special classes, like Lord or Thief, can't use Class Swap. Promoted classes can still use Class Swap, but they can only change between promoted classes, eg. Dragon Knight, Bishop


(Q) What are the multiplayer battles like?

(A) Multiplayer battles are split between Wireless and Wi-Fi battles, but they both function the same. Only two players can do battle at the same time, and both players must own a copy of the game.

To begin, players form 5-character parties using characters they raised in the main campaign and/or "Rental" units (which are copies of playable characters loaned from another player). After each player has chosen which party to use, the hosting player sets the rules for battle, which are as follows:

  • Toggle Fog of War on/off. (Note: If you move into an unseen enemy, in Fog of War, your unit is forced to wait like normal.)
  • Set Turn limit from 5-10 Turns.
  • Set time limit for each Turn from 3-10 minutes
  • Toggle use of "Charms" (see later) on/off.
Once the rules are set, the battle begins. Players take turns moving their units on the multiplayer-exclusive battle map (which there is only one type of). On this battle map, there is a castle situated at the very centre- if an unit waits on the castle gate, the castle flag changes colour to their team's colour. You win the match by either having the castle flag be your team's colour once all the Turns are over, or by annihilating the opposing team.

Upon winning a multiplayer battle, you are awarded a "Charm". These Charms are cards with various effects, and one Charm can be attached to a multiplayer party before battling.

Finally, for those interested, Voice Chat is enabled for friend-code battles.


(Q) Wait... did you say that multiplayer is two players only and there's only one battle map?

(A) Yes, I kid you not.


(Q) What are Rental units and how do they work?

(A) Rental units are characters, from the single-player campaign, that are loaned out to/borrowed from another player via the Wireless or Wi-Fi connection. As well as transferring Rental units in real-time, they can also be uploaded to/downloaded from the Wi-Fi server. If you loan out an character, they still remain in your game.

Rental units can be used in both the single-player and multiplayer modes. When used, they substitute the existing character with the same name. Any experience points obtained by the Rental units are awarded to the character they're substituting. A total of 10 Rental units can be used.


(Q) How do you save in battle? Is there a Battle Save option like in Radiant Dawn?

(A) There are two ways of saving progress in the middle of a battle:

  • Map point saves: These can be created by making a unit move onto a Save Point (map tile) and choosing "Save" from the Actions menu. Once the save is made, the Save Point disappears. Saves created in this manner can be loaded as many times as you want.
  • Suspended saves: These can be created anytime during a battle map, by using the "Suspend" option in the Map menu. If save data is loaded (including the suspended save) or a new game is created, the suspended save is immediately erased.
The FAQs was taken from the amazing Fire Emblem fan site, Serenes Forest. Please drop by as a show of thanks.

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Images
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Videos
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Opening
Multiplayer Battle

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Reviews & Impressions
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(coming soon)

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In Conclusion
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And of course many thanks to Death_Born for the idea of "they're not ponies, they're pegasi!" for the thread title.
 
You made the right choice.

wstsm8.gif


PS: Handheld GOTY!

PPS: You forgot a quotation mark. >_<

Brandon F said:
OMG what happened to the art? Is this an official game?

Of course. Now that I think about it, the mercenary on the right looks a bit high.
 
Can't wait for this to hit NA. Just a few more months, hopefully. =(

Though at the moment I'm playing FE7 Hector Mode for the first time. I have all three Pegasus Knights, destroying all who oppose me. I always love getting a new support conversation, they're something I'll sorely miss in FEDS.
 
Is the title image official art?

I hate those faces, but nevermind that, I've had the game pre-ordered for a while from Play.com. can't wait till next week :D
 
Japanese Title: Fire Emblem: New Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light
NA release: 1st half 2009

Any hint if this is a trial to see about porting all the previously Japan-only FEs to the rest of the world?
 
Excellent!

Still not 100% convinced that the sprites and battle animations will hold up to the GBA FEs (need to see them on my own screen), but extremely excited to play the very first FE game in English. :D

Only took 18 years!


grandjedi6 said:
Please address all complaints to this game's character artist, Masamune Shirow
Holy shit, I thought you were joking, but it's true. Damn, Shirow? really?

holy shit
 
Metroidvania said:
In before "Are Marth and Roy in this game".

So...still no word on NA release.

Damnit.
What? It's confirmed for next year...

Ugh...I was hoping that banner was something the OP got from a quick Google search/fan art D:
 
I dunno what's up with NOE's site, but their promo text is kinda crap. I recommend using NOA's instead! Or at least adding it. :)

NOA said:
KEY INFORMATION

* Fire Emblem returns to its roots with a total overhaul of an NES™ classic never before released in America. New features include touch-screen controls, multiple save options and easy-to-follow tutorial chapters that shed new light on Marth's story. New players can jump into the action, even if they've never played a Fire Emblem game before.

* Take the battle online and clash with players around the world over Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. You can also borrow units to use in your army, talk with friends using the built-in Nintendo DS microphone and even buy rare and powerful items from the Online Shop using in-game currency.

* You are the general: Shape your army to suit your strategy by selecting from dozens of characters with unique spells and abilities. But guide your army wisely, because if a character falls on the battlefield, he's lost forever.

Game storyline: Medeus, the king of the dragonkin, has been revived and is forming an alliance with a fearsome sorcerer named Gharnef. Together, they threaten to the throw the entire continent of Archanea back to an age of chaos and war. Now, it's up to young Prince Marth and his small band of loyal followers to rise up and rally all those left in the land to make one last desperate push to free Archanea from the tyranny of the Shadow Dragon.

How to progress through the game: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy setting. Players alternate turns with opponents, moving their pieces (units) and attacking enemy units on the battlefield. There are dozens of units and different weapons and magic spells, each with its own strategic benefits-high-flying Pegasus knights move effortlessly over varied terrain, fast-moving mounted cavaliers can use swords and lances, unarmed curates use healing staves to mend the wounds of other units and so on.

Characters: Many groups play a part in a story but undoubtedly the story's protagonist, Prince Marth, will be the focus for most. Marth has been featured in the Super Smash Bros.® series and has been extremely popular within those games, but this is his first time starring in a Fire Emblem game in the United States. At Marth's side is a support of fearless fighters, including the brave Caeda, a princess of the Talys kingdom. Other major characters include the evil sorcerer Gharnef and the sole surviving descendant of the royal House Archanea, Princess Nyna.

Special Features:

* Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is the first to offer players a chance to test their skills against other players in combat. Using your broadband connection, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and wireless play modes, players are able to send units they've trained into battle against those of another player. Collect optional cards to give your team a unique tactical bonus that can help you clench victory. During Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection matches, friends can talk to each other using the built-in Nintendo DS microphone.

* Touch-screen controls, multiple save options and an easy-to-follow tutorial allow novice players to jump into the action, even if they've never played a Fire Emblem game before.

* Borrow units wirelessly or through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and use them in your own battles with the Loan Unit feature.

* Six levels of difficulty ensure that even seasoned players can find a challenge in this new entry into the Fire Emblem series.

* Purchase rare and powerful items using the gold you've acquired during your single-player campaign with the Online Shop feature. You never know what items you might come across, because new items rotate in and out of the armory on a daily basis.

* Play through the events that brought Marth to the beginning of his quest through a new set of prologue chapters that were specially added to the game for its Nintendo DS release.
 
Oh wow, Fire Emblem versus?

Very tempting.
 
john tv said:
I dunno what's up with NOE's site, but their promo text is kinda crap. I recommend using NOA's instead! Or at least adding it. :)
I didn't even know NOA had one! Thanks
 
Shirow's mix of his line work style and his colouring style just doesn't go well.. Reminds me of horrible Disney home video artwork. :( (overshading/airbrushing/texturing things that shouldn't be!). Fancy cel-shading would have looked so much better, I think.

On the plus side, this game is so mine.. when it comes.. to NA.
 
Yeaahhh you can tell this is Shirow's art by looking at their faces among other things.

P.S. Hey, at least the game isn't called Dragon Shadow.
 
grandjedi6 said:
And of course many thanks to Death_Born for the idea of "they're not ponies, they're pegasi!" for the thread title.

Yay more stupid and unneeded thread titles

Yay Marth sprite!
 
john tv said:
I dunno what's up with NOE's site, but their promo text is kinda crap. I recommend using NOA's instead! Or at least adding it. :)

I'm telling you, this will be indicative of the game itself. Wait for the US version, it's bound to have a much better script (Just like what happened with Advance Wars Day of Ruin)
 
Are Marth and Roy in thi- *shot*

Anyway OMG CAN'T WAIT! Finally Marth will speak a language that I understand!

*wonders what his voice will be like in SSB 4*
 
donny2112 said:
Japanese Title: Fire Emblem: New Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light
NA release: 1st half 2009

Any hint if this is a trial to see about porting all the previously Japan-only FEs to the rest of the world?

It would be better if it is 1st Quarter 2009.

I sure hope that this game get good sales, and NOA ported all those FE2 - FE6. Especially FE5 (Thracia 776, IIRC)
 
Importing it. Don't want to wait for NoA to throw me a bone.
Haunted said:
jzy5xz.gif


Is that an animation from the game, or another FE? Because I like what I'm seeing.
Yeah, that's from this game. Honestly, I think the animation is better in this one, although the sprite work is a little less appealing.

jesusraz said:
Is it common knowledge that the European version comes with extra content?
Extra content? What extra content?
 
lol
No end quotes in thread title.

Nice thread. I look forward to the bump when the game hits America with righteous, firey, emblemy, fury.
 
I liked the old style better, but I do like the animations. But still, its Fire Emblem so its ace. I can't believe its next week, FUCK YOU NOA. This year was one of the best for SPRG :D
 
Actually, the sprites are growing on me. And it looks like the animation will be top notch! It's the pre-rendered portrait art that irks me. I definitely prefer the anime stills.

As far as sprites + animations go though, I still think the GBA games are king. Yes, even over the SNES games.
 
You've got to be shitting me that's by Shirow. Now I'm completely sure that manga artists are having meetings these days where they laugh their asses off with these artworks they make for games because the only explanation is the lulz. Yes, Obata, I'm looking at you too.
 
Shirow or not, the game(based on the pics in OP) looks like an awful fan-created mess of low-budget proportions. The bitmap backgrounds are some of the ugliest I've seen in a decade, and the units look even worse than trhey already do thanks to how much they stand out sitting on them.

Also, that EU boxart is embarrassing. Fire Emblem deserves MUCH better on the ultra popular DS platform. Stop fucking around Nintendo!
 
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