Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light Reviews
The combat system of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light works great, but it's let down by frustrating maps and poorly presented information.
If you are a fan of the series, it is worth giving him a chance to learn the beautiful story and see how this wonderful IP started.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Although it earns points for its significance for the Fire Emblem series and the Strategy genre as a whole, this game is archaic and barely playable by today’s gaming standards.
Despite some problems that could already be noticed in the original release, what plays in favor of the release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Nintendo Switch is its loyalty to the original title. Besides that, it is interesting to note how the game is, until today, a profound influence on the TRPG genre. On the other hand, loyalty is also a problem. Don't get me wrong, the first Fire Emblem continues to have many features that will leave some fans of the series well satisfied, but, by today's standards, it is dated — its sword of light no longer shines as it did 30 years ago and many will question whether it is worth seeking it to defeat the dark dragon.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite my less than enjoyable time with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, I can’t help but appreciate its existence as the precursor to some of my favorite JRPGs of all time. However, as is often the case with pieces of history, it’s best left in a museum to be admired for all future generations.
If you want to check out where everything started, this is a decent trip down memory lane.
Very first Fire Emblem game from 8-bit era now on Nintendo Switch. Good choice for nostalgic players.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
This is definitely not a game for newcomers, but die-hard fans of the Fire Emblem series may find enjoyment, along with gaming historians who simply want to experience a time piece of how the whole tactical RPG franchise started.
For its time, it's easy to see how Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light had a massive appeal to fans looking to get into the SRPG genre.
Although very much of its time in visuals and sound, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light holds its own in the modern day thanks to solid gameplay and structure. Almost everything you know and love about the series is here, and the game is worth picking up if only for the insight into early parts of the franchise. It's not an essential Switch game by any means, and quite alienating for beginners to the series, but it's practically compulsory for fans of Fire Emblem.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light presents in a classic way how the famous hero Marth grows from a little prince to a shining hero. But the path is long and arduous, and not only for him. When playing this spin-off of the series, you have to be aware that you'll have to do without certain features. No battle prediction or fade-in movement radius. But instead, a certain thrill kept coming up for me during the game, which I miss in modern games. But if you get into the gameplay, you'll experience a captivating story. An absolute must for veterans of the series, but newcomers should perhaps go for a newer part with more beginner-friendly features.
Review in German | Read full review
I can’t argue that at the heart of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light is the tried-and-true Fire Emblem formula. And when used as nothing more than a reference to how far the series as a whole has come in 30 years, it answers the question of whether or not it’s worth your hard-earned $6. But I’d bet the farm that the majority of casual Fire Emblem fans won’t be able to deal with the games offensively slow pace. And to top it all off, I love the sights and sounds of the eight and sixteen-bit by-gone era, but by the end of the campaign, I was ready to never again play another classic. There are only so many beeps and crumple sound effects that I can handle in one lifetime.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light provides a look back at the humble beginnings of this SRPG series that continues to find new fans to this day. It shows its age in systems and visuals, but the added options to speed up the experience and save anywhere makes it accessible for non-seasoned retro gamers. This is a game that I’m glad made it to this generation, at least to preserve its official western release.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light lays the foundations for the Fire Emblem games of present, unfortunately, however, as a 30-year-old game, feels incredibly obtuse and slow and really shows its age. For anybody interested in the Fire Emblem series, this is worth picking up. For anybody looking to play a genuinely fun strategy RPG, maybe give this a miss.
As a more complex genre that also relies on narrative, the improvements to Fire Emblem titles are multiplicative. Things like UI elements, a more streamlined inventory system, customizable skills, support conversations, and even the Weapon Triangle are all absent. Turning back the clock strips away not just iconic gameplay ideas, but gradually gathered quality of life improvements. This leaves a bare framework in their place. This is Fire Emblem through and through, make no mistake. It’s just the absolute minimum of what a Fire Emblem should be.
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon and The Blade of Light it's a hard pill to swallow for all the recent fans, as its gameplay and graphics haven't aged that well. But it's also a great return to the past for old time fans, and for just five bucks.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All the improvements that have been added over the years in the gameplay, here directly do not exist. That is why we believe that it is a necessary historical document in Europe (because it has not arrived earlier in our country), but little else.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Fire Emblem: Shadow of Dragon & The Blade of Light is a controversial operation. If it is undoubtedly precious and at times pleasant to discover the origins of a franchise that is part of the excellence of turn-based strategy of fantasy matrix, the first chapter carries on its shoulders in a not too solid way the weight of its 30 years, with a game formula so sufficiently varied and stimulating, yet conspicuously aged to the present day.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In the end, Nintendo gave what they promised: a localized port. It’s still a fun Fire Emblem game at its core though, and I can only hope that we get more Japanese-only Fire Emblem games localized because there are many improvements in every entry.