It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time when Fire Emblem was one of Nintendo's lesser known franchises, especially in the West. It was the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening that led to a massive boost in popularity, and saved the series from being outright canceled.
While it's certainly more prominent in the West nowadays, there are still some Fire Emblem games that have remained Japanese exclusive, including the very first one: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, which released in 1990 for the NES. In a surprise announcement today, Nintendo confirmed that this game will finally be localized and release in Western territories this December.
Technically, this isn't the first time the game has been made available outside of Japan, as it was remade for the DS in 2008 as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. However, this isn't a remake, it's the original NES game, virtually untouched.
Nintendo has made some changes, primarily its English localization, but also adding modern touches to help make the game more accessible for players - especially those who may have been introduced to the series via more beginner friendly entries like Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
First, players can create save states and rewind turns should they lose a particular unit (since characters permanently die) or make a mistake. There are also options to fast-forward through the gameplay or enemy turns.
While it is releasing digitally for Switch, there will be a physical collector's edition for sale as well, which includes a replica game box, instruction booklet, map, an art book, and even a replica of the game cartridge. So far, though, it only looks to be available in the United States.
Nintendo says this release, both digital and physical, will only be available for a limited time. It doesn't list exactly when it will be delisted, but this is the third Nintendo title this year to have a limited run.
Both Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. 35 are only available for purchase until March, a decision that has mostly been met with criticism from fans and video game preservationists. In Super Mario 3D All-Stars' case, there have been claims that its three games will be sold individually at a later date.
It remains to be seen if Nintendo will give other Japan-exclusive games a similar treatment. There are already fans who hope that this will lead to Mother 3 finally making it to Western territories.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light will release for Nintendo Switch on December 4.
