Nintendo Switch Online is still lacking the classic Fire Emblem games for the Game Boy Advance, and it may not have a better chance to fix that than the present. Fire Emblem is a long-running series that has earned a lot of acclaim, going from a fairly niche title to one of Nintendo's top-tier IPs. Despite Fire Emblem's impressive rise, it is still relatively hard to access some of the series' most classic games despite their status in the series. Nintendo Switch Online can fix this, but the best time for this move may be fleeting.
One of Nintendo's biggest perks at the moment is Nintendo Switch Online's retro game services. Through this feature, several classic games from older consoles have been made playable for a new generation of fans, while also giving a nostalgic boost to older fans in the process. Some of the most iconic titles from series such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong Country are now playable for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The recent expansion to include Game Boy and Game Boy advance games only strengthens its appeal, while also opening the door to one of Fire Emblem's most memorable chapters.
Engage Paved A Perfect Path For Fire Emblem's GBA Trilogy To Come To NSO
It has been revealed that Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade will be joining Nintendo Switch Online's Game Boy Advance library in the near future. While this is good news for the game, it also leaves the other two games in Fire Emblem's GBA trilogy unaccounted for. What makes this especially puzzling is that The Blazing Blade was the second game in the trilogy, between The Binding Blade and The Sacred Stones. Although The Blazing Blade releasing first does make sense due to it featuring the highly popular Lyn and being a prequel to The Binding Blade, something is missing without all three games represented.
The biggest argument for releasing the full Fire Emblem GBA trilogy on NSO is Fire Emblem Engage. The Emblems of Fire Emblem Engage are all characters from past Fire Emblem titles, either protagonists or other important characters. Every major game in the series is represented, including the Game Boy Advance games. With Fire Emblem Engage's main gimmick running off of nostalgia, it provides a perfect reason to bring back the Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games. Since Engage is already bringing memories of those games back by featuring their characters, letting players play the games themselves is the next logical step.
Even before Fire Emblem Engage is taken into account, there is already good reason for Fire Emblem's GBA trilogy to resurface. The preceding game, 2019's academy-themed Fire Emblem: Three Houses was a major success, even gaining its own spin-off in the second Fire Emblem Warriors game, Three Hopes. That combined with the ongoing Fire Emblem Heroes gacha game shows that the series is at a high point. Engage only added more fuel to the fire by spotlighting the series' past. Considering what a good last few years the series has had, it may be more surprising that NSO's initial GBA library didn't include any Fire Emblem titles.
Fire Emblem is at a peak that it may not see again for years, particularly in terms of nostalgia, so releasing the GBA titles soon could provide a boost to Nintendo Switch Online's momentum. Players have just recently gotten a glimpse at the heroes of those games, so releasing their adventures to the players would make sense. After all, Engage managed to charge the fan base with these memories, but that rekindled interest likely won't last forever. Bringing Fire Emblem's Game Boy Advance titles to NSO while Engage is still in mind would ensure that they would draw interest.
Fire Emblem Engage is available now for the Nintendo Switch.