The day has come; Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light has finally been localized for a western audience. As a longtime Fire Emblem fan, I was ecstatic to hear it was finally releasing states-side on the Nintendo Switch. I knew I had to grab the 30th Anniversary special edition while I could. The second it was announced, I went online to pre-order it, but GameStop’s website wasn’t accepting pre-orders at the time. I sighed and stopped by my local store the next day, hoping by some miracle that I hadn’t missed my chance to pick up this unique piece of gaming history.
Thankfully, the 30th Anniversary special edition was still available. I placed my order, left that hellhole, and patiently waited for it to arrive.
Is It Any Good?
Fire Emblem is a tactical turn-based RPG series with a rich and varied history. It was exclusive to Japan up until the seventh entry in the series, when it was finally brought to the west for the first time. The first Fire Emblem game features Marth, who some of you may know from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Yes, that’s right; Marth (but not Roy) is in this game. Join him on his mission to put a stop to Gharnef, the Dark Pontifex hell-bent on reviving Medeus, the Shadow Dragon. The story is nothing special, but it has more charm than you might expect from a 1990 NES game.
I don’t want to get into too much detail about this right now, but I am finding the game to be remarkably fun for something that came out in 1990. As the first entry in the series, it is a bare-bones Fire Emblem game, and after the complexity of Fire Emblem: Three Houses on the Nintendo Switch, a little simplicity is quite welcome.
What’s In This Special Edition?
This special edition in particular has some sweet collectibles. It includes the following:
- A digital download code for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light for Nintendo Switch
- A replica of the original Famicom box, complete with a manual
- An art book detailing the legacy of Archanea, the continent on which this game takes place
- A Nintendo Power poster complete with a segment on secrets found in the game
- A slick glass Famicom cartridge
All this combined makes this perhaps the greatest Fire Emblem collectible that I’ve purchased in the past several years.
This game finally being released in the west is a huge deal for the Fire Emblem franchise. Keep an eye out for a blog post about that in the future; for now, check out some pictures I took of the special edition. I don’t have a picture of the box unopened–I got too excited and just had to dig into it.
What’s Your Opinion on Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light?
Have you played this Fire Emblem game? Have you picked up this unique piece of Fire Emblem history? What are your thoughts on the English localization? Let me know in the comments.
Title screen for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Nintendo Switch. 
The lead-up to the title screen. 
The box for the Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light’s 30th Anniversary Special Edition. 
Replica box art for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. 
The back of the replica box art. 
Yes, it even comes with an instruction manual! 
This is the coolest piece here, in my opinion; this is a glass replica of the original Famicom cartridge. 
It came with this sweet art book, too. 
A sample of what’s in the art book. 
I miss Nintendo Power so much. 
An excerpt from Nintendo Power detailing some secrets about Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.