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Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon ds Game Reviews
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Critic Score
Metascore: 81 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
5.1 out of 10
based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

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. 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. [Nintendo]

PUBLISHER: Nintendo
DEVELOPER: Intelligent Systems
GENRE(S): Turn-Based Strategy
PLAYERS: 2
ESRB RATING: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
RELEASE DATE: February 16, 2009

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
Pocket Gamer UK
Fire Emblem's DS debut has been a long time coming but it's unquestionably worth the wait. Shadow Dragon provides astonishingly compulsive turn-based action.
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90
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Back from the 90’s comes a classical RPG / turn–based strategy mix. You can expect hours and hours of epic battles in the best of “Sword & Sorcery” style. [Issue#174, Jan 2009]
87
3DJuegos
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon debuts on Nintendo DS with a classic chapter adapted to these times. The deeply interesting story of the game with many characters to recruit and different strategies for the victories offers a unique experience. The most important feature is the online mode, simple but correct in its way. This is one of the best games to come out this year for Nintendo DS.
Read Full Review
86
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
While it's nothing Fire Emblem fans wont have seen before, this is a hugely enjoyable tactical RPG.
Read Full Review
84
Games Master UK
Naturally, a must for fans, but the gentle learning curve makes it a tactical fun-for-all. [Feb 2009, p.76]
83
NGamer UK
Shadow Dragon boasts some of the most intense turn-based squabbling in existence. [Feb 2009, p.60]
82
Pelit (Finland)
It may not be an innovative title, but still a tactical and worthwhile RPG with excellent fights. [Feb 2009]
80
Eurogamer Portugal
Fire Emblem:Shadow Dragon, despite its old age - gracefully disguised by the new aesthetics - is everything Fire Emblem always strove to be. An addicting game, where success truly rewards the player. It might not offer a very complex story and even leaves certain characters a blank slate, something that simply isn't the case with the more recent games, but everything else is right there. Essential to any fan, it's a great way to introduce someone to the genre.
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80
IGN UK
It hasn’t toppled the Sacred Stones from its berth as the best game in the series (or, if you’re a purist, Fire Emblem on the GBA), and it feels a bit like a missed opportunity to ally the game that started it all with some of the many incremental improvements that have been introduced since. Still, though, it is a Fire Emblem game, and for some of us, that’s enough.
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80
Meristation
Shadow Dragon is a very good Strategic RPG in which we'll be able to play the role of an imperial prince who has to save his world. Its a fair game, with good graphics and very much the same gameplay that made Fire Emblem famous. The multiplayer feature is still a work in progress, so perhaps next time.
Read Full Review
80
EuroGamer
Shadow Dragon will live long in a lot of DS slots - and probably even long enough to show the US gamers who's boss for a while in 2048 or whenever it comes out over there. Sorry guys.
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80
Level7.nu
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon continues the series' trademark strategic gameplay, this time on the Nintendo DS. If you're a sucker for the combination of strategy and roleplaying elements, this game will let you burn countless hours on your DS. Upgrading your units and making sure they survive is very addictive and fun, and the intuitive online mode is a great bonus. This is not an easy game though and not for the casual player, but for all of you strategy nuts out there, this is one great buy.
Read Full Review
70
Edge Magazine
The beginning is a sensible place to start, but rest assured, it gets much, much better. [Feb 2009, p.91]
70
games(TM)
The pinnacle of the series’ handheld bloodline but also nothing that we haven’t really seen before. [Feb 2009, p.112]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 5.1 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it an8:
It's Fire Emblem. In short, the game is a good remake for those who haven't already played the game, but there's nothing here that won't disappoint those who have. The audio and overhead visuals work well, the leveling system is nicely done, and there are many more characters obtained much more quickly than there were in the other two US releases, which does a good job of improving replay value. The story is closer to that of Sacred Stones than that of the original GBA US release; it's shallow, doesn't make you think, and just feels like an afterthought. There are plenty of Fire Emblem games that would have been better to bring to the US; Nintendo probably only chose this one because it had Marth... *cough* sellout *cough*. To balance that out, though, gameplay is excellent and the whole thing feels very polished. The whole thing except for the battle scenes, at least. For some reason, Nintendo decided to make the battle animations 3d-rendered instead of sprite-based. As you can imagine, 3d rendering does not mix well with a 2-dimensional game. The new animations lack the character of the original sprites, they got rid of the over-the-top critical hits that were so enjoyable in previous releases. Overall, they make a stark contrast with the rest of the game, and really pull you out of the action. Nonetheless, the game is a solid addition to the series. I wouldn't recommend it over either of the other two handheld Fire Emblem games, though. Graphics: 6/10 The new rendered characters feel out of place and make fights pull you out of the action, rather than drawing you in. Sound: 9/10 I took a point of for the incredibly grating music that plays once all the enemies on a map are dead. Gameplay: 10/10 It's a Fire Emblem game, and in terms of the core mechanics, it lives up to the standards set by its predecessors. Story: 7/10 The story won't fool anybody - it's shallow and doesn't even pretend to be plausible. Overall: 8/10 Enjoyable, but not worth it if you're not a fan of the series.

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