Hey: it's still Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is basically a 19 year old game. It was the first Strategy Role Playing Game on consoles. It was also never released outside of Japan. As a port of the very first game in the Fire Emblem series, Shadow Dragon does a pretty dang good job of making it not seem like the very first game in the series, but the things that date it definitely take their toll.
For those who don't know, Fire Emblem is a series of tactical role playing games on a grid battlefield. Battles play out similarly to a game of chess, but with "Role Playing Game" and "japanese" added into the mix. Being the very first console SRPG, most of Shadow Dragon's game mechanics have been seen countless times, but they trappings of Fire Emblem games are still very apparent in Shadow Dragon.
The most famous (and infamous) element of a Fire Emblem game is the fact that when dudes die on the battlefield, they're gone for good. There are no phoenix downs. There are no revive spells. When one of your allies dies, you either reset or you keep going without them. This is where the main difficulty of Shadow Dragon (and the Fire Emblem series as a whole) comes in. The enemy AI is smart, and the odds will almost always be stacked against you, so one bad move could make you kiss your cleric goodbye. And you'll need your clerics.
To make Shadow Dragon easier and more welcoming to newbies there are save points scattered around the level. These save points definitely help make the game less frustrating, but their placing is pretty akward at times. There is usually one at the very start of the level, which has little point. Then there's one somewhere close to the end of the level. Probably the worst part of the save system is that by saving, your unit uses up its turn, which can definitely break the game flow.
If you do need to stop in the middle of your 20-40 minute long chapter, you can easily suspend the game and pick up where you left off. Also excluded is the constant autosaving of previous Fire Emblems, which is an odd thing to not bring back, seeing as the game would pick up where you left it no matter what you did in previous portable Fire Emblem games.
Your battles in Fire Emblem will not only require improvising and thinking, but also a varied party. Battles in SD will usually require 13-16 units. Your unit types can range from bastillas--slow moving long-distance tanks--and
manaketes--dudes who turn into dragons. Depending on the weapons you use, you will gain advantages over other enemies. The game features a weapon triangle, which gives lances, swords and axes advantages over eachother. These slight advantages won't decide the fate of a battle, but a healthy balance between unit can definitely aid you in your battles. More importantly, however, are more complicated weaknesses that must be learned before one can not die within 5 minutes of starting your mission.
While the core gameplay is tried and true, the compelling mix of great characters, clever maps, fantastic animations, awesome story, catchy music and addictive customization have always been what pushed Fire Emblem over the edge. Shadow Dragon gets most of that right. The game's real weaknesses lie in the fact that there have been vastly superior Fire Emblem games.
The story in Shadow Dragon is nothing to write home about. While previous (or seceding) Fire Emblems have always had stories filled with political intrigue, characters you care about and fresh plot twists, Shadow Dragon's age definitely shows. While 20 years ago, Shadow Dragon's story would have been evolutionary; we've seen it all before. Dude's hometown is overtaken, his sister gets kidnapped, he must free his kingdom and save his sister. Lemme guess? He gets a Legendary Sword and has to defeat an evil tyrant with it. Spoiler Alert: yes. He does.
Another issue with FE:SD's story is the fact that there just isn't enough. Despite the storytelling being all over the place, you'll get a minute of about what you're facing before battle, you'll get a little set up at the start, and being told your next destination when you beat the chapter. There's really no real motivation, which is a definite disappointment.
Shadow Dragon's biggest problem is probably the lack of a Support system. In other Fire Emblems, if two characters fought side-by-side, they would be able to have conversation. These conversations were incredibly entertaining and drove you to care about your characters even more--which made it even more painful to see them gone forever. The support conversations would also give your units stat bonuses if they stood within a 3-tile radius, which added even more to the deep strategy.
Also missing is AWESOME animations. If you were to get a critical hit on an enemy in a game like Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, it felt rewarding. Your character would so some crazy backflips, twirl his sword around, give a punishing hit to his foe, and you would be left cheering. Shadow Dragon doesn't have that. It doesn't have the crazy anime flips and tricks. No. You just watch Marth [the main character] lunge his sword. Even though some animations in other FEs weren't quite extreme, they had an awesome sound design which isn't there in Shadow Dragon. As a whole though, Shadow Dragon looks pretty nice. Great character designs and slightly-odd-but-still-pretty-sprites make for a decent visual package.
Lastly, Shadow Dragon the maps in Shadow Dragon just don't hold up too well. I still remember to this day, how I defeated the Final Boss in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword. I still remember that crazy castle siege in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Fort Rigwald, any level where you're on a boat, they're just not there. While it could be nostalgia, Shadow Dragon just doesn't have those memorable moments.
Thankfully, Shadow Dragon isn't just the game the japs got 20 years ago. Despite several gameplay tweaks, Shadow Dragon is also the first Fire Emblem to introduce a good multiplayer system. Intelligent Systems has also developed games like Advance Wars, which have incredible multiplayer modes. Shadow Dragon has a nice online store and battle function that will definitely keep you entertained after you're finished with the 20-hour stratergery.
All in all, Shadow Dragon is not a bad game by any stretch of the word. It is a great game; it's got the thinking and customization other strategy games wouldn't dream of. The only thing holding Shadow Dragon back is its pedigree. Strategy fans looking for a portable fix would do much better going with Sacred Stones for the GBA. Those who have played previous Fire Emblems and are looking for another fantastic strategy RPG, you'll have a great time. However, as an overall package, Shadow Dragon just doesn't come close to the heights of its predecessors.
