PRE-ORDERS OPEN 5th December = EU release + importing to America details

[SlippyToasterTrooper_UK]

Pre-orders open people.
http://www.game.co.uk/DS/RolePlaying/~r338452/Fire-Emblem/?recommended=SEARCH
Remember if you spend over £30 use the code NW10GME09 NW11GMEHW to save £3. As is strands FEDS+US deliver is smidge under £30 (£29.94 or something). Something like the DVD gift wrap will sort that out. If you want to do something more unusal you could buy Freshly Picked Tingle's Rosey Rupeeland (remember this bizarre game will never come to America) for £9.99.

Just check GAME will hold an order back untilt he whole is ready before doing that though (you don't want to pay shipping twice once on DVD gift wrap and once of FE)

Edit the code is now NW11GMEHW

It doesn't get more solid than this

8th October 2008 – Find a sacred sword and use it to save a kingdom as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon heads to Nintendo DS! For the first time in the classic Fire Emblem RPG series, there is the option of multiplayer action over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, adding a whole new dimension of gameplay and strategic planning that can be shared with friends and fans of the series.

Using skill, tactical battle-planning and no small amount of magic, players must embark on a quest to destroy the resurrected dark dragon Medeus, who seeks to conquer the entire world. Charging into battle in Europe on 5th December, 2008, the game is based on Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, which was created in 1990 for the NES console but never released in Europe, despite becoming the most popular in the series in Japan. Now the remake of this NES classic has the popular weapon triangle system integrated for strategic enhancement.

One hundred years since Medeus was slain and the Kingdom Altea founded on the continent of Akaneia, Medeus is back, and it falls to exiled prince Marth to save the kingdom from ruination. Success for Marth and his comrades rests on finding his father’s sacred sword, Falchion, and the Fire Emblem. Only when these are united in Marth’s hands will he be able to confront the dark pontifex Gharnef, avenge the murder of his father and kidnapping of his sister, destroy Medeus once and for all and win back the kingdom of Altea. 

Turn-based gameplay challenges the player’s strategic thinking, with the nature of the terrain, the strength of enemy forces and the positioning of your own units all needing careful consideration. The Nintendo DS’s Touch Screen enables quick placement of units, and the game boasts polished graphics that make the best use of the Nintendo DS system. 

A wide range of characters, with unique powers and integrated storylines, adds depth to the game, which features a range of new side stories and several difficulty levels to suit newcomers and seasoned strategists. Using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can battle over the Internet or against one another in the same room, using their own characters – with their own special skills and experience. These battles can be enjoyed even more by using the Voice Chat feature during battle. Playing over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection also offers access to a special armoury where players can buy special items that allow them to gain a new class of character and also sell weapons to make money.  Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection also enables players to loan their battle-seasoned units to other players in order to provide a boost to that player’s forces. Additional units can be uploaded to a server and also borrowed from the server or from a friend by exchanging friend codes.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon makes its way to Europe on 5th December 2008.

The Americans who are going to come in and cry. I would mention the fact we are still missing Professor Layton and Trauam Centre New Blood (we're getting those old games in a few weeks) but I think the more apt comparison is Kirby Super Star Ultra. We have it dated for 2009. You got that game, we get this game. It sucks for both of us...

Personally. NOE have sent it to die. It'll get lost in the great flood of Christmas games and as far as Nintendo fans go Animal Crossing is coming out the same day. Its clear cut which one is going to be marketed and sell millions and which one is going to sell maybe 100'000 though probably 20'000...

Importing to America[/u]
Don't fret a number of UK online retailers will ship items to America.
GAME ship orders to America for £4.95 per order (but order cannot exceed 1kg).
Gameplay (who are owned by GAME but are sometimes cheaper) ship orders to America for £4.95 per order (but order cannot exceed 1kg).

Currently, they don't have the game listed yet (basically today is the first retailers would have heared about it from Nintendo). You should expect the online retailers i've listed though to charge £24.99 for the game so expect to pay in the reigon of $60 once shipping is done and all that (and from what I remember of US customs laws the value of the package is still low enough that it won't be taxed not like Europe )

Edit: Wait, FE1 is the most popular in the series how about no though...I'd wager Akenia to be the most popular world based on the phenomial sales of FE3...

[hyde]

Awesome news! 5 December is the day of Sinterklaas (Basically, the day we get presents, though we do celebrate Christmas and many also give presents then.) in Holland, so I can't ask it for that day. Unless my parents won't mind getting it on the same day.

But who cares? It's not going to be 2009!

[GenG]

Yeah! It's the fastest international release in the franchise. I can't wait for December 5th.

[FE3_Player]

The Americans who are going to come in and cry. I would mention the fact we are still missing Professor Layton and Trauam Centre New Blood (we're getting those old games in a few weeks) but I think the more apt comparison is Kirby Super Star Ultra. We have it dated for 2009. You got that game, we get this game. It sucks for both of us...

America has never had the privilege to cry about Europe getting games first, ever.  This is very good news for Europe to be able to get the game first.

I would say "whoo, on my birthday!" but I already have the Japanese game, heh.

[VincentASM is too important to have a messed up name]

I'm really hoping this won't go the same way as Advance Wars DS2's international release. Except this time there are 70 or so characters o__o

To recruit Alfred/Astrair, you need to talk to him with Miriam/Medea

Anyway, this is great news. I might not even have to import the game now although I probably will anyway, since the NA boxes are cooler.

[Areth]

Remember, remember, the fifth of December,
The gun... uh, powder...

Uh, nevermind.

So Britain gets Fire Emblem exactly a month after Bonfire Night.

Interesting coincidence, no?

[Superbus]

It's funny. I talk about how much worse the UK has it than us, gaming wise, but the two things they get every year that they get before the US, I end up importing, without fail: Football Manager, and Pro Evolution. This will make three.

I'm actually reviewing the import copy. Don't get excited; it's not going to score outstandingly because the online options are weak sauce, and there are some balance issues. So don't expect a 9.5. But this is a GREAT thing for us, if only because the UK is a better market right now for FE than America. That's Americans' fault, IMO.

I can attest to GAME. I import FM from there, and they ship quickly and efficiently. Everyone else is more or less out of luck; I know other places I've went to to import FM and Pro Evo won't ship to America because of software regulations (Amazon.uk does this).

[Jarod the dark mage]

Great...! the prefect timing for the dutch i'dd say..

[Ferry Fer the Dancing Queen of West New Orleens]

America has never had the privilege to cry about Europe getting games first, ever.

Umm you guys got Tingle RPG

Meanwhile, Reggie Fils-Aime continues to wonder why US gamers are never satisfied.

[BlackFire]

Oh dear, awesome news.

[Superbus]

Umm you guys got Tingle RPG

Meanwhile, Reggie Fils-Aime continues to wonder why US gamers are never satisfied.

He's right.

If we get FE:DS during the Christmas rush, it will get absolutely obliterated, sales-wise. It's running against too many big names (because Americans - especially the casual buyers at that time - only care about big names), and sales numbers for FE10 were poor. I would do the same thing in Nintendo's place.

So it's going to cost me £30, give or take, to import. I'll live. It's worth it, and this is coming from someone that's almost beaten the bloody thing in Japanese, and is reviewing it.

[Ferry Fer the Dancing Queen of West New Orleens]

Radiant Dawn got shoveled in during the same season with Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Halo 3, Bioshock, and way too many other AAA titles for it to even stand a chance of competing. This holiday, Nintendo's flagship titles are Wii Music and Animal Crossing Wii, with few or no AAA titles coming out for the DS or PSP. Fire Emblem has also predominantly a hardcore and casualcore franchise, and FE:DS does have the advantage of Marth over Radiant Dawn. I could go on about the differences between the two titles.

i'm not quite sure we're even talking about the same thing if anything at all

[Superbus]

In terms of maximizing sales, it's still going to have to go against AAA titles on the PS3 and 360; games like Gears of War 2, LittleBigPlanet, etc. It's going to be a loaded time for all systems, and I like their decision to wait a few months, to release it during a slow time, where there's maximum exposure.

Yes, it has Marth. Yes, it's on the DS, which is a little friendlier to hardcore gamers than the super-casual Wii. Yes, it's going in during a somewhat weaker time compared to last year. Doesn't matter, because at this point, I want the game coming out at a time when it's going to get the maximum numbers possible. This game CANNOT sell poorly in any English speaking country.

[Foxy-Woxy The Sandwich Scout]

This at least signifies that Nintendo isn't planning on keeping FE: DS as a Japan-only title, which means that we'll eventually see it stateside. From what I understand, Fire Emblem is also more popular over there than it is here, so it makes perfect sense for them to get it before us. So long as I know it will, at some point, see an American release (and considering the coverage it's received in Nintendo Power, it's going to) I'll be happy.

[Ferry Fer the Dancing Queen of West New Orleens]

Slow times are slow because fewer consumers look to buy games after the big holiday rush; games not being released during the period are a consequence, not just the cause.

The hardcore buy videogames no matter when they come out, while casualcore may get swayed by marketing and casual purely by word-of-mouth. This is especially important for FE since it isn't considered a AAA game. If you look at past trends for portable FE games...

FE7
FE8

There are two big trends you notice: FE relies on monthly staying power for its sales, and FE7 was released during the holiday season, and sold much better than FE8, which released during the spring. In either case, FE:DS would fare much better with a holiday 2008 release.

[JohnMichael]

...

In the words of Bender, "Ah crap! It's a miracle!"

All this time I've been holding out for UK a release in Summer 2009, when most of my work will be suitably out of the way. Damnation.

Maybe I'll just buy the game when it comes out, and then see how long I can patiently wait before buying an actual DS. At least that way I won't be playing it immediately.

On the other hand I'm somehow managing to juggle a playthrough of FE4 alongside my course, albeit at the sacrifice of just about everything other than those two things (farewell, writing; see you in a week or two...)

I still have some time to decide. I'll have a better idea closer to the time just how busy I'm going to be between now and summer.

[FE3_Player]

I'm actually reviewing the import copy. Don't get excited; it's not going to score outstandingly because the online options are weak sauce, and there are some balance issues.

There are indeed balance issues, but very few games are balanced, and only a couple of characters truly break the game.  It's better that there are many average/subpar characters than too many broken characters (and the hard modes balance out what's considered 'overpowered', since there's a difference between overpowered and broken).

I would say that FEDS is much better balanced than most FE games, by a long shot.

[Superbus]

There are indeed balance issues, but very few games are balanced, and only a couple of characters truly break the game.  It's better that there are many average/subpar characters than too many broken characters (and the hard modes balance out what's considered 'overpowered', since there's a difference between overpowered and broken).

I would say that FEDS is much better balanced than most FE games, by a long shot.

Agreed. But remember that I can't review it exclusively against other FE games. I have to review it as a game in a massive sea of games, and in a massive sea of SRPGs.

It's better than most. But it's also going up against games like Disgaea, Shining Force, etc. And the online options - including purchasing promotion items online only - are WEAK, and NEED to go away in the UK/US version.

[FE3_Player]

DS Online games have always been pretty weak in some way.  MPH would have come close to being as viable as other online games if it weren't for game glitches that hurt the game more than helped it.  With that said, I consider the WiFi a side dish like Link Arena was.  FEDS has bigger complaints, to be honest, such as lack of support conversations (US fans are going to never stop complaining).  At least with a Euro/US release, people may be able to start a small Friend Code list to play with people with rentals units.

I agree that waiting on a daily basis for certain items is pointless, but nothing worth marking off points for since the only real item you really need from it is Elysian Whip, while everything else from it are just an icing on the cake (such as Hero weapons).

[SlippyToasterTrooper_UK]

including purchasing promotion items online only - are WEAK, and NEED to go away in the UK/US version.

Given the press release mentions an online exclusive class (or something along those lines...these things are always fuzzy as its Japanese > German > English) it sounds like the online shop being the only places to get Falcoknights is here to stay

As for sales. On the 8th of December we'll talk bout it. In the UK chart track will release charts for for the 1st-6th December on that date (about 6PM UK time). These include all format and individual format (basically see how badly the Wii version of FIFA 09' really did as if the blurb of PC, Wii & DS total 4% didn't make it clear) top 40s and a DS top 50. With any luck Fire Emblem should be in the last one (it would make a franchise first ). These are the most extensive charts you'll get for any European country (no sales numbers mind you).

Though speaking form a UK perspective Fire Emblem generally goes like this. Mainstream retailers (supermarkets, electrical stores, woolworths etc) don't have any stock of it and specialist retailers (HMV, Zavii*, Blockbuster, GAME, Gamestation) tend to get about 5 copies in.

If Nintendo were to push it performance might improve but given how Magic Made fun was pushed (in-store countdowns which showed the game off) and bombed dreadfully (it was half-price about 2 weeks after launch) it might be a case of Nintendo usually pushes games that will be a sucess but the game is the true catalyst.

*-Formerly Virgin Megastores

Anyway, this is great news. I might not even have to import the game now although I probably will anyway, since the NA boxes are cooler.

The box is cooler (thiner because the manual isn't about 500 pages long plus the GBA slot actually works properly) but the spines drives me nuts. At least with Europe its always white background and Japan black background.