In today’s Fire Emblem Direct, Nintendo announced that Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a remake of the Japan exclusive Fire Emblem Gaiden, is coming to the Nintendo 3DS this May.
Fire Emblem Gaiden is the second entry in the Fire Emblem franchise and first came out for the NES in 1992. It featured several new features for the time such as a navigable overworld. It follows the story of Alm and Celica as they participate in a war that divides the continent of Valentia.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a complete remake of the original game, featuring 3D models, new art design, voiced characters, and even animated cut scenes by Studio Khara. The Nintendo Direct states that every aspect of Gaiden has been updated and that every line of dialogue is fully voiced, a first in the franchise.
Just like the original Gaiden, Echoes seeks to introduce some new elements to the franchise as well. One of which are dungeons which players can explore in full 3D and feature free battles.
Some fans are speculating that Fire Emblem Echoes is actually a new series planned by IntSys in an attempt to see if there is an interest for remakes of the older Fire Emblem titles, especially those that never left Japan. If Shadows of Valentia succeeds, we may see more remakes on the way soon.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia arrives to the Nintendo 3DS on May 19, 2017. Nintendo will also release Amiibo figures of protagonists Alm and Celica alongside the game on May 19.
The Nintendo Direct also talked about a currently unnamed Fire Emblem game for the Switch coming in 2018, the Koei Tecmo spin-off Fire Emblem Warriors coming to the Switch and New Nintendo 3DS this fall, and finally the mobile game Fire Emblem Heroes which arrives this February in the Google Play Store.
