Iwata Asks - Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon


Eighteen Years Ago
Sakurai
In this latest version of Fire Emblem, using a local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, it’s possible to have Units that you’ve trained fight each other in a duel.
Narihiro
They’re called “Rental Units,” and you can have your friends lend you really powerful Units. I have high expectations for this feature. Like an exchange of good will, I think this is similar to trusting your own kids to a neighborhood friend, or you can think of it as the two players play a friendly game of catch.
Sakurai
A friendly game of catch…!? When I first heard about the online feature, I conjured up an image of clashing swords.
Narihiro
Well, a remote match play of sword vs. sword is also possible of course among friends. On the other hand, a loan Unit is an element that can save you.
Sakurai
How does it work?
Narihiro
When you play for a while, a special mode gets added to the Extras menu. When you have Units of the same name in your army, you’re able to borrow Units. This feature is most effective when there’s no way for you win a battle on the map. That is, by borrowing a well-developed Unit from a friend you can break out of a tight spot.
Sakurai
Aaaah, I get it. Does a Unit you lend to a friend disappear indefinitely?
Narihiro
The Unit still remains even when you lend it out, so there’s no need to worry.
Sakurai
If that’s so then handing out your finest Units to friends would be a lot of fun. It’s a chance to demo your skill as a builder of tough Units.
Narihiro
Yes, that’s right. In this game, I think the interaction with friends is an important aspect. This is a rather personal story, but beginning this year (this interview was held in 2008), I’ve had an epoch-changing event in my life…
Sakurai
By epoch-changing event, you mean?
Narihiro
My daughter started to play Fire Emblem.
Sakurai
That is an event, a breakthrough even!
Narihiro
(laughing) My son was already playing Fire Emblem by then, but my daughter who is now a high school student never indicated the slightest interest. However, a classmate of hers really likes Fire Emblem. So it seems that girl taught my daughter how to play. So, she’s started playing Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones9.

9. The Sacred Stones: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (8th of the FE series, 2nd installment released in the US) released May, 2005 for the GameBoy Advance

Sakurai
Hearing this much of the story, your family seems really close.
Narihiro
Of course!
Sakurai
Being the game’s producer, her own dad could have taught her how to play much sooner…
Narihiro
Well, you know, she’s shy… But for me too, it was a real discovery. We have a shelf at home that’s lined up with the entire Fire Emblem series, and my daughter who previously had no interest in the game was turned on to Fire Emblem by her friend.
Sakurai
I see…
Narihiro
So a friend performs a truly important role in the gaming experience as well. When the NES version of Fire Emblem first went on sale, almost nothing was sold in the first two months. At that time, people looked at the screen but only a few felt any interest. However, the game slowly spread by word of mouth and after a few months it began selling well. Without a doubt, getting recommended from other people is a very big aspect of this game I think.
Sakurai
That’s true. For that to happen, an opportunity is needed. Whether you have a friend like that or not makes a big difference. For me, watching first-hand how that programmer got caught up in the game was a big chance to start playing Fire Emblem. Knowing that it’s definitely going to be fun once you start playing, that opportunity to get people to try it out I think is very important.
Narihiro
Making those opportunities beyond friendship is also important. If I was endowed with your kind of power, I’d do something like Smash Bros. DOJO!!!10 (laughing).
Sakurai
Hah ha ha (laughing). Would you really? A Fire Emblem Dojo!!!? But hey, that’s pretty involved.
Narihiro
I find that kind of developing very hard to do.

10. Smash Bros. DOJO!: Official homepage managed by Sakurai, the developer of Smash Bros

Sakurai
Besides being hard, I’m always bothering people around me to do such and such, so I sometimes ask myself if maybe I should take it easier… But, the Fire Emblem World11 website is even more active and lively.
Narihiro
Nintendo has been helping us so that the Fire Emblem homepage provides and promotes a treasure trove of information. If an opportunity arises, I would like to hold events and other promotions.

11. Fire Emblem World is the official homepage for the Fire Emblem in Japan.

Sakurai
Well, how about doing a Fire Emblem event!
Narihiro
Saying it like that it sounds very shady! (laughs)
Sakurai
You could hold match competitions? How about it?
Narihiro
Yes, and this time we can hold matches via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Sakurai
Looking forward to it. So, to start wrapping things up, can you give us a final message for veteran and aspiring players?
Narihiro
For me, I think of the Fire Emblem series as a “slow game”.
Sakurai
Slow game…?
Narihiro
It’s not “slow food” or “slow life,” but I think it’s a game you can enjoy leisurely at your pace.
Sakurai
Hmm, Fire Emblem as a slow game…. You probably feel that way because that is a reflection of the way you play the game.
Narihiro
Yeah I think so (laughing). People who aren’t so good at action games can have fun too, and since it’s not a game where you compete for time or points, I want people to take pleasure in playing the game slowly at their speed. The story is easy to take in, and so for even people who’ve never touched games before, if someone bought it by mistake…
Sakurai
Mistakenly buy Fire Emblem, would that be easy to do? (laughing)
Narihiro
It’s a play on words (laughing). But, if you tried playing it just by accident, you’d become deeply absorbed in the adventure. There are the Savepoint and Class Change features we just talked about, and there are also tutorial cards that explain in an easy to understand way how the game can be played, that can be read during the game. So by all means I want first timers to play as well.
Sakurai
Saying it differently, you especially want those who might ask “What is Fire Emblem?” to give the game a try.
Narihiro
Of course I’d also like anyone who knows Fire Emblem already to try and have fun with this latest iteration that has been reborn on the Nintendo DS. When we mention simulation games, most of them handle a large number of parameters, and some are the type of games in which players must control enormous systems. But in Fire Emblem, we aim for something that can be played with the fewest parameters possible. I would like for the players to have fun with the numbers at a pace that is comfortable to them.
Sakurai
Thank you very much!
 
*Be sure to check out the Bonus Stage of the interview.

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© 2008-2009 Nintendo / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. Fire Emblem and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2009 Nintendo.

© 2008-2009 Nintendo / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. Fire Emblem and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2009 Nintendo.