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Fire Emblem Awakening Review Thread | 9s, 9s (almost) everywhere

9/10?

Those are good odds!

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DAMMIT!
The worst thing.
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

That's so awesome. With either Treehouse or 8-4, you know you're getting quality.
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)

Thank you for the hard work. We can't wait to play it!
 
So far I've finished chapter 6 (each chapter is 1 battle), which is not that far in the game, but I'm loving it. The gameplay mechanics follow the usual Fire Emblem formula, which means it's easy to learn and well-balanced. The new feature is character pairing, which will affect how you position your troops.

What really sets Awakening apart is the user-friendly experience and the amazing presentation. SRPGs might have a reputation for being brutal and complex, but Awakening is very accommodating to newbies. When starting a new game, you can select Casual mode, which removes the permadeath element, and allows you to save mid-battle and reload as many times as you want. Furthermore, the flow of battle is quick and smooth, and there's various options to increase the speed if you wish to. The music, visuals, cutscenes, animations, etc. are all gorgeous. The interface is well-designed and the touchscreen functionality fits perfectly.

If you're itching for an SRPG, don't hesitate to buy Fire Emblem: Awakening.
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)

Do you have any idea whether they'll be using 8-4's localisation for other English-speaking countries?
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)

Was this Project X?
 
Regarding the GT spoilers:

I believe you find out that
Marth is actually a girl
quite early in the game in chapter
_6_
.

It's not that big a deal, and the game's story has a lot more to offer and build on than that fact.
 
Question: does anyone know how long it is? If you just do the story battles.

From the OT FAQ:

How long is the game?

For now, I can't speak from personal experience, as I haven't played the game, but judging from other FE's and impressions on the Japanese version of this game, expect at least 15-20 hours. A lot more if you include the side chapters and DLC. If you're into it, multiple playthroughs can result in different pairings for different support conversations and children with different stats.
 
Do you have any idea whether they'll be using 8-4's localisation for other English-speaking countries?
I'm not sure what's kosher to talk about but I think it's safe to say the game isn't getting completely retranslated or anything, if that's what you're concerned about. It'll probably be similar to Shadow Dragon, where they used our work as a base but made minor modifications here and there to suit their audience. (Plus all those extraneous u's and nixing of z's.)

Project X...I suppose we'll talk about that on the next podcast. :)

Thank you for the kind words, BTW!
 
Great to see the Fire Emblem love. Props to 8-4 on the fantastic translation and localisation. This might be the best one since 7 for me. Might actually top it but Im still pretty early in the game.
 
I'm not sure what's kosher to talk about but I think it's safe to say the game isn't getting completely retranslated or anything, if that's what you're concerned about. It'll probably be similar to Shadow Dragon, where they used our work as a base but made minor modifications here and there to suit their audience. (Plus all those extraneous u's and nixing of z's.)

Project X...I suppose we'll talk about that on the next podcast. :)

Thank you for the kind words, BTW!

So, this shouldn't be Project X, if I'm understanding correcly.
 
God damn. Guess I have to check this out. Would be my first foray into FE. The closest things I would have played in terms of gameplay style are FFT, Advance Wars and Suikoden. I think. How do they compare?
 
God damn. Guess I have to check this out. Would be my first foray into FE. The closest things I would have played in terms of gameplay style are FFT, Advance Wars and Suikoden. I think. How do they compare?

Fire Emblem plays very much like those games. In fact, Advance Wars and Fire Emblem are made by the very same development team. Key difference would have to be that Fire Emblem's units are all unique and personified and the game has a bigger focus on RPG elements than Advance Wars, plus the permadeath thing but it's optional in Awakening.
 
I'm not sure what's kosher to talk about but I think it's safe to say the game isn't getting completely retranslated or anything, if that's what you're concerned about. It'll probably be similar to Shadow Dragon, where they used our work as a base but made minor modifications here and there to suit their audience. (Plus all those extraneous u's and nixing of z's.)

Project X...I suppose we'll talk about that on the next podcast. :)

Thank you for the kind words, BTW!

You're killing us here. AHHHHH
 
I'm not sure what's kosher to talk about but I think it's safe to say the game isn't getting completely retranslated or anything, if that's what you're concerned about. It'll probably be similar to Shadow Dragon, where they used our work as a base but made minor modifications here and there to suit their audience. (Plus all those extraneous u's and nixing of z's.)

Oh, that's fantastic! Thanks for the reply. :)
 
Super Circuit is brilliant! Dat drifting.

Really looking forward to this, just waiting on a UK date.

Yep, Super Circuit was awesome, some of the best tracks ever made (sunset wilds, sky garden...) and perfect gameplay. Maybe too technical for a MK.

Anyway, waiting for your impressions guys, NoE forgot this game...
 
Can't wait to get this. I just started this series with playing sacred stones on my 3DS a couple of weeks ago and I'm pretty addicted to it.

Hope it sells well!
 
I'm not sure what's kosher to talk about but I think it's safe to say the game isn't getting completely retranslated or anything, if that's what you're concerned about. It'll probably be similar to Shadow Dragon, where they used our work as a base but made minor modifications here and there to suit their audience. (Plus all those extraneous u's and nixing of z's.)

So a few slight name changes and such i'm wagering, good news to hear.
 
For real? Should I give Super Circuit a second chance? I just remember it being really slippery and overall not too fun.

Also, I want a Fire Emblem avatar but I can't decide... I guess I'm going with Alm at the moment.
 
It has to be Project X. Now that we know they did the full localization and not just translation, the timing seems to line up...
 
I didn't know Fire Emblem had such a following here.

I've never played a FE game before, but I may give this a try. It has been quite a while since I picked up my 3DS.
 
It's common to see disliked games called "bad games" by disappointed fans, when what actually represents a bad game is far and away a different thing.

A "bad" Intelligent Systems game is better than what most could pull off.

Sticker Star is not a bad game. Sticker Star IS a bad Paper Mario game (as is SPM).

And to keep it on topic, FE is probably my favorite RPG series of all time, just for the simple fact that it's an SRPG. SRPG is best RPG.
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)

Really appreciate your work on this! Looking forward to the interview.
 
I disagree, it absolutely is. It's their big Q1 game. Big marketing push behind it including commercials on TV, new 3DS bundle with the game included, available both retail and digital. And it has Marth/really pushing that fact since everyone knows him from Smash Bros.

They are definitely treating this (a first for Fire Emblem, at least in the west) as a tentpole 3DS release.


It absolutely is.



Tentpole release is not every game with marketing. Pokemon, Halo, GTA, those are tentpole releases. A tentpole is when something is crucial to the company with high sales expectations. I'd argue the only Tentpole release on 3DS all year will be Pokemon X/Y and for Capcom, Monster Hunter 4 in Japan.

Also, you guys are crazy to think Fire Emblem is a bigger Q1 release than Luigi's Mansion. Luigi's Mansion will sell 5x what Fire Emblem on 3DS sells.


With all that said, I can't frickin' wait for Fire Emblem, and I agree it's finally getting the proper marketing treatment it deserves.
 
So a few slight name changes and such i'm wagering, good news to hear.

Definitely expect name changes. We already know that the boss of the Prologue has a different name in the European version, although as far as name changes go for more significant characters and such that's something I've yet to see, but I wouldn't doubt that.
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)
I've really enjoyed your work on the game so far of what I've played. Thanks! Looking forward to that as well.
 
Is Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones a good game to try out this series with?

I mean I already have it on my 3DS as part of the Ambassador program, but I haven't actually tried it out yet.

If you already have it as an Ambassador, sure. As far as I know, it's considered easily the weaker of the two GBA entries, but if you just want to try the series out it's finne.
 
This is nice to see. A fresh updating of the series with great production values that's well-received. And a demo that actually was compelling.

I'm super hyped.
 
That's really disappointing. I wonder why.

Still can't wait to download this on Monday though.

1. Because they included the Japanese track
2. Because the removed voices are those of young children and someone figured they would be the least missed
 
I can confirm now 8-4 actually did do the full localization, under the watchful eye (as always) of the Treehouse (specifically the man, the myth, the legend: Rich Amtower). I can't lie -- we worked -really- hard on it and are super-proud of how it turned out, really hope all you guys and gals enjoy it...

BTW, you might have seen us mention it on Twitter but we did an interview/studio visit with the Awakening developers at Nintendo/Intelligent Systems, including some fan questions, that should go up someplace soon-ish. "Please look forward to it," as they say ;)

I've said before that if it isn't Treehouse, I hope it's 8-4 because it's tough to tell the difference.

The series means a lot to me, so thanks for working so hard. Looking forward to the interview.
 
Tentpole release is not every game with marketing. Pokemon, Halo, GTA, those are tentpole releases. A tentpole is when something is crucial to the company with high sales expectations. I'd argue the only Tentpole release on 3DS all year will be Pokemon X/Y and for Capcom, Monster Hunter 4 in Japan.

Also, you guys are crazy to think Fire Emblem is a bigger Q1 release than Luigi's Mansion. Luigi's Mansion will sell 5x what Fire Emblem on 3DS sells.


With all that said, I can't frickin' wait for Fire Emblem, and I agree it's finally getting the proper marketing treatment it deserves.

Wiki said:
The term tent-pole refers to a broadcast programming or motion picture expected to hold up (as is the function of a tent pole) and balance out the financial performance of a movie studio or television network. In the movie business, tent-poles are sometimes widely-released initial offerings in a string of releases and are expected by studios to turn a profit in a short period of time. Such programming is often accompanied by larger budgets and heavy promotion.

Contextualized, the definition fits. The problem is that you're tiering "tent-poles" and excluding the lower tier. I'm not going to argue this further as to not shit up the thread, but feel free to believe whatever you want.
 
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