Which games are most likely to see remakes

[lenticular]

We've probably all heard some version of the rumours that there's going to be a remake of Genealogy of the Holy War at some point, and even if we hadn't, it's not exactly a bold prediction to guess that we might get another Fire Emblem remake at some point in the not too distant future. So let's look at the whole series and think about which games are likely to be remade and which aren't.

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Famicom): This has already seen up to three distinct remakes, depending on exactly what you do and don't count as a remake. There are two ways of looking at this. On the one hand, you can look at it and say that it absolutely doesn't need yet another remake. On the other hand, you could say that IS/Nintendo really love remaking this so it wouldn't be that big a surprise if they decided to do it again. Overall chance: more likely than I'd like (still not that likely).

Gaiden (Famicom): Was remade far too recently for a new remake to be plausible. A port of Shadows of Valentia to the Switch is just about believable, but it would be building off SoV directly rather than going back to Gaiden. Overall chance: not happening.

Mystery of the Emblem (Super Famicom): The final game that has already seen a remake, which makes it unlikely. But on the other hand, no version of it has ever made it out of Japan, so there is still an untapped market for it. And it was mega-popular in Japan, so there might be a nostalgia market there too. Overall chance: just barely plausible.

Genealogy of the Holy War (Super Famicom): Even if you ignore the rumours, this would still be an obvious choice. It's the earliest entry that hasn't been remade yet, and it also has a lot in common with the super-successful Three Houses, which makes it easy to market. Overall chance: feels like more of a "when" than an "if".

Thracia 776 (Super Famicom): Everything about this can be used as both an argument for or against a remake. Hardly anyone played it, so there's no nostalgia market/so it would be new and exciting for more players. Its story is closely tied to Genealogy so it wouldn't make sense on its own/so it would be a natural tie-in or follow-up to a Genealogy remake. Its gameplay is notoriously unfriendly to new players so it wouldn't fit modern gamer tastes/so it's most in need of a remake. Overall chances: Maybe after/alongside a Genealogy remake, but not otherwise.

Binding Blade and Blazing Blade (GBA): Going to talk about these together because it's highly likely that if they remake one then they'll remake the other too, either as part of the same package or one after the other. As the last Japan-only and first international release, they're in an interesting place in terms of series history. They also have popular lords in Roy (the Smash Bros effect) and Lyn (the West's first lord). They're also over 20 years old at this point, which was older than Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light was when it got its DS remake. Overall chances: pretty good.

Sacred Stones (GBA): It's hard for me to imagine why they'd choose to remake Sacred Stones instead of the Elibe games. It's largely comparable to those two games but just not quite as strong a choice. It's chronologically more recent, and its lords aren't as popular. I guess maybe if they want to do both Elibe games in a single package but want to do a smaller GBA remake first? I don't really see it, though. Overall chances: unlikely.

Path of Radiance (GameCube): A game that didn't seel well originally but has turned into something of a fan favourite/cult classic seems ripe for a remake, especially given how expensive the original now is to buy second hand. And also especially given that Ike is one of the more popular characters from the series (that Smash Bros effect again). But on the other hand, is the GameCube too recent to justify a remake? Maybe so. Nintendo have never released GameCube titles on Virtual Console or Switch online, so they might prefer to have this in their back pocket for when they do inevitably finally do so on their next console. Overall chances: possible.

Radiant Dawn (Wii): This is entirely reliant on a Path of Radiance remake happening first. If there is a Path of Radiance remake then this is almost certain to follow unless PoR completely bombs. On the other hand, if there's no Path of Radiance remake then it would make no sense at all to make a Radiant Dawn remake first. Overall chances: only after Path of Radiance.

Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem (DS): Specifically remaking a remake would be a weird choice, especially since neither one of these was particularly successful. If they do want to do yet another remake, they're more likely to go back to the drawing board and remake the originals. A few of the remake ideas might remain, but I can't see them leaning on them too heavily or marketing them as being remakes of the DS versions. Might see a rerelease on Switch Online, and a translation of New Mystery is just barely this side of plausible, but nothing beyond that. Overall chances: close to zero.

Awakening, Fates and Shadows of Valentia (3DS): These all feel far too recent to be remade for a while yet (even though Awakening now is only 5 years younger than Mystery of the Emblem was when it was remade). The tail end of the 3DS's life overlapped with the start of the Switch's life. It's possible that they might get a port to Switch, maybe with upscaled graphics or with some sort of special edition, but a full remake seems very unlikely. Overall chances: remakes aren't happening; ports are more likely (but still not super likely).

Three Houses and Engage (Switch): I mean, obviously not. I'm going to trust that I don't even need to explain why. I suppose they might get a port when Nintendo's next console comes out. Overall chances: No.

Archanea Saga (aka BS Fire Emblem) (Satellaview): Too small to be remade on its own, but might get thrown in alongside remakes of the two Archanea games. Overall chances: slim.

Warriors (3DS & Switch) and Three Hopes (Switch): Not only are these both on Switch already, but if there are any future Warriors games, I can't imagine why they'd want to focus on characters from specific old games rather than either going with the whole series or specific games that are still the new hotness. Overall chances: nope.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE (Wii U & Switch): Even in the future when this isn't already available on the most recent hardware, this is still never getting remade because of how much of a commercial flop it was. The best chance for this ever seeing light of day again is for it to show up when Wii U games finally get added to the Virtual Console/Switch Online equivalent in 2040. Overall chances: never going to happen.

Heroes (mobile): It's still current and still getting updated. And even when that isn't the case any more, it's far more likely to see a sequel than a remake. Overall chances: not a chance.

FE: TCG and Cypher (paper): I don't even know why I'm putting these here other than that they're technically Fire Emblem games and I'm an obsessive completionist. If they do decide to return to the TCG space, I imagine it would be with a new product. Overall chances: seems unlikely.

[Hrothgar777]

Genealogy: Yes, and I'll go so far as to predict it's going to be announced in the September 2023 Nintendo Direct. And no, I'm not "coping" as I ultimately concluded it probably wouldn't be announced in the June Direct. A new console means heightened quality expectations, which is more work, so I think Nintendo's going to shoot for the last leg of the Switch's life span to keep new console hype from making the final product seem like a disappointment, which means they won't wait much longer before announcing it. My guess is, there's a better than 50% chance we'll have it sometime next year.

Thracia: Yes, I think it'll be shoehorned in with Genealogy either as something playable from the moment you first boot up the main menu, as unlockable side content when you progress enough in Genealogy, or as a purchasable DLC. The story is too tied in with Genealogy for, say, a 5-year wait between FE4 remake and a FE5 remake. By then people would have forgotten what the FE4 remake was about, so they wouldn't be able to effectively market it unless the two are packaged together.

Three GBA games: Probably not a remake. I suspect one day they'll be sold in a bundle together like the MMBN Legacy Collection, with little if any change to the original code. Granted, the fact that one's already been made available online throws this into question. Though I guess they could still justify this by throwing in some bonus content, like a "Maddening" mode, online play, special artwork, etc.

Anything beyond that: It's much too early to say. There's extremely little precedent when it comes to remaking games from the 3D era. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Hrothgar777

[Zapp Branniglenn]

BS Fire Emblem's remake was packed into FE12 as Extra chapters separate from the main campaign, so they're way ahead of you on that. If they do do Archanea again, I'm hoping for transfer saves between books. With competent base stat versions of units for those that skipped ahead or didn't level up that unit enough to surpass them - like FE10's Sothe

To be honest everything I've heard about Three Hopes points to it being a Three Houses remake. And probably not the least faithful one. The Shadow Dragon remake on DS carved out half of FE3 and sold it as a separate 40 dollar game. If we're still willing to call that a remake, why not the one that turned FE16 into an action game but kept all the same characters and mechanics? Three Hopes even has a lot of the same staff from the original. So don't count out the Engage Warriors remake, that's the most likely FE I'd expect to get announced as the last Switch fire emblem game. The game that's supposed to buy time for the untitled Super Switch FE teaser. The game that Nintendo orders to prove "we're still supporting the Switch in 2025" the way they did with the 3DS's remakes in 2017-19

[Jotari]

I feel like Binding Blade is the second most popular idea for a remake after Genealogy and I kind of question why. Well I guess the notion of finally having it in officially stamped English is a big reason, but beyond that I see very little need for a Binding Blade remake. It's already a great game as is, and I don't think putting it in 3D (of questionable cinematic quality) and giving it voice acting will really make it much better. I'd much rather see Path of Radiance remade even though it's newer because that game does have some issues in regards to it's gameplay.

[lenticular]

3 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

BS Fire Emblem's remake was packed into FE12 as Extra chapters separate from the main campaign, so they're way ahead of you on that.

Yeah, I know. I meant to imply that they might bundle it in with another remake again, but I didn't explicitly say so.

3 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

To be honest everything I've heard about Three Hopes points to it being a Three Houses remake. And probably not the least faithful one. The Shadow Dragon remake on DS carved out half of FE3 and sold it as a separate 40 dollar game. If we're still willing to call that a remake, why not the one that turned FE16 into an action game but kept all the same characters and mechanics? Three Hopes even has a lot of the same staff from the original. So don't count out the Engage Warriors remake, that's the most likely FE I'd expect to get announced as the last Switch fire emblem game. The game that's supposed to buy time for the untitled Super Switch FE teaser. The game that Nintendo orders to prove "we're still supporting the Switch in 2025" the way they did with the 3DS's remakes in 2017-19

I don't think of Three Hopes as a remake and haven't heard anyone else refer to it as such, but definitely if you do think of it that way then the likelihood of an Engage remake goes way up.

1 hour ago, Jotari said:

I feel like Binding Blade is the second most popular idea for a remake after Genealogy and I kind of question why. Well I guess the notion of finally having it in officially stamped English is a big reason, but beyond that I see very little need for a Binding Blade remake. It's already a great game as is, and I don't think putting it in 3D (of questionable cinematic quality) and giving it voice acting will really make it much better. I'd much rather see Path of Radiance remade even though it's newer because that game does have some issues in regards to it's gameplay.

For me personally, as someone who doesn't do emulators, actually getting a localised version that I can play would be a big deal to me. But beyond that, one thing that I would really want to see in any remake of the GBA games is an improvement to the support system. Mainly the ability to actually unlock the damn things without falling asleep pressing end turn a few hundred times. Actually seeing the supports would have made me enjoy Sacred Stones and Blazing Blade way more than I did.

Also -- unpopular opinion alert! -- I kinda hate the graphics on the GBA games. I know they're widely beloved, but they just don't do it for me at all.

[Acacia Sgt]

3 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

The Shadow Dragon remake on DS carved out half of FE3 and sold it as a separate 40 dollar game.

Eh, what? Shadow Dragon is a remake of the first game, not the first half of the third.

[Dark Holy Elf]

I assume a remake has to be a pretty major overhaul to count for this thread, so that e.g. Tokyo Mirage Sessions' Switch version doesn't count.

I do expect Awakening and probably Fates will get remasters at some point in the next few years; they're big-sellers so have a large group of fans who would probably pay money for them again, and another set of fans who maybe started with 3H (or Engage?) who want to play them but can't as they're marooned on an increasingly irrelevant 3DS. I imagine they will probably come with at least minor graphical upgrades and obviously will need re-done interfaces to not rely on the dual screen. If this qualifies as a remake I'd honestly move it right to the top of the list, except perhaps Genealogy (due to a combination of being "next in line" and having a claimed leak).

[Fire Emblem Fan]

I think Genealogy of the Holy War is definitely getting a remake, it's a matter of "when" and not "if." Thracia has a chance to get bundled in with it. Otherwise, I only see Thracia getting the remake treatment if Genealogy sells enough. Binding Blade and Blazing Blade I think will also both definitely get remakes, they both have pretty darn popular and marketable lead characters, and Blazing is a popular game in and of itself with a cast that's mostly pretty well-liked.

I'm unsure about Sacred Stones and the Tellius games, I'm not sure if Sacred is really all that high on Nintendo's list and I have to wonder if they'd just do an HD "upgrade" for Tellius. I kind of expect that HD treatment for Awakening rather than a remake, and potentially the same for Fates.

Gaiden is definitely not getting remade again, at least not anytime within the next two decades.

Mystery of the Emblem, I'm more mixed on. I don't know if they'll really take into consideration that the territories outside of Japan still have no localized version of Mystery's Book 2. If they do, then maybe they'll simply pull an EarthBound Beginnings and translate and localize it? Editing it slightly for home consoles, of course, because of the second screen on the DS.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

My first guess: Genealogy remake, with Thracia as DLC, on the Switch in 2024. Then another original game (2026) on the Switch's successor, and finally, the Elibe pair remade on that same console (2028).

My second guess: Same as above, but put the Elibe games in 2024, and the Jugdral games in 2028.

My third guess: IS isn't doing remakes anymore. Instead, they're doing time-limited rereleases of JPN-only games, into English, as they did with FE1. We get Old Mystery in late 2023, Genealogy in mid-2024, and FE6 in early 2025.

1 hour ago, Fire Emblem Fan said:

Mystery of the Emblem, I'm more mixed on. I don't know if they'll really take into consideration that the territories outside of Japan still have no localized version of Mystery's Book 2. If they do, then maybe they'll simply pull an EarthBound Beginnings and translate and localize it? Editing it slightly for home consoles, of course, because of the second screen on the DS.

I'm sure it'd just be easier for them to port Old Mystery, since it already plays on Super Famicom Online. Plus, there's way less text to translate. The DS remake is obviously the richer package, but the SNES original has more "prestige" to it.

2 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Eh, what? Shadow Dragon is a remake of the first game, not the first half of the third.

Wrys, Darros, and the Pyrathi map: "aight imma head out."

I do think the music was adapted from the SNES version, though.

4 hours ago, Jotari said:

I feel like Binding Blade is the second most popular idea for a remake after Genealogy and I kind of question why. Well I guess the notion of finally having it in officially stamped English is a big reason, but beyond that I see very little need for a Binding Blade remake. It's already a great game as is, and I don't think putting it in 3D (of questionable cinematic quality) and giving it voice acting will really make it much better. I'd much rather see Path of Radiance remade even though it's newer because that game does have some issues in regards to it's gameplay.

Curiously, I kinda feel the same way towards Genealogy, of all games. I worry that a remake would remove a lot of the "jank" that defines the games. Whether it's smaller stuff (you need the Pursuit skill to double), or more significant (these maps are too big! time to split them up). While I'm not opposed to a remake changing some things up, I don't want them to make something that feels like "a normal Fire Emblem game".

Still, even with minimal core changes to FE4 (or FE6), a remake would add: an English translation; a way to play it on modern hardware; casual mode and rewinding; additional difficulty levels; sprites that actually fucking blink for the love of god close your eyes you are in a desert there's sand everywhere you are going to go blind; and, an orchestral take on the soundtrack. I think these, on their own, would be enough to warrant a remake to me. But that's a call that everyone has to make in their own right. Some want more, others want... less.

[Jotari]

1 hour ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Wrys, Darros, and the Pyrathi map: "aight imma head out."

I do think the music was adapted from the SNES version, though.

Well actually they kind of did adapt Book 1 over the NES game when they had the chance. Not in the script but in the actual maps. This is Altea in Shadow Dragon NES

https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/File:Cm_fe01_16.png

And this is it in book 1

https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/File:Cm_fe03_b1_13.png

And this is it on DS

https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/File:Cm_fe11_16.png

It's a lot blockier on NES with square flat coastlines, while on the SNES it has a lot more peninsulas. The DS version is a tile for tile recreation of the SNES map, not the NES one. It's even more noticable in the Altea Castle chapter, where they kept the moat from Old Mystery that the Geosphere thief runs down, whereas on the NES there is no moat at all and Altea Castle is situated on a hill like Nuibaba's abode (the moat was also kept in Engage). 

This isn't universal though. Some maps pull more from NES some more from SNES. Most noticably they ignored Book 1's most drastic change, which was altering Gharnef's chapter completely (which might have been a bad choice, as Gharnef's big stairs is a visually nice looking map but a pretty awful one to play, prime offender of the feeling that encourages the whole final five or so maps to be warp skipped).

The one place where they didn't copy the SNES version that I really with they did was the Sable Order. They totally should have put Jeorge's castle on the top left of the Shadow Dragon map to maintain continuity with Soulful Bridge.

 

1 hour ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Curiously, I kinda feel the same way towards Genealogy, of all games. I worry that a remake would remove a lot of the "jank" that defines the games. Whether it's smaller stuff (you need the Pursuit skill to double), or more significant (these maps are too big! time to split them up). While I'm not opposed to a remake changing some things up, I don't want them to make something that feels like "a normal Fire Emblem game".

Still, even with minimal core changes to FE4 (or FE6), a remake would add: an English translation; a way to play it on modern hardware; casual mode and rewinding; additional difficulty levels; sprites that actually fucking blink for the love of god close your eyes you are in a desert there's sand everywhere you are going to go blind; and, an orchestral take on the soundtrack. I think these, on their own, would be enough to warrant a remake to me. But that's a call that everyone has to make in their own right. Some want more, others want... less.

I'd be completely fine with them hacking up Genealogy's maps for a remake. Not because I don't like the massive maps or don't want to see them in HD, but because my only real concern is about wether they release a good game or not. And so often, more than not, remakes straddle way too close to the original and are essentially just a graphics overhaul rather than pushing the game beyond its original scope. If they released two Holy Wars, one with big maps and one with small maps, I'd buy and enjoy them both. And if we only get a hacked up version, well, old Genealogy is still there. I'd rather have a heavily altered remake than a repackage of the same experience I had fifteen years ago.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Jotari

[lenticular]

10 hours ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

I do expect Awakening and probably Fates will get remasters at some point in the next few years; they're big-sellers so have a large group of fans who would probably pay money for them again, and another set of fans who maybe started with 3H (or Engage?) who want to play them but can't as they're marooned on an increasingly irrelevant 3DS. I imagine they will probably come with at least minor graphical upgrades and obviously will need re-done interfaces to not rely on the dual screen. If this qualifies as a remake I'd honestly move it right to the top of the list, except perhaps Genealogy (due to a combination of being "next in line" and having a claimed leak).

I'm a little surprised you think this is as likely as you do. I definitely agree that it's possible, but Nintendo hasn't really shown much interest in porting 3DS games to the Switch so far. There's always the chance of that changing, though, especially as the Switch moves into its twilight years (and they run out of Wii U games to port). And also a chance that the impetus for it comes from IS rather than Nintendo. Even still, I'm not as convinced as you are.

8 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

My first guess: Genealogy remake, with Thracia as DLC, on the Switch in 2024. Then another original game (2026) on the Switch's successor, and finally, the Elibe pair remade on that same console (2028).

Well, the 3DS had two original games and then a remake, the Switch has had two original games and then might have a remake next. If we're looking that far into the future, I'm going to guess at 2 original games on the next system before they move on to remakes there.

[Use the Falchion]

Genealogy is a given due to its popularity in Japan and how the West can be seen as a "new market" for the game IMO. 

For Thracia, I tend to fall on the side of "expansion/DLC for Genealogy remake" not unlike Torna: The Golden Country was for Xenoblade 2. 

Binding Blade and Blazing Sword will be fine until they're remade IMO, as they still hold up relatively well graphically and gameplay-wise. (I'm a fan of the "remake them together and have new and old child units pass between them, but that's me.)

Sacred Stones is a weird one. I think it'll be remade, and I think if IntSys wanted to do a smaller, SoV-style remake with Hidari's artwork, this game is by far the best option. But only for that. As it stands, I honestly don't think that SS is strong enough to be remade without additional content. It's too small in a series that has been drifting away from "too small" IMO. 

The Tellius games will 100% be remade, but I think they just need a remaster until then.*

Awakening and Fates are 100% being remade eventually.** Awakening is too well-loved to not get one, and Fates has content that's no longer available. (t also really, REALLY needs some story rewrites.)

Three Houses is too close to judge, but I'd be surprised if they didn't remake it down the line. For now, I think a Definitive Edition that combines both Fodlan games (with or without a third game to wrap up some of the lingering mysteries) could do.* 

 

*Since I like doing these from time-to-time, I'd my overly-optimistic guess of a timeline would be something like:

Q1 2024 - Genealogy Remake 

Q3/4 2024 - Fodlan Games on Switch 2

Q1/2 2025 - Genealogy Warriors

Q3/4 2025 - Tellius Remasters

Q2 2026 - FE 19

 

 

**I'd personally like to see Awakening and Fates combined in a remake. I think playing with time travel and the wonky nature of time in Fates would be really fun and increase replay value. 

[Jotari]

4 minutes ago, Use the Falchion said:

Sacred Stones is a weird one. I think it'll be remade, and I think if IntSys wanted to do a smaller, SoV-style remake with Hidari's artwork, this game is by far the best option. But only for that. As it stands, I honestly don't think that SS is strong enough to be remade without additional content. It's too small in a series that has been drifting away from "too small" IMO. 

The solution there is simple, L'Archel and Innes campaigns! And give Ephraim new chapters in the early game detailing his guerilla war with Grado so that the route split can be decided from the start like Hector and Eliwood mode.

[X-Naut]

Definitely feeling Genealogy or Binding Blade next for remakes, anything past the GBA era feels modern enough and those games have no international release.

Mystery of the Emblem is an odd duck; the only rationale I can see to re-remake it is if they go the way of Old Mystery, bundling both stories and releasing internationally. Otherwise, they might as well release translations like FE1.

[Hrothgar777]

Quote

Q3/4 2024 - Fodlan Games on Switch 2

 

Personally, I think next console will be backward-compatible with the Switch, so there'll be no need to port or remaster anything for it during the 2020s decade. If you get the new console and then throw out your rusting old Switch from 2017, and then you feel nostalgic for Three Houses, all you'd need to do is blow the dust off your cartridge and insert it.

I do, however, think there's at least 30% chance the next proper installment will be set in Fodlan. The franchise pre-Awakening was pretty good about tying games together, with Sacred Stones being the only one 100% unconnected to any other title IIRC. And even Fates was a quasi-sequel to Awakening, in that a lot of Awakening's cast inexplicably migrated to the world of Hoshido and Nohr.

Two games being either on the same console or one being backward-compatible with the other is a big factor, I think, because it makes it easy to go back and play the original game that the new one succeeds and references if you haven't already. A factor which, again, will probably come into play here.

 

Quote

Q1/2 2025 - Genealogy Warriors

 

There was a 5-year (or 4 1/2 year) gap between FE Warriors 1 and 2. Assuming a repeat of this for FE Warriors 3, we won't see anything before 2026 or 2027. By this time, there should be a new FE title to spin off, and New Genealogy will be old news.

...Assuming its sales look more like Engage than 3H, anyway. Which I think will be the case; what people are forgetting in all the FE4 remake hype is that the original sold "only" 498K units, which was far less than Mystery. When Mystery was remade for the DS it sold only 250K; granted, it was a Japan-only release, but if it had an international sales pattern which resembled Blazing Blade, this still would've been 1 million units or less. Even combining this with the sales of Shadow Dragon we're only talking about 1.6 million, or a return slightly above 2x the original game. I can't see New Genealogy clearing 2 million.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Hrothgar777

[Jotari]

I hope there is no next console. Because the Switch is already everything I want from a console. If they never released a other console again and just kept releasing games on Switch I'd be satisfied. I know they won't, because money, but I personally don't need games to get any more powerful or gimmicky.

[Use the Falchion]

9 hours ago, Jotari said:

The solution there is simple, L'Archel and Innes campaigns! And give Ephraim new chapters in the early game detailing his guerilla war with Grado so that the route split can be decided from the start like Hector and Eliwood mode.

I'm 100% down for this! Add a few new characters, and the game feels incredibly large. Love it!

 

4 hours ago, Hrothgar777 said:

Personally, I think next console will be backward-compatible with the Switch, so there'll be no need to port or remaster anything for it during the 2020s decade.

I'd take that. 

 

4 hours ago, Hrothgar777 said:

I do, however, think there's at least 30% chance the next proper installment will be set in Fodlan.

I'm not 100% convinced the next installment will be set in Fodlan, but I do think the Fodlan story has at least one more adventure in it, be it a Definitive Edition with new story content or a new game. 

 

5 hours ago, Hrothgar777 said:

There was a 5-year (or 4 1/2 year) gap between FE Warriors 1 and 2.

And the gap can't get shorter due to a better working relationship and foresight because...? Even besides that, I personally see the Warriors games and the Musou Spin-off games as slightly different. One is (supposed to be) a celebration of the franchise, while the other is a stylistic spin-off of a specific game. I think it's possible and even likely we'll see the occasional Musou/Warriors spin-off of a specific game and then later down the line we'll see the return of FEW proper. 

 

5 hours ago, Hrothgar777 said:

we won't see anything before 2026 or 2027

I still think we'll see Genealogy Warriors around 2025. But I also think we'll see a proper FE Warriors 2 in 2027 as a ten-year anniversary thing. 

 

5 hours ago, Hrothgar777 said:

what people are forgetting in all the FE4 remake hype is that the original sold "only" 498K units, which was far less than Mystery. When Mystery was remade for the DS it sold only 250K; granted, it was a Japan-only release, but if it had an international sales pattern which resembled Blazing Blade, this still would've been 1 million units or less. Even combining this with the sales of Shadow Dragon we're only talking about 1.6 million, or a return slightly above 2x the original game. I can't see New Genealogy clearing 2 million.

I can see it for two major reasons - exposure and a growth in the franchise. Genealogy has been rereleased on the Wii (one of, if not the most sold console of all time), the WiiU, and the 3DS. I don't know if it's on NSO for Japan, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. That's nearly 3 new generations of potential fans at best, and new exposure at worst. As far as growth goes, Fire Emblem isn't remotely in the same place it was when New Mystery was released. Between Awakening, Fates, Heroes, Three Houses, and two Smash Bros games, Fire Emblem is more popular than ever. 

Two other factors are popularity and word of mouth. In the Japanese polls I could find, Genealogy ranks in the top three of the most popular FE games. (Three Houses and Awakening being the other two in the 2020 poll, and Three Houses and Engage in the 2023 poll.*) As for word of mouth, Genealogy is almost always given positive praise and recommendations in my experience. That can mean a lot for newer fans or more hesitant buyers. "If the old game is recommended, how much better will the remake play?"

Finally, Genealogy has something for everyone, more than nearly any other game before it. For fans of Three Houses' complex story, Genealogy is seen as the best in the franchise by some. For fans of shipping and romance like in Awakening and Fates (and Three Houses...and pretty much every game post-Binding Blade), Genealogy has that. For fans of interesting and engaging (pun intended) gameplay like in Engage, Genealogy has that.** If done right, I think a Genealogy remake can unite several sides of the FE fandom, which in turn would create a positive word-of-mouth, which would lead to more exposure and therefore more growth, which then leads to popularity. 

 

*While I assume there's some recency bias for Engage, we really can't claim that for Awakening nowadays.

**So I've heard. I didn't get far in my playthrough of Genealogy. Honestly, not even past the first few turns. I blame my setup.

**

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

2 hours ago, Use the Falchion said:

For fans of interesting and engaging (pun intended) gameplay like in Engage, Genealogy has that.**

Genealogy's gameplay is very much different from Engage. Enemy quality is very low, but there are just a lot of them to deal with. It's a very ememy-phase oriented game. There are also very few enemy skills (aside from a few class-linked ones), and very little ability to control your own units' skill catalog. Not to mention, no forging, and no reclassing.

I mean, I find Genealogy's gameplay quite enjoyable, but then again, I tend to favor "chill and relaxing" FE experiences. Golks who enjoyed Engage, particularly on the higher difficulties, are in for a totally different beast.

2 hours ago, Use the Falchion said:

I don't know if it's on NSO for Japan, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

It is, I've replayed it that way.

3 hours ago, Jotari said:

I hope there is no next console. Because the Switch is already everything I want from a console. If they never released a other console again and just kept releasing games on Switch I'd be satisfied. I know they won't, because money, but I personally don't need games to get any more powerful or gimmicky.

It's gonna be kind of embarrassing when every third-party game that the Switch can muster is a "cloud version", though. Like, the XBox One and PS4 came out nearly a decade ago, and Nintendo is still lagging behind them. Much as I love the Switch, an upgrade is inevitable. 

Also when AI: The Somnium Files, an honest-to-god visual novel (with some puzzle and quicktime elements, yesh), is giving your system lag and performance issues... yeah, something's up. Love that game regardless, no shade on Uchikoshi.

12 hours ago, Jotari said:

The solution there is simple, L'Archel and Innes campaigns! And give Ephraim new chapters in the early game detailing his guerilla war with Grado so that the route split can be decided from the start like Hector and Eliwood mode.

That would be really cool, and honestly deserves its own thread.

19 hours ago, Jotari said:

I'd be completely fine with them hacking up Genealogy's maps for a remake. Not because I don't like the massive maps or don't want to see them in HD, but because my only real concern is about wether they release a good game or not. And so often, more than not, remakes straddle way too close to the original and are essentially just a graphics overhaul rather than pushing the game beyond its original scope. If they released two Holy Wars, one with big maps and one with small maps, I'd buy and enjoy them both. And if we only get a hacked up version, well, old Genealogy is still there. I'd rather have a heavily altered remake than a repackage of the same experience I had fifteen years ago.

I've had a thought for a while, about an FE4 remake with more traditional map sizes. That, too, might deserve its own thread... loath as I am to speak such a product into existence. 

[Dark Holy Elf]

13 hours ago, lenticular said:

I'm a little surprised you think this is as likely as you do. I definitely agree that it's possible, but Nintendo hasn't really shown much interest in porting 3DS games to the Switch so far. There's always the chance of that changing, though, especially as the Switch moves into its twilight years (and they run out of Wii U games to port). And also a chance that the impetus for it comes from IS rather than Nintendo. Even still, I'm not as convinced as you are.

I'm not sure how much of the difference is me thinking these are more likely than you do, and how much is thinking pretty much every other option is less likely than you seem to. Like to me an Elibe remake is a long-shot. By comparison, Nintendo trying to get more money out of Awakening, which doubled any previous FE in sales and still maintains a significant, nostalgic fanbase, is very likely to happen at some point. If the next Nintendo system has direct 3DS support then maybe that's how we see the 3DS games again, but otherwise, yeah I'll be a bit surprised if a dozen years go by (i.e. a rough estimate for two Nintendo systems from now) and no version of Awakening has been released in nearly a quarter century. By comparison, if someone time travelled from 2050 and said "Binding Blade never got a remake" I'd shrug.

[Use the Falchion]

2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Genealogy's gameplay is very much different from Engage. Enemy quality is very low, but there are just a lot of them to deal with. It's a very ememy-phase oriented game. There are also very few enemy skills (aside from a few class-linked ones), and very little ability to control your own units' skill catalog. Not to mention, no forging, and no reclassing.

So I've seen and heard. I think that between the map size, the bulk of units, and the builds, fans of gameplay will have more to do than expected, which was my overall point. I don't think it'll be as simple as Awakening and Three Houses, but it won't be super crazy either. Just enough to provide a challenge to those looking for one if need be. 

I'm also of the opinion that a remake will completely revamp the skill and art system. Forging and Reclassing will also probably come into play (although I hope more akin to Fates than Awakening, Three Houses, or Engage.)

 

2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

I mean, I find Genealogy's gameplay quite enjoyable, but then again, I tend to favor "chill and relaxing" FE experiences.

I'm definitely in the "chill and relax" camp! I enjoy being able to play an FE game, put on a YouTube video, and go into a Zen mode. But for some reason, Genealogy never felt like that for me when I imagined playing as I watched or even the few moments I did play. 

 

2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

It is, I've replayed it that way.

Good to know! Thanks for the fact check!

[Jotari]

7 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

It's gonna be kind of embarrassing when every third-party game that the Switch can muster is a "cloud version", though. Like, the XBox One and PS4 came out nearly a decade ago, and Nintendo is still lagging behind them. Much as I love the Switch, an upgrade is inevitable.

I don't really stray into modern third party games to have enough experience with that, but I reckon a lot of them our about poor optimisation than power. A visual novel, absolutely shouldn't cause any modern console to lag. If the switch can run a live action visual novel just fine (thought he storage is quite big) then nothing short of a particle water simulator should cause a pure text game to lag. And on the Nintendo side, I think Three Houses' massive loading times was poor optimisation too. Like, Three Houses takes way longer to load then stepping out of a shrine in Breath of the Wild (which is actually a Wii U game ported to Switch!). And sometimes it can just be down to bizarre choices, like I think Kingdom Hearts is cloud version only for...reasons, but whatever those reasons are, they are not technology based as the Switch can definitely run PS2 games without trouble.

7 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

That would be really cool, and honestly deserves its own thread.

 

Most of my ideas are not new. There was a thread, you commented on XD

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Jotari

[Alastor15243]

On 6/28/2023 at 4:39 PM, Zapp Branniglenn said:

The Shadow Dragon remake on DS carved out half of FE3 and sold it as a separate 40 dollar game.

I have reason to believe they used the original FE1 source code as a base, actually. They both have this similar bizarre glitch with staff ordering that I don't believe any other game has.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

3 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

I have reason to believe they used the original FE1 source code as a base, actually. They both have this similar bizarre glitch with staff ordering that I don't believe any other game has.

What's the glitch? Maybe I know it.

But guys. Seriously. Whatever you think of my dumb edgy comment about them "cutting Book 2", let's be honest with ourselves. FE11 is influenced by BOTH FE1 and FE3 (and every FE game since to a lesser degree. You think the weapon triangle was invented in 2008/9?). I really don't see how this is debatable. They didn't arbitrarily choose just one game to adapt. And if they did choose just one they wouldn't have picked the lesser known Famicom version. They read both the Old Testament and New Testament. Without the New Testament, 10 range Ballisticians and Siege tomes don't exist. Neither does Castor promoting into a horseman/Draug promoting into a General. Or incorporating Book 2's Killer Bow, killer lance. Or Abel Trading his Horseslayer to Hardin and forcibly equipping it on him for the enemy phase. Actually, FE11 screwed this part up. FE3 featured "thracia trading" between multiple allies in a single move. For years we named it after the wrong game. 

For every one reference I could bring up from FE3, I can think of a similar one thing unique to FE1. But FE11 brought its own ideas to the table too. There are more maps unique to FE11 than there were cut in FE3 Book 1. New music. There's new mechanics. Reclassing is the big one. But there's a new Ledge terrain type that only infantry can cross. Classes we'd never seen in this setting like the Sage, Warrior, Berserker, Swordmaster. Navarre was retconned into a myrmidon. New weapons like the Wing Spear and Dragon lance. There's a Master Key. Stat boosters are nerfed to the modern standard. Class specific promotion items are all Master Seals now. Xane gains exp. Manaketes don't work like in either game (what the hell even is a Mage Dragon? And why are dragonstone stats neither in the manual(FE1) or in the game itself (FE3)). Dracoknights swing Axes instead of swords, and Minerva has that new axe I can't pronounce. Elice's Aum staff was retconned to work anywhere, not just in chapter 24's shrine of resurrection. The list goes on.

[Shadow Mir]

On 6/28/2023 at 5:50 PM, Jotari said:

I feel like Binding Blade is the second most popular idea for a remake after Genealogy and I kind of question why. Well I guess the notion of finally having it in officially stamped English is a big reason, but beyond that I see very little need for a Binding Blade remake. It's already a great game as is, and I don't think putting it in 3D (of questionable cinematic quality) and giving it voice acting will really make it much better. I'd much rather see Path of Radiance remade even though it's newer because that game does have some issues in regards to it's gameplay.

You can think Smash Bros for that, if ya ask me. However, I hard disagree with Binding Blade being a great game. There's way too much that is beyond my ability to forgive. Why does Roy suck so much? Why are there no item drops? Why are so many supports so fucking slow to build?!!? (To be fair, the GBA support system is rather flawed, but it's especially egregious here because so very many of the supports take FOREVER to unlock just one level of, let alone the whole chain. Tellingly, Blazing Blade and Sacred Stones both cut down in the number of mega-slow supports, with the latter only having one: Rennac/Tethys.)

[Jotari]

5 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

What's the glitch? Maybe I know it.

But guys. Seriously. Whatever you think of my dumb edgy comment about them "cutting Book 2", let's be honest with ourselves. FE11 is influenced by BOTH FE1 and FE3 (and every FE game since to a lesser degree. You think the weapon triangle was invented in 2008/9?). I really don't see how this is debatable. They didn't arbitrarily choose just one game to adapt. And if they did choose just one they wouldn't have picked the lesser known Famicom version. They read both the Old Testament and New Testament. Without the New Testament, 10 range Ballisticians and Siege tomes don't exist. Neither does Castor promoting into a horseman/Draug promoting into a General. Or incorporating Book 2's Killer Bow, killer lance. Or Abel Trading his Horseslayer to Hardin and forcibly equipping it on him for the enemy phase. Actually, FE11 screwed this part up. FE3 featured "thracia trading" between multiple allies in a single move. For years we named it after the wrong game. 

For every one reference I could bring up from FE3, I can think of a similar one thing unique to FE1. But FE11 brought its own ideas to the table too. There are more maps unique to FE11 than there were cut in FE3 Book 1. New music. There's new mechanics. Reclassing is the big one. But there's a new Ledge terrain type that only infantry can cross. Classes we'd never seen in this setting like the Sage, Warrior, Berserker, Swordmaster. Navarre was retconned into a myrmidon. New weapons like the Wing Spear and Dragon lance. There's a Master Key. Stat boosters are nerfed to the modern standard. Class specific promotion items are all Master Seals now. Xane gains exp. Manaketes don't work like in either game (what the hell even is a Mage Dragon? And why are dragonstone stats neither in the manual(FE1) or in the game itself (FE3)). Dracoknights swing Axes instead of swords, and Minerva has that new axe I can't pronounce. Elice's Aum staff was retconned to work anywhere, not just in chapter 24's shrine of resurrection. The list goes on.

Shadow Dragon was really the game that codified Dracoknights as axe users. Before then it had been just a promotion item in Path of Radiance and a base for Jill in Radiant Dawn. It's only funny that with all the modern changes like weapon triangle and axe draco knights and sword masters and the like, they still kept pegasus knights promoting to wyvern knights and regulated Falcon Knights to (poorly implemented) DLC (and personally I pronounce it like Haunt-Claire. Only without the 'n' and you're pronouncing Claire like the French male variation of the name).

One thing about all the variations that I found interesting is the enemies in the Archanean capital. In the original game they were Grust, in Book 1 they're Dolhr and then back to Grust in Shadow Dragon. For a long time I thought that was a mistake in Shadow Dragon, because of course Medeus would want his own troops inside the Milennium Palace. Hell there's even a manakete there and Volzhin makes direct reference to Dolhr! But now I think it might be a set of multiple retcons. At first it was Grust because they didn't think much about it, so they retconned into Dolhr in Book 1. But then they released BS Saga and they establish Camus took over the occupation of Archanea for a time before he lost status for releasing Nyna. So they moved it back to Grust to maintain continuity with that...and then just missed that Volzhin is clearly Dolunian and that they have a manakete from Grust. Really the chapter should have had a mix of both as the enemies.

Related to the above there is the rather minor plot point of Boah's Thoron tome that Camus gives Marth in the Gra chapter. On the NES it's said that Heimler is the one that stole it, you know that Paladin that shows up in the Archanean capital chapter. But then on SNES they changed it to Volzhin, because Heimler was dropped for some reason even though his chapter is still there. This was a change kept in Shadow Dragon DS. I guess it makes a bit more sense as Volzhin is a mage. Still...Heimler has literally no dialogue and not even a full portrait, so it's kind of nice that he has something we could attribute to him.

I think the main reason people are so focused on "It's a NES remake and not a SNES remake" is that they didn't put very much effort into actually tying the story to Book 2. Hardin is just as minor as he was before, there's no foreshadowing for all of the villains surviving. Jiol doesn't reference Sheema and there's no cameos from Book 2 characters like Lang or three Sable Order knights who should be around doing something at that time. Like, they created half a dozen new characters and Gaiden chapters when they could have just reused existing characters. Like it would have been nice if instead of Athena we got Phina in a Gaiden. No shade to Athena, she's a decent character, but really, why does she exist? What did these Gaidens actually add other than a bizarre reputation for needing to slaughter your army? It feels like, aside from the gameplay and map stuff mentioned earlier, the only narrative thing they took from Mystery of the Emblem was Xane's one conversation with Tiki and the muddled existence of Nagi.

4 hours ago, Shadow Mir said:

You can think Smash Bros for that, if ya ask me. However, I hard disagree with Binding Blade being a great game. There's way too much that is beyond my ability to forgive. Why does Roy suck so much? Why are there no item drops? Why are so many supports so fucking slow to build?!!? (To be fair, the GBA support system is rather flawed, but it's especially egregious here because so very many of the supports take FOREVER to unlock just one level of, let alone the whole chain. Tellingly, Blazing Blade and Sacred Stones both cut down in the number of mega-slow supports, with the latter only having one: Rennac/Tethys.)

You haven't played Binding Blade, have you?

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jotari