Echoes is not my favorite Fire Emblem game. That would likely be Awakening, which I played first and is nearer to my heart. But of all the entries in the series I've played, I would consider it the best- not because it is completely without flaw, but because it is by far the most complete package and because its strengths outnumber them vastly.

Map design wise, it's definitely up there. The biggest critique I can levy towards it on that front is that Alm's route consists of quite a lot of large open fields without much else going on, which can begin to feel repetitive. But the notable maps, like Nuibaba's Abode, Grieth's Fortress, and the archer filled Desert Stronghold are some of the most memorable maps I've seen in the series thus far. Part of what makes them so good is that Echoes has a very well designed difficulty curve, notable in a series plagued with inverse difficulty curves. The mechanics are streamlined without feeling oversimplified, and the difficulty ramps up appropriately, with laughably easy early maps naturally escalating into one of the toughest penultimate bosses in the series in the form of Berkut. I experienced a spike or two in the middle, but its nothing that the game didn't give me the tools to overcome, so they felt very good to get past.

The story and characters are also of a very high quality. A big part of the game's appeal is carried by how well it's voiced and written; The only thing better than the dialogue itself is the performances of the actors bringing them to life, leading to what may be the best extended cast in the series, only held back by Alm and Celica being not-bad-but-pretty-standard main characters. The overarching story and especially the lore is quite great too. Every location on the world map has a brief description that makes Valentia feel alive, with the towns, dungeons, and side quests contributing in a similar way. Also, cool dragon lore. Instant brownie points.

Coming from Awakening, the differences between that game and this one put me off initially. But I am very glad that a few years after I indefinitely set it down for later that I started a new file and played this game to the end.

This is not a bad game. But it is a painfully average one. Maybe in the reality where we never got Echoes: Shadows of Valentia I'd be able to be a bit kinder to this game, but when you put the two NES FE remakes next to each other, Shadow Dragon stings of missed potential. The maps are perfectly serviceable and the multiple difficulty options are good, but locking new story content to only the lowest difficulty is questionable, as is the decision to unlock new characters only by killing off characters in your party. The note about the prologue is irrelevant, however, as this game lacks any ambition in updating the story and characters to modern standards, which is what really stings. Unless you're a diehard FE fan looking to play as many games as possible or just like playing maps and nothing else, this one is skippable.

Solid game. Unfortunately, despite Kanto overexposure being a real problem, I can't help but feel this remake could use a remake. While I can understand the dev's rationale behind the barring of gen 2 and 3 evolutions like Crobat, in a post HGSS world, it stings a bit. It'd also be nice to have the physical special split, it can't be understated how much that change did for the series. But for its time, it's a really solid game, with great spritework and one of the better overworld map designs across the series being the highlights.

Honestly mad underappreciated game when played on modern hardware. I recommend emulating this and making save states right next to each each special spring for quick resets if you want the best experience. I get how those special stages would be frustrating when played on original hardware, but with an actual working backlit screen, they're really not that bad. The multiple playable characters feel the most fleshed out it ever has in the series, and the game is just fun to play. Gonna put a target on my back and say that I genuinely enjoy this more than the first two genesis games. A worthy successor to Sonic 3K.

The actual narrative is bad, but I like the tone. The extra content and overworld elevates the game from feeling like a series of levels to a full on experience. Boost gameplay is pretty good, though I'm of the opinion that generations is what perfected it both mechanically and in terms of level design. The werehog is the werehog. Combat is fine, just kinda mind numbing, but the platforming is genuinely bad as the werehog. It's a mixed bag and I won't gas it up the same way other fans do, but I'm actually really glad I played it.