If you own a 3DS, love JRPGs and somehow still haven't purchased two of the genre's hottest titles, then Nintendo has a nice little promotion you might want to take advantage of. For a limited time, anyone who buys and registers Fire Emblem Awakening and Shin Megami Tensei IV will receive a $30 credit to spend in the eShop on whatever they want.
If you think about it, that's basically a buy two get one free kind of deal. Most 3DS games run between $30-$40, and that's only if you're buying the big, AAA offerings. There's no telling how far that bonus $30 could stretch if you're in the market for Virtual Console or smaller offerings.
The latest in the Fire Emblem series, Awakening, draws on the strengths of previous entries while throwing in some new bells and whistles for fun.
“You command and fight alongside an army of spirited heroes standing against an enemy with the bower to destroy empires; a dark dragon whose agents include armies of the undead” reads the (admittedly cliché) official summary of the game. “Plan your attack, customize your forces and guide your heroes as you forge alliances that strengthen your resolve in battle and shape the course of history.”
And then there's the latest in the beloved turn-based RPG series, Shin Megami Tensei IV. Not to be confused with the more recently popular Persona series, SMT IV still has a lot in common with its series offshoots.
There's a deep, likely confusing as all get-out story, you'll collect and train spirits and use them in battle. Exploration is done on a somewhat open world map with the combat taking place in a classic turn-based field.
“Chosen by the Gauntlet, you are the samurai who will explore paths of law and chaos and decide the fate of the world,” reads to official game summary. What's interesting here is that the game apparently takes place across various time periods. While most of the media for the game shows our hero donning old school clothes and running around an ancient city, the portion of the game I played at E3 featured a modern city block that I was exploring as a member of a military force. See? Likely confusing as all get-out.
For those of you who have already purchased and registered Fire Emblem Awakening, you haven't missed out on this promotion. Simply buy and register SMT IV and the $30 credit is yours. If you haven't purchased either yet, however, then you're going to need to buy both. Once you've registered both 3DS games and completed their respective surveys, a $30 eShop credit will be added to your Club Nintendo To-Do list. Redeem it, then spend it however you see fit. Booya.
For all of the fine print and a refresher on everything you just read here, head on over to the Club Nintendo website.
