Nintendo Should Make More Games About People

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While I haven’t yet dived into Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave—given the sheer scale of the commitment required—I have thoroughly enjoyed living out the experience through the passionate writing it inspires. It is the kind of game that effortlessly elicits meticulous, obsessive dedication from its community, not to mention a vibrant ensemble of brilliantly stylized characters.

Over the past week alone, Polygon published at least six distinct pieces exploring this character-driven phenomenon. Giovanni Colantonio humorously ranked the roster based purely on party potential (placing Lena firmly at number one) while drawing a delightfully bizarre parallel between the game’s operatic, gladiatorial wish-granting tournament and, of all things, Twisted Metal. Though an unconventional crossover of cultural touchstones, it highlights the universal, mythic framing of Fortune’s Weave that transcends rigid genre boundaries.

Hear me out on this wild comparison

We are hitting the town, Dietrich

Meanwhile, Jen Glennon and Josh Broadwell offered contrasting philosophies on how to approach the campaign. Josh advocated for a rigorous, egalitarian recruitment strategy—training everyone and avoiding favorites. Conversely, Jen championed the liberating flexibility of the game’s narrative structure, which encourages players to revisit chapters and bypass the exhausting obligation to collect every single unit.

Josh brings the hard-earned perspective of a player with well over a hundred hours invested, while Jen’s guidance prioritizes player wellness and pure enjoyment. What makes this design triumph so remarkable is that, within a world as expansive and versatile as this one, both perspectives hold absolute validity.

Above all, it is wonderfully refreshing to see a community driven so deeply by genuine affection for the characters themselves.

The sheer power of friendship won’t save you here

Spoiler alert: not everyone needs to adore you

Nintendo titles rarely lean this intimately into personal dynamics. While 2019’s Three Houses elevated the franchise’s prominence through its academy setting and magnetically attractive cast—sparking a legendary fan-fiction and shipping culture—its emotional tone remained relatively chaste and detached. As Jen observes, Fortune’s Weave takes a bolder leap forward, offering sharply defined, character-driven interpersonal bonds that make it as progressive with romance as a family-friendly RPG can reasonably be.

These idiosyncratic heroes possess unmistakable agency and desires. Meanwhile, Josh provided a comprehensive breakdown of the support conversation architecture—a mechanic that has faced some scrutiny for its streamlined scope compared to predecessors—arguing convincingly that editorial focus ultimately yields sharper writing and richer psychological depth.

It looks like Intelligent Systems finally read your favorite fanfics

Trust me on this one

It is rare for Nintendo to court this specific brand of fervent player attachment. While the company frequently delivers sprawling epics (such as the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise) alongside iconic iconography, its family-oriented market positioning usually keeps raw, complex human vulnerability at arm’s length. Aside from rare historical anomalies like the poignant clockwork tragedy of Termina in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, such vulnerability is a novelty.

Gamers typically do not develop passionate infatuations with Nintendo avatars in the way they have embraced figures like Leda or Dietrich. With Fortune’s Weave, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have truly let their hair down—and the result is utterly refreshing.

eShop Game of the Week: Well Dweller

Indie artisan Kyle Thompson delivers top-tier Metroidvania experiences with clockwork precision every two years. His latest venture is a somber fairy tale featuring a courageous avian protagonist wielding a solitary matchstick. As Austin Manchester notes, it offers a tightly curated journey that easily stands out as a definitive must-play title of 2026 without ever outstaying its welcome.

Developer Kyle Thompson returns with another essential masterpiece

Nintendo Classics Game of the Week: Luigi’s Mansion

I am currently giving Gio the cold shoulder after his inexplicable failure to position Super Monkey Ball at the pinnacle of his GameCube launch titles ranking (which sits firmly in my personal all-time top five). Still, he is entirely correct that the console’s debut lineup has aged magnificently. This includes Luigi’s inaugural ghost-hunting escapade, which may have felt modest compared to industry titans like Super Mario 64 at the time, but now radiates timeless charm and masterful animation.

Nintendo enthusiasts were genuinely spoiled back in 2001

Nintendo Music Track of the Week: “Drawing Board 1” from Mario Paint

A delightfully quirky, life-affirming gem sourced from the surprisingly phenomenal SNES soundtrack to Mario Paint. It defies easy description—a bouncy, joyous, oompah-style ditty guaranteed to put an instant smile on your face. (You can explore a comprehensive playlist of all Switchboard musical selections right here.)