At first glance, Radiant Dawn appears quite similar to its predecessor Path of Radiance--and it stays that was even after repeated glances, because it is indeed quite similar. Graphically, the game doesn't seem much different, although it does now run in 16:9, which is always a plus.

I played through a stage of a game and, as always, enjoyed the series' streamlined control system that allows you to complete most common actions without having to scroll through menus--of course, the options are there when needed. Intelligent Systems excels at crafting games whose depth is masked by clean accessibility, and this game is no exception.

Everything is controlled using the buttons on the Wii remote--there is unfortunately no experimentation with using the remote to point and click on a desired target or draw paths. Still, everything maps comfortably to the available d-pad and face buttons, in either vertical or horizontal orientation.

As far as the improvements, a Nintendo representative informed me that Radiant Dawn will see the much-appreciated addition of a mid-battle save system. Fire Emblem and its policy of irreversible character death can lead to some stressful battles, so at least now you know you'll be able to catch a break part of the way through. The game will also see the new application of a degree of destructibility as well as a height-based terrain system with bonuses to attacking from high ground. Boosts and tweaks to the skill and magic systems are also promised, although my brief hands-on time with the game gave me little insight into those areas.

For a variety of reasons Radiant Dawn feels like a game that was heavily in development for GameCube, then swapped over to Wii. In this genre, which tends to be fairly traditional, this isn't the negative point it might be for some games, but hopefully if Intelligent Systems returns for another go, the new game is built from the ground up. All that said, there are very few good games of this genre still being developed on home consoles, and with Fire Emblem being one of the best series in the segment, it's nice to see it receiving continued support. Plus, hardcore gamers could always use another good Wii game.

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