Fire Emblem fans are poised to have a banner year in 2026. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is scheduled to come out at some point this year, returning fans to the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses (one of the best games in the series). And while they wait, Nintendo just gifted Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with one of the rarest and most expensive GameCube titles - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
Fire Emblem fans know that completionism for the franchise is nigh impossible. Many titles were only released overseas, never making it to the US or getting an English translation. Other titles have simply become rare, and that's the case with Path of Radiance. Released towards the end of GameCube's life cycle, the game was a mild hit for Nintendo - doing well enough to at least ensure that future games in the series would be released in the West. But as the popularity of the franchise increased in the United States, the cost of that GameCube disc skyrocketed. You can now pick up a gently used copy of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on eBay for about $250.
Enjoy a super old 480p trailer, courtesy of IGN. The game looks better on Switch than this, btw.
So the release of Path of Radiance on Expansion Pack represents, for most gamers at least, the first opportunity to play the game. Just buckle up - this game comes from an earlier era of Fire Emblem, before "Easy Mode" was thing. These days, gamers playing Fire Emblem can enjoy a nice cushion while employing some sloppy tactics. But if you play Path of Radiance, you are playing with permadeath. Your strategic acumen better be on point, because if a character gets killed in battle, they are gone from your game for good.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now available to download from the GameCube interface on Switch and Switch 2 for Expansion Pack members. I've already got it downloaded, and can't wait to dive face first into a world of hurt.
