What happens when the mainstream (Game Freak) and indie collide? The Nintendo Switch has become an increasingly popular platform for indie developers. Little Town Hero is from the minds that created Pokemon and popular indie game Undertale, and it is also the first brand-new RPG from Game Freak in 20 years not named Pokemon.
The plot of Little Town Hero is similar to that of old-school JRPGs: you have to save your town from invading monsters. Axe, the protagonist, is left to fight these monsters off. While each JRPG has a unique battle system (and some too complicated for even one article to describe), Little Town Hero uses the power of ideas, or izzits, that also function like cards in card-battle games. You can have five izzits at a time and others in reserve to summon to the front of your mind. You then are given a limited amount of Power to turn izzits into Dazzits, or usable moves. Blue Dazzits can be used immediately on yourself, your opponent, or both, while Yellow Dazzits are reusable over and over until they break. Red Dazzits can be used once a turn or until they break and can be used to damage enemies directly.
You and the enemy have health represented as hearts similar to the original Legend of Zelda, as well as Guts, a sort of shield-type mechanic that must be broken through before dealing direct damage. However, some enemies do have powered-up states when Guts reach zero. Guts are restored after you deal direct heart damage. The game brings a balance: taking direct damage restores your used-up ideas, while to win, you have to destroy your opponent’s dazzits to directly damage them. As you move around the map, you can meet other townsfolk that will give you bonuses or assist you in battle. In addition, you will encounter gimicks, which are environmental effects you can use if you have the proper dazzits. One particular dazzit is the Barrel, which allows you to deal direct damage to yourself and the opponent, allowing you to sacrifice your own guts and deal heart damage to your enemy.
What is so great about this game? While it looks simple and child-like on the surface, the customization of izzits and dazzits will keep you experimenting with new strategies. If you like math, you will probably like this game, as there are a lot of min-maxing strategies you can use to win battles aggressively or conservatively. You can take on sidequests that grant you Eureka Points, which you can then use to upgrade dazzits or increase your Guts. In addition, you can also see your opponent’s dazzits and which ones they will use, allowing you to formulate a strategy to counter their move.
The plot also injects healthy amounts of comedy and charm. Toby Fox, who helped develop Undertale, creates the soundtrack, which helps keep you engaged with the game even when you’re fighting a war of attrition with an opponent. While Little Town Hero is a cutesy game riddled with mathematical complexity, it’s fun if you’re a fan of turn-based strategy, card games, math, and JRPGs in general. You’ll probably be sinking hours into it as you try to find more and more creative ways to beat your enemies.
Words by Jose Alvarez
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE November 2019 issue