Little Town Hero
{{Short description|2019 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Little Town Hero
| image = Little_Town_Hero_Icon.jpg
| caption = Little Town Hero icon
| developer = Game Freak
| publisher = Game Freak
| director = Masao Taya
| producer = Masafumi Saito
| artist = Haruka Tochigi
| writer = Masao Taya
| designer = Atsushi Terachi
| composer = {{ubl|Toby Fox|Hitomi Sato}}
| engine = Unity
| platforms = {{ubl|Nintendo Switch|PlayStation 4|Xbox One|Windows}}
| released = {{ubl|Nintendo Switch{{Video game release|WW|October 16, 2019}}|PlayStation 4{{Video game release|JP|April 23, 2020|NA|June 23, 2020|EU|June 26, 2020}}|Xbox One{{Video game release|WW|July 2, 2020}}|Windows{{Video game release|WW|July 9, 2020}}}}
| genre = Role-playing game
| modes = Single-player
}}
Little Town Hero{{efn|{{nihongo|リトルタウンヒーロー|Ritoru Taun Hīrō}}}} is a 2019 role-playing video game developed and published by Game Freak for the Nintendo Switch. It was originally released in October 2019 before being ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in 2020. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Development
Game Freak announced the game under the working title of Town in September 2018.{{Cite magazine |last1=Vazquez |first1=Suriel |title=Pokémon Developer Game Freak Working On Town, A New Turn-Based RPG |magazine=Game Informer |date=September 13, 2018 |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/nintendo-direct/2018/09/13/pokemon-developer-game-freak-working-on-town-a-new-turn-based-rpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820224814/https://www.gameinformer.com/nintendo-direct/2018/09/13/pokemon-developer-game-freak-working-on-town-a-new-turn-based-rpg |url-status=live |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |access-date=September 5, 2019 }} The company shared no further information through August of the next year, when it registered a trademark.{{Cite magazine |last1=Woog |first1=Blake |title=Game Freak Files For 'Little Town Hero' Trademark |magazine=Game Informer |date=August 14, 2019 |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/08/14/game-freak-files-for-little-town-hero-trademark |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818214108/https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/08/14/game-freak-files-for-little-town-hero-trademark |url-status=live |archive-date=August 18, 2019 |access-date=September 5, 2019 }} The game was released for the Nintendo Switch on October 16, 2019.{{Cite web |last1=Marks |first1=Tom |title=Game Freak's Little Town Hero Releases Next Month |work=IGN |date=September 4, 2019 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/04/game-freaks-little-town-hero-releases-next-month |accessdate=September 5, 2019 }} The game's soundtrack was primarily written by Toby Fox, an indie developer better known for creating Undertale. In January 2020, it was announced that the game would have a retail collector's edition, published by NIS America, in June 2020.{{cite web |last1=Doolan |first1=Liam |title=Game Freak's Little Town Hero Gets A Big Physical Release This Spring |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/01/game_freaks_little_town_hero_gets_a_big_physical_release_this_spring |website=Nintendo Life |accessdate=21 January 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Croft |first1=Liam |title=Little Town Hero Western PS4 Release Confirmed for June |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/02/little_town_hero_western_ps4_release_confirmed_for_june |website=Push Square |date=February 19, 2020 |accessdate=19 February 2020}} That same month, it was also announced that it would be released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on April 23, 2020, published at retail by Rainy Frog.{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Little Town Hero coming to PS4 on April 23 in Japan |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/01/little-town-hero-coming-to-ps4-on-april-23-in-japan |website=Gematsu |date=January 21, 2020 |accessdate=21 January 2020}} In addition, ports for Xbox One and Windows were respectively released on July 2 and July 9, 2020.{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Little Town Hero now available for Xbox One |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/07/little-town-hero-now-available-for-xbox-one |website=Gematsu |date=July 3, 2020 |accessdate=21 July 2020}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = NS: 64/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/little-town-hero/ |title=Little Town Hero |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 3, 2023}}
| GRadar = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/little-town-hero-review/|title=Little Town Hero review: "Tells a formulaic story set in a beautiful place"|last=Gerblick|first=Jordan|website=GamesRadar+|date=October 16, 2019|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029014041/https://www.gamesradar.com/little-town-hero-review/|archive-date=October 29, 2019|url-status=live}}
| USG = 2/5{{Cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/little-town-hero-review|title=Little Town Hero Review: I Can't Be Your Hero Baby|website=USgamer|date=October 16, 2019|access-date=2020-06-30|last=McCarthy|first=Caty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016225358/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/little-town-hero-review|archive-date=October 16, 2019|url-status=dead}}
| NLife = {{rating|7|10}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/little_town_hero|title=Little Town Hero Review|website=Nintendo Life|date=October 16, 2019|access-date=2020-06-30|last=Reseigh-Lincoln|first=Dom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627080312/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/little_town_hero|archive-date=June 27, 2020|url-status=live}}
| IGN = 7/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/16/little-town-hero-review|title=Little Town Hero Review|website=IGN|date=October 16, 2019|access-date=2020-06-30|language=en|last=Marks|first=Tom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320095008/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/16/little-town-hero-review|archive-date=March 20, 2023|url-status=live}}
| GSpot = 5/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/little-town-hero-review-brat-country/1900-6417342/|title=Little Town Hero Review - Brat Country|website=GameSpot|access-date=2020-06-30|last=Vazquez|first=Suriel|date=October 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617222344/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/little-town-hero-review-brat-country/1900-6417342/|archive-date=June 17, 2020|url-status=live}}
| Destruct = 4/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/review-little-town-hero-570384.phtml|title=Review: Little Town Hero|website=Destructoid|access-date=2020-06-30|last=Rumpelfelt|first=Adzuken|date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031143613/https://www.destructoid.com/review-little-town-hero-570384.phtml|archive-date=October 31, 2019}}
}}
Little Town Hero received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. IGN's Tom Marks gave it a 7/10, saying "Little Town Hero exudes charm from every corner of its adorable little village, and couples that personality with an absurd and utterly unique combat system full of combos I loved discovering." GamesRadar's Jordan Gerblick gave it a 3/5, saying "An exercise in battle strategy and patience for its flaws, Little Town Hero knows where its strengths lie, and thankfully you'll see more strengths than flaws if you invest in them."
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.gamefreak.co.jp/town/en/}}
- {{Official website|https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/little-town-hero-switch/|Nintendo.com profile}}
{{Portal bar|Video games}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Nintendo Switch games
Category:Role-playing video games
Category:Video games developed in Japan
Category:Video games scored by Toby Fox