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From the creative minds behind Pocket Mirror comes a 1990s anime inspired horror narrative adventure in the form of Little Goody Two Shoes. Filled to the brim with mystery, curses, and creatures, this game is the perfect accompaniment to this year’s Halloween night. To learn more about how the developers crafted this magical treat from the ground up, Siliconera spoke with Astral Shift artist Kira, lead writer Ebee, and lead programmer João Caetano about the title.
Lauren Palmer: In Little Goody Two Shoes, you can immediately see the influence of 90s anime and early RPG Maker horror games. Which specific pieces of media inspired you to create this game?
Kira: Little Goody Two Shoes pays a visual homage to iconic shoujo anime from the 90’s, such as Sailor Moon, Magic Knights Rayearth and Slayers, among several others. We wanted to capture the essence of these strong and determined female protagonists in our own story with our main character Elise – this can be seen not only in the way she’s written but also in her character design!
We really wanted to evoke these sentiments not just through the character designs alone, but through the entire visual universe of Little Goody Two Shoes. You can spot how we took inspiration from games such as Legend of Mana and SaGa Frontier, which greatly helped us shape the detailed and colorful world of Kieferberg (Elise’s hometown and where our game takes place).
We can’t forget that AstralShift’s beginnings are deeply rooted in RPG Maker horror games, and that knowledge and experience has undoubtedly shaped Little Goody Two Shoes, from the top-down perspective to the way maps are laid out. It’s a big love letter to the community where we first started our game development journey!
In what ways does Little Goody Two Shoes connect with your previous work, Pocket Mirror?
Ebee: Little Goody Two Shoes is a direct prequel to Pocket Mirror! With that said, while Little Goody Two Shoes’ story and true ending are tied to the events of Pocket Mirror, it is not mandatory to play one to understand the other, as both games were designed to exist as standalone titles.
We’re confident that longtime fans will enjoy some of the revelations that await them in Little Goody Two Shoes, and we hope new fans and players will have just as much fun delving into this world of mysteries and wonder!
Who is your favorite character to romance and why?
Kira: I must answer this one – Freya is the absolute best girl!
Not only is she adorable, I love Freya’s dynamic with Elise and how her warm and playful personality can really break through Elise’s ice thick barriers and reveal a softer and tender side that is rarely seen coming from her. I admire how Freya can behave in unexpected ways at times and how she’s often the one to make the first move. It’s an adorable contrast with her generally more soft-spoken demeanor.
With that said, I feel very strongly that every love interest in Little Goody Two Shoes has their individual set of charms that makes them unique and lovely in their own way. We’re very excited to have players experience their heart-felt romances, and to hear who their best girl is!
Elise initially comes off very headstrong and even a little rude at times, which is unique for a protagonist. What was the thought process behind her characterization?
Ebee: Elise was always envisioned as a haughty and overly prideful character, and as we’ve always taken a liking to headstrong protagonists such as Utena from Revolutionary Girl Utena and Asuka from Evangelion we found these character traits to be rather fitting for the story’s overall narrative.
We needed someone who would be willing to do just about anything in order to achieve their dreams and with a strong enough sense of self and ambition to make the protagonists’ journey believable!
Elise’s strong personality can be off-putting at first, yet we find there’s a certain charm to how her love interests break her down throughout the story, as well as a sense of relatability and sympathy for her.
The game seems full of multiple routes to take and mysteries to explore. When did development begin and how much has changed since the first draft?
João: That’s right, Little Goody Two Shoes has 10 different unique endings, with some secret bonus content for those who are especially adventurous!
While the concept of Little Goody Two Shoes first started around 2016, it wasn’t until 2021 that development really kicked into full speed. As you can imagine, the game has taken many shapes across the years, with several iterations along with cut content, but the overarching plotline came out relatively unscathed.
Little Goody Two Shoes will be released on October 31, 2023, on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PCs via Steam.
