Little Goody Two Shoes
Finding evil by moonlight, winning games by daylight
By day you mingle with townsfolk and do chores; at night you prepare for a dark ritual.
Many games list retro-inspired visuals as part of their appeal, but Little Goody Two Shoes genuinely nails ’90s anime charm, with a dash of old-school Disney mixed in for good measure. That doesn’t just apply to the character art and frequent fully-drawn scenes (CGs); even the pixel sprites and menus take a ‘more is more’ approach, with plants and fruit twisting around intricate frame borders. It’s a pleasure to take in the details, even when things aren’t going your way in-game.
On top of having a strong sense of style, it toes the line between being properly creepy and shamelessly adorable. By day you mingle with townsfolk and do chores; at night you venture into the woods and prepare for a dark ritual that’ll make your heart’s deepest desire come true (which means avoiding perilous ghosties and solving taxing puzzles).
TIME IS MONEY
During a playthrough’s week of escapades, you need to keep an eye on your stock of items, plus your health, stamina, and sanity bars. How easy it is to keep everything filled depends on how thoroughly you explore during the Witching Hour every night and how much you can afford to stock up based on your fervour (and success) at your maid-of-all-work duties during the day. There are only so many hours in a day and only so many coins in your pocket. You will have to choose between courting pretty girls and getting paid. Every day. [So much for escapism – ed]
While more relaxed, the daytime features minigames involving collecting eggs, chopping wood, and so on for people around town. They’re even amassed in their own little arcade cabinet screen.
Despite her unabashed materialism, protagonist Elise is charming, and you can root for her even when she’s not necessarily on the side of right, which makes playing both sides all the more interesting. On the one hand you’re a hardworking, church-going citizen of Kieferberg, and on the other you’re harbouring a stranger who knows way too much about witchcraft and then lying through your teeth about it. Just like your item management, this is a careful balancing act. You want the townsfolk to like you, not only because they fund your many trips to the bakery but because otherwise they might burn you at the stake.
Though this is a prequel to Pocket Mirror, which is currently not available on PlayStation, Little Goody Two Shoes works perfectly fine as a standalone, quirky puzzler. Fairly snappy, there are ten endings up for grabs depending on the girl you romance and your dedication to the ominous Him, making a replay as tantalising as a black magic wish-fulfilment ritual.
Little Goody Two Shoes is a colourful gift of genuine uneasiness tied up with a bow and laid out as a tasty and fully worthy ritual offering to nostalgia. Max Williams
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