The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Looks Like Danganronpa Meets Fire Emblem (2024)

One of the most surprising titles to come out of the recent Nintendo Direct was The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy from the creators of the Danganronpa series. Although series creator Kazutaka Kodaka has been active on other projects since the Danganronpa series' last game, including 2023's Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, many fans of the murder-mystery visual novel franchise have been eager for a new entry. While The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy isn't a new Danganronpa game, it seems to be heavily inspired by the series, blending elements of it with a popular Nintendo franchise.

While Last Defense Academy features the iconic art style and a similar premise to Danganronpa, its gameplay seems to be taking a page out of Fire Emblem's book. Nintendo's popular tactical RPG series has boomed in popularity in recent years, with titles like Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Engage becoming acclaimed Switch releases. Now, Last Defense Academy looks to be building on both of these franchises, and this creative collaboration between Kodaka and Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi could be a fresh new experience for fans of both series.

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Blends Elements of Danganronpa and Fire Emblem

Last Defense Academy Features a Very Similar Premise to Danganronpa

For fans of the Danganronpa series, the premise of Last Defense Academy might sound familiar. The game follows protagonist Takumi Sumino, who makes a deal with a being known as Sirei and ends up trapped in a school with 14 other students who are forced to defend the school against the threat of monsters attacking the outside world for 100 days. While there doesn't appear to be any murder of fellow students involved in this title, a mascot trapping 15 students in a school during an apocalypse is nearly identical to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc's plot.

However, Last Defense Academy is in the unique position to tell a story that goes in a completely different direction than the Danganronpa series, despite having a similar premise on the surface. Rather than pitting students against each other in a killing game, requiring them to work together for the sake of defending the school could lead to an entirely different dynamic between the cast. There is also a lot of lore the game could cover about the reason behind these monster attacks, and why these students in particular have been chosen to defend the school.

The Fire Emblem-Like Gameplay Should Help Last Defense Academy Stand Out

The tactics RPG gameplay of Last Defense Academy shares some obvious similarities with the Fire Emblem series. Battles appear to be grid-based, with each of the students utilizing unique Specialist Skills to fend off monster attacks, and the game also promises free time in between battles where players will get to deepen their bonds with teammates in a mode that sounds very similar to Fire Emblem's Support system. Another Fire Emblem mechanic that seems primed for Last Defense Academy is the series' permadeath system, as the trailer for the game tells players to expect the unavoidable loss of allies.

The Fire Emblem series is also no stranger to the school setting, with Fire Emblem: Three Houses notably putting players in control of one of three houses at Garreg Mach Monastery's Officers Academy. The balance between school life and combat scenarios made this title very popular among Fire Emblem fans, and Last Defense Academy seems like it could successfully replicate that same gameplay loop. With the game having a 2025 release window, there is still a lot of time to see how The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy melds elements of these two franchises into its own unique title.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

$71 $85 Save $14

Platform(s)

Android , iOS , Nintendo Switch , PlayStation Portable , PSP , Xbox One , PlayStation 4

Released

June 26, 2012

Developer(s)

Spike Chunsoft , Spike , Abstraction Games

Publisher(s)

Spike Chunsoft

Genre(s)

Adventure

Engine

unity

ESRB

m

How Long To Beat

34 hours

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