The next game from Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, is right around the corner, and while Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai definitely isn't the man to ask about it, you can take that as a fantastic sign for his hopes for the tactical RPG.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy might have the same art style as the visual novel series Danganronpa, but it'll play very differently given its strategy-centric gameplay.
Choices will also matter a great deal, with 100 different endings to achieve that co-director Kotaro Uchikoshi (director of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward) said were all intended to have meaning, and not just be "easy" bad endings.
Needless to say, there's a lot to be excited about, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's director is so excited that he knows next to nothing about the game. Spotted and translated by Automaton, Sakurai has shared a message about The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy in the build-up to its release, but admits that when he "received this request for a comment, I was honestly at a loss."
【#ハンドラ 応援コメント①】発売まで あと“11”日——『HUNDRED LINE -最終防衛学園-』の発売を祝してTooKyoGamesに縁のあるゲームクリエイターの皆さまからメッセージをいただきました！ソラ 代表取締役桜井政博 氏#hundred_line pic.twitter.com/39MRmnbmrRApril 13, 2025
That might not sound like a good sign, but it's quite the opposite, as he explains: "I generally shut out all information about games I intend to play. So naturally, I've been thoroughly avoiding any information about The Hundred Line, which means I only have a vague idea of what it's about."
In fact, he's avoided so much information that all he really knows is that there's "some kind of brain-ghost" as a mascot, meaning that coming up with something to say in his comment was rather difficult.
"What I mean to say is, that's how eagerly I’m looking forward to The Hundred Line," Sakurai continues. "I have high expectations!!"
It definitely sounds like we'll be busy when the game launches on April 24, anyway, with Kodaka previously noting that "when games are too long, players can get put off," so the team was intentionally avoiding discussing its length. With so many endings to discover, who knows how many hours it'll take?
In the meantime, you can find some great games to play on our list of the best strategy games.
