Take a look at this screenshot. When you compare it to what other PSP games such as FFVII: Crisis Core has to offer, it kind of puts you off doesn't it? Well, don't let the visuals fool you because it's another very fun game where you play the bad guy.

The full title is "Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaiki da!" which translates roughly to, "Those so called heroes are so cheeky!" I'll just refer to this as "Those Cheeky Heroes".

If you remember Dungeon Keeper by Bullfrog on the PC and enjoyed that then I'm sure you'll like this! TCH is like a slimmed down version without the need to manage all the nitty-gritty details of the dungeon such as building the right rooms for your minions, keeping them trained and paid. Neither do you have to build your dungeons from scratch for every level. Just dig, dig, dig!

The simple dungeon digger comes with a simple storyline. Word has gone out that the evil Demon King is preparing to conquer the world so heroes are being sent to capture him. Now he needs your help as the God of Destruction by creating an army strong enough to kill off all these heroes infiltrating the underground dungeon.

Starting off, you basically have a large grid with two kind of blocks. The fertilised mossy or white blocks and the unfertilised plain brown ones. Whenever you smash one of the fertilised blocks, a monster is created. What kind of monster you get depends on how fertilised the blocks are.

The weakest and most basic type of monster you begin with are slimes that slush around, fertilising and de-fertilising blocks. By creating the right kind of passageways, you'll be able to create some stronger monsters. The problem is there's an ecosystem that you have to watch out for. Some monsters will kill or devour others so you'll have to decide on which ones you want then work on feeding them to increase their health.

For every level, you only have a limited amount of time to create the monsters you want and dig out the passageways. There's no timer on the screen but before long, the heroes are ready to raid your dungeon. After you deploy the Demon King somewhere you think will be safe, the heroes will start slashing their way through and the idea is your army will kill them before they reach him. If they do, they'll drag him back to the dungeon entrance and it's game over. You'll have to restart from the very first level.

It might sound harsh but, each level really only last about 10 - 15 minutes and the game itself takes just about an hour to beat. All the dialogue can even be skipped letting you get straight to the action.

Successfully defeating the heroes and winning a level gives you some points to upgrade the kind of monsters you can create. None of the monsters you already have will be affected by the upgrade. You'll have to dig new blocks to create the new upgraded monsters. You then move onto the next level, faced with more powerful heroes and repeat until all are defeated. I can tell you now, it's not easy to beat the game because they have all the characteristics of an RPG. The heroes level up replenishing their HP and can use some powerful magic and skills that wipe out even the strongest of monsters in no time later in the game. It's fairly challenging.

Looking at the game graphics and sound, you might wonder why it wasn't developed for the DS but when you look at how many sprites the PSP has to handle, the reason is pretty obvious. The sound effects are fun. The heroes have squeeky little voices as they fight their way through to the Demon King which matches the game's "cheeky" title perfectly. The little animations are detailed enough to see them yield their weapons or monsters using their moves. Detailed enough to enjoy watching the little fights that take place.

At a glance, Those Cheeky Heroes is a great pick up and play game with great replay value due to its score and grading system. Dungeons never start with the same map and you can always try new layouts or army of monsters. Just like Dungeon Keeper, it's somehow evilly satisfying to watch the heroes getting slayed and crying out.

If after reading this you feel like you want to give it a try, you can download a demo featuring three levels from the official website. It might make it West but in the meantime, full copies of this excellent game can be imported from PlayAsia or if you're in the EU, YesAsia.

Time Played: 6 Hours

Likes

• It's like Bull Frog's Dungeon Keeper but simplified.
• Fast paced and challenging gameplay.
• Strategy through a monster ecosystem and various enemy types.
• Fun BGM and sound effects.

Dislikes

• Can't think of any... Too short?