While there are plenty of fine indie games out there that adhere to more popular styles of play and storytelling, there are also plenty that simply veer off in their own direction, for better or worse. When it comes to indie RPGs, I’d argue that they have a tendency to be pretty familiar more often than not, but it almost feels like that has made the ones that have deviated from the norm all the more determined to make a big splash. Though you could argue that Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass could absolutely have been influenced by the classic Earthbound series in terms of its art style, and unusual quirks, it also has some flavor all its own that helps it to at least be distinctive in the eShop.

You’ll play as Jimmy, an 8-year-old boy who has one heck of an imagination, and that’s what will propel you through this adventure. While at the beginning the overarching threat you’re facing isn’t entirely clear, the further you go you’re drip-fed details that will later bear fruit, an approach I appreciate. The cornerstone of the experience though, aside from some of the unusual characters and interactions you’ll have, is that Jimmy is able to empathize and imagine himself in the place of some of his enemies, which gives him the power to take on their form, paired with some handy powers for inside and outside of combat as well. There’s no question that this can make for some odd moments and interactions at times, but it also demonstrates a great deal of creativity in how the developers are able to continue to add to your repertoire of abilities the further into the game you go.

That isn’t to say there aren’t some issues, even outside of what can sometimes feel like the very dated overall look of pretty well everything. Visually there are just times when what’s on-screen looks odd, and not in a quirky way so much as being technically a little off. You can choose to ignore them, and roll with the punches, but it can make some areas feel a little sloppy when you sometimes run into confusion over where you should be able to go, or what you should be able to interact with. The other issue that can start to wear you down, is there really being too much pointless and generally unrewarding combat you’ll run into. While this can be considered a common classic turn-based RPG issue, many titles in the last generation have taken strides to help either minimize or find creative ways to deal with the problem. You could argue your shape-shifting ability could count for this, but given how many generic battles you’ll get into, that really isn’t enough. Despite some of these misgivings, if you appreciate well-written narratives with interesting characters and something to say, this could still be worth your while, just if you’re looking for an experience that’s more refined you may want to look elsewhere.