Half-Minute Hero

by Xseed

Product Features

• Old-School Graphics, New-Age Metal Sound - Classic 8-bit graphics give this game its unique visual style, while original music by one of Japan?s most critically-acclaimed guitarists keeps a pace as fast and furious as the gameplay.
• Fast-paced Action for Instant Gratification - A fresh new way to play games, clearing stages in 30-second intervals.
• Four Completely Different and Unique Game Play Modes - Four distinct storylines and modes that encompass an action RPG, a shooter, an escort mission, and a strategy game, keep the gameplay fresh and varied.
• Over 15 Hours of Total Gameplay - With each of the four unique modes containing 30 distinct stages, short individual play times add up to many hours of total gameplay.
• Intense Multiplayer Action - Connect two to four friends through ad-hoc wireless connection for blazing fast competition.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002DMJ0RM
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 13, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,750 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #51 in Video Games > Sony PSP > Role-Playing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Sony PSP

Amazon.com Product Description

Half-Minute Hero for PlayStation Portable (PSP) represents a bold new concept in role-playing games (RPGs) in having the player save the world, 30 seconds at a time. The player must fight, shoot, summon, and protect in four distinct modes, each containing a different perspective and unique gameplay style, across a total of 120 varied stages. The 8-bit graphics and story elements provide a unique style and humor, while the hard-rocking soundtrack keeps pace with the breakneck speed of gameplay. Save the world 30 seconds at a time. View larger. Story For centuries, an epic battle between humans and evil lords has been raging, destroying everything in its path. Throughout that time, heroes and legends have risen above the chaos, only to eventually disappear into the pages of history. The would-be hero, the narcissistic evil lord, the crossbow-wielding princess...These three were the champions of their eras and even now, still have one last part to play. The civilized world continues to be laid siege to by relentless evil adversaries and all that remains are the ruins of castles and the bodies of the faithful knights who once proudly protected them. As the last wandering sage and final hope for humanity, it is up to the protagonist to somehow transcend time and death to unite these legends and their unique powers in one last battle against the ultimate evil lord. Key Game Features Fast-paced Action for Instant Gratification - A fresh new way to play games, clearing stages in 30-second intervals. Four Completely Different and Unique Game Play Modes - Four distinct storylines and modes that encompass an action RPG, a shooter, an escort mission, and a strategy game, keep the gameplay fresh and varied. Over 15 Hours of Total Gameplay - With each of the four unique modes containing 30 distinct stages, short individual play times add up to many hours of total gameplay. Intense Multiplayer Action - Connect two to four friends through ad-hoc wireless connection for blazing fast competition. Old-School Graphics, New-Age Metal Sound - Classic 8-bit graphics give this game its unique visual style, while original music by one of Japan’s most critically-acclaimed guitarists keeps a pace as fast and furious as the gameplay. Additional Screenshots: Classic yet modern gameplay. View larger. Multiple stories and modes. View larger. 4-player support. View larger. Engrossing RPG action. View larger.

Product Description

For centuries, an epic battle between humans and evil lords has been raging and destroying everything in its path. The civilized world is under attack by the relentless evil lords and all that remains are the ruins of castles and the bodies of the faithful knights who once proudly protected them. Throughout time, heroes and legends have risen above the chaos, only to eventually disappear into the pages of history. As the last wandering sage and final hope for humanity, it is up to the protagonist to somehow transcend time and death to unite these legends and their unique powers in one last battle against the Ultimate Evil Lord.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes, Heroes Just Don't Have Enough Time, October 20, 2009

By 

Brian Shirk "Brian" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Half-Minute Hero (Video Game)

In honor of one of the most unique RPGs the PSP (or any console) has seen in quite some time, I'd like to write a review in half a minute. Actually, scratch that. A thirty second review would be too brief to be of use to anyone, so instead, I'll divide my Half-Minute Hero review into thirty bite-sized chunks in honor of the game's thirty missions per mode. Read on to find out if this game is worth thirty seconds (or several thirty second intervals) of your time.

1) Half-Minute Hero is a love letter to fans of old-school game music featuring over a dozen composers.

2) Several high profile composers are on board such as Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, ActRaiser, Ys: Books I & II) and Motoi Sakuraba (Tales series, Star Ocean, Golden Sun).

3) Half-Minute Hero's kick ass guitar tracks are reminiscent of those found in Ys: Books I & II, Mystic Quest, and Lufia II.

4) All the in-game music can be listened to on its own via an unlockable music player.

5) The superb sound quality makes you wish you could hear your favorite SNES tunes re-mastered.

6) Half-Minute Hero's pixelated visuals are a stylish re-imagining of the 8-bit era.

7) This retro-style title includes four main quests, an epic finale, and a bonus mode.

8) The quests take place in chronological order, so it's useful to start from the beginning, even though two others are unlocked from the get-go.

9) Half-Minute Hero's first quest: Hero 30, is a series of thirty bite-sized RPGs all featuring the main hero with the default name: Hero.

10) As with the heroes of many 8 and 16-bit RPGs, Hero is a fearless, yet silent protagonist.

11) Hero has thirty seconds to complete each of his objectives, but the money grubbing Time Goddess grants him thirty additional seconds if he pays one of her statues whose fee doubles in price with each use.

12) During each mission, Hero will traverse a world map, battle monsters, shop in villages, explore dungeons, and defeat Evil Lords.

13) The hero can avoid random encounters on the world map by holding the run button, but this will cause his HP to decrease.

14) When the hero happens to encounter an enemy, the battle will occur automatically, but the player can influence Hero's attack speed by holding down the run button, and can also make him flee.

15) Battles are brief affairs, and levels are gained at an unprecedented rate, so players are saved from the infamous RPG phenomenon known as "The grind."

16) Hero 30 and three of the other main game modes have Normal and Hard difficulty settings.

17) For the most part, Normal is a breeze, so players who like a challenge will probably want to play on Hard.

18) The second mode: Evil Lord 30, is a real-time strategy game featuring an RPG villain archetype: A pretty boy who is concerned with his looks as much as he is with the world's destruction.

19) Haters of effeminate RPG characters such as Final Fantasy 10's Seymour and Final Fantasy 12's Vaan will probably appreciate Evil Lord 30's comical dialogue that pokes fun at RPG stereotypes.

20) Evil Lord 30's RTS gameplay plays out in a Rock-Paper-Scissors format, so players will have to learn their three unit types' strengths and weaknesses.

21) Fortunately, Evil Lord 30's missions are brief, because there's nothing special about its generic RTS gameplay and mediocre controls.

22) The third mode: Princess 30, fares better than the previous mode, but it's still a relatively straightforward affair.

23) In Princess 30, you'll guide your stereotypical RPG princess (read: naive and rebellious) through thirty horizontal and vertical scrolling shooter missions.

24) This mode enables you to pick up four different power-ups (speed boost, power upgrade, etc.), and it allows you to aim in four different directions via the face buttons.

25) Princess 30's missions are quite fun, but what really stands out is its humorous dialogue that pokes fun at RPG clichés such as a hero sacrificing himself only to come back to life.

26) The last of the four main game modes is Knight 30, which has you, a cowardly knight, escorting a pretty boy sage.

27) Knight 30's escort missions require you to protect the sage by ramming enemies, carrying him to safety, and by laying traps.

28) Half-Minute Hero's mediocre escort missions are quickly forgotten during the game's excellent finale, which returns to the initial mode's old-school RPG gameplay.

29) The final mission is quite challenging, but it's an epic finale that brings the game's entire cast together.

30) Half-Minute Hero's unlockable bonus mode will have you cursing, but overall, it's a refreshing portable adventure that is perfect for gamers who don't have a lot of time.

Time elapsed: Approximately 9 hours

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 30 Second Review, March 30, 2010

By 

Thomas Kenney (Sacramento CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Half-Minute Hero (Video Game)

It's been awhile since I've completely enjoyed a game as much as this one. There are 4 different play modes, some definitely better than others, but between them the game never gets old. With a humorous script and different ways to complete each level repeated playthroughs are encouraged. Still it's overall a short game by RPG standards, about 10 hours long, but unlike most JRPGs I didn't want this one to end. I'm a jaded cynic but I really enjoyed it. Give it a try.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good mix of just about everything, except 3D shooter, lol., April 24, 2010

By 

Kevin D. Gould "unomonoloco" (Nor Cal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Half-Minute Hero (Video Game)

So many options, including multiplayer, and it is worth the money. Picture this: The Legend of the Seeker: that's this; medieval times and magic combine forces with hard rock music (not always) and then combine that with the 8-bit world of mario, and ca ching!! total win on your part: great game unless you don't like anime or arcade-played 8-bit worlds. astonishingly great classic.

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