Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax – Saving the World 30 Seconds at a Time

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Tired of having 30+ hours long RPGs that you don’t have time to finish? Have no fear; Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax is here!  Having just arrived on XBox Live Arcade last week (previously released on the Sony PSP), it contains different RPGs involving Dark Lords casting spells of destruction, a Princess seeking items to aid her ailing father, and a Knight who must protect a Sage (escort missions).

For now, let’s talk about Hero 30.  Each level is a self-contained story where we can peg down a few rules:  A)  there is a Dark Lord who is going to destroy the world;  B)  You’re a hero, stop him/her; and C) you have 30 seconds to complete this… And…Go….   Such things are the test of true heroes.

I don’t know about you, but 30 seconds doesn’t seem like enough time to defeat a Dark Lord before the world comes to an end.  Luckily for us, there is a helpful (yet stingy) Goddess who will help you out…if the price is right.  For the low price of 100 gold (and increasing incrementally each time you ask for her aid), she will reset the timer giving you an additional 30 seconds to complete the job.

The job is quite simple; moving around the map will cause random encounters where your character and monsters will flail at each other until one is dead.  While running prevents such encounters, it is detrimental to your health.  Weigh your options: take your chances with your foes or flee (but with the cost of health points).  For those who choose to fight and find that your combat isn’t going so well, health restoring herbs are available for purchase.   Fortunately, each level provides different challenges, so each quest feels fresh (and you’re not stuck doing what feels like the same quest 30 times over).

Also, different modes provide various gameplay mechanics.  Evil Lord mode lets you switch sides and control the Dark Lord in a quest to destroy the world in real time strategy gameplay.  Princess mode has the player carried around by her knights as she fires her crossbow in shoot ’em up adventures. Knight’s Tale has the character defending a Sage in a more traditional style of play of top down hack-and-slashing.  Variety is the spice of life.  It’s a nostalgic homage to the classic game styles of an earlier age, in a much compressed, bite sized fashion.

Playing on the time period, Half-Minute Hero provides both 8 bit graphics and awesome chip tunes. What makes it slightly different, is it offers smooth versions of the graphics and 2011 audio quality.  For those wishing to play the game in a nostalgic setting, they can switch to the classic format.  Half-Minute Hero’s soundtrack drives the game play with its  high energy electric guitar.  The player definitely feels the rush as the seconds slip away.

Its constant humour, prodding at the traditional types of stories, are enjoyable and well thought out.  It’s on the lower end of the XBox Live pricing scale at 800 MS points, and is well worth the investment, especially for those chronically short on time.  I give this game a 5/5,  its fun, entertaining, and can be delivered in 30 second doses again and again.