Developer: Marvelous
Release Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Cost: 800 MSP / $10
What is Half-Minute Hero?
HMH is.. well, it's easier to show than to tell
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/lolcat-gameplay-half-minute-hero/58619
(footage from the PSP version)
Half-Minute Hero is a japanese RPG condensed into a 30 second time period. Everything is uber-simpified and the gameplay is super lightning fast. Marvelous refers to it as a "Hypersonic RPG". Battles consist of your character automatically smashing his body into the enemy until one of you dies. It's completely ridiculous and stupid until you realize that that's all you do in a turn-based RPG anyway. Normal battles take about one second and there are zero load times. You can customize your guy and find lots of secrets. Indeed, Half-Minute Hero is often more about figuring out what to do and how to do it efficiently than about great storylines or battle systems or whatever. The game is packed with charm and is totally goofy. Where else can you have a plot where the bad guy goes "Crap, I'm a bug! I hate bugs! I'm going to fix this by destroying the world."
If you need to know more, you can watch GT's video review. http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-half-minute-hero/58604
What's new about the XBLA version?
HMH XBLA is basically an enhanced port with improved features and new visual filters.
- New graphic style (see the XBLA trailer at -- this graphic style is pretty nasty in my mind and goes against the retro feel that the entire game is built around. Fortunately you can turn it off and go with the oldschool graphics if it bugs you.
- Online multiplayer - HMH had some local co-op stuff but nobody was ever able to play it because it was a PSP game. Now you can play four player over Xbox Live. I actually have no idea how it works but I'm guessing it's a time attack where you all race to kill the boss first.
- Leaderboards for every quest
- 12 new quests. I believe some of them may be multiplayer-only but I'm not sure. They're referring to the multiplayer as "Super Hero Wars" so I'm guessing this will be more of a focus than the original had.
- All the other modes from the original Half-Minute Hero have basically been rebuilt into the RPG. The original HMH had other modes besides the RPG - an RTS, a weird top-down shooter and a protect-the-sage mode. The RPG was always far and away the best part of the game so it's cool to see them focus on its strengths. (source: http://www.siliconera.com/2011/06/15/yes-princess-and-evil-lord-modes-are-in-half-minute-hero-super-mega-neo-climax/)
- DLC forthcoming; no hint on what it is yet
- a 30 minute "quick look" with Gamepro staff if you want to know more - http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/219651/gamepro-live-half-an-hour-with-half-minute-hero/
Reviews
The embargo is still up, I believe, which means only tiny sites no one has heard of have reviewed it. Not that scores matter on something like this.
http://www.thatgamerhub.com/2011/06/half-minute-hero-super-mega-neo-climax-review-xbla/ (4/5)
http://www.gameplaytoday.com/xbox/xbox-360-reviews/5924-half-minute-hero-super-mega-neo-climax-xbla-review (9.5/10)
Who's getting it? I'm hoping to do some ridiculous mutliplayer on day 1 (in about 36 hours).
--
zizzy
DR. FOOTBALL FACTOR AUGH