Rent-A-Hero
Encyclopedia
Rent-A-Hero is a top-down role-playing video game
series released by Sega
for the Mega Drive console in 1991 with a large emphasis on humor. The game features the same graphic engine previously used in the development of Phantasy Star III
. However, Rent-A-Hero has an unusual innovation for the genre. Instead of using standard turn-based battles, fights are in a similar format to 2D fighting game
s.
with his mother, eccentric father and younger sister Alyssa; the family moved there after his father changed jobs. He received his Combat Armor by accident during their house-warming party, when he ordered pizza from 'Sensational Cafeteria' or SECA and instead received the suit. After realizing the suit gave him incredible strength and that he is required to pay for the armor, Taro decides to become a hero for hire, performing various heroic tasks and odd-jobs for the townspeople of Corja.
games and allows the player to receive hints via in-game email.
The game was enhanced and given online capabilities by Coolnet Entertainment and AIA Games for the Xbox in 2003, and also translated into English for a North American release in what would have been the first Rent-A-Hero overseas release. However, the English version of the game was never released due to distribution problems, and the Xbox version remained only in Japan as it had previously happened with the original Dreamcast version.
In 2008, the unreleased English-translated version of the game got leaked and appeared on torrent sites in an apparently complete state, with only minor text errors present. This version was very close to completion and was in fact reviewed by GamePro in February 2003.
UFO Catcher was made available over the internet, created to promote the Japanese release of Rent-A-Hero No. 1. it is based on the crane/grabber machines (UFO) often seen in Arcades with two modes, Practice, which allows the player to guide the crane's radar, and Challenge, which does not.
as an unlockable character. Rent-A-Hero is one of few characters to use projectile attacks, and is one of the strongest fighters. However, he has an additional handicap: above his life bar are battery symbols, that deplete the longer a fight lasts, if they deplete fully, Taro's armor will disappear. In this state, he will not be able to perform a number of moves, including all projectile moves, and he will also take more damage.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
series released by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for the Mega Drive console in 1991 with a large emphasis on humor. The game features the same graphic engine previously used in the development of Phantasy Star III
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
is a traditional console roleplaying game that was released for the Sega Mega Drive in Japan in April 1990 and in the United States in the summer of 1991...
. However, Rent-A-Hero has an unusual innovation for the genre. Instead of using standard turn-based battles, fights are in a similar format to 2D fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
s.
Character
Taro Yamada, or lives in the town of Corja in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with his mother, eccentric father and younger sister Alyssa; the family moved there after his father changed jobs. He received his Combat Armor by accident during their house-warming party, when he ordered pizza from 'Sensational Cafeteria' or SECA and instead received the suit. After realizing the suit gave him incredible strength and that he is required to pay for the armor, Taro decides to become a hero for hire, performing various heroic tasks and odd-jobs for the townspeople of Corja.
Rent-A-Hero No. 1
Rent-A-Hero No. 1, a remake of the original Mega Drive game, was released for the Dreamcast in 2000. It features similar events to Rent-A-Hero, this time adding Rent-A-Hiroko, a female counter-part of Taro. The fighting engine used for the game is the same used for Sega's SpikeoutSpikeOut
Spikeout is a 3D beat 'em up developed by Sega-AM4 and published by Sega in 1998....
games and allows the player to receive hints via in-game email.
The game was enhanced and given online capabilities by Coolnet Entertainment and AIA Games for the Xbox in 2003, and also translated into English for a North American release in what would have been the first Rent-A-Hero overseas release. However, the English version of the game was never released due to distribution problems, and the Xbox version remained only in Japan as it had previously happened with the original Dreamcast version.
In 2008, the unreleased English-translated version of the game got leaked and appeared on torrent sites in an apparently complete state, with only minor text errors present. This version was very close to completion and was in fact reviewed by GamePro in February 2003.
UFO Catcher was made available over the internet, created to promote the Japanese release of Rent-A-Hero No. 1. it is based on the crane/grabber machines (UFO) often seen in Arcades with two modes, Practice, which allows the player to guide the crane's radar, and Challenge, which does not.
Other media
Taro is available in Fighters MegamixFighters Megamix
is a 1996 fighting game developed by AM2 for the Sega Saturn and Game.com. It combines several characters from various Sega games, from the complete cast of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers to Janet from Virtua Cop 2 and the Hornet car from Daytona USA, while allowing to play the bosses of both...
as an unlockable character. Rent-A-Hero is one of few characters to use projectile attacks, and is one of the strongest fighters. However, he has an additional handicap: above his life bar are battery symbols, that deplete the longer a fight lasts, if they deplete fully, Taro's armor will disappear. In this state, he will not be able to perform a number of moves, including all projectile moves, and he will also take more damage.