Description:

Handheld games are meant to be quick, short-burst, pick-up-and-play experiences that last you the five seconds you're on the bus before the driver kicks you off for not paying for your ticket. But how do you build a game with that concept, for a genre known for lengthy plots, demanding attention and epic quests?

That's where Half-Minute Hero comes in. All the spirit of an epic RPG, separated into 30-second chunks of gameplay. Taking the graphical style of a retro adventure game, Half-Minute Hero sees you play as a legendary sage who has to combine the powers of past heroes to tackle a new evil overlord.

Because you only have 30 seconds to explore the world around you, the gameplay is faster than anything we've ever seen in an RPG. Battles literally consist of you charging up to them to attack, using whatever weapon you have equipped to mow them down. Four distinctive modes allow you to play the game as different classes of warrior and this provides a different method of playing each time.

Your timer gets replenished through the act of entering safe houses or exploring friendly towns and villages. If those seconds are close to zero, you can replenish the clock back up to 30 seconds to continue your journey, only to tackle the next of the 120 stages waiting to be explored! It's a race against time to save the world ? literally.

Information:

• Number of players: 1-4
• Development Company: XSeed
• Software House: XSeed
• Video Dimensions: 2D
• Publisher: Rising Star
• Point Of View: Top-down, Multi-way scrolling