Like Hero 30, there are thirty missions available, and you won't spend too long getting through them. To make further comparisons, this is also a much simpler mode – you send out appropriate monsters and try not to get hit or exceed the timer. For a self-proclaimed strategy mode, there's not much strategy involved and the tactics employed are always far from cerebral. Nonetheless, the same perfectionists find further meat to munch on here, and despite the simplicity, it still remains very entertaining for the short time you spend on it, never out-living its welcome.
Princess 30 is a shooter mode set another hundred years after the last one. The King of an unnamed kingdom has fallen ill, and his daughter decides to bring his crossbow to bear, searching the areas around the castle for medicines and myths that may cure his sickness. Hence, atop a throne carried by thirty soldiers against a clock of thirty seconds across thirty levels, you shoot anything you see whilst navigating your soldiers about. The Time Goddess makes her ceremonial return by laying down a carpet that, when trodden upon, will increase time while depleting your funds, while different fairies in the environment bestow attack or speed bonuses when obtained.
Overall, this is pretty simplistic. Movement is limited, as you're always travelling in the same direction, even if you can place yourself upon the screen, and with even minor talent, you can easily dodge enemies just as easily as you can shoot them. Hence, even the completionists who would much enjoy this title will find little to occupy them for long in this mode.
The final major mode is Knight 30, where you attempt to protect a sage from monsters as the countdown timer ticks down. To shake things up, you actually want the timer to hit zero, as that is the amount of time the Sage requires to unleash a spell to kill all the monsters in the area. However, the Sage can only cast this spell when he is standing still and not being carried about by the Knight. This can be pretty easy most of the time, as you only need to find the best spot to leave him down and watch the timer fizzle out, and definitely lacks the challenge and frantic panic that can be present in the other modes. This isn't unlocked until you complete the other three modes, and once you complete this one, Hero 300 and Hero 3 are unlocked. These don't qualify as full, identifiable modes however, as they are variants of the Hero 30 mode. In Hero 300, you have three hundred seconds to defeat the Evil Lord, but you don't have the assistance of the Goddess of Time, and, for the ultimate in aorta-squeezing panic, Hero 3 gives you three measly, dirty seconds to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's little more than a distraction from the other modes, which you have already completed at this stage.
There's also a multiplayer mode that is also a variant on Hero 30, where you all compete to become the greatest hero by defeating the region's Evil Lord first. There is never any respite however, as the ever-present clock is always ticking. You never fight each other, instead you are independently seeking to become the most powerful hero, meaning you can take on the Evil Lord together, but whoever has levelled up the most and bought the best equipment will be deemed victorious. It's hardly a multiplayer mode that would pull you from whatever MMORPG you're playing, but it's a nice extra addition to the already bloated selection of individual modes.
Overall, the amount of enjoyment you can take from Half-Minute Hero is wholly dependent on the type of gamer you are. If you simply steam through a game to experience the end credits, you're not likely to find much lasting value from this. Yet by taking the time to perfect your abilities, and overcome the strict time limits, or even venture into the available Hard modes, you will find enough to last you multiple hours of enjoyment. Anyone who aims for 100% will find a place in their PSP for this parody and homage of the staples of RPG and retro gaming.
