Summary

Release Year: 2000
Genres: Adventure, Hack and slash/Beat ’em up, Role-playing game (RPG)
Platforms: Dreamcast, Xbox
Developers: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publishers: AIA Games, Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

Rent-A-Hero No. 1: A Unique Blend of Fighting and Strategy

Released in 2000 for the Dreamcast, Rent-A-Hero No. 1 is a unique blend of fighting and strategy. Players take control of one of four mercenaries, each with their own unique abilities, and must battle their way through hordes of enemies to complete missions.

The game is set in a futuristic city where crime is rampant. Players take on the role of one of four mercenaries who are hired to clean up the streets. The four mercenaries are:

Taro: A skilled martial artist with a strong sense of justice.
Hiroko: A female counterpart of Taro with a more aggressive fighting style.
Goro: A large and powerful wrestler.
Kintaro: A cyborg with a variety of powerful weapons.

Each mercenary has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Taro is a well-rounded fighter with no major weaknesses, while Hiroko is more powerful but has less health. Goro is very strong but slow, while Kintaro is fast but has less power.

Players must use the unique abilities of each mercenary to their advantage in order to complete missions. For example, Taro’s strong sense of justice makes him ideal for missions where he needs to protect civilians, while Hiroko’s aggressive fighting style makes her ideal for missions where she needs to quickly defeat enemies.

In addition to the four main mercenaries, players can also recruit additional characters to help them on their missions. These characters include a variety of different specialists, such as hackers, medics, and engineers.

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 features a variety of different missions, each with its own unique objectives. Some missions require players to defeat all of the enemies in a certain area, while others require players to protect civilians or escort important targets.

The game also features a number of different difficulty levels, so players of all skill levels can enjoy the game. On the easier difficulty levels, enemies are weaker and less aggressive, while on the harder difficulty levels, enemies are stronger and more aggressive.

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 was praised for its unique blend of fighting and strategy, as well as its challenging gameplay and variety of missions. The game was also praised for its graphics, which were some of the best on the Dreamcast at the time.

Overall, Rent-A-Hero No. 1 is a great game for fans of fighting and strategy games. The game’s unique blend of genres, challenging gameplay, and variety of missions make it a must-play for fans of either genre.

Gameplay

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 is a 3D fighting game in which players control one of four mercenaries from a third-person perspective. The game’s combat system is similar to that of Sega’s Spikeout games, and allows players to perform a variety of different attacks and combos.

In addition to the standard attacks, each mercenary also has a number of special moves that can be performed by inputting specific button combinations. These special moves can be used to deal more damage to enemies, or to perform other special effects, such as healing or buffing allies.

Players can also use the environment to their advantage in combat. For example, players can throw objects at enemies, or use cover to avoid enemy attacks.

In addition to the standard fighting gameplay, Rent-A-Hero No. 1 also features a number of strategy elements. For example, players must use their mercenaries’ unique abilities to their advantage in order to complete missions. Players must also manage their resources carefully, as each mercenary has a limited amount of health and energy.

Development

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 was developed by Sega AM2, the same team that developed the original Rent-A-Hero game for the Mega Drive. The game was originally intended to be released for the Dreamcast in 1999, but was delayed until 2000.

The game was enhanced and given online capabilities by Coolnet Entertainment 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 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 reviewed by GamePro and Electronics Gaming Monthly in February 2003.

Reception

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 received positive reviews from critics. The game was praised for its unique blend of fighting and strategy, as well as its challenging gameplay and variety of missions. The game was also praised for its graphics, which were some of the best on the Dreamcast at the time.

However, the game was also criticized for its lack of online multiplayer, which was a major feature of many other fighting games at the time.

Legacy

Rent-A-Hero No. 1 has been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the Yakuza series and the Shenmue series. The game’s unique blend of fighting and strategy has also been praised by critics, and has been used as a model for other games in the genre.

In 2023, a remastered version of Rent-A-Hero No. 1 was released for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The remastered version features updated graphics and sound, as well as new content, such as a new playable character and new missions.

The remastered version of Rent-A-Hero No. 1 has been praised by critics, and is considered to be the definitive version of the game.