Rent A Hero
From Sega Retro
Rent A Hero | |||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive | |||||||||||||||
Publisher: Sega | |||||||||||||||
Developer: Sega R&D 8[1] M2 | |||||||||||||||
Genre: RPG[2][3] | |||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||
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Rent A Hero (レンタヒーロー) is a Sega Mega Drive role-playing fighting game developed by Sega R&D 8 and published by Sega. Released exclusively in Japan in September 1991, the game is notable for its comical tone and self-aware humor, and has gained a modern reputation as one of Sega's more fondly-remembered original titles.
Contents
Plot
The game follows Taro Yamada (the titular "Rent A Hero"), a hero for hire that needs to complete various tasks to save the day.
History
Legacy
Rent A Hero is often incorrectly hyphenated by both fans and the gaming press, despite Sega never using hyphens in the game's romanized name.
The game sold poorly, but gained a cult following[6] Though mostly unknown to the western world, Rent A Hero has been referenced several times across Sega products. Its plot writer, Yukinobu Arikawa, would later secretly include a graphic for Rent A Hero Returns in the background of the Chicago stage in Virtua Fighter 2[6]. This then inspired the game's more prominent reference in the crossover fighting game Fighters Megamix, in which Taro is an unlockable character and a vocal arrangement of the main theme can be heard, complete with lyrics by Arikawa, vocals by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi (Rent A Hero voice actor) and music by original composer Hiroshi Kawaguchi.
The game was remade for the Sega Dreamcast as Rent A Hero No.1. It has also been re-released as part of the Wii's Virtual Console service in Japan, and as one of the 42 pre-installed games on the Mega Drive Mini in Japan. A new entry in the series, called Rent A Hero Z, was been announced for Line Next, a Web3-powered live service by Line[7].
Development
The game borrows much of its engine from the one used in Phantasy Star III.
Versions
Localised names
Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
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Japanese | レンタヒーロー | Rent A Hero |
Production credits
- Main article: Rent A Hero/Production credits.
Digital manuals
Magazine articles
- Main article: Rent A Hero/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Physical scans
Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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66 | |
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Based on 6 reviews |
Technical information
- Main article: Rent A Hero/Technical information.
External links
- Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Mega Drive
References
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "1997-02 (1997-02)" (JP; 1997-01-13), page 24
- ↑ File:RentAHero MD JP Box.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-20 09:51)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/03.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-06 00:26)
- ↑ http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_rentahero/ (Wayback Machine: 2007-05-18 19:20)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dreamcast Magazine, "2000-19 (2000-06-02)" (JP; 2000-05-19), page 65
- ↑ https://ghostarchive.org/archive/vfGzl
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 35
- ↑ Famitsu, "1991-09-27" (JP; 1991-09-13), page 38
- ↑ Hippon Super, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-04), page 90
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "December 1991" (JP; 1991-11-08), page 91
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Super Gaming, "Winter 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 6
Rent A Hero | |
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Main page | Maps | Credits | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Region coding | Technical information
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Rent A Hero series of games | |
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Rent A Hero (1991) | Rent A Hero No.1 (2000) | |
Rent A Hero related media | |
Renta no Kyoku: Rent A Hero No.1 Original Soundtrack (2000) | Vermilion vs Rent A Hero Original Soundtrack (2009) | Rent A Hero Original Soundtrack (2014) | |
Rent A Hero No.1 Kanzen Guide Book (2000) | Rent A Hero No.1 Perfect Guide (2000) |
- 1 player games
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