A terrible dark lord threatens the kingdom’s serenity. He has cast magic that will destroy the planet in precisely 30 seconds, and only a brave young hero can stop him. This hero has established a contract with the Time Goddess, the protector of time, allowing him to level up swiftly and turn back time (for a charge, of course). Before the spell can be completed, he must defeat the dark lord, but another one is always waiting to take their place.
Half-Minute Hero is a high-octane Japanese-style RPG. Each quest in the primary game mode, Hero 30, involves the player obtaining things and equipment, leveling up, fulfilling plot events, and eventually reaching and destroying the boss, all under the strict 30-second time constraint. There are several dozen missions to complete, each with its distinct setting and narrative.
In addition to the core Hero 30 mode, Half-Minute Hero has numerous more ways, all with the same stringent 30-second time limit: Dark Lord 30* portrays the player as a repentant dark lord who punishes evil for the sake of love. His game is a real-time strategy game in which the player summons monsters and casts spells to destroy opponents.
- The player takes control of a young princess who must leave the castle to fetch medicine for her sick father, the king, in Princess 30. Her game takes the form of a scrolling shooter.
- Knight 30 portrays the player as a knight tasked with protecting a Sage while he casts a spell to rid the area of creatures. His game is an action game similar to tower defense.
As the game progresses, a gallery fills with all of the objects and adversaries encountered by the player and numerous pieces of production artwork. There’s also an ad-hoc multiplayer option in which up to four heroes compete to see who can destroy the evil lord quickly.
