Hanjuku Hero (半熟英雄 Hanjuku Hīrō, "Soft-Boiled Hero")[1] is a Japan-exclusive series of real-time strategy video games. It is directed by Takashi Tokita and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). The series contains four main titles and a spinoff game, Egg Monster Hero (2005). The main titles are Hanjuku Hero (1988), Hanjuku Hero: Aa, Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...! (1992), Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D (2003), and Hanjuku Hero 4: 7-Jin no Hanjuku Hero (2005). The series is known for its humor, and is centered on Lord Almamoon, the protagonist who must save his country from danger in each game.[2]
Contents |
| Hanjuku Hero | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Square |
| Publisher(s) | Square |
| Designer(s) | Takashi Tokita |
| Composer(s) | Nobuo Uematsu |
| Platform(s) | Famicom, Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Hanjuku Hero (半熟英雄 Hanjuku Hīrō, "Soft-Boiled Hero") is the first game in the series. It was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007.
Although the game did not receive a stand-alone soundtrack album release, a bonus disc of 17 tracks from the game was included in the soundtrack album to Hanjuku Hero VS 3D.[4]
| Hanjuku Hero: Aa, Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...! | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Square |
| Publisher(s) | Square |
| Designer(s) | Takashi Tokita |
| Artist(s) | Kazuyuki Kurashima (monster design) |
| Composer(s) | Koichi Sugiyama |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Hanjuku Hero: Aa, Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...! (半熟英雄 ああ、世界よ半熟なれ…!! "Let the world become soft-boiled!") is the second game in the series. The Egg Monsters featured in the game are parodies of Final Fantasy IV characters.[5]
The game was re-released on the WonderSwan Color in 2002. This version features a graphical overhaul and twelve new summons.[6]
A soundtrack album for the game, titled Divertimento Hanjuku Hero, was released by NTT Publishing on January 21, 1993. It features four orchestral renderings of songs from the soundtrack, and 42 tracks from the original soundtrack. It has a duration of 51:53.[7]
| Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Square Enix PDD 7 |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Composer(s) | Nobuo Uematsu |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D (半熟英雄 対 3D, "Soft-Boiled Hero vs. 3D") is the first title in the series to be in 3D. A limited edition of the game was released alongside the standard edition, and included merchandise such as playing cards, an egg monster sheet, and a sketchbook.[8] The game sold 151,000 copies the week of its release.[9] A soundtrack album for the game, titled Hanjuku Hero VS 3D OST, was released by DigiCube on June 25, 2003. It features two discs of tracks from this game, totaling 58 tracks and 1:50:27, and a bonus disc of tracks from the original Hunjuku Hero game, 17:57 long and with 17 tracks.[4] Additionally, a single for the game's theme song was released by DigiCube on April 23, 2003, with the theme song "Fight! Hanjuku Hero", the song "Without Yolk...", and instrumental versions of the two, totaling 16:02 in duration.[10]
| Egg Monster Hero | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Neverland[11] |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Designer(s) | Takashi Tokita |
| Composer(s) | Nobuo Uematsu |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS, mobile phone |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media/distribution | 32 MB + 8KB EEPROM |
Egg Monster Hero (エッグモンスターHERO) is a role playing game spinoff of the Hanjuku Hero. Egg Monster Hero was released on the Nintendo DS in Japan on March 24, 2005, and was the first game Square Enix published for that console. The game plays using the stylus for the most part. The stylus is used to drag Egg Monsters towards the enemy. A mobile phone version of the game became available in Japan on June 6, 2005.[12] The game was apparently intended for a North American release.[13]
The player takes the role of the series' main character, the young Lord of the Almamoon Kingdom. While the Lord has the power to summon powerful monsters out of a magical egg, he is usually found slacking off, since the world is at peace and there's nothing to do. Because the young Lord's stupidity is continuing to accelerate, Sebastian, his minister and educator, takes him to an island to train him back into shape. But unbeknownst to the Lord and his tutor, trouble is heading their way.
It was the 141st best-selling game of 2005 in Japan, selling 92,096 copies.[14]
| Hanjuku Hero 4: 7-Jin no Hanjuku Hero | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Square Enix PDD 7 |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Designer(s) | Takashi Tokita |
| Composer(s) | Nobuo Uematsu Kenji Ito |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Hanjuku Hero 4: 7-Jin no Hanjuku Hero (半熟英雄4 ～7人の半熟英雄～, "Hanjuku Hero 4: The 7 Hanjuku Heroes") is the latest game in the series. It was released in a normal edition as well as a limited edition titled Hanjuku Ginga Bentō (半熟銀河弁当, Hanjuku Galaxy Lunch) which contained a lunch box and promotional items.[15]
The game contains two types of battles: 100 on 100 battle using a mix of 2D and 3D, and three-on-three party-based Egg Monster vs. Egg Monster battles.[16]
Composers Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito did the soundtrack of the game. Uematsu has a cameo appearance within the game along with Tsuyoshi Sekito and Kenichiro Fukui, both of whom are members of his band The Black Mages as "Nobuo Uematsu and the Hanjuku Mages."[17][18] The limited edition of the game came with a two-disc soundtrack album for the game, titled Hanjuku Hero 4 -The 7 Heroes- ~Sound Collection~. The album contains 43 tracks and covers a duration of 1:51:42.[19]
Review scores of the Hanjuku Hero series have been fairly good. The Japanese magazine Famitsu has scored the Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D a 32, Egg Monster Hero a 33, and Hanjuku Hero 4 a 33 on the magazine's 40-point scale.[20]
Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D was the second best-selling game the day of its release at 49,904 copies.[21] The game sold over 169,000 copies during 2003.[22] Egg Monster Hero debuted on the Japanese Dengeki sales charts at number 6 during the week of its release and stayed in the top 50 until the week of May 31, 2005.[23][24] The game has managed to sell approximately 92,096 copies of November 2008.[25] Media Create sales data suggests that Hanjuku Hero 4 sold around 42,819 copies by the week ending June 5, 2005.[26]