Virtual Vox Pop is a weekly open mic in which we ask you, the reader, to sound off on a particular topic. This week, it’s other games that could use the Half-Minute Hero treatment.
Half-Minute Hero, as detailed in our hands-on time with XSEED’s RPG on speed, stripped the tediousness out of the role-playing genre by zipping through grinding, and breaking the play sessions into tiny, easily-digestible chunks. It got me to thinking that it may be the next big thing for those of us that have become more than than a little ill at the thought of undertaking yet another title with a “staggering 70 hours of gameplay!” A variety of genres could benefit from this style of turbo gameplay, dont you think?
The Half-Minute Sports Game
Three periods? Four quarters? Nine innings? Who has time for that? We need a sports game that encourages you to earn your keep by making the big goal, touchdown, or hit in the space of a TV time out. It sounds infinitely short, but sports fans know that 30 seconds is actually a fair amount of time to set up a play and march downfield in any contest in which time outs are essential.
The Half-Minute Sandbox Game
I dare you to name someone who has actually beaten a Grand Theft Auto game and unearthed all it’s secrets who isn’t one of the developers. Have a name? Good. I reckon that said person hasn’t seen the light of day since s/he visited GameStop to pick up the game. In the Half-Minute Sandbox Game you have to beat a hooker in 5 seconds, jack a car in 10, drive to the boss’ location in another 10, and then snipe the kingpin in the remaining twelfth of a minute.
Those, of course, are just two examples. Discuss!
The Half-Minute Open-World
Let’s be honest here: how manyof us have actually finished any Grand Theft Auto game? Instead of driving in circle for hours on end, we could have each mission stripped to its core.
The Half-Minute Sports Game
Four quarters? Nine innings? Three periods? Who has time for that? Imagine a sports game which relied on you making the big swish, touchdown, hit, or goal in the space of a TV time out. It sounds infintely short, but sportsin which timeouts are essential (football, basketball) it’s actually a fair amountof time to set up a play or march downfield.
