Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman

Gameplay

Unlike most Nippon Ichi games, Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman is centered around a single playable character exploring randomly generated, multi-level dungeons similar to those of the Mystery Dungeon games. However, some gameplay mechanics common among Nippon Ichi games are featured in Z.H.P., such as the ability to pick up and throw enemies. Most dungeons, as well as the boss battles at the ends of some dungeons, feature their own unique mechanics and gimmicks, such as cannons that launch the player to a random location on the current floor. Similar to roguelike games, the player is reset to level one upon entering a dungeon. However, upon completing a dungeon or being defeated, the player's current level is added to their Total Level count, which affects their base attributes.

Home Base

Between dungeons, the player is taken to a central hub area called the Home Base, From the home base, the player can access the game's various dungeons, interact with NPCs and sell or store items they collected in the dungeons, The home base can be customized with a variety of facilities, each of which features a unique mechanic that players can use to help them in dungeons. The facilities themselves can be further customized by changing the NPCs in charge of the facilities' functions.

Character Customization

Character customization plays a large part in Z.H.P.'s gameplay. The player can equip items that change the main character's appearance and abilities. The player may also make use of the grid-based Body Modification system to boost their base attributes and give other beneficial effects, such as an increased item-carrying capacity or improve the effects of certain types of equipment.

Fighting Darkdeath Evilman

At the end of each chapter, the player must return to Earth and fight Darkdeath Evilman. These battles are different from the main gameplay in that they are based on turn-based RPG battles. The visual style of these battles changes at various points in the story, starting out reminiscent of the early Dragon Quest games and getting progressively more detailed and modern with every few fights, going from the Final Fantasy from SNES to the most impressive 2D from Super Robot Wars.

Setting

The game takes place primarily on Earth and an alternate version of the planet known as Bizarro Earth. The two planets and their residents are linked in a manner such that when someone on Earth experiences something their Bizarro Earth counterpart experiences a similar event, and vice versa. Floating above Bizarro Earth is a space station called the Hero Training Facility, which is maintained by the World Hero Society. At the Facility, heroes are trained by travelling through dungeons on Bizarro Earth and solving the personal problems of the local residents, thus preventing potential disasters on Earth.

Story

In the year 20XX, a baby who is prophesied to save the Earth is born. The people of Earth name it "Super Baby" and pamper it, but its sudden popularity results in it being kidnapped by the monstrous Demon General Darkdeath Evilman. Darkdeath Evilman is then challenged to a fight by the Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger, a hero reported to be invincible, to decide the fate of Super Baby and the Earth. The game begins with the actual Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger, Pirohiko Ichimonji, running late for his climactic battle due to oversleeping. As he rushes to confront Darkdeath Evilman, he is hit by a passing truck and killed. Before dying, Pirohiko hands his Morphing Belt to a random passerby, the silent Main Character, forcing him to inherit the title and duties of the Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger.

The new Ranger then arrives to fight Darkdeath Evilman as the people of the world watch on television, but he is promptly defeated. However, he is saved at the last minute by the World Hero Society and taken to the Hero Training Facility, a space station floating above an alternate version of Earth called Bizarro Earth. There he meets Pirohiko’s ghost, who has become his guardian spirit, and Etranger, a cynical training instructor. Etranger immediately forces the Main Character to undergo training until he is strong enough to defeat Darkdeath Evilman, sending him on missions to help the people on Bizarro Earth and thus resolve personal conflicts of the people of Earth.

Over the course of the story, the Main Character helps people and therefore gains power, although he is still unable to defeat Darkdeath. He also realizes that Etranger is actually Super Baby, psychically projecting herself into Bizarro Earth to help the Main Character. Once he reaches the final dungeon, he discovers that Darkdeath Evilman is actually a mecha piloted by a boy genius who was doubtful that real heroes existed. He gains enough power to finally destroy the amok Darkdeath robot with the help of Reckless Cop Dangerama, and is able to throw it into space before it explodes, saving the world.

Characters

Reception

RPGLand.com praised its fresh take on the punishing roguelike genre and gave it a rating of "Great," saying, "It takes a genre notorious for its crazy amount of deaths and makes it a heck of a lot more friendly for the general public. It’s certainly not a walk in the park, though, which is great. It’s somewhere comfortably between Shiren and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and most important of all, it’s fun to play." The game was also the runner-up for 2010 PSP Game of the Year in the same site's annual awards.

GamePro reviewed ZHP with 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Z.H.P. is a great introduction to the roguelike genre for those unfamiliar with it, as well as a solid title overall. It still won't appeal to those with a severe dearth of patience -- or those who hate the idea of any sort of permanent penalty for failure -- but if you're looking for a fun (and funny) trip into one of gaming's more underappreciated genres, Z.H.P. is a great time."

Legacy

The gameplay of Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman is cited by Nippon Ichi Software President Sohei Niikawa to be very influential in the making of The Guided Fate Paradox. The game is described as a spiritual successor to Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman by several editors.