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Update []:
It's been a long time since I originally wrote about Rent-A-Hero Z, and honestly, I'd pretty much jettisoned it from my brain in the time since.
Given the way NFTs have gone over the last few years and the fact that I hadn't heard any subsequent announcements, I'd assumed it must have been cancelled, but as reported recently in Japanese media (and as spotted by Gosokkyu), it appears that the game has now finally been released on iOS and Android, as of this month, but only in Australia, Canada, and India. This is so that the publisher can "actively gather player feedback" to deliver "an enhanced game that satisfies global gamers."
The release, according to the press release, is described as "building upon the original 'hero-for-hire' universe... while staying true to its roots," and is said to offer "dynamic action gameplay alongside puzzles integrated into the exploration, challenging high-difficulty missions, and a global ranking system designed to provide a deeper and more engaging gameplay experience."
Those "fun" Web3 elements the publisher teased upon its initial announcement are no longer referenced anywhere in the description of the game (a sign of how much the NFT hype has died down), with the only reference to it potentially still being a Web3 title being the description of its publisher LINE NEXT as a company "focused on growing the global Web3 business" with its "Web3 ecosystem."
You can watch some footage of it below:
Original Story []: Sega's Japanese account has announced on Twitter that a new project based on its RPG series Rent-A-Hero is currently in development and scheduled for release next year.
But before you get too excited, it appears the new game won't be a traditional follow-up, as many would hope. Instead, it is being developed in partnership with the Korean developer LINE NEXT as part of its NFT ecosystem. So, in other words, expect a bunch of Web3 nonsense that almost nobody wanted.
The new project, which is being called Rent-A-Hero Z, will be based on the action RPG "Rent-A-Hero, which was first released as a Japan-exclusive for the Sega Mega Drive in 1991, before receiving an enhanced remake for the Sega Dreamcast called Rent-A-Hero No.1 in 2000 (which was also later released for Xbox).
According to the announcement, as part of its development, Line Corp. requested Sega compose a new theme for the game, which was composed by Master Hiro and sung by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. This theme will make its debut at Sega's booth at the Tokyo Game Show from September 26 to 29, with a live performance planned for September 28th.