The Sega Dreamcast may have been a commercial failure, but it remains a beloved console, with many looking back on it fondly. Localization/translation issues meant many games never made it to the West, and one such title is Rent-A-Hero No. 1.
Led by VincentNL , a group called the Rent-A-Modders has just translated the entire game into English along with a slew of additions, including VMU animations and reworked controls.
Rent-A-Hero No.1 is a whacky 3D ARPG Brawler where the main character finds a suit of armor that grants them incredible strength. Using the power of the suit, they become a hero for hire. The game was praised for its quirky humor, and the gameplay is reminiscent of the Shenmue games.
In 2003, Rent-A-Hero No. 1 was remastered for the Xbox, but even that version was limited to Japan. In fact, an English version was made, but thanks to distribution issues, it never saw the light of day. This news was really stung because several fully translated copies were sent to reviewers.
It’s hard to say if Rent-A-Hero No. 1 would have sold well in the West in the Dreamcast’s heyday, but considering how popular the Yakuza games have become, there is definitely a market for these sorts of games now. If you want to try Rent-A-Hero No. 1 yourself, you can download the relevant files over at Romhacking.net.
The installation instructions aren’t complicated, but you’ll need a Dreamcast BIOS to play.
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