The Hero HD
Posted September 20, 2010
Developed by Traplight Games and published by Chillingo, The Hero hit the app store earlier this year for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Recently, Traplight retooled the visuals on the game (as well as tweaking the gameplay) to release The Hero HD for the iPad. For those unfamiliar, The Hero HD puts you into the role of a muscular cross between Superman and Mr. Incredible. The world is under attack by the evil, robotic Dr. Hubbub and it’s up to the Hero to roam the cities around the globe to put a stop to the madness. The narrative is fairly weak in exposition and character development, but it’s enough to keep you playing the game. Between levels, the story unfolds from a police chief handing down missions as well as a Moneypenny-esqe secretary that’s had too much plastic surgery. I would like to note that Traplight Games does attempt to put a lot of development into the backstory with web trailers and their own website, something not seen very often for games hitting the app store.
The design of the gameplay is simple. The Hero doesn’t have any specific fighting moves, just rams enemies to death. There’s a speed button on the speed that increases the Hero’s speed allowing for more damage to enemies and getting to the opposite side of the level more quickly. The game alerts you to new problems within the city by an indicator that points the Hero in the right direction. This could be anything from ninjas, zombies, enemy soldiers, bombs, mines, killer bees or even babies falling from the buildings. The Hero also gains special abilities as the game progresses; freeze, blast and zap. These each have a recharge time, but can be effective when The Hero is on the clock to complete a level. I didn’t find them overly useful for the majority of the campaign, only because racing around the city popping off enemies within the time limit is very doable.
New to the iPad, the developer has introduced an alternate control scheme. While you can still move the Hero by tilting the iPad (accelerometer) or using the on-screen directional pad (bottom left corner), the new method allows you to move the hero by moving your finger on the screen. In theory, this sounds like a simpler solution, but it can become more difficult to see what’s happening on the screen when your arm is in the way. Frankly, I prefer the directional pad as it allows me to keep an eye on the entire level rather than trying to refocus constantly on what’s ahead. Just like the iPhone / iPod Touch versions, there’s no specific linear path to complete the mission and you are encouraged to explore the game board.
Beyond the main campaign that’s spread over 15 levels, there’s also a survival mode and mini-games to play. Survival can be pretty entertaining and special powers become much more crucial. The mini-games aren’t terribly exciting, but include things like stringing high-fives together or defending the city from asteroids. There are also a variety of achievements to earn in the main campaign, if hunting down objectives if your thing. There’s no GameCenter support for this yet as update 4.2 for the iPad doesn’t come out for another couple months.
For just $1.99, you are getting a few hours of entertaining gameplay with a highly polished visual design and entertaining theme. Although I wish Traplight invested more time with the narrative, there’s plenty of fun to be had for lovers of anything superhero related or people looking for a quality action game. You can feel safe purchasing The Hero HD on the iPad.
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The design of the gameplay is simple. The Hero doesn’t have any specific fighting moves, just rams enemies to death. There’s a speed button on the speed that increases the Hero’s speed allowing for more damage to enemies and getting to the opposite side of the level more quickly. The game alerts you to new problems within the city by an indicator that points the Hero in the right direction. This could be anything from ninjas, zombies, enemy soldiers, bombs, mines, killer bees or even babies falling from the buildings. The Hero also gains special abilities as the game progresses; freeze, blast and zap. These each have a recharge time, but can be effective when The Hero is on the clock to complete a level. I didn’t find them overly useful for the majority of the campaign, only because racing around the city popping off enemies within the time limit is very doable.
New to the iPad, the developer has introduced an alternate control scheme. While you can still move the Hero by tilting the iPad (accelerometer) or using the on-screen directional pad (bottom left corner), the new method allows you to move the hero by moving your finger on the screen. In theory, this sounds like a simpler solution, but it can become more difficult to see what’s happening on the screen when your arm is in the way. Frankly, I prefer the directional pad as it allows me to keep an eye on the entire level rather than trying to refocus constantly on what’s ahead. Just like the iPhone / iPod Touch versions, there’s no specific linear path to complete the mission and you are encouraged to explore the game board.
Beyond the main campaign that’s spread over 15 levels, there’s also a survival mode and mini-games to play. Survival can be pretty entertaining and special powers become much more crucial. The mini-games aren’t terribly exciting, but include things like stringing high-fives together or defending the city from asteroids. There are also a variety of achievements to earn in the main campaign, if hunting down objectives if your thing. There’s no GameCenter support for this yet as update 4.2 for the iPad doesn’t come out for another couple months.
Graphics
- Visually, the game is split between comic book style character art for tell the story and the in-game engine to control your Mr. Incredible-esqe hero. The graphics engine is extremely smooth on the iPad, likely the identical 60fps that was seen on the 3GS version. The colors really pop off the screen and the upgraded high-resolution artwork is really spectacular. The physics engine works pretty well as enemies fly through the air when hit by your super powers and the effects of each superpower are phenomenal.
Audio
- The musical tracks that accompany each mission in the campaign are really fantastic. Each tune is punchy and has a superb 60’s superhero feel to it. The sound effects are simply average, nothing too exciting. There are no voiceovers to speak of beyond the cheering public that watches from the windows.
Conclusion
For just $1.99, you are getting a few hours of entertaining gameplay with a highly polished visual design and entertaining theme. Although I wish Traplight invested more time with the narrative, there’s plenty of fun to be had for lovers of anything superhero related or people looking for a quality action game. You can feel safe purchasing The Hero HD on the iPad.
Discuss This Game on Our Official VGT Forum