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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Hammerin' Hero

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Hammerin' Hero
73
7.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
Read user comments
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Game Info

Publisher: Atlus USA

Developer: Irem

Genre(s): Action, Platform

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: April 7, 2009

Summary

Hammerin' Hero marks the triumphant return of Gen, everyone's favorite justice-bringing carpenter! Help Gen fight off Hyosuke Kuromoku and his evil construction company before they can evict Gen's neighbors from their homes! Gen will have to use a variety of jobs-from DJ to baseball player-through 12 diverse stages if he hopes to thwart the all-out attack of the Kurokomu Group and win the hearts of the people, even if it sometimes means giving them the tough love they need to solve their own problems. Wacky side-scrolling beat 'em up - Play as Gen-san as he hammers away at corporate evil across Japan and the world in this vibrant, action-packed platformer. The comic adventure unfolds fully-voiced in English and Japanese. Be more than a hammerin' hero - Choose from a variety of jobs, including sushi chef, baseball player, and diver, to give Gen different costumes and attacks as he fights through 12 crazy stages. Along the way, make allies in battle, collect loads of items, and even unlock two more playable characters! Ad-hoc multiplayer - 2 players can play together and compete for the best score on each level over ad-hoc wireless play. Why hammer alone when you can hammer with a friend? [Atlus USA]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Thunderbolt

It wields simplicity and charm as convincing hooks to keep players interested in a genre that hit its stride nearly two decades ago, and its as fun now as it was then. Platformers may be a dime a dozen these days, but there isn’t one game on the PSP that matches Hammerin’ Hero in pure style and refreshing playability.

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90

TotalPlayStation

Go buy Hammerin' Hero, especially if you've been whining about the lack of good PSP games. This is one of them. You need it.

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88

IGN

With updated graphics that look fantastic on the PSP's screen and more depth than almost any of those old 8- and 16-bit classics, though, Hammerin' Hero manages to not feel old, just... retro.

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84

ZTGameDomain

Everything about Hammerin' Hero screams old-school good times. Enemies are highlighted in red, one hit can knock you out of the game, and there are a plethora of things to unlock. If you are a fan of this classic 16-bit style of action/platformers and own a PSP there is no reason to pass up this addictive little gem.

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83

Gaming Age

Still, it's a fun game, and not nearly as punishing on the difficult side as something like Prinny is, so I'd say most people could jump in and enjoy it. The levels are well thought out, the controls work extremely well, and it's a really nice looking title on the PSP.

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80

GameZone

While combat isn’t very exciting, the levels will keep fans of the genre very entertained in a game that is the perfect pick for gamers of all ages.

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80

Modojo

We fully recommend Hammerin' Hero because it doesn't hold back on the fun.

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80

Destructoid

Hammerin' Hero is fun, funny, and refreshing. I can't think of another locally available PSP game that has this much wierdness and Japanese quirk.

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78

Gamervision

The PSP shelves at your local retailer may not be brimming with new releases, but if you’re looking for something new to play, and enjoy a good side-scrolling platformer, Hammerin’ Hero should be right up your alley.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club)

While it’s more likely to frustrate casual players than entertain them, serious platform fiends have a reason to dust off their PSPs.

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70

GamePro

Overall, the strongest aspect of this game has to be its charismatic personality. [Apr 2009, p.83]

70

Games Radar (in-house)

Hammerin' Hero is notably short, and the action rarely diverges from the established platform template, but it's hard not to be won over by the humorous scenarios and vibrant personalities of the characters (accentuated by excellent voice acting).

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70

Everyeye.it

It perfectly suits the "portable philosophy" and entertains thanks to its variety. Unfortunately, the main adventure is too short.

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65

GameCritics

Although Hammerin' Hero doesn't run as smooth or as long as I would've liked it to, it remains one of the most enjoyable PSP titles I've come across in quite some time.

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62

My Gamer

Hammerin’ Hero is simplistic to a fault: short gameplay time, straight forward combat, and jobs that don’t really carry any type of variety.

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62

Cheat Code Central

Hammerin Hero is almost guaranteed to disappoint any gamer that purchases it due to the short length, repetitive gameplay, and lack of replay value. But, it does make the perfect rental, and is highly recommended for a brief rendezvous.

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60

GameSpot

Silly costumes are not enough to cover for repetitive gameplay in this formulaic platformer.

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58

1UP

Presentation isn't everything, so Hammerin' Hero's flaws and frustration take away from Irem's admirable effort in putting a fresh coat of paint on an old form of action game. Though even that can be detrimental, as those who expect something fairly easy to get into -- on the level of a classic Mario game -- should take note that underneath, this is some devious arcade-borne action.

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50

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

The game is short and the controls are unresponsive(just let me jump already!), but the quirky humor redeems those shortcomings--almost. [June 2009, p.81]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Aaron H gave it a3:
It's more like "Hammerin' Zero" Your character wields like a tank. He's fat. sluggish. slow to respond to input and worst of all he no fun to drive.

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