History VideoGame / ZettaiHeroProject

''Zettai Hero Project'', or ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'' in Japan, is a UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable video game created by Creator/NipponIchi which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games. The full English title is ''Z.H.P. (Zettai Hero Project): Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman''.[[note]]This is actually causing problems with people buying it. The periods are part of Z.H.P., and most stores' systems will not see it as a result for ZHP.[[/note]]

Together with ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', it's slated to be remastered as a CompilationRerelease through ''Prinny Presents Vol. II'' in Spring 2022 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and PC.

Together with ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', it's slated to be re-released as a CompilationRerelease through ''Prinny Presents Vol. II'' on Spring 2022 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and PC.

Known in Japan as ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'', ''Zettai Hero Project'' is a PSP game from Creator/NipponIchi which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games.

[[SavingTheWorld It's that time of the year again.]] The Demon General, Darkdeath Evilman, has kidnapped Super Baby, the infant savior of the world, and threatens to destroy Earth!\\
\\
But of course, the world's most beloved hero, the Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger, heeds the call to defeat Darkdeath and save the world!

[[AntiClimax ...Then he gets run over by a car and dies.]]

In his last act, he gives his morphing belt, and with that his super powers, to a [[PlayerCharacter young teenager]] who just so happened to witness the scene.\\
With the powers of the Unlosing Ranger at his disposal, this [[HelloInsertNameHere new hero]] must save the world in his stead!

[[HopelessBossFight ...But he's the weakest main character alive and dies almost instantly.]]

The official English title is ''Z.H.P. (Zettai Hero Project): Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman.'' (This is actually causing problems with people buying it. The periods are part of Z.H.P., and most stores' systems will not see it as a result for ZHP.)

!! Zettai Hero Project provides examples of:

Now has its own growing [[{{Characters/ZettaiHeroKaizouKeikaku}} Character Sheet]].

No relation to ''VideoGame/KaizoMarioWorld''. [[PlatformHell Hopefully]].

!! Tropes:

** [[spoiler:Asagi is in it. In fact, she's ''all the other cameo characters''. The entire cameo system was a plot by her to try to replace the other cameo characters with her -- cosplaying as them, anyway..]]

* DramaticIrony: [[spoiler:"The parents of that fake can't possibly be normal. They're probably freaks of nature." - Parents of said fake. Who happens [[AbusiveParents to be you]].]]

* {{Eagleland}}: Played straight, complete with a quote worthy of ''Team America World Police''... although this is later explained by [[spoiler:Oldllama's mental issues due to her Bizzaro Earth counterpart.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: While you can defeat Darkdeath Evilman early on a second playthrough, [[spoiler:the endings you receive for doing so end with you dying in possibly the most pathetic way imaginable, with everyone calling you a fraud.]] The game pretty much requires that Darkdeath Evilman hands you your ass several times before you can see a real happy ending. In fact, it's impossible to get any of the alternate endings in the first playthrough, making getting the ORIGINAL ending significantly harder than getting any of the others. This is particularly true of the ones that require you to protect [=NPCs=] during the boss battle of the chapter to complete as normal, as they tend to be completely incapable of surviving the boss' attacks for more than a few turns.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: The normal dungeons aren't TOO bad. Then you get to a Level 600 boss... for the FIRST bonus Dungeon.

** There are pieces of equipment anyone can eat; like Mermaid equipment (except for the Head), Harpy Legs, Hovering Cloud, and Appetite Engine.

* FakeUltimateHero: The "Super" Baby is hailed as the world's savior due to being prophesied to save the Earth, but in reality she doesn't actually do much of anything herself and in fact [[spoiler:enlarges Darkdeath Evilman out of jealousy, making the situation much worse.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}} / RedHerring: [[spoiler:If you pay attention, you see who is cosplaying what in the cutscenes. In addition, Pirohiko's Bizarro version is a Cadaver. You know, that monster that [[OnlyMostlyDead comes back to life a few turns after you kill it?]]]]
** [[spoiler:If you were paying attention, you'll notice that Darkdeath Evilman begs the Unlosing Ranger to run away when [[strike:he]] his malfunctioning suit starts blowing up cities -- in his real voice.]]

** The Main Character: [[spoiler:Not a case of ThisLoserIsYou; he has always been a badass that nobody recognized, nobody gave a chance.]]

** In NewGamePlus, they're not Hopeless, as if you continue to attack, the last turn will be a random CriticalHit for 999 damage, instantly defeating the boss -- if you want to continue the game as normal, you must hit "flee" the last turn before you lose. Unfortuantely, winning these hopeless battles causes one of the various Bad MultipleEndings, due to the various psychological problems with the other characters not being solved. [[spoiler:To say nothing about poor Darkdeath.]]
* HyperactiveMetabolism: You have 100 EN. It's not enough -- it goes down constantly, attacking causes it to go down (dual wielding causes it to downright ''plummet''), and it's also used as mana for your special attacks. Several items restore it, some items play with it, etc etc.
* ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin: Played straight. [[spoiler: pUntil Chapter X, wherein Pirohiko ''buys a second MacGuffin.'' A cheap knockoff, at that!]]
* ImportantHaircut: [[spoiler:The nameless hero gains one from pure HeroicSpirit when he learns the special attack "120% Determination", even going so far as to change his portrait in-game. This marks the point where he goes from being insulted by just about everyone -- "The Unlosing Ranger (Temp)", "The Fake Unlosing Ranger", etc. -- to actually gaining some respect.]]

** AwesomeYetImpractical: yet, there's really no absolute need for it.

*** [[spoiler:And just in case that's still not enough, how about [[{{OhCrap}} Giga Giant Darkdeath Evilman]]?]]
* NewGamePlus: It's a NIS game, of course it has this. However, unlike ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'', this one is mandatory -- you don't get a chance to avoid progressing to the NewGamePlus mode if you beat the last boss.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Played completely straight when Etranger [[spoiler:uses her powers to make Darkdeath a ''giant'' -- in a ShoutOut to ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' -- in order to prevent a rival hero from saving the day. Then it doesn't wear off, making Darkdeath an infinitely worse danger than before. Er, whoops.]]

* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: Completely and utterly avoided, when Oldllama [[spoiler:gives up on the Unlosing Ranger, deciding to nuke Japan rather than face Darkdeath Evilman.]] Then she backs out of it after [[spoiler:you fix her mind, making her realize that sacrificing an entire country is a cowardly thing to do.]] Then, while practicing her apology, she [[spoiler:bows, headbutting the freakin' launch button.]] All combined with a heavy-handed political message about Japan's subservience to America, America's {{Eagleland}} persona, etc etc etc. ''What. The. Hell.''
** It does lead to a CMOA (the first for the new Unlosing Ranger) when he [[spoiler:punches the goddamned nuke away literally as it hits him. He punches it STRAIGHT TO THE SUN.]]

* OneStatToRuleThemAll: Much like in every other NIS game, you will end up as a GlassCannon eventually -- you just can't get enough defense to stand up to later enemy attacks. Amusingly, due to weapons degrading, the only real option for most of the middle game is melee GlassCannon -- as you won't have enough blacksmiths to keep a ranged weapon repaired throughout the dungeon crawls.

* PhlebotinumBreakdown: Darkdeath Evilman[[spoiler:'s suit malfunctions due to an early attack, which is why he spends most of the game standing around -- he's inside, trying to get the stupid thing fixed.]]

** The cameo dungeons are ''filled'' with random bits and pieces from their respective games and shows, as well. In addition, they count as Rank 6 items -- which means they're expensive to repair, but can be leveled up to absurd power.

* RankInflation: Every monster (and thus, every item) in the game has a rank -- 1 to 6 stars. Higher rank items can be synthed higher, have different colors, and generally are "more" than their previous versions (both bonuses and negatives are inflated).
* {{Reconstruction}}: While it is a parody, it also is a pretty much by-the-books superhero/{{Toku}}/{{Sentai}} series -- it could be animated and shown on TV with no issues whatsoever.

* SaveScumming: One way to get what you want from the Caravan if you don't wan't to do multiple runs through a Mastery Dungeon looking for one particular item. Despite the mechanic mentioned below...

* SupportingProtagonist: The main character is the hero and does all the work, but the story is told between Pirohiko and Etranger's interactions with each other (Pirohiko being savvy but a goofball, Etranger being a spoiled child) -- as well as the reactions to the rest of the cast to Pirohiko and Etranger.

* TookALevelInBadass: The entire game is this for the Unlosing Ranger. In a single day, he goes from a useless, spineless bystander, to [[spoiler:saving the world and [[strike:beating]] saving the last boss against all odds.]]
* TragicVillain: Most of the Bizzaro Earth bosses. [[spoiler:Darkdeath Evilman gets a special mention here -- he was a super genius kid who was kidnapped by an evil organization, and prayed for a hero to save him. [[TheWoobie No one did.]]]]

* {{Tsundere}}: Etranger

* WhamEpisode: Arguably, Chapter 9 -- [[spoiler:that family you've been seeing in the montage sequences? Turns out that the main character is the son that they keep complaining about. You also learn that you and your sister were kidnapped as small children, and were saved by the Unlosing Ranger -- who wasn't Pirohiko back then. At the time, Pirohiko was simply a policeman -- he became the Unlosing Ranger shortly after the incident, as the previous one was mortally wounded while saving you -- by the same serial killer that the then quite normal 8-year-old main character was successfully {{You Shall Not Pass}}ing away from his little sister.]]

* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Super Baby is foretold to be the world's savior, but her superpowers seem limited to self-levitation, self-protection, and [[spoiler:''[[MakeMyMonsterGrow turning the enemy into a giant]]'']]. Attempts to get her to do anything ''useful'' end up running into lame excuses. [[spoiler:Eventually subverted, as Etranger becomes capable of teleporting herself and others as well as telekinesis -- not to mention giving her physical form a permanent age-up into a teenager.]]

* WhoWritesThisCrap: In chapter 6,[[spoiler:President Oldllama is ready to nuke Japan in order to defeat Darkdeath Evilman. This leads to her bizzaro self to sacrifice [[GenderBender his]] wife in order to defeat the evil spirit. Whose name happens to be Japan.]] Which leads to this CMOF.

* DubNameChange: [[SuperSentai Makeranger]] to the Unlosing Ranger, [[Series/{{Kikaider}} Kikender]] to Dangerama, and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathdark]] [[AerithAndBob Tanaka]] to Darkdeath Evilman.

* GagBoobs: [[CrossDresser You can equip them.]] And when an enemy uses that item to invoke WouldntHitAGirl, it leads to a CrowningMomentOfFunny.

* WouldntHitAGirl: During the final world, the 'troublemaker hero' attempts to invoke it directly before a mid-boss battle on the 8th floor while attempting to convince [[spoiler:Bizarro Darkdeath Evilman]] that you're not a hero. By the way, [[CrowningMomentOfFunny the troublemaker hero is male, you have known he's male for several chapters, and he doesn't even fake a female voice very well. And to top it off, Pirohiko helpfully offers you the same 'Plump Bosom' equipment that the troublemaker hero is using as a helpful loophole.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: While you can defeat Darkdeath Evilman early on a second playthrough, [[spoiler:the endings you receive for doing so end with you dying in possibly the most pathetic way imaginable, with everyone calling you a fraud.]] The game pretty much requires that Darkdeath Evilman hands you your ass several times before you can see a real happy ending. In fact, it's impossible to get any of the alternate endings in the first playthrough, making getting the ORIGINAL ending significantly harder than getting any of the others. This is particularly true of the ones that require you to protect NPCs during the boss battle of the chapter to complete as normal, as they tend to be completely incapable of surviving the boss' attacks for more than a few turns.

** The Main Character: [[spoiler:Not a case of YouSuck; he has always been a badass that nobody recognized, nobody gave a chance.]]

** [[ThisIsADrill Drills!]] [[TankGoodness Tanks!]] [[GatlingGood Gatling Guns!]] [[Franchise/{{Disgaea}} Prinny Hats!]] [[ImprobableWeaponUser Claw Grabbers!]] [[DropTheHammer Hammer Arms!]] Devil Masks! Devil Tails! [[{{Samurai}} Samurai Wigs!]] [[Franchise/{{Robocop}} Robot Cops!]] [[CatGirl Cat Ears!]] [[FishingMinigame Fishing Rods!]] [[CookingDuel Woks!]] And Sexy Jiggly Boobs! And this is just from the trailer.

Known in Japan as ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'', ''Zettai Hero Project'' is a PSP game from Creator/NipponIchi which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games.

* {{Expy}}: Choco is our silent protagonist's little sister who has brown hair and GirlishPigtails and is voiced by KarenStrassman. [[VideoGame/{{Persona 4}} Now where else have I seen that combination?]]

No relation to KaizoMarioWorld. [[PlatformHell Hopefully]].

* EarnYourHappyEnding: While you can defeat Darkdeath Evilman early on a second playthrough, [[spoiler:the endings you receive for doing so end with you dying in possibly the most pathetic way imaginable, with everyone calling you a fraud.]] The game pretty much requires that Darkdeath Evilman hands you your ass several times before you can see a real happy ending.

-->'''Darkdeath Evilman:''' What are you so surprised about? I am the last boss who threatens the world. I should have at least [[OneWingedAngel three forms]]!

* GenreSavvy: [[spoiler:The final boss attacking Earth has fired blasts of energy all across the globe, destroying entire cities... that have already been evacuated, because they know that those cities are always attacked in movies. Not a single person is killed.]]

*** Like [[VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters Revya]] in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'', when the Unlosing Ranger is a cameo in [[PhantomBrave Phantom Brave: Hermuda Triangle]], he does not say anything.

* ThisLoserIsYou: ''Viciously'' {{Deconstructed}}. [[spoiler:As you play through the game, it becomes quite clear that the "helpless {{Otaku}}" protagonist is [[BadAss really]] [[{{Determinator}} doing]] [[IronWoobie nothing]] to deserve his reputation as a wimp. Eventually, it's revealed that his AbusiveParents used him as a scapegoat for all their problems, stifling his development in the process. He probably would have been a good candidate for the Unlosing Ranger under normal circumstances were it not for nobody trusting him to not screw things up.]]

* BatmanGambit: Part of the conflict in Level 4:[[spoiler:Medea Lass made a deal with Prince Geo that if the Unlosing Ranger loses, she'd marry him.]]

* BoringButPractical: The Appetite Engine. It's a carrot on a stick you wear on your head. It only has two effects : halve your stamina loss when worn, and you can eat it (well it IS a carrot) for about the same gain as eating a meat chunk. Those might sound lame compared to the more crazy abilities, but it's a lifesaver, if not a necessity, for the longer dungeons where consistently getting food is fairly improbable.

* CombinedEnergyAttack: [[spoiler:The Unlosing Ranger's final technique. The entire Earth cheers him on, which makes him stronger than rest of the cast ''combined'', allowing him to make a HeroicSacrifice.]]

* DramaticIrony: [[spoiler:"The parents of that fake can't possibly be normal. They're probably freaks of nature." - Parents of said fake. Who happens [[AbusiveParents to be you]] ]]

* ShoutOut: [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ShoutOut/ZettaiHeroProject Feel free to find them here!]]

* DubNameChange: [[SuperSentai Makeranger]] to the Unlosing Ranger, [[{{Kikaider}} Kikender]] to Dangerama, and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathdark]] [[AerithAndBob Tanaka]] to Darkdeath Evilman.

* [[TookALevelInBadass Grinding Levels In Badass]]: The entire game is this for the Unlosing Ranger. In a single day, he goes from a useless, spineless bystander, to [[spoiler:saving the world and [[strike:beating]] saving the last boss against all odds.]]

** Both Etranger and Pirohiko are GenreSavvy, just of different subgenres -- Pirohiko is an idealist, Etranger is extremely cynical. Etranger usually plays as a foil to Pirohiko, who, while stupid, is usually morally right.
*** Except when he's using his "hero lessons" to justify things like complaining about his parents finding his PornStash.

* SupportingProtagonist: The main character is the hero and does all the work, but the story is told between Pirohiko and Etranger's interactions with each other (Pirohiko being GenreSavvy but a goofball, Etranger being WrongGenreSavvy and a spoiled child) -- as well as the reactions to the rest of the cast to Pirohiko and Etranger.

* WakeUpCallBoss: Bizzaro Geo. Prior to this, boss battles consisted of pushing through a small army of mooks and then pounding down the Boss. Starting from Geo, a PuzzleBoss element is added. You now have to solve this puzzle BEFORE you can attack the boss (or expose and AttackItsWeakPoint ForMassiveDamage), all while still dealing with hordes of infinitely-spawning mooks, a level that is going to take much longer to solve than previous boss battles (meaning starvation becomes an issue), and a puzzle mechanic that injures you if you mess up.

Known in Japan as ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'', ''Zettai Hero Project'' is a PSP game from [[Creator/{{Nippon Ichi}} Nippon Ichi]] which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games.

Known in Japan as ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'', ''Zettai Hero Project'' is a PSP game from [[Creator/{{NipponIchi}}]] which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games.

Known in Japan as ''Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku'', ''Zettai Hero Project'' is a PSP game from [[Creator/NipponIchi]] which, unlike most of their games, is not an SRPG. This one is a {{Roguelike}}, putting it closer to the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', ''VideoGame/NetHack'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''ShirenTheWanderer'', ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'') series of games.