PSP RPG of the Year - Half-Minute Hero

Many PSP titles tempted us with their heartstring-tugging powers of nostalgia. It's hard not to say no to refined throwbacks like Crimson Gem Saga and nicely done remakes of classics such as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona or Star Ocean: Second Evolution. However, originality wins the day and the accolades go to Half-Minute Hero. Half-Minute Hero took a risk blowing a raspberry in the face of convention, but the risk paid off. This game took traditional Japanese RPG conventions and turned them topsy-turvy, making for one of the most refreshing RPG experiences we've seen in years. It is no accident that our review of Half-Minute Hero classified it as "??? RPG" because it is that original and does not fit into the classifications we typically hold for RPGs. Satirically funny, addictively fun to play, and truly original in a sea of "me too" RPGs, Half-Minute Hero is not a game to miss. Runner-up: Tie between Star Ocean: Second Evolution and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona