Herc's Adventures
Three Greek heroes battle Hades in a 1997 action-adventure.
Herc's Adventures is a 1997 action-adventure video game released by LucasArts for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. Players control one of three ancient Greek heroes—Herc, Atlanta, or Jason—on a quest to defeat Hades and rescue the goddess Persephone. Originally announced as a Saturn exclusive for December 1996, the game was delayed to July 1997, with the Saturn version released only in North America.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Big Ape Productions; LucasArts
- Publisher
- LucasArts
- Composer
- Michael Land
- Platforms
- Sega Saturn, PlayStation
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Modes
- Single player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Herc's Adventures is an overhead action-adventure game reminiscent of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Players collect a variety of weapons and items, including pepper breath to ward off bees and wasps, frost breath that freezes foes, lightning, spears, boar traps, flaming spears that stop the Hydra's heads from regrowing, bombs, an evil Pandora's box that unleashes storms, a shrink doll, and a laser gun. Key items are Circe's potion (turning the hero into a pig to squeeze through tight spaces), the heads of Medusa and the Minotaur, and the golden fleece, which unlocks Hades' underworld. Gyros restore health, while a separate strength bar drains when moving or picking up objects. Players boost health and strength by buying lessons from a trainer or finding red hearts. Each death sends the player to the underworld, where they must fight to escape; dying five times ends the game. The main world is a single, open map with no loading screens, except when entering or leaving the underworld.
Reception
Herc's Adventures received mostly positive reviews, with praise for its graphics, offbeat humor, amount of lands to explore, and three playable characters each with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Some mixed reviews found the gameplay too one-note, and Next Generation noted that the skewed perspective sometimes caused confusion about where the player could go, though the reviewer still found the game fun and different. IGN criticized only that it was not a polygon-based fighting or racing game, remarking it was exceptionally good for a game outside those genres. Most critical commentary on gameplay was positive, with several critics highlighting the cooperative two-player mode as especially fun. Shawn Smith of Electronic Gaming Monthly stated that the gameplay is flawless. Glenn Rubenstein of GameSpot said the graphics, gameplay, and humor create a unique mix. Major Mike gave the Saturn version a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in all four GamePro categories, and the PlayStation version a 4.5 out of 5 in all four categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Herc's Adventures?
Herc's Adventures was developed by Big Ape Productions and LucasArts.
Who composed the music for Herc's Adventures?
The music for Herc's Adventures was composed by Michael Land.
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