Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy launches today on Steam

The brilliant Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy launches on Steam and Playism from 6:00pm BST this evening.

Half Minute Hero is a love letter to 8 bit adventures, fusing old-school visuals with a modern-day twist. In each level, a Dark Lord discovers a new way to destroy our Hero's world; he must solve a series of puzzles and level-up enough to defeat the massive end-of-level boss. In 30 seconds. Every time.

Of course, there are certain mechanics to extend our Hero's lifespan. Worshiping the Goddess of Time at certain locations - for a fee, of course - can replenish the clock, but only up to a maximum of 30 seconds. Levelling up - the old RPG staple, though this time possible every few seconds - allows our Hero to plough through combat more quickly - but only when the legend "You > Evil" appears does he stand a realistic chance of defeating the level's Dark Lord.

Half Minute Hero has previously wowed players on PSP and Xbox 360, but HMHSMNCUB is the definitive version, featuring games modes from every previous version, including Hero 300 - the challenging 300 second final chapter from the Xbox 360 version, as well as the exciting Knight 30, Hero 30, and Evil Lord 30 game modes from the PSP.

The game will be available from 6:00pm BST – and those following @HalfMinuteHero or on halfminutehero.com will have the opportunity to grab codes in the 30 seconds immediately following release. Those who aren’t lucky enough to bag a code will have additional opportunities the following day – at 12:00pm BST and 6:00pm BST.

Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy will be available for £9.99 from Steam and Playism from 6:00pm