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Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|''This game has only one battle sequence.
''Thank you for your understanding.
''However, it will be one, huge, '''EPIC battle!'''
''Thank you for your understanding.''|''Opening disclaimer''}}
A PSP game from [[Nippon Ichi]] which, unlike most of their games, is not an [[SRPG]]. This one is a [[Roguelike]], putting it closer to the ''[[Diablo]]'', ''[[Nethack]]'', or ''Mystery Dungeon'' (''[[Shiren the Wanderer]]'', ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]]'') series of games.
[[Saving the World|It's that time of the year again
[[Anticlimax|...
In his last act, he gives his morphing belt, and with that his super powers, to a [[Player Character|young teenager]] who just so happened to witness the scene.
[[Hopeless Boss Fight|...
Saved from the brink of death by the [[Heroes-R-Us|World Hero Society]], our [[Heroic Mime|silent young hero]] meets his instructor [[Magical Girl|Etranger]] and Pirohiko, the [[Spirit Advisor|ghost of the previous Ranger]]. With the world in danger, the [[Overly Long Gag|lovable weakling]] has no choice but to train and train until he can defeat Darkdeath Evilman and save the world!
The official English title is ''Z.H.P. (Zettai Hero Project): Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
Now has its own growing [[Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku
----
{{tropelist}}
* [[Abusive Parents]]:
* [[Adult Fear]]: Almost every chapter deals with some situation adults fear of or go through.
* [[All of the Other Reindeer]]: In true Rudolph fashion, nearly everyone else are dicks until the Unlosing Ranger helps them. Even {{spoiler|the main character's own family had been blaming him for their own problems including wanting a divorce; partly due to his sister's repression of the fact that he was the one who saved her from the Cannibal by occupying it via beating the crap out of the main character enough for the police to arrive}}.
* [[Ambidextrous Sprite]]: From certain angles, your "Left Hand" Item is held in the character's right hand and vice-versa. Sprite mirroring is to blame.
* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]: Every single character has an alternate in the other world, usually with their mental issues on full display. Often these mental issues have their own [[Anthropomorphic Personification]], requiring our hero to beat them into submission, [[Warrior Therapist]]-style.
* [[Apathetic Citizens]]: In full force.
* {{spoiler|[[Arranged Marriage]]/[[Wife Husbandry]]: At the end, Etranger's mom wants the former between Etranger and the main character, and the latter between the main character and herself [[Unwanted Harem|(both at the same time)]]}}.
* [[Ascended Meme]]: The description of the Wizard Hat: "I put on my [[Robe and Wizard Hat]]..." And unlike in ''[[Disgaea]] 2'', you can actually see the hat!
* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger and Reckless Cop Dangerama, naturally. Though with the former, it takes some [[Training
* [[Awesome Yet Impractical]]: [[Dual-Wielding]]. Though it allows you to attack twice and some combinations can give some really cool special attacks, it burns through your EN at an alarming rate even if you have the skills to counteract that.
** Special attacks. Incredibly flashy and powerful as expected from a [[Nippon Ichi]] game, but the attacks eat up EN especially the flashier attacks and you need to maintain as much EN as possible when going through dungeons. They still hit pretty hard, though, when you need to burst down a boss or [[Ao E]] his mooks.
* [[Barrier Warrior]]: Super Baby. She's powerful enough to hold off Darkdeath's attacks by herself, but being a baby, she hasn't learned any attacks yet and can't actually beat him.
* [[Batman Can Breathe in Space]]: Lampshaded, naturally. Heroes can breathe in space, and are apparently capable of leaving the atmosphere at will even if they can't fly.
* [[Batman Gambit]]: 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
* [[Beehive Barrier]]: Super Baby. The Gator enemies generate these (and a piece of equipment) if someone attacks from the front. You also have a "Block" command that produces this, nullifying any enemy special that gets casted from in front of you that turn (though it does nothing for regular attacks).
* [[Better Than a Bare Bulb]]: Pretty much everything is lampshaded. The characters tend to plan their next move based on what trope they want to [[Invoked Trope|invoke]] next.
{{quote|
'''Dangerama:''' Don't worry, Unlosing Ranger! Everyone knows that monsters who regenerate are always weaker than the original! We'll use our [[Combination Attack|"Dangerous Unlosing Hurricane"]] again to bust a hole in his stomach, and break his spine!
'''Darkdeath Evilman:''' Joke's on you! Everyone knows that if you failed to beat a boss with a special attack once, [[It Only Works Once|it'll never work the second time]].
'''Dangerama:''' [[Big No|Damn youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!]]
* [[BFG]]: The Unlosing Bazooka.
* [[BFS]]: Most bladed weapons, even 'daggers' look huge. Special note to the Unlosing Sword, perhaps the most Egregious BFS in the game.
* [[Big Damn Heroes]]: Played with. The Unlosing Ranger always dramatically returns and engages Darkdeath Evilman, but immediately gets his ass handed to him.
* [[Bizarro Universe]]: There are two Earths, and the fate of characters on one Earth [[Synchronization|affect their fate in the other.]]
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* [[But Thou Must!]]: In the opening sequence, you're given the option to ''try'' to [[Refusal of the Call|turn down the Unlosing Ranger's belt]], but you'll get stuck with it anyway.
* [[Butt Monkey]]: You.
* [[Came Back Strong]]: A regular basis for gameplay. Death is only a temporary setback at best.
* [[Cameo]]:
** Wait for it. The ''[[Disgaea: Hour of Darkness]]'' crew show up in the bonus dungeons. Yes, in a [[Nippon Ichi]] game; shocking, isn't it?
** [[Makai Kingdom|Valvoga is in the last bonus dungeon.]] Hey, Mickey did say that they always ask him/them to be bonus boss. Now we know who "they" are. (And he's not a fake!)
** {{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}}.
*** Interestingly; Pirihiko's and Etranger's dialogue all indicate that {{spoiler|every series is true; with Earth-like series being set in the same world as theirs; and non-Earth being an [[Alternate Universe]]. Plus, Asagi wouldn't want to take over a [[Mutually Fictional]] [[Main Character]] position, after all}}.
** Like ''[[Soul Nomad]]'', Baal is noticeably missing. It's mentioned in the game that he's been replaced by Valvolga.
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Remember when you obtain the [[Power of Love]] {{spoiler|with the ''(probably)'' attached to it? That was no dumb joke by the writers or a [[Red Herring]]. You eventually find out that your [[Power of Love]] ''is'' incomplete and go through another dungeon to fix it}}.
* [[Clothes Make the Superman]]: ...that, and [[Training from Hell]].
* [[Combination Attack]]: When Dangerama finally accepts the Unlosing Ranger as a hero, he specifically holds back Darkdeath Evilman so the protagonist can go learn a Combination Attack. It's even called by name in the command list (though the actual name is "Dangerous Unlosing Hurricane").
* [[Combined Energy Attack]]:
* [[Cosplay]]: Not only can you equip random bits and pieces from every enemy in the game
* [[Death Is Not Permanent]]: Ever. EVER. So much that even some enemies can't die.
* [[Death Seeker]]: Dangerama.
* [[Decoy Protagonist]]: The Unlosing Ranger? Yeah, not the main character, really. Well, it gets [[Legacy Immortality|complicated]], but the Unlosing Ranger dies in the first minute of the game, giving the main character (default name: "[[Main Character]]") the suit.
* [[Despair Event Horizon]]: Multiple times, mostly as a direct result of the Unlosing Ranger being defeated in combat. Counteracting these is the goal of 99% of the training missions.
** Special mention goes to
* [[Determinator]]: You.
** Parodied via [[Gameplay and Story Integration]]. Dying is a means to get stronger. (The hero falls, but rises to his feet once more!)
** It's more than that. This turns out to be the nameless hero's defining trait, discovered in flashbacks when he
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: What is exactly that yellow hero power source in the shadowgram? Any idea?
* [[Dramatic Irony]]: {{spoiler|"The parents of that fake can't possibly be normal. They're probably freaks of nature."}}
* [[Dub Name Change]]: [[Super Sentai|Makeranger]] to the Unlosing Ranger, [[Kikaider|Kikender]] to Dangerama, and [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Deathdark]] [[Aerith and Bob|Tanaka]] to Darkdeath Evilman.
* [[Dude, Where's My Respect?]]: The Unlosing Ranger goes from being called a useless fake who's just there to be a nuisance to
* [[Eagle Land]]: Played straight, complete with a quote worthy of ''[[Team America: World Police]]''... although this is later explained by
* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]: While you can defeat Darkdeath Evilman early on a second playthrough, {{spoiler|the endings you receive end with you dying in possibly the most pathetic way imaginable with everyone calling you a fraud
* [[Exactly What It Says
* [[Expy]]: Choco is our silent protagonist's little sister who has brown hair and [[Girlish Pigtails]] and is voiced by [[Karen Strassman]]. [[Persona 4|Now where else have I seen that combination?]]
** Pirohiko. Aside from having brown hair and eyes instead of respectively blue and red, is undeniably a flat-out expy of Kamina. With his fiery and optimistic persona, his mentoring of a younger
** Jean Noire: a brilliant surgeon that can operate anywhere, any time, and can even bring himself back from near death with scars across half of his face. Yeah, it can only be [[Black Jack]].
* [[Extreme Omnivore]]: Certain abilities allow one to eat Organic Equipment, Inorganic Equipment or Money.
** There are pieces of equipment anyone can eat; like Mermaid equipment (except for the Head), Harpy Legs, Hovering Cloud and Appetite Engine.
** The Death Corgi is an example of this. It will wander around eating every item in sight, leaving behind "Leftover Scraps" on each square. The Leftover Scraps are edible (for a paltry 5 EN each), but strangely enough, they're still left behind even if the item in question wasn't edible to begin with.
* [[Final Battle]]: The entire game is essentially one massive final battle, although the hero has the opportunity to level grind in another dimension after getting his ass kicked.
* [[Five-Man Band]]: The heroes {{spoiler|plus [[Heel Face Turn|Darkdeath Evilman]]}} may have become this at the end.
** [[The Hero]]: The main character.
** [[The Lancer]]: Dangerama.
** [[The Big Guy]]: Pirohiko.
** [[The Smart Guy]]: {{spoiler|Darkdeath Evilman}}.
** [[The Chick]]: Etranger.
* [[Fog Feet]]: There's an item that replaces the main character's legs with a cloud.
* [[Foreshadowing]]/[[Red Herring]]: {{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 [[Only Mostly Dead|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 <s>he</s> his malfunctioning suit starts blowing up cities... in his real voice}}.
** On a less spoilery note, you can see Bizzaro Mana and Kyoya earlier than normal in the same cutscene that kills Bizarro Pirohiko. They ran him over like their normal versions...
* [[Gag Boobs]]: [[Crossdresser|You can equip them.]] And when an enemy uses that item to invoke [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl]], it leads to a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]].
{{quote|'''Pirohiko:''' Those tits are fake! You got the equipment made for men dangling between your legs! Tripod Ranger!}}
* [[Genre Savvy]]: Taken [[Beyond the Impossible]] for a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]. {{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}}.
** Both Etranger and Pirohiko are [[Genre Savvy]], 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 [[Porn Stash]].
* [[Genre Shift]]: This is a [[Roguelike]] with some elements from ''[[Disgaea]]'' as opposed to an outright SRPG.
* [[Goo-Goo Godlike]]: Super Baby, the only person on Earth that stands between Darkdeath Evilman and [[The End of the World
* [[Gratuitous Japanese]]: The "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS1NWxIRWuE Stereotypical Asian]" version of the theme song is mostly composed of random Japanese words.
* [[Guide Dang It]]: There's no indication that you could pick up the rotating mirrors and the statues in
** There is also no indication that you had to throw the rocks into the boss' nostrils in
** There's also no mention of the existennce of Unlosing Weapons. Anywhere. Not even a hint. There's apparently one for every weapon type, (Unlosing Sword, Unlosing Gun, Unlosing Wand... etc). The only reliable info is that they become findable "somewhere post-lvel 30" of the Mastery Dungeon).
* [[Happily Married]]:
* [[Head-Tiltingly Kinky]]: The [[Dumb Blonde]] couple. When Mana's water breaks, she says that it "hurts worse than a pineapple."
* [[The Hero]]: The game explores what it means to truly be one.
* [[The Hero Dies]]: How the plot is kicked off. The original Unlosing Ranger is [[Look Both Ways|hit by a runaway car.]]
* [[Heroic Mime]]: You.
** In the end of the game even Dangerama asks, "Can he even talk?".
*** This can result in [[Alternate Character Interpretation]]. Just what ''is'' his personality? Why is he [[The Determinator]]? Is it Justice, Simplicity, Desperation, Stoicism? Given how many times he has [[Sweat Drop]] due to the people around him, he may be a [[Deadpan Snarker]] who actually keeps his mouth shut. Even Pirohiko comments on how he can't comprehend what drives him.
**** [http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144433212269554&set=a.142942432418632.24292.142905722422303&theater This is supported by] [[All There in the Manual|a few ZHP-themed comics featured in Prinny Bomb and on NISA's Facebook page, one questioning why Pirohiko became roadkill even though he claims the suit makes the protagonist invincible.]]
***** Like [[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters|Revya]] in ''[[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]]'', when the Unlosing Ranger is a cameo in ''[[Phantom Brave|Phantom Brave: Hermuda Triangle]]'', he does not say anything.
*
** Also, {{spoiler|the protagonist supposedly pulls this off in the end, personally flying a self-destructing Giga Giant Darkdeath Evilman into the sun. He makes it back in one piece
* [[Hidden Depths]]:
** Etranger: {{spoiler|is really a psychic manifestation of Super Baby, and is both cynical and naive because of her age, and the things her mother has told her about humanity and herself}}.
** Pirohiko: {{spoiler|serious case of [[Survivor Guilt]] since the previous Unlosing Ranger died to protect him. Half of the time deeply in denial about his human failings, and half of the time aware of knowing what a hero should be, and ashamed that he couldn't be it}}.
** The [[Main Character]]: {{spoiler|Not a case of [[You Suck]]; he has always been a badass that nobody recognized, nobody gave a chance}}.
** Dangerama: {{spoiler|had to choose between [[Sadistic Choice|his wife or a lot of innocent people dying.]] He saved the people}}. He wasn't the same since.
** Darkdeath Evilman: {{spoiler|not a [[Omnicidal Maniac]]; in reality, a super intelligent 8 year old boy attempting [[Suicide by Cop|Suicide By Hero]]. Seeing the Unlosing Ranger fail in doing so sends him past the [[Despair Event Horizon]]}}.
* [[Hopeless Boss Fight]]: The eponymous fight against the "last boss", Darkdeath Evilman, which is repeated at the end of every chapter. It gets progressively less hopeless each time, until it reaches the point where you can't ''lose''.
** In [[New Game+]], they're not Hopeless, as if you continue to attack, the last turn will be a random [[Critical Hit]] for 999 damage, instantly defeating the boss
* [[Hyperactive Metabolism]]: You have 100 EN. It's not enough
* [[I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin]]: Played straight.
* [[Important Haircut]]:
* [[Informed Equipment]]: Averted. One of the game's selling points is that everything you equip will visibly change your appearance, to the point where [[Rainbow Pimp Gear|you'll look ridiculous]] very early on. This applies to enemies too.
* [[Jerkass]]/{{spoiler|[[Jerkass Woobie]]}}/[[Jerk
* [[Karma Houdini]]:
**
***
* [[Kill Sat]]: You can get this as a facility after triggering a [[Kill Sat]] trap in a dungeon.
** [[Awesome Yet Impractical]]:
* [[Large Ham]]: Pirohiko. [[Mad Libs Catchphrase|Hammy Ranger!]]
* [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo]]: [[Shakugan no Shana|Shana]], [[Bludgeoning Angel
** [[Hilarious in Hindsight|Funny]] considering [[Nippon Ichi|NIS America]] now owns the license to the ''[[Toradora
* {{spoiler|[[Legacy Immortality]]: The Absolute Victory Unlosing Ranger is believed to be immortal because they would continually pass the transformation belt on when the current one died. In fact, it's practically tradition to [[Take Up My Sword|hand the transformation belt to a random passerby]] that just happens to be in the area when they're dying
* [[Level Grinding]]: Wouldn't be a N1 game without it. This one has the bonus effect of having [[Restart At Level One]] as a gameplay mechanic, however. The trailer even ''brags'' about it. "The most soul crushing grindfest EVER!" However, in the late game, Item Synthesis and Shadowgram optimization are more important than levels.
* [[Long Title]]: Even with the "Zettai Hero Project" bit reduced to an initialism, it's still a mouthful.
* [[Love Makes You Crazy]]: The fourth boss
* [[Mad Libs Catchphrase]]: Pirohiko sometimes ends a statement with "[Noun/Adjective] Ranger!" or, if the opportunity presents itself, something that sounds like [[Calling Your Attacks|an attack name]]. Bondage Ranger!
* [[Mega Manning]]/[[Powers
** [[This Is a Drill|Drills!]] [[Tank Goodness|Tanks!]] [[Gatling Good|Gatling Guns!]] [[Disgaea|Prinny Hats!]] [[Improbable Weapon User|Claw Grabbers!]] [[When All You Have Is a Hammer|Hammer Arms!]] [[Noble Demon|Devil Masks! Devil Tails!]] [[Samurai|Samurai Wigs!]] [[
** One of the examples on the website has the hero with cat ears, angel wings, a huge 3' long "dagger", a Cthulhu arm, and his legs replaced with a kotatsu with a catgirl poking her head out of it.
** 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
* [[The Messiah]]: According to Pirohiko's philosophy, a true hero is a combination of this, [[Warrior Therapist]], and [[Kung Fu Jesus]].
* [[Metal Slime]]: Metal Cacti. {{spoiler|They completely fill up the "Makai Wars" stage; only unlocked when you beat all the Dengeki stages}}.
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Very often. The ending is especially guilty of this. {{spoiler|The heroes chase after the self-destructing Darkdeath Evilman to save him, at which point, he finally agrees to believe in heroes and begs to be saved. This is followed up with Pirohiko, Dangerama and Etranger taking turns trying to push Darkdeath Evilman's robotic exoskeleton into the sun with all of them snapping at each other for failing until Darkdeath Evilman tells them that the smart thing to do is for them to push it together. Then, the main character gains the strength to push it by himself and sacrifice his life in process}}.
* [[Motivation on a Stick]]: The Appetite Engine accessory is a carrot on a stick worn on the player's head. It reduces EN consumption by 50% while equipped, and can be eaten to restore EN in a pinch.
* [[Multiple Endings]]: 18 of them, but only the 'normal' ending can be obtained outside of a [[New Game+]]. Similar to ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'', most of them are determined by exactly when you defeat the [[Final Boss]].
* [[My Death Is Just the Beginning]]: A rare heroic version. ''Disgaea'''s reincarnate system makes a return. In addition, ''you can't not trigger it.'' The plus side is this means that even as you lose, you get stronger. The minus side is this means they've basically shot the difficulty up to 11.
* [[N-Word Privileges]]: Bizarro Frank objects to being called a "loser underdog" by Etranger because she isn't one.
* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Darkdeath Evilman.
** {{spoiler|Oh, and he eventually becomes [[It Got Worse|Giant Darkdeath Evilman]]
*** {{spoiler|And just in case that's still not enough, how about [[Oh Crap|Giga Giant Darkdeath Evilman]]
* [[New Game+]]: It's a NIS game, of course it has this. However, unlike ''[[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]]'', this one is mandatory: you don't get a chance to avoid progressing to the [[New Game+]] mode if you beat the last boss.
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Played completely straight when Etranger {{spoiler|uses her powers to make Darkdeath a ''giant'' -- in a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Mighty Morphing Power Rangers]] -- 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}}.
* [[Nintendo Hard]]: Considered by far and away [[Nippon Ichi]]'s [[Beyond the Impossible|hardest and ''grindiest'']] game ''ever''.
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: [[Barack Obama|45th American President "Brick Oldllama"?]]
** She looks more like Condoleezza Rice.
* [[No Fourth Wall]]: Etranger gets really upset when she discovers a fourth wall (which she actually calls by name) breaking joke earlier actually had a purpose: {{spoiler|since the main character's home life is so horrible, he can't fully understand love, which hinders his power as a superhero}}.
* [[Noodle Incident]]: Nao's past. {{spoiler|She was apparently in love with the Unlosing Ranger who Pirohiko replaced, but this is never fully explained}}.
* [[Nuclear Weapons Taboo]]: Completely and utterly avoided, when Oldllama
** It does lead to a CMOA (the first for the new Unlosing Ranger) when he
* [[Number of the Beast]]: Super Baby was born on the 6th hour of the 6th Day of the 6th Month. {{spoiler|[[Makes Sense in Context|Considering that she eventually enlarges the already unbeatable Darkdeath Evilman
* [[Obviously Evil]]: Darkdeath '''Evilman'''. {{spoiler|...Not so much, actually}}.
* [[One Stat to Rule Them All]]: Much like in every other NIS game, you will end up as a [[Glass Cannon]] 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 [[Glass Cannon]]... as you won't have enough blacksmiths to keep a ranged weapon repaired throughout the dungeon crawls.
* [[The Paragon]]: The main character ends up as one.
* [[Pastiche]]: Of [[Sentai]] and [[Toku]] series as well as superhero anime.
* [[Phlebotinum Breakdown]]: Darkdeath Evilman {{spoiler|'s suit malfunctions due to an early attack, which is why he spends most of the game standing around
* [[The Power of Love]]: Earned by the Unlosing Ranger as one of the qualifications of being a hero. He was able to demonstrate the selflessness and purity of love to Bizzaro Geo. {{spoiler|His understanding of love is still incomplete, however, because of his abusive home life. Familial love is what powers him up into the True Unlosing Ranger}}.
* [[The Power of Trust]]: {{spoiler|By the end of the game, The Unlosing Ranger has gained the trust and respect of all his naysayers along with the rest of the world. Their trust in him powers him into The Unlosing Ranger Omega, and grants him his final technique}}.
* [[Puzzle Boss]]: (Nearly) every boss has some sort of gimmick that you need to figure out to defeat. And like classic ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' games, this being lost on the player base inflates it's [[Nintendo Hard]] reputation.
* [[Randomly Generated Levels]]: Much like ''[[Makai Kingdom|Makai Kingdoms]]'', the entire game is randomly generated, except for boss maps.
* [[Rank Inflation]]: Every monster (and thus, every item) in the game has a rank
* [[Reconstruction]]: While it is a parody, it also is a pretty much by-the-books [[Superhero/Toku|Toku]]/[[Sentai]] series
* [[Restart At Level One]]: As is traditional for Console [[Roguelike|Roguelikes]], every time you enter a dungeon, your level is reset to one. The game does keep track of your total level, and your Shadowgram affects both your base stats and level-up rate, meaning that by the end of the game, you're a ''much'' stronger level 1 than before...
* [[Retraux]]: The initial battles against Darkdeath Evilman are shown in an 8-bit style similar to the early ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' games. In-story, this is explained by [[Powers That Be|people "behind the scenes"]] not willing to spend money on the budget for a low-level hero. It goes through 2 different ''[[Final Fantasy
* [[Rivals Team Up]]: With Dangerama, though he buys you some time to go learn a [[Combination Attack]] before he'll actually fight with you.
* [[Roguelike]]: Dying is ''mandatory
* [[Sadistic Choice]]:
* [[Save Scumming]]: 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...
* {{spoiler|[[Save the Villain]]}}: It wouldn't be a pastiche of superhero shows if they skipped this one. {{spoiler|This is actually the objective of the Hero Training in the final chapter
* [[Shoplift and Die]]: Ah RosenQueen and it's security force... of an infinite number of max level ''[[Oh Crap|Dragons]]!''.
** Those things are ''better'' than Dragons. They're some kind of [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|fire-breathing cyborg anklysaurus.]]
*** Really, what kind of hero are you? Shoplifting? You deserve it.
** On the bright side, those dragons give you ''tons'' of experience points when you kill them.
* [[Shout-Out]]: A staple of ''[[Nippon Ichi]]'', but this one might take the cake with its {{spoiler|anime themed dungeons}}. For example, the {{spoiler|[[Asura Cryin]]'}} one has [[Everything Trying to Kill You|constantly damaging ice floors]], the {{spoiler|[[Shakugan no Shana]]}} one prohibits normal attacks ([[Wave Motion Gun|requiring over]] [[Macross Missile Massacre|the top]] [[Ki Attack|special attacks]] [[Kamehame Hadoken|every time you]] [[Mundane Made Awesome|wish to do anything]]), etc etc.
** The ultimate shoutout is the final bonus dungeon. {{spoiler|Zettai Hero Project, Ultimate Chapter: MAKAI WARS}}. Yes, they named the final bonus dungeon after {{spoiler|''Makai Wars'', the PSP game that they announced at the PSP launch which was later [[Screwed by the Network|killed by Sony because they didn't want the PSP to have a sprite-based game on it]]}}. Oh, what a difference a few years and commercial success makes.
** Jean Noire is visually based on Dr. Black Jack.
** There is an absolutely amazing amount of references to anime, mecha and toku within the skills and equipment. Turn A's moonlight butterfly makes an appearance, alongside Alt Eisen's revolver stake, Wing Gundam Zero's Twin Buster Cannon, Shaider's helmet, RX-78's Last Shooting, Ez8's Falling Alpha Strike, Seiya's Meteor Punch, V2 Gundam's Wings of Light, Cobra's Psychogun, Gundam's Funnels and Mazinger's Jet Scrander. Combined with a simultaneous mocking and respectfully playing straight of all the qualities a hero is supposed to embody and protect, ''Z.H.P'' is a wonderful tribute.
** The WHS goons are pretty much the grunts from [[Kamen Rider|Shocker]]. Complete with kikikikikikikikiki.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofoK_QQxGc Observe the following]. Remember that jumpsuit. Then look at the outfit of the main character before he becomes Unlosing Ranger. Then remember the Shadowgram. "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to create the perfect Unlosing Ranger."
** One of the end of chapter scenes has a direct reference to [[One of Us|4chan and the "Delicious Cake" meme]].
*** This doubles as [[Fridge Brilliance]], given that this scene also involves discussion of love. Pirohiko suggests something about "Setting a girls heart on fire." To which Etranger replies, essentially, [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|"Oh, wanna try setting my heart on fire?]]
** One of {{spoiler|Darkdeath}}'s diary entries references an [[Apocalyptic Log]] from the first ''[[Resident Evil]]'', where the writer became increasingly occupied by how itchy itchy hungry he was. This time with more [[It Makes Sense in Context|boobies]].
* [[Spikes of Doom]]: A hidden trap type. However, if you're wearing [[Tank Goodness|tank treads]], you won't get injured by them.
** Every trap has an item (or rather, thanks to the synth system, a item property) that can disable it. Bats can disable log traps, ghost legs disable pitfalls, shields disable arrows, etc. It is impossible to be outright immune to every trap, however, and if the gear is broken, your skills (and thus, your immunity) is lost.
* [[Supporting Protagonist]]: 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 [[Genre Savvy]] but a goofball, Etranger being [[Wrong Genre Savvy]] and a spoiled child)
* [[Sweat Drop]]: He doesn't speak much, but the main character symbolically represents his opinion of Etranger and Pirohiko quite a few times.
* [[Take Up My Sword]]: How the [[Player Character]] gets in the fix in the first place.
* [[There Are No Therapists]]: There is, however, the Unlosing Ranger and his uncanny ability to beat the crap out of [[Anthropomorphic Personification|Anthropomorphic Personifications]] of [[The Heartless|insanity, despair, fear
* [[Too Awesome to Use]]: Due to the mechanics of the game nearly EVERY ITEM YOU CAN GET. Not only does using their abilities usually cost high EN. But they wear down quickly, meaning you have to realy work hard to mod your favorite items to make it so they don't wear out before you complete/escape a dungeon.
** The "Space Police" facility also helps out a lot with this. It allows you to beam full sets of equipment directly into the dungeon for Emergency Morphing, which means you can assign your best gear to a morph, then slog through the dungeon with disposable crap, only calling in your good stuff when you really need it.
* [[Took a Level 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 <s>beating</s> saving the last boss against all odds}}.
* [[Tragic Villain]]: 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. [[The Woobie|No one did]]}}.
* [[Tsundere]]: Etranger.
* [[Unlucky Everydude]]: The [[Main Character]].
* [[Variable Mix]]: The music in the Mastery Caves change by section based on your equipment. The variations include: Default (No Gear and Unlosing Cape), Hero (???), Sexy Witch (oddly enough, Fluffy Tail counts as this... else something a [[Magical Girl]] would use), 8-Bit ("classic" items like Daggers and Longswords), Junk (random parts), Super Robot (Super Robot Mainstays such as Tank Treads and Rocket Punch), Euro/American View ("steriotypical" equipment), Dark Hero ("villinous" stuff like the Dark Mask), Animal ("beastrial" gear), and Last Boss ({{spoiler|Darkdevil Evilman's Gear}})... yeash!
* [[Verbal Tic]]: The goons at WHS end their sentences with "kikii".
* [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]]: Bizzaro Geo, mentioned above. Prior to this, boss battles consisted of pushing through a small army of mooks and then pounding down the Boss. Starting from Geo, a [[Puzzle Boss]] element is added. You now have to solve this puzzle BEFORE you can attack the boss (or expose and [[Attack Its Weak Point]] [[For Massive Damage]]), 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.
* [[Wham! Episode]]: 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|You Shall Not Passing]] away from his little sister}}.
** If not that, DEFINITELY Chapter X. {{spoiler|Darkdeath Evilman? Not the giant wolf-thing. Darkdeath is the little suicidal 7 year old kid inside it, who is attempting [[Suicide by Cop|Suicide By Hero]]}}.
* [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?]]: Super Baby is foretold to be the world's savior, but her superpowers seem limited to self-levitation, self-protection, and {{spoiler|''[[Make My Monster Grow|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}}.
** {{spoiler|In fact, she is the one who helps you guys save the world at the end of the game}}...
* [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?]]: Getting killed by a monster will give you a phobia of that kind of monster. As long as you have the phobia, you'll take extra damage from them. However, only one phobia can be set at a time, and if you manage to defeat enough of the offending enemy, you'll beat your phobia and gain an EXP bonus from that monster species instead. This effect ''stacks'', so phobias can actually work in your favor in the long run.
* [[Wizard Needs Food Badly]]: All [[Special Attack]]s take up EN, you lose EN (for the most part) over time, and if you run out, better chow down some meat or else you'll starve... some dungeons seem to be more generous then others though ("Dengeki: Kino's Journey" is an example of why you should use Specials with care: unless your Facilties are upgraded, food items are very scarce).
* [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl]]: 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, [[Crowning Moment of Funny|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.]]
**
* [[X Meets Y]]: ''[[Nethack]]'' [[X Meets Y|meets]] ''[[Disgaea]]''.
* [[Your Princess Is in Another Castle]]: Think you can beat Darkdeath Evilman just yet? Not before
* [[You Suck]]: ''Viciously'' [[Deconstructed]]. {{spoiler|As you play through the game, it becomes quite clear that the "helpless [[Otaku]]" protagonist is [[Badass|really]] [[Determinator|doing]] [[Iron Woobie|nothing]] to deserve his reputation as a wimp. Eventually, it's revealed that his [[Abusive Parents]] 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
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