Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman's quirks don't end with its title. When it comes to pushing weird, it goes all in and comes out better for it.

Go back to any NIS developed game in our database, look at the "Graphics & Sound" section and you already know what I'm going to say here. Z.H.P. is true to form for NIS: unique, anime-inspired character sprites, 3D levels and a whole lot of fun. The sprites may not be high-res beauties, but more than suffice during gameplay, particularly when you begin mixing up your character's body parts. At one point, my character had the head of a lion, tank treads and a pistol. There's a completely utilitarian reason for the get-up, so the choices aren't completely cosmetic, but anytime I'm able to add a personal touch to a character, it gets high marks from me.

Background music is fun, though not particularly memorable. It's dark, but with a "bright" sound, creating a sound that is all NIS. Voicework follows suit; it's really good and gets the job done, but doesn't stand out.

The game kicks off when you're recruited by Unlosing Ranger to take his mantle and complete his quest to vanquish Darkdeath Evilman and rescue the Super Baby. Well, "recruited" is probably too strong a word. It's more like the Ranger is hit by a car on the way to the battle and you just happen to be there at the time. You're given the powers and told to fight. Things don't go that well, but at the last minute, you're whisked away to Bizarro Earth and given a second chance.

Once on Bizarro Earth, a trainer who, after questioning your status as a hero, decides to toss you into a high-level dungeon for an intensive training session meets you. Lucky for you, the ghost of the original Ranger steps in and talks the trainer into a slower start.

From here, gameplay revolves primarily around venturing into dungeons and completing missions. Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman follows the basic mechanics of a roguelike, but with a SRPG twist. Everything is still turn-based, but all turns take place at once, removing unnecessary menus. It's an inventive way to handling movement and a lot of fun. Dungeons are randomly generated and you're almost always guaranteed to find some new weapon or part.

Playing through dungeons is the only way to get power. It's also one of the game's more confusing elements. Your character has two levels, one from inside the dungeon and an overall level. From what I can tell (and I admit I could totally be missing something here), there's little correlation between the two levels. Every time you enter a dungeon, you start at "Level 1," but it's a modified version that somehow relates to your overall level, which is much higher.

Not knowing how the leveling system works didn't hurt my fun, but I couldn't find the logic behind the concept either. Eventually, I just ignored levels entirely and made sure I had the right body parts.

When you get right down to it, gameplay is really just about making sure your health and energy levels stay up. Health is obvious, but energy is a unique wrinkle. Every action drains energy, and no energy means no actions. The game does a really good job of dangling carrots in front of you to make you waste energy. Great weapons are always off the beaten path and you're given the option to dual wield weapons. It looks crazy cool and the damage is nice, but it also drains your energy quicker than a normal attack.

There's just as much to do outside dungeons as there is inside them. In order to gain ultimate hero status, you'll need to outfit your base with gadgets. Every object you purchase will help you out on your quest. For instance, purchasing a blacksmith lets you repair weapons without exiting the dungeon.

Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman is a hard game. The first few dungeons are easy to get through, but give a false impression of what's in store later down the line. However, like Etrian Odyssey III, difficulty is the point. Z.H.P. is meant for players who like harder games and don't mind a punishing difficulty curve.

The idea isn't to make it through levels as quickly as possible. Rather, the idea is to keep going through dungeons and grind, grind, grind. It's repetitious and not always entertaining, but those are things that go with the play style. However, you can reduce the number of times you visit a dungeon by playing smart. Always make sure you have enough health and food items and don't feel like you have to fight every monster. High levels help, but the ability to think through situations is worth at least ten character levels.

Z.H.P. does everything it can to ease the impact of the eventual difficulty spike. As previously mentioned, outfitting your base with the right equipment goes a long way towards helping you out of sticky situations. The blacksmith is a must-buy item, as is a forge that allows you to swap out body parts on the fly. Having these two items in your back pocket is invaluable.

A hero is only as good as his tools, and in Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman, the right tools are weapons and body parts.

You can equip any weapon you find in a dungeon and use it immediately. However, weapons break, so you need to find a way to either repair them quickly or make sure you have a backup in your inventory. If a weapon breaks, all is not lost. You can always use the Throw command and hurl it at an enemy. You'll lose the item, but it'll inflict a decent amount of damage. You can also use the Throw command to toss enemies at each other, though doing so requires getting close enough to pick them up.

In addition to equipping weapons, you can also swap out body parts. Alternate body parts serve the same function as armor. They add increased protection and boost your stats in a variety of ways. A month into the game, I'm still finding new accessories - so I'm not sure if there's a limit to what you'll find while digging through dungeons.

Alternate body parts serve another function as well. Some, like tank treads, are vital for getting around dungeons. For instance, the treads are the only way to safely travel over spikes, which show up a lot in dungeons. You can walk over them with other legs, but you'll take damage, which is not the best option considering the game's difficulty.

This is why purchasing a certain base upgrade is so important. Without the option of swapping on the fly, you're forced to take a major hit to health (you'll likely die) or exit the dungeon. Exiting isn't recommended either because you'll lose experience and items. Again, smart play goes a long way.

Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman is a difficult game, but between the multiple dungeon replays, restarts and everything else, it's a really fun game. Even if dungeon crawls aren't your thing, Z.H.P. packs in just enough personality to make it worth a shot. If dungeon crawls are your thing, well... meet your new obsession.