Disgaea fans probably jumped in excitement upon hearing the news that Prinnies would be getting their own game for PSP. Prinny: Is It Okay If I Am The Main Character? is the aptly cute pseudo-2D side-scroller which is also being released in North America. While fans may be squealing in delight over that, here's one more tidbit that's going to make your day: you can play the game now off a demo on the Japanese PS Store. If you can't download it or just plain old stuck at work and can't get to it until you're at home, then we're providing our very own impressions for your convenience.
Getting right into it, the demo was a short, one-level adventure taking us through scenery we've seen in screenshots previously (namely the one posted above). As you can see, the environmental objects are 3D models and there will be times when certain actions will cause the camera to shift into this 3D perspective; however, the game is mostly in the 2D perspective, side-scrolling from left to right. Before you start the level you'll be given two optional difficulties: either a "one-hit you're dead" game or a "three-hit chance." The number of hits you can take will be displayed by icons placed in the upper left corner of the screen. If you die, you'll use up a life point which are all displayed in the bottom left.
Gallery: Prinny: Is It Okay If I Am The Main Character?
Coming in October, NIS America's upcoming release of Mana-Khemia looks to bring some very standard JRPG fare to the PSP. It's been a while since a traditional RPG has arrived on PSP, especially so shortly after a Japanese release. We're keeping an eye out on this one, if only because there are so few games to actually look out for in the immediate future.
If you haven't gotten tired of Nippon Ichi Software's staple Disgaea series by now, chances are you haven't played it yet. This must be remedied. amazon.com is having a sale, discounting the game to $30. Of course, getting it used from the Amazon marketplace can save you a couple of bucks, but you won't get the free shipping. However, it appears that this reprint will take about a year to release.
IGN recently got its hands on a preview version of the upcoming PSP version of Disgaea. Although the game is largely a port, they noted two new features that will certainly get the attention of long-time fans. The game seemingly has both English and Japanese voice acting in the game, a feature we're hoping will survive in the final build. Certainly, anime fans will love to hear the game in its original language.
An additional mode, "Etna Mode," also provides a retelling of the story -- this time, from the perspective of the hot-headed Etna. According to IGN, "This perspective starts with Etna accidentally killing Laharl when trying to wake him up. Everything following that, it seems, is a spoiler for the main game, since you're suddenly privy to a great amount of information you wouldn't have known had you been playing from Laharl's perspective."
Sounds like Disgaea fans have a lot to look forward to, even in this PSP remake. It's clear that the title is shaping up to be more ambitious than a mere port, and we're glad to see Nis America take the effort to add something more for its US release this October. Check out our new gallery to see some awesome concept art:
HitMaker's character designer, Juno Jeong, sat down for the latest interview with GameSpot who have had an ongoing set of reactions from the staff of the upcoming game Dragoneer's Aria. Being from Korea, Jeong talks about the difficulty in becoming a console game developer and how this is game has become such an honor for him to work on (which we can also assume means he's put a lot of work into these characters). It has been three years since he's gotten to work as an illustrator, after all.
Jeong is very interested in classic RPG's like Dragoneer's Aria. He said that "the scenario and game system are loyal to the basics, but they bring out the depth of the game itself. I think that's the biggest anticipation I have for the game." He didn't get to work directly alongside the rest of the development team, so he does wish he had that experience to fall back on, but he seems excited enough about the game to merit our interest as well! GameSpot will have an updated interview, featuring HitMaker's director, in the coming days.
Nippon Ichi Software apparently found it prudent to release a bunch of little clips about their upcoming title Dragoneer's Aria, just to tutorial potential players before its release. While not overly complicated, it's nice to see some of the features the game will possess (we just hope we can turn off the voice acting, since we don't really care to hear someone say "Burning Blade!" every battle).
The above video details "Dragon Skills" which are essentially attack skills gained by equipping certain orbs onto whatever character you want. Think of the orbs from the Suikoden games and you'll get the idea -- fairly open-ended with your choices, but each character has an obvious affinity for one over another. Who's excited to pick this one up? It's definitely a departure from NIS's classic-looking 2D titles.
You saw Final Fantasy Tactics' brilliant English adaptation. How does Disgaea fare? The enhanced PSP port of Digaea looks good ... although, according to a YouTube commenter, it appears that some of the voice actors may have changed from the original. We won't complain much, though. It took a lot of complaining, whining and hard work for Disgaea to make its way to the States.
Nippon Ichi isn't known for epic 3D games -- but that's exactly what they're trying to with the upcoming PSP RPG, Dragoneer's Aria. Sohei Niikawa, producer at NIS, is afraid that people will say: "But you're Nippon Ichi Software!" Regardless, in a new blog on Gamespot, he admits "Even so, I feel that this title will help support us as we take a shot at something that's a little step away from the usual NIS titles."
To help create the "epic" feeling that NIS is trying to achieve, they hired some high-profile talent for the game. Juno Jeong, artist of Lineage II, is contributing his art to this PSP exclusive RPG. In addition, "the number one blog idol in Japan," Mimika, will be singing the game's theme song.
You may know NIS America for their beloved RPG series, like Disgaea. But did you know that they also offer gaming peripherals? NIS America's Rosenqueen store offers PSP accessories, such as the PSP pouch (pictured above). Personally, I find pouches to be a lot more comfortable to carry than larger (but sturdier) cases. I found the Soft Pouch offered at the Rosenqueen store to be quite nice. In many ways, it's superior to the pouch bundled with the original PSP Value Pack. Firstly, it comes in two different colors (orange being a personal favorite). Unlike Sony's pouch, the system is unlikely to fall out thanks to the Velcro strap.
If there is one thing to criticize about the pouch, it's the feel. The materials for the pouch are much softer than the ones used in Sony's official pouch. While nice to the touch, it seems less likely to survive a serious accident unscathed. It does come at quite an affordable price: only $7, which certainly beats the $20 asking price of Sony's official pouches.
Overall, we recommend the Soft Pouch from Rosenqueen. It looks unlike anything out on the market, and it's incredibly affordable. It certainly isn't for everyone--those looking for a hard case can find some on sale at amazon. However, for those looking for a lightweight alternative for PSP protection, this may be it.
Last month, we unveiled NIS and Hitmaker's newest RPG, Dragoneer's Aria. The concept art looked a bit edgier and darker than usual PSP RPG fare. While we were excited to see a RPG on our handheld take a slightly more mature approach to the genre, we're admittedly disappointed by these new screenshots of the game, provided by Degenki Online. The graphics look primitive, with blocky character models and barren environments. The game is due out soon, so it doesn't look like this game will have the chance to improve much before its release.
NIS America has released several Idea Factory games so far, including Generations of Chaos and Spectral Souls. But one game they haven't released on PSP is the fighting game Spectral versus Generation, which features characters from both series duking it out. I certainly can't say I ever predicted seeing strategy RPG characters throw down in a 2D fighter, but here it is. Ironically, Midas Interactive is bringing this unique crossover title to European stores.
Wait, what's so ironic? Previous titles in the Generations of Chaos and Spectral Souls series have never come to Europe. This makes it quite likely that the average European gamer won't even be aware of any of the characters involved. Don't worry Idea Factory fans! Since your PSP can play games from any region, you just need to find an importer, and you're good to go.
Jeffrey Fleming from Game Set Watch had a chance to interview RPG fan favorite publisher NIS America (Disgaea). In the interview, he asks if NIS plans on just keeping Sony platforms as their target for game releases. Here's their response:
"For a long time, NIS America has been releasing titles for the PS2 and PSP, so some people might think we are solely dedicated to Sony, but that is not true. Our goal is to provide quality games and services to all game fans, and looking ahead, there are several platforms that can help us reach out to a broader audience and gamers can expect surprises from us. Of course, we will also continue to work closely with Sony, providing great games for PS2/PS3/PSP users as well."
So while they have no intentions to be a Sony exclusive publisher, they do plan to still support them. Here's hoping our favorite portable continues to get the NIS love.
More Nippon Ichi news this morning. NIS and Hitmaker are working together on a new RPG called Dragoneer's Aria. In the game you take the role of Valen who is a novice dragoneer. He is tasked with protecting the elemental dragons from a dreaded evil monster. The game focuses on friendship and has a good chance of having a dragon or two in it. NIS and Hitmaker first got their relationship started when NIS released Blade Dancer for PSP. The mutual respect has resulted in this project.
Dragoneer's Aria will satisfy PSP RPG fans in July.
The first Generations of Chaos game for PSP seemed good when I bought it, but the lacking tutorial made it difficult for me to really progress. Hopefully Aedis Eclipse: Generations of Chaos will do a better job of informing the gamer how to play the game. The key idea of this game seems to be that you play a main character and story in three different worlds and get those different perspectives on the war and universe. I love tactics games, so I want nothing more than for it to be worthwhile. In the meantime there are some screens to view.
I had nearly given up all hope of Disgaea coming out to America. Although the game had performed well in Japan, NIS has been strangely silent about the possibility of a localized version ever reaching English-speaking shores. Well, blackIceJoe from the Gamespot forums received a cryptic e-mail from NIS, which hints at a pending release:
"As for Disgaea PSP, We unfortunately cannot release much information about Disgaea yet ... but we can tell you to look forward to it. We hope this will give you some sort of idea.
As for the Europe version, we do not have any information about it at this point, but we believe it will be coming out in Europe. Please check back with us within a few months to see if we have further information on the Europe version."
The idea that this e-mail gives us is that Disgaea is coming. The only question is: when?
