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Disgaea 3 writer and programmer discuss graphics, success outside Japan
Why must Japan torture us with their DLC of Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice while we wait simply to play the game? Fortunately, we have a drop of water here to quench your thirst. NIS producer Souhei Niikawa, who also wrote Disgaea 3, and lead programmer Masahiro Yamamoto sat down in an interview with Gamasutra. Niikawa is adamant about priorities -- working on being successful in the land of the rising sun, and simply hoping the game will sell in America. He feels that as a Japanese person he is incapable of making a game targeted towards US audiences without being laughed at. We beg to differ, Mr. Niikawa! Yamamoto, on the other hand, defended their lack of next-gen graphics in their title by saying: "Even if it's the latest super console, we're trying to make the most fun games out there." Niikawa expressed his desire to use next-gen power "for the gameplay itself, for something new that maybe you've never seen before." The interview concludes with Gamasutra remarking on how Nippon Ichi is in Gifu Prefecture, which is "the middle of nowhere" in Japan and how that affects their development. Niikawa feels Tokyo has too many temptations and distractions -- in Gifu they are able to concentrate on their work. Perhaps this is the secret to Nippon Ichi's ability to make such unique and amazing games. Read the full interview here.
Nippon Ichi duo dated for North America
We learned of Disgaea's delay in the States earlier this month, but for those of you who demand greater specificity in your release dates, Nippon Ichi's most recent financial statement has exact dates in the US and A for both its popular SRPG and reference-dropping puzzler, Puchi Puchi Virus. Apparently, Disgaea will be sending us crazy with its complexity on September 23rd, while the latter will be in U.S. stores from July 22nd. That's really soon and sudden, especially considering how many delays Puchi Puchi has suffered! The question is: did you remember to pick up your free Anti-Virus Stress Reliever? %Gallery-17933%
Disgaea 3 DLC in Japan have characters from Disgaea 2
The first DLC for Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice in Japan was released back in April for free, but now Siliconera is reporting that the next DLC pack will cost 100 yen (about $1 US) and will feature Adell and Rozalin from the previous Disgaea game on the PS2 as extra characters. The pack will also include a PlayStation 3 theme illustrated by Haruda Takehito, the character designer from the Disgaea series. Also announced are a summer/fall pack which will feature a new ranking system and a winter pack which will feature new scenarios. Considering the folks in Hong Kong are paying $1 US just for a theme, $1 seems negligible if you enjoy the game. When is Laharl going to be available?
Dis is a deal: Disgaea 3 $50 at launch
Hardcore SRPG fans love the Disgaea franchise. PS3 owners should be happy to know that the next iteration of the franchise, Absence of Justice, is a PS3 exclusive. Even better than that, the game will launch at $50, instead of the usual $60 we see for most current generation games. We're glad NIS America is giving us a discount on what will undoubtedly become a cult classic. It may not have the best "next gen" graphics, but at least it's not asking us to pay a "next gen" price as well. We can approve. Expect it on August 26th. Fans should check out the official site and vote on their favorite songs from the franchise. The top choices will be included in a pre-order bonus soundtrack, making the deal even sweeter. [Via NeoGAF]
Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Green Plush
To go along with the June 26 release of the new DS version of Disgaea, Nippon Ichi is doing what they do best (next to making ridiculously hardcore SRPGs for crazy people): making adorable plush dolls. The latest, available on June 20, is a representation of Prinny Kurtis, a green, angry-looking Prinny whose human form also appears in the game. Kurtis will sell from NIS's Japanese shop for 2,980 yen ($27.88), and probably won't blow up upon arrival. NIS America has a lovely online store with lots of great promo products as well, so we think we can look forward to domestic availability. %Gallery-17933% [Via Inside-Games]
Prinny says: Watch this English Disgaea 3 trailer
Okay, well it's not entirely in English. While the logos and superimposed text in this Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice trailer are all in English, the in-game footage being showcased here are mostly from the Japanese version. The message should still come across the same, however -- the game is looking pretty hot as far as S-RPGs go. Reminding us of demon penguins and damage point totals ranging up into the bajillions, Disgaea 3 seems to have everything we want from the series. Just don't forget to pre-order the game before its release in August. You'll want to pick up the bonus soundtrack. You know, the one you can customize.
NIS announces Disgaea delay, releases English trailer
If this Disgaea DS trailer seems familiar to you, it's because we posted the clip a week ago, only in Japanese! If you missed out on the SRPG when it debuted on the PlayStation 2 in 2003, this localized video should give you a better idea of the Disgaea series' unique mechanics -- tossing players, bribing the senate, etc. The English trailer also shows new additions to the DS port, like a playable Pleinair and commentary by a disgruntled Prinny. Supposedly, Disgaea DS will also feature an "all new story focus" with "a new experience and a new ending." Despite initially announcing a July release for North America, NIS America has revised its schedule to ship Disgaea DS in the states this September, instead. With Final Fantasy IV, Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2, and Civilization Revolution all coming out in July, perhaps it's for the best! %Gallery-17933%
Disgaea screenshot blowout
Yeah, you heard us: a blowout. We're not sure how many screens are required for something to qualify as a blowout, but we figure that 28 is quite enough. Anyway, they're waiting for your perusal on Impress Watch, and cover everything from combat to character classes to items in Nippon Ichi's DS Disgaea port. Go look at them now, and coo in admiration at how well they stack up to previous versions of the game. There's also a lengthy feature up discussing numerous aspects of the title, but we couldn't locate much information for those who have already played the game on the PlayStation 2 or PSP. %Gallery-17933%
Handing out massive damage in Disgaea DS
If there's one thing we know you can do in the upcoming Disgaea DS, it's inflict a lot of damage. Well, we know that and the game will be awesome. It's Disgaea. This isn't rocket science, people! As said above, the video features Nippon ichi showing off the many ways you can inflict ridiculous amounts of damage. Like, in the millions. The other notable thing about the video above is the pre-order bonus for Japanese gamers. It's possible we could be receiving the same bonus when the title releases to North America in August, but nothing has been set in stone, yet. %Gallery-17933% [Via Siliconera]
Delving into Disgaea's extras
Nippon Ichi is really trying to make the DS version of Disgaea the definitive one. The company's latest attempt to sway fans who are so over the series is by adding a handful of new playable characters. So far, the list of extras includes Adel and Rozalin from Disgaea 2, Overlord Zetta from Makai Kingdom, and the rabbit-loving Pleinair. The best part about playing with Pleinair? She can summon rabbits from the sky as an attack. Well, that about sells us on the port. If you're still looking for more reasons to buy Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon, though, the game also has multiplayer battles worth mentioning. The one disappointing aspect to these shenanigans is the lack of Wi-Fi multiplayer, but even so, we can't complain too much. Perhaps it's because there's even more goodies packed in, such as a new intro movie and some sort of Prinny commentary. Since NIS is putting so much effort into the software, we'll definitely take notice -- even if it means we're easy. Gallery: Disgaea [Via Siliconera]
Puchi Puchi Prinny Prinny preorder preorder
NIS America's online storefront, Rosenqueen, is promising a goofy preorder bonus for anyone who reserves Puchi Puchi Virus, Nippon Ichi's budget puzzler. Customers who pay the $19.99 in advance will receive a squishy, pill-shaped Anti-Virus Stress Reliever, much like the image on the right, except branded with everyone's favorite Disgaea mascots, Prinnies. As far as we know, the actual game doesn't feature any Prinnies, so it seems as if Rosenqueen is looking to move more Puchi Puchi Virus units by attracting Disgaea fans who have to own every piece of the series' merchandise. Then again, we wouldn't put it past Nippon Ichi to pack one of its games with cameos from the developer's other franchises. Rosenqueen plans to only have a thousand of these two-tone capsules, so make sure to preorder soon! Hopefully they made sure not to line up any of the colored halves while packing these, lest they accidentally clear out their entire stock. Gallery: Puchi Puchi Virus [Via CAG] See also: An explosively cute bonus for Disgaea
Run your own convenience store thanks to Nippon Ichi
Nippon Ichi announced that it had five DS games in the pipeline back in February, at least three of which have been revealed since.Amongst those five was an unnamed "management sim," and NIS has now revealed The Combini DS: Otona no Keiei Ryoku Training (The Combini DS: Adult's Management Power Training), a game that focuses on the smooth running of a convenience store.Although the game's title hints at a piece of training software for store management wannabes, there are also town-building elements present here, with the success of your store influencing the growth and wellbeing of your town. You'll also have to deal with rival stores competing for your business, and maybe get a chance to bully your minimum wage employees about. There'll be no paid overtime or crafty cigarette breaks in the stockroom in our virtual store!Head to the checkout past the post break for more screens.
Idea Factory's next title, Cross Edge, houses Nippon Ichi faves
We need to maintain our composure and monitor our excitement on here, or else we'll seem incredibly biased. It's difficult, though, because ever since we heard about Idea Factory's next character crossover title (Chaos Wars was their last one) dubbed Cross Edge, we can't sit still. JRPG's are very slow to hit the PS3, but this title not only brings a PS3 JRPG to the table, but one with characters from cherished franchises to Nippon Ichi loyalists as well as other big titles.You play as the hero, Yuuto and heroine Mikoto and basically free a bunch of girls from other video games. You'll see Dark Stalkers, Atelier game characters, Ar Tonelico characters, Disgaea characters, and more. The game itself plays like a cross between "dress up" and Valkyrie Profile. Depending on the costume your ladies are in, they will have a different attack assigned to the face buttons when in battle. Well, perhaps it's best you check out the screens SiliconEra has put up. Let's hope licensing isn't a big issue and we see this hit outside of Japan.
Disgaea takes a turn to update its website
Click image to look at more comparison screens in our gallery SRPG nuts, you're likely still feeling the intoxicating effects of that come from knowing your favorite handheld will be home to an installment in the widely-acclaimed Disgaea franchise. It's okay, we're kind of feeling it ourselves after checking out the control scheme news this morning. Time for more, though! The Japanese site for the game has updated, providing those of you with an ability to read Japanese with a plethora of information and eye candy on the title. For us, it's like an adventure within an adventure, as we try to solve what lurks within the mysterious Japanese website. What vexes us most is the weird clock that seems to be counting up, instead of, say, counting down to the game's release in Japan. Head on over and give it a look for yourself! %Gallery-17933%
Disgaea has the control scheme to fit your own strategy
This GAME Watch article about Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon says that the "flow" of the new DS game will be almost identical to the PSP Afternoon of Darkness. But the new version will only control identically to the PSP game if you want it to. Disgaea on the DS offers three control options: a touchscreen-only configuration (which, it must be said, can obviously be operated with a totally cute Prinny stylus), a no-touchscreen configuration, and a combination option. Whether this combined setting is just the other two in simultaneous operation or a separate control scheme designed specifically for this purpose is currently unknown. %Gallery-17933%
An explosively cute bonus for Disgaea
The item hasn't been produced yet, but Nippon Ichi has released a preview image of a totally adorable bonus, which we expect will be handed out to people who preorder Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon. It's a stylus in the shape of the series' well-known mascot/punching bag/exploding projectile, a Prinny. Another drawing gives us an idea of what the final item will look like, and suggests that there will be another Disgaea item made for the DS -- some kind of dangling charm thing. And in addition to news about adorable pseudo-penguin styli, Dengeki has a ton of new screens! What would you have to do in life, we wonder, to be reincarnated not just as a Prinny, but as a piece of plastic shaped like a Prinny? And how would you earn your way back into the world -- would it be as simple as never scratching the screen? %Gallery-17933%
Deal of the Night: Disgaea for $30
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.
Show and Tell: A stitch in time
We love sprites, the older, the better, and so do many crafters. After all, the blocky character figures are easier to recreate on quilts and cookies than are more rounded models. Sprites also lend themselves well to cross stitch, as reader Jenni can testify. Jenni, who also writes for Gamertell, has built up quite a collection of character cross stitch, and many of her efforts feature characters Nintendo fans just might recognize. Hit up the gallery for some of her work -- and if you're interested in getting started yourself, Jenni has a good piece on how to go about it. Got something you want to show off to all the other DS fans? We like just about anything with a little Nintendo flavor, so snap a few pics and send 'em off to tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. %Gallery-20236%
Disgaea dated for Japan
Hot on the (very pink) heels of yesterday's website reveal, Nippon Ichi has confirmed a Japanese release date of June 26th for Disgaea. NIS has previously stated that it would like the game to launch stateside this summer, so we shouldn't have too long to wait. Until then, we suggest you pass the time by reading up on some of the extras the DS version will boast, reflecting on how purdy the DS game is compared to the PSP and PS2 editions, or taking in some lovely Disgaea art. Before you know it, Nippon Ichi's SRPG will be back to own your life all over again. %Gallery-17933% [Via Go Nintendo]
Disgaea website and screens appear
Have you got Disgaea on the brain? If so, you should probably get that looked at. If you just happen to be excited for the upcoming DS remake, though, we have some new information for you. First, you can now visit the game's official Japanese website, which happens to be very pink. Like most official websites that are in a language we can't read, it's pretty unfulfilling -- but, who knows, you may sleep better at night just knowing that it's there. We also have oodles of new screens to show you, which are posted after the break. Go on, now -- you know what to do. %Gallery-17933%
