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Take a glimpse at Disgaea DS art
We have some new Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon goodies for you. Nothing as cool as comparative screenshots, unfortunately, but there's some pretty nice game and character art to check out in our gallery. Yes, these pictures are just artwork and not screens, but they're still enough to get us giddy over this remake. We know that quite a few of you SRPG fans are looking forward to Disgaea, too. We're curious which SRPG you're anticipating more, though -- this, or Final Fantasy Tactics A2? %Gallery-17933%
Disgaea: Afternoon of Comparing Screenshots
Dengeki posted a bunch of new screens of Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon, and we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see how the DS edition stacks up visually to its predecessors. We collected similar-looking screenshots from Disgaea: Hour of Darkness on the PS2, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness on the PSP, and the new DS game. We weren't able to grab the exact same locations in all three games, but we think the areas represented are similar enough to give you an idea of the relative graphical differences in the three games. In addition, the capture on the PSP and DS games is better than the PS2 screenshots, so bear that in mind. Hit the post break for our comparison pictures, and click any of them to see them in full resolution! %Gallery-17933%
Disgaea DS comes jam packed with some nice extras
Disgaea, as niche as it is, has quite a following. In a recent interview with Crispy Gamer, Nippon Ichi's PR Manager Jack Niida stated that the entire reason for bringing Disgaea to the DS was because of demand -- specifically, a constant barrage of emails and calls. Hear that, people? Your pestering worked. Still, those of you who have already played the PSP's Afternoon of Darkness or the original Hour of Darkness on the PS2 might be wondering why you should buy another adaptation. Niida explains that, for one, a main attraction of the new Disgaea is the multiplayer. So, if you're hoping to battle friends (we're assuming through Wi-Fi and not locally), it might be a worthwhile purchase. Even if you aren't, though, the DS version (which will be called Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon in Japan) seems to have a lot of nifty extras. Besides including all the content from the PSP version and more, the game will feature new characters and utilize touchscreen controls. Niida also hinted at a unique battle feature, but kept tight-lipped on that, promising more information soon. The DS game will keep the voice acting and music from Afternoon of Darkness, but (as was expected) will make some sacrifices in terms of graphics. Crispy Gamer also asked Niida if we'd ever see a Disgaea game on the 360 or Wii, to which he replied coyly, "Who knows, you might see something interesting coming out later in the year." If you ask us, it won't be happening anytime in the near future, but it's nice to know that they're open to the possibility. Still, we're happy enough that we'll be seeing such a full, time-sucking game on our favorite handheld -- everything else is just gravy. Gallery: Disgaea [Thanks, James!]
NIS America: PS2 lacks the power to run Disgaea 3
How important are graphics in the scheme of game design? Do they trump audio? Level design? Gameplay? Peer pressure probably dictates that we downplay the importance of graphics, but the impact of eye candy cannot be understated. Anyone believing differently need only take a cursory glance at comments made by readers in reaction to news that NIS America would bring the third game in its popular console strategy franchise Disgaea to the PlayStation 3 this August. The reactions were made not to the game's release date, but rather to the title's appearance, which despite calling Sony's latest console home, look very much the part of a last gen release. Recently we caught up with the publisher's marketing coordinator Jack Niida, and asked him a number of questions about the game, including just what's the deal with Disgaea 3's lack of visual fidelity. "It's simply because PS2 lacks the processing power and memory capacity to support Disgaea 3," Jack told us. "PS2 could not load the same amount of data on to memory and process it like the PS3; therefore, we decided to develop it for the next-gen platform." He added that "the character sprites for Disgaea 3 take 3~4 times the amount of labor to create compared to Disgaea 2," and the team is "doing our best to improve the sprites." While you mull over that justification, and decided if it's enough of a reason to continue to look forward to Disgaea 3's release this fall, look for our complete interview with NIS America later this week. %Gallery-4958%
Disgaea DS confirmed (for North America)
"Dave, you silly billy, the game was already confirmed!" "Voice in my head, you better shut up before I jam a fork into my temple." Whether it's the constant drugging of our green tea that the Joystiq types conduct or the crippling claustrophobia that comes from working for 29 hours a day in a dark cell (at least they let us sleep for the other hour in the day), all alone save for the tapping of our laptop and the morse code heard through the walls that us Fanboy workers use to communicate with each other, it's tough to find things to brighten our day. But, thankfully, DS owners in North America receive another drop in the well of pleasant gaming that has been bestowed upon them. Disgaea, the SRPG series that holds both an equal portion of love and contempt in your heart (we hear it's a pretty tough game), has been confirmed for North America. This means that, uh ... you can be frustrated on the go? Actually, it probably means you want to hug someone right now (or explode, if you're this commenter). How about you hug your monitor, and we'll hug ours'? That way, it'll be like we hugged each other. Okay, start hugging ... now. %Gallery-17933%
NIS wastes little time, announces Disgaea DS for North America
Before the ink even had time to dry on the game's announcement for Japan, NIS America this afternoon confirmed plans to bring the Nintendo DS version of its popular turn-based strategy series Disgaea to North America this summer. While lacking a colorful title beyond the presumably tentative Disgaea DS, the game is nonetheless described as simply "a new edition" of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. NIS America promises "several key improvements" over 2003's PlayStation 2 original. However, the announcement also confirms our grumblings from earlier this week regarding the game being just another pass at the first game rather than a wholly new tactical strategy adventure, much like last year's Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP. Even so, given that the DS is practically tailor made for games of this type, Disgaea in any form feels like a natural fit for Nintendo's portable. We just hope the battery can hold out while we grind to level 9999.
Disgaea DS, NIS titles revealed
After announcing its plans to release five new games for the DS, Nippon Ichi Software has finally revealed screenshots and details for our two most anticipated titles of the bunch -- Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon and Jigsaw World. NIS also mentioned Rhapsody: In Musical Adventure, likely a port of the PlayStation SRPG. According to Jeux-France, as with the PSP's Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, this DS release will be an adaptation of the original PlayStation 2 game, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Though we're not sure yet how much new content will be thrown into the DS remake, we would be happy just to get some polished touchscreen controls and online support (not too hopeful on the latter feature, however). Run past the break for the scanned pages!
Famitsu confirms Disgaea for Nintendo DS in Japan
As soon as NIS America began showing signs of affection, albeit casual, for Nintendo's touchable portable, hopes began to rise for the company's popular turn-based strategy series Disgaea to make the leap to the small screen. Now, according to CVG (and a crack translation team at AkaYuki), the company's Japanese arm has revealed plans to bring the franchise to the Nintendo DS in the Land of the Rising Fun. The report, pulled from the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, calls the game Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World. While little else has been revealed, the title alone suggests that the game stands a good chance of being a port of the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, which centered on Laharl, the Prince of the game's demon-infested anime hell. If true, this would be disappointing, given that it would mark the third pass at the material following last year's remake for the PSP. Then again, maybe being able to physically touch co-star Etna will be enough to inspire another visit to the Netherworld.
Famitsu: Disgaea coming to the DS
Well, Disgaea fans will be happy to know that the latest issue of Famitsu has a nice little tidbit of information within the confines of its pages. A new Disgaea title has been confirmed to be in the works for the DS, adding another installment in the franchise that fans are pretty much sure to love. Looks like they finally got around to checking out those poll results. Rough translation (courtesy of GAFfer Tenbatsu) shows the game to be called Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon. So based on that, we can predict the game will have some kind of demon world that plays an important role in the events of the game, as well as a prince and some kind of red moon. What can we say? We're gaming journalists. It's what we do. Aside from that, there isn't any more information to go on. If we hear anything else, though, we'll be sure to let you all know. In the meantime, crack open that bottle of champagne and get to celebrating!
Disgaea 3 to power level for PS3 this August
Tactical strategy game fans may not know much about art, but they know what they like, and in less than five years developer and publisher Nippon Ichi has done more to strike a chord with this audience than most game companies do in a lifetime -- thanks in no small part to titles like Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, and La Pucelle: Tactics. Without question the Disgaea franchise has become the calling card of both Nippon Ichi and its North American publishing arm NIS America, and for most it was not a question of if, but rather when the series' third entry, which shipped in Japan in January, would make the trip overseas. Now NISA has confirmed that the game will be released in North America in August, bringing the series' unique blend of humor and strategy to the PlayStation 3. Sure it may lack the high-defness we're used to seeing in our PS3 games -- honestly it still looks the part of game we'd expect to play on the PS2 – but what Disgaea 3 lacks in eye candy we can be sure it more than makes up for in ridiculous grinding. %Gallery-4958%
Disgaea 3 coming to America this August
While Japan has had Disgaea 3 since the end of January, Americans can now rest safe in the knowledge that the game will be heading to America this year. We're happy to hear that the game will be heading west this August, adding another great game release to the burgeoning PS3 release schedule this year. There's no word on a European release, but that's one of the reasons why we love the fact that the PS3 is region free, right? Disgaea 3 features new abilities which allows the player to alter the terrain during battles. No doubt we'll be seeing plenty of screenshots and videos over the coming months, but there have already been several Japanese videos which are worth a look. Be sure to check them out if you're curious.
Our fate is in the hands of ... Cluck Norris?
And yes, we mean Cluck and not Chuck. (An easy way to tell the difference between them is Cluck's sweet Fu Manchu moustache.)Puchi Puchi Virus, which is set for a May release, is a quirky puzzle game that we were surprised to see localized. We've already deduced that it's one of the five games NIS was referring to earlier, but we didn't expect to see a video so quickly.This "trailer" doesn't really show us what to expect from the game -- only that it's going to be ridiculous. Whether you find yourself looking forward to it or not probably depends on how much silly you like on your DS.Fortunately, for many of us at DS Fanboy, that quota is hardly ever met.
Get ready for some sprites: new Disgaea 3 trailer
The reaction to the upcoming PS3-exclusive Disgaea 3 has been mixed. Some Nippon Ichi fans are glad to have yet another iteration of their famed SRPG series. However, others are critical of the game's lackluster visual presentation. At first glance, the game looks like a PS2 game -- albeit, running in HD. We love the flashier spell effects, but we wouldn't complain seeing higher resolution sprites. The style is impeccable, but the tech behind it simply doesn't follow suit. PS3 fans with access to the Japanese PSN can also download this trailer to their PS3s through the Store.
PSP Fanboy review: Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness
Jeanne d'Arc has seemingly opened the gates of a massive flood of excellent SRPGs for the handheld. Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness continues the PSP's onslaught of fantastic SRPG games, and this may be the best yet. This stellar translation of the PS2 original features a silky smooth framerate, brisk load times, a fantastic story mode, and a slew of extras that will have fans, new and old, rushing to get this game. Some may be unfamiliar with Disgaea's rabid fan base. However, it's easy to see why the game has such a strong following. This Nippon Ichi classic blends a fun, fast-paced story with a wacky cast of zany characters. The writing is incredibly sharp, wholly embracing and parodying genre conventions. For example, one of the earliest characters is simply called "Mid-Boss" by the catty Laharl. The stylish presentation and heavy use of voice acting certainly adds an appreciable amount of character to the experience. However, that's not the only thing that makes Disgaea so appealing: the gameplay will easily have you coming back for more. The game follows the typical model of all SRPGs, but adds many touches that make it unique. Due to the huge number of factors that must be considered in-game, playing Disgaea can feel like taking a class in university. While the game attempts to be approachable, it's clear that this is a game squarely for the hardcore -- the SRPG veteran. %Gallery-6345%
Disgaea 3 screenshot extravaganza
If you've been wondering what Disgaea 3 will look like on your HDTV, we've got a gazillion new screenshots to frisbee throw at you. Yep. The sprites are still the low-res generally-recycled stuff from the last generation of consoles, but they do look like they've been softened up a hair. The level design is still quite basic, but totally smooth. NIS isn't taking home any trophies for graphics, but it's always been their gameplay that grabbed us. This will probably succeed in that, so the fact that we privileged PS3 owners get first dibs is icing on the cake. We've also received word that a release date for the addictive strategy RPG has been set -- January 31, 2008 is the date for Japan, so if you're an import-savvy fellow, there's probably not much you'd miss besides the humorous dialogue. If you've played the previous games, you'd be able to figure this out. Just a few more throwing options and monster fusions. Oh, and be sure not to choke on any pretzels and die. The Netherworld would miss you.
Brand new Disgaea 3 trailer
SRPG fans have their faces contort in strange ways when they hear Disgaea. Some say this weird anomaly is called ... a smile? This brand new trailer for this PS3 exclusive is a bit blurry, but shows some of the biggest special effects this "next gen" sequel features. It's weird seeing such small sprites being rendered on a system as powerful as the PS3 -- let's hope Nippon Ichi puts it to great use.
Disgaea's Etna Mode revealed
One of the biggest new features for the upcoming PSP version of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is "Etna Mode," a retelling of the original story from a totally different perspective. Etna, as fans of the original will remember, is one of the cuter and funnier characters in the game, and it'll be fascinating to see her retelling of the story. Now, even those that have played the original Disgaea will have no choice but to pick up this PSP re-release.
The fog of war strikes new Disgaea video
A brand new trailer for Disgaea's upcoming PSP-exclusive multiplayer mode explains the horrifying truth behind the cause of the fog of war. As the video shows, it's not caused by netherglobal warming, but rather the multiplayer options menu! Humor and gameplay clash in this revealing new video: watch for yourself!
Disgaea multiplayer to have neutral enemies, fog of war
In addition to the Geo Cubes and Demon Gadgets, Disgaea's upcoming PSP-exclusive multiplayer mode will feature some genre staples. First is the fog of war. As in other strategy games, players will have to move their units through the map to increase the areas visible to them. Going headstrong into a fortified enemy position will undoubtedly end in some doom. To add even more tension to the darkness hidden in the fog of war, neutral enemies can also be activated. Neutral enemies will attack both you and your opponent and are quite powerful (like Turok's dinosaurs, perhaps?). Willi you and your opponent both fight against the neutral enemies? Or will you hope that your enemies get decimated while you run away? %Gallery-6345%
Using Geo Cubes in Disgaea
Geo Cubes are crucial to the new multiplayer mode found in Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness. As you can see in this image, there are a lot to choose from. Geo Cubes are like magic/trap cards in card based games. Not only can they alter stats, they can summon units, destroy units, etc. Even when facing opponents that overpower you, Geo Cubes can turn the tides. In order to use Geo Cubes, you need to have Geo Souls. You can gain 1 Geo Soul at the beginning of your turn. Some Geo Cubes cost more than 1 Geo Soul to use, so you may have to wait a couple of turns to use a powerful Geo Cube. Some of the Geo Cube types include: Morning Class – Make 1 enemy in the Base Panel fall asleep Overlord's Wrath – Randomly destroy 3 units Reckless Chaos – Decrease all units' HP by ½ Fall Back – Send selected unit back to the Base Panel Dimensional Rift – Randomize all unit positions Neutral Pact – Cannot be targeted by neutral forces for 1 round First Strike – Destroy enemy Base Panel Expect more on Disgaea soon. %Gallery-6345%
