I’m The Main Character, Dood!

The Disgaea series has always been one of crazy characters, amusing dialogue, and most of all, insane tactics RPG gameplay. However, with the recent announcement of Prinny: Is It Ok if I am the Main Character Dood!? the world of Disgaea is going from RPG to platformer. Can the series withstand such a drastic change, even for a spin off? I wouldn’t worry about that, dood.

If you haven’t already guessed, the PSP game stars a Prinny, and really, what more could any gamer ask for? The often abused little penguins have finally broken free from the title of “second banana” and get some well deserved time in the limelight. Though, from the looks of things, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The story starts off with an enraged Etna informing her Prinny servants that someone has stolen her precious sweets. Threatening her minions with a fate worse than death, she commands that they be returned to her before the end of the day. A brash, red scarf-wearing Prinny is up to the task, but does he really have what it takes?

Every platformer has a gimmick, and it’s no different here. Taking a hint from the main series, the red scarf-wearing Prinny’s abilities include some various zany combinations. The standard jump and double jump are present along with a dash, spin, lift/throw, as well as various attacks and special attacks including the classic suicide explosion! But the fun doesn’t stop there, vehicles will also be featured, though you will only be able to ride them for a set amount of time. How all these abilities will affect the game in its final version has yet to be fully explored, though I doubt Nippon Ichi will let these additions go to waste.

With the Japanese demo being released today, reports are already coming back on the short, one level preview. In the demo it was revealed that there will be two ways to play the game, a “one hit” mode and a “three hit” mode. Needless to say the “one hit” mode will only give you an allowance of a single hit before you’re KO’ed, while the “three hit” mode is a little less harsh. PSP Fanboy called the controls “slightly unresponsive,” making the single hit variation of the game a frustration-filled button mashing experience. Thus, most gamers will probably skip it and stick with the more lenient mode. Having been compared to successes like the early Megaman X series, Prinny: Is It OK if I am the Main Character Dood!? is shaping up to be a welcome addition to the Disgaea family. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more spin offs if this one is a success.