There are
times when spin-offs, whether they’re on television or the big screen, will have
me cringing with horrific memories of Joey (a spin-off of Friends)
and Electra (a movie spin-off of Daredevil). Then again, there are
spin-offs, such as Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? for the PSP, that I
consider the perfect companion piece to the original concept it was based on
even though it does its own thing. Disgaea fans will be pleasantly surprised to
find the explosive Prinnys in their own game that’s strays away from its
strategy RPG roots to jump into platform gaming territory.
Prinny’s
have long been but bit players in a much larger world that have been introduced
by NIS in games such as Disgaea as well as Phantom Brave. They’re short,
bird-like creatures that resemble penguins that – if treated roughly – will
explode as if they were but living bombs. Prinnys are really souls of people
that have done something wrong when they were alive and are now forced to live
out their existence as the fragile creatures that are commanded by the spunky
Demon Lord named Etna. When somebody ate Etna’s desserts one day, she furiously
points the finger at her Prinny followers. Giving them a rare red scarf that
offers the creatures 1,000 lives, one brave Prinny sets out to find the
ingredients that make up the Ultra Dessert.
Still, it’s
not going to be an easy task seeing as the ingredients are scattered throughout
the Netherworlds many regions. There are six locales, including the Prinny
homeland, where you can talk to other Prinnys, get helpful tips from Etna
herself as well as save your progress. You can also tackle the various
Netherworlds in any sequence you like but be warned that other levels are
certainly a tad harder than the ones placed first on the list. The levels range
from the grassy Nethergrasslands, the High Tome Forest, Death’s Watchtower as
well as the Moab Fortress. Then there’s the Magma Hideout and the Demon Sea Aria
part of the Netherworlds.
Armed with
his powerful red scarf and a pair of blades, Prinny sets off on an adventure to
secure a part of the ingredients that make up the Ultra Dessert that can be
found at the end of each level world. The Nethergrasslands, for example,
contains rotten meat (one of many colorfully disgusting ingredients) that is in
the possession of the Gourmet Ogre. Prinny must make his way through the
environment that features many platforms, hazards and enemies that get in your
way. Played like a 2-D side-scrolling platform game, Prinny can jump, attack and
use his rear end to stomp and stun enemies. You can also unleash a powerful
aerial blade attack as well as spinning dash that can get you out of a jam.
As I
mentioned earlier, Prinnys are a fragile lot but thanks to the red scarf, he is
able to take some damage before he explodes. The red scarf’s power also grants
you 1,000 lives but if you successfully complete each level, you are awards
dolls as well as extra points that will allow you to add a life. Having played
the game all the way through, 1,000 lives is more than enough to get you through
the game. Thankfully, each level also contains a number of checkpoints you
activate by stomping a certain pillar with your Hip Pound attack. You can even
obtain special items by trading them in for Lucky Dolls you earn in each level.
The game’s
levels do have a number of challenging hazards and a number of different enemies
that range from flying monsters, cannons that shoots fireballs as well as
unstoppable robots. Aside from Prinny’s attacks, there are moments where you can
even hop into a tank or plane Metal Slug-style. While the enemies aren’t too
hard to defeat, it’s the boss battles that will give you something of a workout.
Some boss battles require combo attacks such as the time you take on the great
dragon in the Magma Hideout level.
Graphically
speaking, Prinny is also a gorgeous game with colorful backdrops that are sharp
and filled with detailed enemies. It’s a blast running through the various
worlds such as Death’s Watchtower or Demon Sea Aria. Even the bosses look great
and watching Prinny unleash his aerial attacks is an impressive sight. As far as
the sound is concerned, the music is actually enjoyable even though it tends to
be recycled often. The voice acting is cute and it never gets old to hear the
Prinny’s call each another “doods.” Top it off with great sound effects that
sound great coming from the PSP’s speakers.
It’s a
genuine joy to find games like Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? for the PSP and
even more when the game plays just as enjoyably as other hyped-up platform
games. While it’s far from perfect, the game will not fail to provide fans of
the genre a delightfully diverse and exciting platform title that PSP owners
should definitely not miss even if you’re not a Disgaea fan.
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Gameplay: 8.2
Your Prinny has
some basic moves but it’s all you’ll need to get through the diverse levels that
offer different challenges along the way. While some battles can get a bit
repetitive, things like vehicles and a variety of enemies will pleasantly keep
you on your toes.
Graphics: 8.5
Visually, the
game looks wonderfully crisp and colorful enough that you’ll often stop to
admire the scenery. The characters look good as well and the visual effects are
decently flashy.
Sound: 8.0
The soundtrack is
as cute as the exploding Prinnys and it never gets old even when it repeats
itself. What really stands out, though, is the voice acting that is oftentimes
just as hilarious as some of the dialogue. Even the sound effects are good.
Difficulty: Medium
Like most
platform games, you’ll encounter some platform puzzles that are harder than
others are but this game won’t have you stumped for very long. The real
challenge comes from the boss battles with some of them requiring more than just
a butt-stomp to defeat.
Concept: 8.0
Take a character
that doesn’t get much attention in the Disgaea games and put them in a game that
plays like an inventive platform game and we get a genuinely surprising treat.
The search for a desert will lead you through colorful and oftentimes
challenging levels. Data Swap allows you to trade replays of your run-through of
a level with a friend.
Overall: 8.2
Prinny is an
absolutely charming, funny and downright fun handheld gem we wish popped up on
the PSP more often. This is a side-scrolling platform game with a lot to offer
those gamers that appreciates an enjoyable, bite-sized adventure that is close
to giving a certain Italian plumber some competition.
