There have been a lot of adorable mascots over the years, and right alongside them is the Prinny, one of the most mistreated cuties in the industry. So it’s only fitting that after all that abuse the Prinny is given its own game. That game comes in the form of a side scrolling action game called Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? Indeed, the question begs answering: does the Prinny have what it takes to be the hero?
At the start of Prinny, you learn that someone has eaten master Etna’s dessert, and she is royally pissed, as no one is supposed to touch what is hers. Desperate to find something to substitute, she sends her Prinny minions on a mission to get her the “Ultimate Dessert.” This can only be made by combining the ingredients found from 6 different Demons spread out around the world. Armed with your knives, scarf (so as to not explode) and 999 of your fellow prinnies, you are out on the hunt for the Ultimate Dessert to make Etna happy.
The game is a basic platformer with an easy to learn control scheme. You have just two attacks in the game, with the second in mid-air. While that is not a lot of variety, the attacks are fairly effective, and there aren’t many enemies that will cheaply evade the attacks. The main part of the game comes from jumping from platform to platform in an attempt to make it to the end of the level and fight a boss. The jumping works pretty well, though it is not the most flawless jumping mechanic. You have a single jump and a double jump to use, plus your Prinny will latch onto close by edges while in mid-air. The big drawback from the jump is the fact that if you are hit in the middle of a jump, your character will be sent backwards, causing a few frustrating deaths.
Death is handled a bit differently in this game. First off, you are given 10 hours to complete the game after you finish the first tutorial level. Additionally, instead of being given a few lives, you are handed 1000 prinnies lives to work with throughout the game. While that may seem like a lot, it can run down pretty fast considering how difficult this game can be. Yes, your prinny will die plenty of times during his trek through the worlds.
There are actually two difficulties that you are given to choose from at the beginning of the game, and you can change them at any time during the game. The easier of the two, which is actually not that easy, lets you get hit 4 times before you are sent to your doom and left with one less Prinny. The harder difficulty shaves that number down to 1, making it much more difficult to make it through a level without losing a few friends a long the way.
There are six worlds that you must make your way through, along with 2 tutorial levels. Do not pass over these tutorial levels, as the 2nd one provides you with 3 orbs to collect that are used on unlocks. Etna’s castle serves as your base of operation through the game, and at the beginning you will find a few orbs floating around the base. As you collect colored orbs throughout the game, you can bring them back and use them to unlock various things at your base, like a stat tracker, save points, and much more. There is also an unlockable option that gives the player the ability to restart the game, yet keep all stats and achievements earned.
The soundwork and presentation in this game is top notch, as we have come to expect from Nippon Ichi Software. The characters all bring humor to the table, and the voice work is serviceable, though it can get a tad annoying at times and the game looks good on the PSP, though the levels can be a bit bland at time. The music is a blast to listen to, bringing you the songs you have come to expect from a Disgaea game.
Prinny is a mistreated and frustrated guy, and that is exactly how you will feel at times during the game. The game puts you into a level, taunts you with a time limit and 1000 lives, and then kills you a lot. Although there are only 6 levels and the game is not overly long, this game is a blast to play in short bursts.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
Easy to learn controls Good challenging platformer |
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