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Disgaea DS
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: NIS
Genre: Strategy RPG
Release Date: September 23, 2008
Platforms: Playstation 2, Playstation Portable, Nintendo DS
Reviewer: Eric
 The Disgaea series is known for having the best options in the strategy role
playing game genre. Gameplay can last for hours and the stories tend to be on
the humorous side. Since Nintendo DS fans never got to experience the first game
it is now being released with a fresh coat of paint.
Disgaea has you controlling Laharl, the demon prince of the Netherworld. After
sleeping too long Laharl wakes up to find out his father passed away. Instead of
being able to take over his father’s throne, Laharl has to go against different
demons to be the rightful ruler of Netherworld.
The original Disgaea came out on the Playstation 2 in August of 2005. It took
some time but the game became a cult classic, causing NIS to bring out more
games to meet the demand they never thought would happen. Last year the PSP
version came out and it delivered everything the original had, but something
seemed missing. What about the Nintendo DS?
That time is finally here and the DS version offers gamers the ability to use
the stylus (optional). Using the stylus in a strategy role playing game is a
breath of fresh air. All you have to do is click your character, move them, and
then selection their action. If this doesn’t sound appetizing then you can
always switch, Disgaea DS offers every sort of control options that you can
think of.
With the Nintendo DS you have two screens. How does Disgaea DS utilizes these
two screens? The top portion shows the map, ranging from your characters
locations, geo panels, and enemy locations. The bottom screen is where you move
your characters; think of it as the main screen, which you say on both the
Playstation 2 and PSP versions. All of the graphics have been compressed to fit
both of the screens but no real damage was done to the game, it still looks
great.
The game is made up of numerous battles. Disgaea DS seems never ending which is
how a video game should be. In-between the main quest battles there are brief
cut scenes that add to the games story. This time around you can only hear the
dialogue in English; the DS version does not allow you to switch over to the
Japanese spoken dialogue. Again this is not the biggest problem but it is a
noticeable difference.
 Throughout the game you can get some players to join you, but the main way to
add to your team is by creating characters with your mana. Every time a
character kills an opponent they will earn mana. The more mana you gain the more
characters you can make. By using more mana your character will be stronger in
the end, almost causing you to start over with your characters if you want to
have the best team available. There are other options for mana in this game
(lower item prices, steal money, etc.), but most of the time you will use it to
earn new characters.
One of the unique features in the Disgaea series is the geo panel system.
Throughout the different stages you will find different colored pyramids that
are either on colored floor panels or they are sitting on the ground, ready for
you to throw them on those colorful panels. Each panel on the ground (color
wise) does something different, either giving you more defense or health
regeneration. Your enemy can gain these bonuses too so you may want to change
things around with the geo system, it’s up to the player.
Wireless play is available for up to two players. Head-to-head matches add in a
whole new aspect to Disgaea DS. There are a total of nine maps to pick from and
you will be able to use any of your team members. Your ranking will go up by
playing wirelessly, however you will not gain any experience for your
characters.
Final Verdict
Disgaea DS is the latest reissue of the original Disgaea game. By utilizing the
Nintendo DS Disgaea is fitting right at home on this double screen portable
console. The game is still terrific after all these years. Strategy RPG fans
should pick this one up right away, this game is a gem among the DS collection.
Rating
9.75 out of 10
Disgaea DS Trailer
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