Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation

Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! Review

You know you're in for a wild ride with Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! just by looking at the title. Like its predecessor, this PSP sequel is a silly, 2D side-scroller featuring the adorable penguin-like mascots from the Disgaea series. Nippon Ichi didn't reinvent the wheel with this sequel, but that doesn't prevent it from being a solid, albeit difficult, action platformer that is a worthy addition to the PSP library.

Prinny 2 takes place in the Disgaea universe, which means you and your companions live in the netherworld. Prinny's boss, Etna, has just found that her panties have been stolen. So it's up to you to lead Operation Panties and go on a journey to retrieve the stolen undergarments. If the plot sounds completely ridiculous that's because it is. But it's hard not to crack a smile while playing the game. There's a charming quality to the characters and the predicament they find themselves in. This includes a fair amount of humor that even non-Disgaea fans should be able to appreciate.

Don't let the game's lighthearted tone deceive you, though. Prinny 2 is an incredibly difficult game in which you will die... a lot. You are presented with 1000 lives at the start of the game, which might seem like more than enough, but after playing for a while those lives begin to disappear quickly. The old-school challenge requires memorizing entire levels and tackling each individual enemy strategically. Stage progressively increase in difficulty, so you're truly put to the test throughout the course of the game.

The extreme difficulty may be off-putting for some but those who overcome it will find a very good side-scrolling action platformer. The fundamentals of the game are fairly simple: you run, jump, and slash your way through each level, which includes a boss at the end. Prinny is equipped with a sword and can perform a few different attacks. As you chain them together you can enter break mode, which increases your attack strength significantly. All of this is rudimentary, but the basics in combination with the level design is where the enjoyment factors in. Each stage offers various enemies that require specific tactics to defeat and plenty of deviously small ledges as you traverse your way through the game's various locales.

Unfortunately, the game's controls often get in the way of that solid foundation. More specifically, jumping turns out to be a big problem. The fact that you have absolutely no control of Prinny in midair is a mind-boggling decision considering how hard the game is. Some of the jumps you face require careful precision so don't be surprised if you double jump over entire ledges or come up short. Ultimately this makes the platforming feel like less of a challenge and more of a general frustration.

Even more troublesome is the lack of new content in Prinny 2. "Baby Mode" is introduced, which is essentially an easier difficulty that generously provides you with more health and increases the frequency with which you enter break mode. Other than that there isn't much that Prinny 2 brings to the table, at least not enough to differentiate itself from the first game. Both are quirky, 2D side-scrollers with a high difficulty level, plain and simple.

In terms of presentation, Prinny 2 is very impressive. The colorful art style really brings the game to life and the disparate environments keep the game from feeling stale. The voice acting is also well done, though it can become grating after a while. But considering the entire premise of the game, that's probably what they were going for. Nothing particularly stands out when it comes to Prinny 2's presentation, but all in all the game delivers in the audiovisual department.

Prinny 2 is aimed mostly at two groups of people: Disgaea fans and those who appreciate old-school difficulty. If you fall into either of those two categories (or both), then Prinny 2 is probably a game for you. It certainly provides a challenge, but the core gameplay is also executed well. Control problems do arise but the biggest concern is its striking similarity to 2009's Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? In the end, Prinny 2 ends up being a good game, but that's not quite enough to recommend it for everyone wholeheartedly. Fans of the first may want to pick up this sequel, but in all honesty, newcomers could go with either of the two games and get essentially the same experience.