I love Disgaea and Makai Kingdom but as time passes, I love Prinny even more
Phew. I was scared there for a second.
Even though NIS’ newer catalog doesn’t really match up to its older classics, we recently learned that the developer/publisher may go under if Disgaea 5 doesn’t sell. Thankfully that turned out to be inaccurate, as president Sohei Niikawa was making an off-handed comment in regards to his own job.
That got me thinking — what is my favorite NIS game of all time? Like everyone else, at one point it was the first Disgaea game. It will go down in history as one of the most robust and enjoyable SRPGs ever made, and that signature wacky style is still hardly replicated (with success) today. Subsequent Disgaea games have made many improvements on the formula, but the original tale with the core cast was something special.
Over time though, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero is inching towards my favorite. I spent many, many hours with that game, and it has challenged me in all the right ways. I think as a general rule a lot of games are too simplistic, so Prinny was a breath of fresh air as it basically explains nothing, but still allows you to discover your own strategies and routes.
The last boss is also one of my most memorable gaming moments. I remember mashing the attack button harder than I ever have in my entire life — so much so that I had to take a break after my 50th attempt. Eventually I got him, and it was an amazing feeling of accomplishment.
Too often games give you everything upfront. Breadcrumb trails to the next quest. Lengthy tutorial expositions late into a game. GameFAQs-esque libraries built into the UI that tell you everything you need to know. While that can be fine in moderation, I love it when games like the Souls series let you find all that out on your own, and it feels like you’ve earned something rather than have it handed to you.
That’s what a lot of NIS games represent to me, and I hope NIS sticks around for a while. What’s your favorite?
