Disgaea DS Comments by Dan Whitehead

I really want to try the Disgaea series but just can't seem to find the motivation.

Great tag line.

"It's at this point that I start to wish we could have a branching review for those familiar with Disgaea and those new to the series."

Well do then! Flaunt the conventions held by other lesser sites and have 2 endings. But as you say in your one ending normal review, it's recommended to people new to the series, so I'll be in after finishing Suikoden :)

Best standfirst in the history of all humankind.

Hmmm.... Minor quibble but the lack of the Japanese language track is a reall bummer. It really does add to the feel of the game and the English voice acting is really not the same.

I really tried to get into this, but concluded that Disgaea is probably just not for me. It's mind-bogglingly complex, and I never had the urge to spend the hundreds of hours on it that it apparently requires. It wasn't addictive - it was tedious.

And I really would have appreciated some sort of suspend feature in the game, so I could turn my game off a dozen or so levels into the Item World.

My favourite DS game. It's never far from the cartridge slot. I recommend it to anyone... the controls are a million times more comfortable than the PSP version and it's therefore much more suited to extended play.

Buy it!

You lost me a "it's only fair to warn grindophobes", unfortunately.

Disgaea 2 is out on PSP.

I spent 12 hours wanting to like it, but even then the battles were becoming sooo repetitive I couldn't stomach it any more. In what I supposed was a move to be a refreshing match, I was pitted againts a dozen fighters and nothing more IIRC, but it wasn't really engaging.

I immediately loaded up Advance Wars DS and marveled at how interesting encounters Intelligent Design created. Every mission feels different and refreshing, well at least almost. Since then, Disgaea has been sitting in its cover and I don't feel any need to boot it up again ever.

I really can't see what's interesting in this, unless the later missions are so fantastically much better that I simply can't fathom it. Even then, more than 12 hours to get to an interesting encounter is a looooot of time spent on filler.

Did have a few laughs though, I'll give it that.

It's only been out about a week in the UK Fluffy.

They fixed the Foresight exploit in the DS version, which majorly sucks. HOWEVER, you can unlock Prinny commentary for all the story parts. It kinda makes up for it but REALLY, the PSP has the bestest handheld version. Looks nicer for one thing.

I have it for the PSP but gave up after 8 or so hours. I just couldn't really get into it. War of the Lions, on the other hand, now THAT'S a game. Also, I really don't get the subtitle of the article? There, I asked! I'm man enough to admit it. Help!

The PSP does have the best version of this... if you have lady-hands. If you have hands like two large cooked hams, the DS is the best version. :)

NINJA

Disgaea is pronounced;

DIS-GUY-E-A

So;

DIS GUY E A BUT NOT DAT GUY DERE

Reviewer dude:
For new players to the series but who own multiple platforms, which version is the best one to get? PS2? PSP? DS?

Hmm...

"the character who waked Laharl from his sleep"

I am not a native English speaker, but does the word 'waked' really exist???

3 is out now exclusively on ps3, got the sound track free when I got it from game.

@Meho
Hmm...

"the character who waked Laharl from his sleep"

I am not a native English speaker, but does the word 'waked' really exist???

Normally I've seen "woke" but "waked" is also perfectly cromulent (I think it's more common in US English though).

Genji said: It's mind-bogglingly complex, and I never had the urge to spend the hundreds of hours on it that it apparently requires. It wasn't addictive - it was tedious.
This.
I've completed the first one on the PS2, mind you. Had some fun with it, but would I want to relive the experience just beacause it's on a handheld now? No.

I'm surprised that a couple of people here find the DS more confortable than the PSP. I find the DS cramps my hands up much, much quicker than the PSP. It's even worse when I have to use the shoulder buttons.

This is the game which advertised massave damage?

No mention of the music in the review?
I've read that the DS version has heavily downgraded music, so I was hoping the review would mention it.

@ Meho, @ sneetch, in Ireland if you said you "waked" somebody they might think you attended part of their funeral. I think it's a mistake!

@stevetuck, no I THINK that was Genji or something.

"The whole game can also be controlled with stylus, but the result is sloppy and imprecise."

Somebody really ought to get this right. FF Tactics has the same problem on DS. I keep holding out for a tactical RPG that will make use of the touch screen in a reliable, intuitive way, but it hasn't happened yet. So to date, none of these DS titles better their PSP counterparts, even though the DS would seem to be ideal for the genre.

"I really want to try the Disgaea series but just can't seem to find the motivation. "

Find it. This review assumed too much familiarity and spent too much time talking about the mechanics. The gameplay is insane as well as enjoyable, and the assortment of crackpots you will meet and tame are well worth the investment of time. Which brings me to...

"You lost me a "it's only fair to warn grindophobes", unfortunately."

I am a grindophobe. One hour in and I almost sent it back to the rental place. In the end I kept it so long I owned it. Give it time-- this is not your grandma's tedious grind. This is manic and absorbing. After a short time you start making goals up for yourself, just as a lark. Before you know it you are one of those youtube folks with level 9999 characters...

Personally, I think the Prinny commentary _is_ revolutionary (very ironic and aware of itself as a videogame). The localizers deserve a videogame oscar. Laugh out loud funny, in the over-kids-heads-for-their-parents kinda way that Pixar films used to be.

Finally:
"For new players to the series but who own multiple platforms, which version is the best one to get? PS2? PSP? DS? "

I'd go DS. I've played both. It has all the new features, and I found myself picking it up and losing hours of train rides, bus rides and flights. It is ideal for the DS, because you can just play 10 minutes, level a bit, and save the narrative arc for when you have a couple hours. It is hard to convey how SATISFYING the leveling is on this one... it hasn't left my DS in months. Infinite replayability (THREE entire story arcs to explore: the main one, Etna mode, and the commentary).

In short, buy it. My GOTY for 2008 (we got it last autumn here).

Hmmm... I got the PS2 version, never have the time to play it. So I thought I'd go portable. But noon's really anwered the question - is the DS version or the PSP version best? I almost never use my PSP, while my DS goes everywhere with me. But I'm not liking this talk of cut-down music and fuzzy speech.

I think the dialogue's been cut down as well. As in, voiced sections. For example, in the bit with Mid-boss: the guy had this haughty, sardonic voice. Where'd it go?