Disgaea is the perfect example of a cult classic series. Never a best-seller, it has nonetheless earned high scores for all of its titles, and along the way amassed one hell of a close-knit and fanatic following; and it all started with the first title, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Since that original release, the series has seen two subsequent console sequels, and a handheld port—all on Sony’s consoles. Disgaea DS is the second port of the first game (and is basically a port of the PSP port), but it also marks the first time the series has ventured away from the Duchy of Sony and entered the Land of Nintendo.

Disgaea DS adds virtually nothing to the PSP version’s gameplay. In other words, if you’ve played the PSP port, you’ve played this iteration. It is less a furthering of the Disgaea experience and more of a way for the series to expand and gain the attention of the largest current-gen market of gamers: DS owners.

Disgaea revolves around Laharl, the demon son of the Overlord of the Netherworld. Turns out his father has been dead for two years while he napped, and after being awoken by his “vassal” Etna, Laharl learns that other demons have been trying to usurp the power which should be rightfully his. Toss in some hilarious dialogue, memorable characters, humans and angels, and you’ve got the makings of one of the best-written titles of the past decade.

The gameplay is deep and involving, but still remains fairly easy to learn. Each map features “bad” guys to defeat, and your goal is almost always to clear the map of enemies. How you do this is entirely up to you. The game has been widely heralded for its sheer amount of options and tactics available, and even on a port for what’s widely considered a casual-gamer’s system—that still holds true. Between battles you can create new characters, enter Item Worlds to grind in order to level up equipment, and much, much more. During battles, you have to deal with not only bad guys out to get you, but objects known as geo-panels.

Geo-panels are fairly easy to understand, but hard to truly master. Most of the maps have several squares lit up by a different color; for example, let’s say blue. By playing a geo-symbol on a geo-panel, all the properties of said symbol are granted to anyone standing on a panel of that color. So put an “Ally damage 20%” symbol on a blue panel, and anyone standing on a blue panel will cause their allies to lose 20% of their life each turn.

Just like in the PSP port, Disgaea DS also features Etna Mode (an alternate telling of the game’s story with Etna as the protagonist) as well as geo-cubes. There are two new additions to the DS version not found in the PS2 original or PSP port, though.

The first is known as the Prinny Commentary. Upon completing the game, you can play through again with the option of receiving top-screen commentary from the prinnies during the game’s cutscenes and dialogue. Think of it like cast commentary on a movie DVD,.. The prinnies offer some funny and insightful thoughts on the game’s story and world, but unfortunately you still have to beat the game in order to unlock it. For those who already played Disgaea on the PS2 and PSP, it’s just not worth the pay-off to invest the time beating the game again for some added prinny action. In another puzzling move, Prinny Commentary isn’t available in Etna Mode. Since the prinnies are much more integral to that alternate experience, I would have loved seeing the commentary available. Maybe in the next port…

The other new feature isn’t nearly as involving. Throughout maps at random, you are able to find Demon Gadgets which grant random bonuses to whoever acquires them. It’s a nice new addition, but they really don’t factor into the gameplay very much.

Disgaea DS throws the title onto a new platform, but it loses none of what made it so excellent in the first place. The gameplay is still deep and addicting, the story and subsequent writing are still fantastic, and the characters are some of the most memorable in recent RPGs. For those who own a DS and have never given the series an honest go before, there is no longer an excuse to not try one of the greatest gaming experiences of all time. Unfortunately, those of us who have already played with Laharl and Co. two previous times will find little to no reason to re-purchase the title—unless it’s a gift for a friend to get them familiarity with the franchise. If that’s the case, purchase away.

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