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Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
File:Dbox.jpg
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software (JP)
Atlus USA, Inc. (NA)
Koei Limited (EU)
Release date: January 30, 2003 (JP)
August 27, 2003 (NA)
May 28, 2004 (EU)
Genre: Tactical RPG
Game modes: Single player
ESRB rating: Teen (T)
Platforms: Sony PlayStation 2
Media: DVD-ROM (JP/NA)
CD-ROM (EU)

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (魔界戦記 ディスガイア; Makai Senki Disgaea, lit. Netherworld Battle Chronicle: Disgaea) is a fantasy video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Nippon Ichi Software and released in the U.S. by ATLUS on August 2003 and by Koei in Europe on May 2004. The game follows the adventures of Laharl, a demon prince in the netherworld.

Disgaea is a tactical role-playing game with an isometric view (overhead at an angle), similar to the more widely known Final Fantasy Tactics. In September 2003, the GameFly rental service reported that Disgaea was one of its top ten rentals for the week. Disgaea is known for its combination of comedy, over the top gameplay, and unique features; the game is filled with gags and parodies. Additionally, the game's audio in the U.S. release is available both in English and Japanese.

The artwork and feel of the game draws heavily from Japanese animation, to the extent that a review in EGM said that it feels like Disgaea was made "by poison-tongued anime nerds hopped up on goofballs". While generally receiving good reviews in EGM and other magazines, Disgaea's graphics are often considered below par for the PlayStation 2, due to its heavy use of sprites. The makers of Disgaea have responded that characters represented by 3D models in other games are often limited by a "set pattern of motions", and they were able to make the characters of Disgaea more expressive with sprites.

Gameplay features

  • Lift/Throw: This feature allows the player's units to pick up enemies or allies and throw them great distances. Monster units cannot use this ability. Characters with a rogue class and Gordon are the best throwers in the game.
    • Monster capture: It is possible to capture enemy units by throwing them into the entry square on the map. Bosses and humanoids cannot be captured under any circumstances.
  • Cycles: This feature allows the player to start the game again once it is beaten, maintaining the characters' statistics and item inventory. This is similar to the "New Game+" feature found in some Square Enix games.
  • High Level-Cap: A determined player can reach a character level of 9999. However, level is not the sole determinant of a character's strength or ability.
  • Multiple Endings: Six different endings can be unlocked, greatly adding to the game's replay value.
  • Dark Senate: Various non-player characters may vote on proposals to aid Laharl's party, including proposals to unlock various special maps required for some of the various endings or secret characters.
  • Item World: It is possible for the characters to enter an item in the form of the Item World, an area with up to 100 randomly generated levels. The Item World also has monsters called specialists, which, when captured, raise the statistics of the item they're in. Every ten levels has an item boss - 10, 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 have item generals, 30, 60 and 90 have Item King, and 100 has Item God. There are only three items, however, that contain an Item God 2 - Yoshitsuna, Super Robo Suit and Hyperdrive.
  • Audio: The game's storyline audio and music in the U.S. release is available both in English and Japanese. The song "The Invasion From Within" by Tsunami Bomb was licenced for the English audio track by ATLUS due to its organ opening and fast pace.
  • Up to ten playable characters can placed on the map at a time.
  • Comedy
    • Hell: The name of the game's form of currency is Hell, abbreviated HL, if you want to buy something; you've "got hell to pay".
    • Next Episode Previews: Episodes of the game are separated by previews, parodying such previews at the end of Anime series episodes. Most of these have voice-overs by Etna and do not accurately reflect the plot of the next episode. One of the characters refers to these as Etna's fantasies.
    • Prinnies: Prinnies are penguin-like creatures that explode when thrown. They work in both Celestia and the Netherworld. More information on their origins is revealed as the game progresses.
    • Captain Gordon is intended as a satire of American comic book characters.

Characters

Main article: Disgaea characters Template:Spoiler

  • Laharl - The antihero of Disgaea and the son of the late King Krichevskoy.
  • Flonne - An angel trainee sent from Celestia (the land of angels).
  • Etna - A Vassal to Laharl. It is revealed in her diary that Etna is driven throughout the game by a deep loyalty to the late King Krichevskoy.
  • Captain Gordon

Defender of Earth

  • Jennifer

Assistant (to Gordon) Accompanies Gordon on his adventures as Defender of Earth with her robot Thursday. Gordon mentions at one point that she has a Ph.D. in every subject.

  • Thursday

Super-Robot Built by Jennifer when she was only five, Thursday is described as a multi-purpose super-robot.

  • Kurtis

Rival Had 70% of his body destroyed by an explosion caused by anti-space development terrorists, and also lost his wife and daughter to the explosion. He treats Gordon like a rival, until he realizes he's just a fool.

  • Vyers (Mid-Boss/The Dark Adonis)

Sassy Demon (Fill in the blank)

  • Lamington

Seraph (Fill in the blank) Vulcanus Arch Angel (Fill in the blank)

  • General Carter

|General |General Carter

  • Big Sis Prinny

Prinny Big Sis Prinny appears sometimes through some Episodes, and eventually comes into the main plot in the Resurrection Episode, when Laharl attempts to stop the Prinnies from atoning for their sins at the Red Moon, so he doesn't lose his Vassals. Eventually, when he runs into Death, he learns that Big Sis Prinny is actually his mother, and she became a Prinny because she gave her life to save him, and that is a grave sin.

  • Maderas

Vampire

  • Hoggmeiser

Brute

Secret Characters

  • Priere from La Pucelle: Tactics is the overlord of an alternate netherworld. She joins your party after she is defeated.
  • Marjoly from Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is the final boss of the Beauty Castle; as with Priere, she becomes a playable member of the party when defeated. The items she has equipped come from other Rhapsody characters and include Myao's Ears, Gao's Guts, Crowdia's Beauty, and Nyanko's Soul.
  • Baal is the Lord of Terror; he does not join the player's party when defeated, but is instead reincarnated as a prinny.

Plot

The story of Disgaea opens with Laharl rising out of an open coffin in his room. Etna, one of the castle vassals, is standing next to him, surrounded by various weapons. She explains that he has been sleeping for two years, far longer than he intended, and his father, King Krichevskoy, has died. Laharl vows to reclaim the throne, and, after consulting with Etna and his other vassals, goes to Vyers castle.

After defeating the demon Vyers, who refers to himself as the "Dark Adonis" and is renamed "Mid-Boss" by Laharl, he meets the angel trainee Flonne, who has been sent by the Seraph of Celestia to assassinate the late king. Shocked by Laharl's lack of remorse at his father's death, Flonne joins Laharl's party to determine if demons are capable of feeling love.

After Etna demands that Laharl pay the salary of the Prinnies that she has hired, he decides to attack the demon with the most money in the vicinity. This is Hoggmeiser at Dinero Palace. After defeating Hoffmeiser, Laharl is about to kill him, until Hoggmeiser's Son rushes out and gets in the way. Flonne convinces Laharl to spare them. Laharl lets them keep some of the money. In response to this act, Hoggmeiser joins the party.

At one point, Flonne and Etna discover a photograph of Laharl in an embarrassing situation. Laharl refers to this as a "paparazzi shot", however, it is never explicitly revealed what Laharl was doing in the photo in the game. There are many theories, including the two popular ones - the first being that he was doing something sexual, and the second being that he was doing something nice. The back of the photograph contained a threat stating that copies of it would be distributed if Laharl did not accept a challenge to fight for the overlordship; thus Laharl was blackmailed. One of the demons in Laharl's castle, upon learning about the photo, says "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing ♥".

Responding to this challenge, Laharl meets Maderas, a Vampire. He was banished by King Krichevskoy, for stealing the King's favorite snack, Black Pretzels. All through Episode V, Maderas takes advantage of Laharl's two biggest weaknesses - optimism and women with sexy bodies. Maderas also was controlling Etna, and holding her memory if she doesn't kill the Prince. She ends up only putting him to sleep for two years, and he continued to use her, but Etna eventually double-crossed him, and along with Laharl, Flonne and Mid-Boss (who helped Laharl overcome his weaknesses), they defeated Maderas, and Maderas become a playable member of the party, as with Flonne and Hoggmeiser.

After Laharl is the undisputed Overlord of the Netherworld, he meets a group of humans from Earth, including the "Defender of Earth" Gordon, his assistant Jennifer, and the robot Thursday. Gordon has been led to believe that his mission is to assassinate Laharl due to an impending attack on Earth by the Netherworld. Laharl promises not to invade Earth if Gordon defeats him, on the condition that Gordon becomes one of his vassals if he wins; Gordon is embarrassed by his ensuing loss and servitude. After the Earth Defense Force (EDF) appears in the netherworld, it is revealed that Gordon was actually sent to secure a path for an invasion of the Netherworld by the humans, who have been tricked by the Archangel Vulcanus.

General Carter sends Kurtis over to the Netherworld, and eventually, he comes there on the Space Battleship Gargantua. Kurtis abducts Jennifer, and Laharl engages the EDF fleet of spaceships in a rescue attempt himself, destroying all of them but the Gargantua. Upon arriving at the Gargantua's bridge, several angels from Celestia appear. After being defeated, General Carter escapes only to have Mid-Boss appear to give him a message.

Flonne and the rest of the party decides to go to Celestia to confront the Seraph about this turn of events. They encounter Vulcanus, who reveals that he intends to rule over the three worlds as a god.

Episode titles

Disgaea is seperated into 14 episodes, or levels.

  1. Prince of the Netherworld
  2. Enter Flonne
  3. A Hint of Kindness
  4. A Gift from an Angel
  5. Etna's Secret
  6. Laharl's Challenge
  7. Of Being an Overlord
  8. Reincarnation
  9. Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth
  10. Angels, Demons, and Humans
  11. Hero's Will, Overlord's Way
  12. War of the Netherworld, Part 1
  13. War of the Netherworld, Part 2
  14. What Lies Beyond the Battle

See also

References


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