PixlBit

Ever play a sequel to a game where there is almost no discernable difference from the original? That's Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! in a nutshell. After playing the original title, there's really no compelling reason to come back for seconds in Prinny 2, because there have been almost no upgrades or enhancements to the original formula to make it a better game. What's up with that NIS? This isn't a movie, it's a game; they are supposed to get better from one iteration to the next.

This time around the game features a premise and story quite similar to the original – Demon Lord Etna is angry again, but this time instead of being upset that her dessert has been taken, she's upset that her panties have been stolen and she's worried that someone is going to sniff them. Highbrow humor, indeed. To resolve this problem and return the panties to Etna, 1,000 prinnies are sent out once again to complete the task in 10 hours, donning the magical red scarf that prevents them from exploding in a single hit. The game’s lame humor continues throughout the quest, quickly growing grating despite the likeability of the prinny character.

Like the first game, the gameplay is most similar Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, with the level structure and design mirroring Mega Man. Obviously like Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, players can die very quickly and the jumping is quite archaic, removing all control from the player once they have taken flight. This means that even if players collide with a projectile or enemy in the air, they won't be able to save themselves.

The game is fully aware of this and often puts traps out there to take advantage of it. In and of itself, this isn’t a huge problem, as it’s a staple of old school game design which aligns well with the old-school style of Prinny 2. The problem is when the traps are layered, sometimes three deep. You’ll think you nailed the challenge, only to find yourself getting killed by the next sweeping enemy. This becomes especially frustrating when you take into consideration that you have a limited number of prinnies on hand to complete the entire game.

Compared to the first game, the levels here are more punishing, which grows frustrating as the game presses on into the harder levels. I usually have a high tolerance for challenge, but when I arrived at points where I’d have to execute absolute timing and precision to avoid the level’s various traps, I started to lose my patience.

The first game managed to be challenging without being too frustrating. At no point did it feel like it was out to get me. Seemingly, the levels have been made more challenging to account for the easier boss fights. While the structure of the fights is still like that of a Mega Man boss battle, the prinnies are now armed with a brand new meter and attack that cut down the challenge significantly.

As players attack enemies, the meter will fill up (conversely, it will deplete if enemies or treats are not continuously picked up). Upon filling the meter, the prinnies can kick into overdrive and unleash the Prinny Cyclone, which in the case of boss battles does a significant amount of damage. As long as players can identify a boss’ pattern, they just need to hold out until they can unleash this attack and defeating bosses is a breeze, sometimes only taking a single execution of the Prinny Cyclone in conjunction with the regular attacks to build the meter up.

In a number of ways, the first Prinny title was like Grasshopper Manufacture’s No More Heroes titles. The levels were really just a lead into the boss fights, which were the true centerpiece of the experience. This was a successful and enjoyable design structure for the game. Prinny 2 feels like it lacks that strong identity of the first and the reversal of difficulty falling on the level designs rather than the boss fights makes the game less rewarding and more tedious.

Being so similar to the first, the game is especially disappointing given the changes for the worse. I would’ve much rather have seen better control over jumping built in, which should’ve made for more advanced and layered level designs. While the team was clearly making the game with an old school feel in mind, I think it goes without saying that less precise control is never a good thing and without question that type of jumping was left in past generations for a reason.

In every way conceivable, Prinny 2 does not match up to the original title. Without new content or improvements and a game structure that mimics the original game, players really have no reason to even look into a purchase of the game. Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! is a game most will not enjoy, barring hardcore Disgaea fans – even those who loved the first game won’t have the same love affair with this lackluster sequel.