PlayExclusive: Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

Console: PSP
Genre: Side-Scrolling Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T

Nippon Ichi's lovable (explosive) mascot finally receives their own spinnoff game in the side scrolling adventure: Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? Help the Prinny Squad brave near unsurmountable odds in a quest to save their own hides from their unforgiving master, Etna.


Story
“Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?”'s crazy storyline takes place in the Netherworld, a dark land filled with evil demons, spirits of all sorts and... Prinnies. These creatures are souls of criminals, thieves, and other various lowlifes, placed into eternal servitude until they someday redeem themselves for their actions.


One day, the powerful demon Lord Etna finds her stock of desserts missing, and decides to take out her frustration on her Prinny Squad. She gives them a magical Red Scarf, and 8 hours to find “The Ultra Dessert” or else! Donning the red hero scarf, Hero Prinny and his (unfaithful) companions set off into the Netherworld to seek out a way to evade Etna's wrath another day!


Gameplay
Prinny is another hardcore side scrolling action game that many can play, but few can master. While the beginning stages are easy enough, the difficulty and learning curve ramp up quite steep near the last few stages, making it incredibly difficult for even skilled gamers to finish.


Thankfully, players are given a ridiculous sounding 1000 lives to finish the game. An insane amount, but with good reason, as all sorts of obstacles lie in your quest, from rouge demons, to pitfalls, to the various Demon Lords guarding the ingredients to the Ultra dessert.


Throughout the game there are plenty of collectibles that follow through to future playthroughs, from awards, to enemy files, soundtracks and other interesting things too! And if you do run out of lives, don't worry, you'll be awarded a special attack!


With time working against you, the time of day changes everything about the levels you walk through. With the growing darkness only strengthening demons and even changing the very layouts of the levels themselves, players need to choose their next stage carefully! Using double jumps, hip drops, and the Prinny's signature knives, survival is in your hands!


Graphics & Sound
The graphics for the characters are sleek hand drawn sprites, with backgrounds and special attacks in 3D, making for that famous style that NIS is known for.


Though the 3D won't win any awards, they're textured well enough to fit in with the sprites, and some attacks that turn the screen to the side look quite dramatic.


Accompanying the action is a pretty heroic soundtrack, and some excellent voice acting that just brings the sprites to life. The fluid animated expressions of the main characters, combined with excellent voice acting make for plenty of laughs in this action packed spinoff.


Overall
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is a side-scroller that deserves it place with other extreme titles like Metal Slug, meaning that casual gamers may be turned off by the level of difficulty. Of course, for those that can rise to the challenge are rewarded with it's quirky story, addictive action and mountains of replay value.


Any fans of other extreme side-scrollers like Contra, Commando: Steel Disaster, or even fans of NIS' turn based strategy series would find themselves right at home in this hilarious spinoff, dood!







Review by Johar Aston, TheLAG

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Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG