The biggest icons of the gaming culture, such as Mario, Sonic, and Master Chief, leave little room for other characters to surface into the mainstream. Disgaea, a popular strategy-RPG series, fans and Prinny enthusiasts alike know how unjust that fact is. While they  mire in the beautiful majesty that is Prinnies, those unfamiliar with the Disgaea series are left in the dark. If the world at large knew there was an exploding penguin with an affinity for the word "dood", then there's a good chance they would fall in love at first sight. 

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, is an important game for the PSP. Last year quite a few developers lost interest in the system, and things were looking grim. Sony released a new model, the PSP-3000, but it was unnecessary and an obvious cry for attention. It worked to an extent, but it was still painfully obvious just how lacking the system was in new, big titles. NIS, being the hopeful company they are, placed hope in the system and released their first foray into the action-platforming genre of gaming.

The first thing noticeable about Prinny:CIRBtH? is the beautiful and detailed backgrounds. As you play through the levels, the time slowly changes from day to night, and with it comes an increasing level of difficulty. It's incredibly important to mention just how difficult this game is, because the more people aware of this fact before they play this game, the less chance there is of PSPs everywhere being broken. Simply because you're playing as a penguin does not mean this game will be simple. In fact, it's hands down one of the most difficult games I've played. Because you're incapable of controlling the length of your jump, and because Prinnies are so prone to exploding with little provocation, you're forced to truly take your time with each level; or at least be careful until you reach a checkpoint. 

The humor Disgaea fans love is completely intact in Prinny. In fact, there is absolutely no reason to take this game serious. The plot revolves around you being sent on what is basically a suicide mission in order to compile the ingredients and create the "Ultimate Dessert" for Master Etna. This silliness is crucial to the game, too, because there's a good chance it will save you from becoming too frustrated with the game. Did I mention Prinny is hard? Yeah, I really, really, really meant that.

It should also be noted that even through this difficulty, the game is thoroughly enjoyable. To some it may just be a needless frustration-fest, but for any gamer looking for a challenge, you've found it with Prinny.  Even more exciting is just how much replay value this game has. When you complete a level, you're given the option of returning to it at a different time throughout the day. If you choose to play a level in the beginning of the day in the game, it will be more simple than if you chose to play it at nighttime. 

Prinny is not for everyone. If you in any way consider yourself to be a "casual" gamer, then this certainly isn't the title for you. This game is full of the frustration that many of us remember from the glory days of platformers, only this time around the difficulty is upped unmercifully. So if there are any masochistic gamers out there looking for a challenge, you've found it in Prinny, dood!

Official Website - http://prinnies.com/