Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 is quite similar to the previous volume, in that the games themselves are great, while the ports themselves are barebones. I’m glad these games are available again, I just wish they had some handy additional features in this modern collection.
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Price: $40
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
The games that NIS publishes tend to appeal to me. RPGs with goofy humor and a unique aesthetic based on anime? That’s the Spencer Legacy recipe, right there. So after reviewing the first Prinny Presents collection last year, I knew I had to play more. I’m glad I can finally play Makai Kingdom and have been introduced to ZHP, I just wish they were updated just a tad.
As with the previous collection, I’m going to split the review into three sections: Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound, ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman, and Prinny Presents. That way, I can tell you about each game on its own and conclude with the presentation of the collection itself. Let’s kick it:
Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound
Makai Kingdom follows Lord Zetta, the most powerful overlord ever. While trying to stop a prophecy from destroying his netherworld, Zetta nearly dies, sealing himself in the prophetic tome to stay alive. Zetta must now turn to other overlords to create a new netherworld for himself while conquering it and defending it from others who wish to challenge him in his bookish and weakened state, all while he contends with the departure of Salome, someone who was important to him. It’s a very fun, very Nippon Ichi story that features lovably psycho characters that you can’t help but root for.
Gameplay-wise, it’s something of a mix between Disgaea and Phantom Brave. You create units out of items in your hub, then partake in tactical turn-based battles in various netherworlds. There’s no grid for movement this time, allowing for a more free type of traversal in stages. You can also throw items and enemies around, and knock them out of bounds to discover new areas of maps. Each battle is exciting, which is a plus since you have to defeat a set number of foes or items in order to clear a stage. I thoroughly enjoyed making new units and knocking down new foes, especially when combined with the classic Nippon Ichi humor on display.
Reclaimed and Rebound also includes the previously unlocalized Petta Mode, which you can immediately pick if you’ve already played Makai Kingdom. The voice-acting and music is excellent in Makai Kingdom, as each overlord has a ton of personality crammed into not only their designs but the things they say as well. Overall, Reclaimed and Rebound is a grand experience for anyone who likes Disgaea and similar games already.
ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman (hereafter referred to as ZHP) begins right as Darkdeath Evilman is about to destroy the Super Baby, and thus, the world. As the Unlosing Ranger heads to the battle, he is hit by a car and must transfer his power to a random schmuck (read: you.) After you immediately lose and die, you are warped to Bizarro Earth, where you train to save the world like the Unlosing Ranger you truly are. If you love tokusatsu or over-the-top comedy, you’ll love this narrative as much as I do.
Quite unlike the other game on this collection, ZHP is a dungeon-crawler in the vein of Mystery Dungeon. You wander around dungeons, fighting enemies and picking up items. It’s somewhat of a roguelike from before that was a common thing, which is pretty interesting to experience now when the genre is practically overwhelming. You have to plan your moves and attacks carefully as you conserve hunger and health while finding exits and getting stronger. It’s almost addictive, as you keep deciding to do one more dungeon or fight one more enemy before changing floors.
The big difference between ZHP and other similar titles comes from how it handles experience. Your character becomes level one again after every death. Your base stats are boosted and you can get new base facilities to make spelunking easier, so you don’t lose everything. It’s a different kind of system that keeps you on your toes, and I had a lot of fun messing around with it. As much as I love tactics games, it’s pleasant to have a different genre in one of these collections.
Prinny Presents Volume 2
Once again, the presentation of this collection is where it falls a bit flat. The visuals are quite blurry, and like with the first volume, the games feel more like ROMs than full-fledged remasters. The pixel art itself is great, it just looks messy when presented in this manner.
Again, there’s no bonus content or quality-of-life features. I would have loved to be able to speed up enemy turns, or see behind-the-scenes design docs or art. Sure, it’s not strictly necessary, but when so many other remasters are doing stuff like this, it really makes me wish NIS did the same.
The Final Word
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 is, in some ways, awesome. It’s great to have these neglected titles back and playable for modern audiences, as they’re quite enjoyable games to this day. The problem is that nothing has been done to them, meaning there’s no speed-up, auto-save, or cleaned-up visuals. I’m glad to play these games, I just wish a bit more effort went into the collection.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
