Following the two consecutive Disgaea games on the PSP, Nippon Ichi and the team behind the Disgaea series has finally developed a new IP, and the things we all love from the previous Disgaea games are all contained in Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman on the PSP. By just looking at the screenshots first released by NIS America, fans can tell that Z.H.P looks exactly like the previous Disgaea games. Having played Z.H.P. extensively over the past few weeks, there are a few things that fans need to know before delving into the newest Disgaea game this Fall on the PSP.
A couple of weeks ago, the final build of the highly awaited Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman landed on my doorstep. Since then, I’ve been playing the game non-stop and the first impression I have is that it feels like an upgraded and improved version of Disgaea. From the menus to the graphics of the game, everything has been taken from the previous Disgaea games, which will be appealing to fans of the series.
Without spoiling too much of the story, ZHP will take players into a fictional world where the hero Unlosing Ranger is tasked to defeat the Darkdeath Evilman. At the conclusion of their last battle, the Unlosing Ranger lost to the Darkdeath Evilman and the new hero, which is the player, steps into the alternative world of Bizarro Earth where he will take on the Unlosing Ranger’s job and train to continue what the Unlosing Ranger didn’t finish.
The main highlight of ZHP is the battle system. ZHP improves on other games in the series by offering a real time battle system where players get to control the Unlosing Ranger and fight monsters in real time. The battle grounds are still laid out the same as before. At the beginning of each battle, the player can move the characters on any part of the field and approach the enemies and attack them as many times as you want. The HP bar is displayed on the upper left hand corner and below it is another meter that decreases every time the player moves. By eating food found in the game, the player can replenish the meter and allow the characters to move again.
We haven’t really gotten far into the game but what makes ZHP appealing to me is that it offers the quirkiness and cheesy lines that NIS America is known for. Some of the conversations in the game will sound familiar to fans, and most are humorously cheesy to hear. The voice overs are decent enough too without being too lame.
Story progression in ZHP is similar to former Disgaea games. At the end of each fight, the Unlosing Ranger will go back to its homeworld where the player can customize, buy items, recruit, and upgrade weapons. The home base gets bigger as the story progresses. Familiar characters will make an appearance in the home base, such as the Prinny from the Disgaea games. Whenever the player is up for the next mission, an NPC will be there to bring the player to the list of missions the player can select.
ZHP is scheduled for release this Fall. We’ve only clocked around 4 hours into the game and there’s a lot more to uncover. Check back with us next month for our review of the game. So far, ZHP feels like an improved version of Disgaea. It is funny, fun, and makes me obsessed with the Prinnies.
