On top of the standard attacks and magic spells, there are a number of cool new additions made specifically for this PSP version of Disgaea 2. Some of the new features come from 2008's Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, while other ideas are fresh to this PSP game. The biggest change to the gameplay is the addition of combo attacks, which means that you can team up with somebody standing next to you to pull off a bigger, more powerful attack. But be warned, you aren't the only side that can pull off these tag-team attacks. You'll quickly discover that the enemies are capable of teaming up to lay down some major damage. This change to the gameplay gives the game a completely different feel, one that I found made the whole experience a lot more exciting.

Other changes include brand new characters, enemies, weapons and special abilities, all of which you can earn and create over the course of the story. There's also a new option that allows your teammate to literally pick up and throw people around, an ability that allows for speedier travel over the occasionally large battlefield. And then there are the Geo Symbols, colored markers that can change your attributes in the middle of a fight.


Outside of the battlefield there are a few new additions as well. Perhaps the most substantial are the devilishly clever Axel missions, which involve the wannabe demon actor feuding with a director. And if that's not enough for you, there's even downloadable content. For some that still won't be enough to consider buying the game again, but for everybody else this is the most comprehensive version of this game available anywhere.

What surprised me the most about Dark Hero Days is how good it looks on the PSP's screen. While there's nothing wrong with the graphics in either the PlayStation 2 or 3 titles, the sprite-based characters look especially sharp on the smaller screen. The game has been formatted to fit in a widescreen display, giving you plenty of room to look around and survey your plan of attack. With its short battles and level grinding, Disgaea 2 is the perfect type of game to take on the go, so I'm glad to see the graphics look as sharp as they do.


On top of the good looks, the game also offers some solid music and voice acting. All of the acting from the original PlayStation 2 game has been brought over to this game, which means that you're in for a lot of funny line readings and over-the-top acting. The fantastic music also returns, only this time around you can buy brand new songs in the story mode that will play during your encounters. It's true that some of the music can get on your nerves and even I have my limit of hammy overacting, but there's little doubt that the game's audio presentation is just as strong as the visuals.

It would be a lie to say that there are no other games like this on the PSP; there are certainly other tactical RPGs on Sony's portable. But none of those games have quite the sense of humor or whimsy as Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days. I fell in love with each and every one of the characters ... even when they are at their most insufferable. With its crazy story and strong presentation, Dark Hero Days is an RPG that will stick with you long after you've completed the lengthy story. Regardless of whether you're a fan of the original or never played a Disgaea game in your life, there's plenty of content here to keep you busy for a long time to come. I can only hope that the next PSP Disgaea will be an brand new adventure and not just an enhanced port to a three year old game.