Nippon Ichi shows off improved Disgaea 4 art

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Oct 7th 2010 11:30PM

If you're a fan of Nippon Ichi's twisted strategy RPG series, Disgaea, you've likely spent a ludicrous number of hours staring at illustrator Takehido Harada's charming 2D character art. You'll get to do so again with Disgaea 4, with the benefit of higher-resolution artwork. By the looks of things (check out Andriasang for some neat comparison and screenshots), the new sprites have lost none of their personality in the long-awaited upgrade.

Disgaeaeaeaea 4 will launch on PlayStation 3 in February 2011 with a limited edition package, including a Nendoroid Petit figure, art book and soundtrack CD. It'll also retain all the original illustrations, allowing you to toggle between the old and new characters. It's nice that the old art is sticking around, but couldn't Nippon Ichi have shipped their used goods to a less fortunate soul, like IGA?

Tags: disgaea, disgaea-4, nippon-ichi, playstation, ps3, sprites, srpg

Reader Comments (45)

Those are some beautiful sprites. This is really how Disgaea 3 should have looked.

@prettybetty2010
Wha...What the F**K is this! lol

@Hayatoblaze91x It's one of those games that you really have to be initiated into to really appreciate. It's basicaly the spergiest Anime RPG series on the market. Levels go from 1-9999, hitpoints go to the billions and damage is sometimes expressed in exponential notation, you can level up your items too by diving into them and fighting random battles and there's a weird mechanic thatmakes your party more competent when standing atop each other's shoulders for some reason. It's sort of a parody of conventional JRPGs. This is always on top of a some pretty good localized comedy and amusing characters.

@EvoHelix
lolz.. I know what this game is about, good descrption BTW! But I made that comment cause when this post first appeared someone was advertising some products for interracial couples, it was the first comment and when I read it I was like WTF cause it was so absurb...They deleted it...Good riddance..it was funny tho!

Wish they would bring this series to the Xbox. I don't want to buy a PS3 for just 5 games.

@Twist Don't feel too bad.

I bought a 360 for two games. =P

@Twist

Now, I'm all for having more people being able to play this game. Specifically, people to BUY this game, so that NIS won't go under. But my theory on the manner is that for every $50 you spend on the system, you should be able to find one fantastic, amazing title that you would like to get.

I'm sure you can find ONE more game to make it worth the price of the system and, thus, be able to buy this game. Demon's Souls? Valkyria Chronicles? LittleBigPlanet? Eye of Judgement?

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Which two?

@Twist

I'd like to twist your head not only for that comment but also for your disproportional avatar.

@Alexisonfire You steal that from me >_> Haha, I've been saying that for years, and posted it here a few times I'm sure.

I live by that rule, so much more useful to justify my purchases.

@Twist
Don't feel bad. There are people who bought a game three times. *cough*Persona 3*cough*

@Twist then don't play it, simple as that :)

I love the Disgaea Series (not the PSP and DS ones) but I like the game animation and 2D sprites. HD sprites are always nice to see.

@neoand12
Is there a big difference between the PS2 version and the PSP version(I know the DS has a significant difference)? I never got around to play the PS2 version.

@neoand12
The PSP versions are supposed to be superior to the PS2 with added features and widescreen support. Outside of it being on a handheld, which I could understand being a downfall, there's no reason to have anything against them...

@Hayatoblaze91x

The PSP version is the definitive version. There is a bunch of extra content in it.

@Monkey D Luffy: Harder to read all the text on the screen. Disgaea, if nothing else, has lots of numbers.

They totally need to release the "definitive" versions of Disgaea 1 and Disgaea 2 in a collection on the PS3. I'd buy it in a second.

Im just now playing Disgaeaeaeaea:Afternoon of darkness on the PSP, Im definitely not gonna be able to play this game by Feb 11, but ill get this!! Im having a great time so far!

Game looks great. I think I recognize that pokemon there. Is that Bellosum?

@Enosoma
Look! Etna! ...a pokemon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ONSH9UeuzE

Still can't believe my eyes just how crisp the sprites are now.

I am totally preordering this. I friggin love Disgaea

To be honest, I can't stand that whole "chibi" style of anime. But it is well drawn, I'll give it that.

mm looks really nice.. btw should I play Disgaea 1-3 before playing this one?

@JDSan24 The entire series is great in its own rights but it would be a disservice to not play the original first. It was one of the first games I'd ever played that engrossed me not just by the gameplay but for the plot and characters. In other words, it's a classic.

I hope that NISA will have the sense to include such awesome pack-ins in the Limited Edition in NA.

Ah, who am I kidding. I will buy any Limited Edition you throw at me, NIS. But please. don't make me regret it later!

Will buy for card. :V

I want another Jeanne D'Arc game. Okay? Thanks!

@MrGreen
I want another Makai Kingdom game. =/

Here's hoping such great bonuses translate to us!

Though, I want a release date for the NA version right stat now... and more information... oh, and the ability to karate chop a giant hand out of stone, then karate chop an enemy with said stone hand...

I WANT THIS NAO!

God yes I want this game. Was worried that the HD upgrade would turn out to be more of a semi-HD upgrade, but this looks pretty darn crisp. Okay, perhaps not the crispest I've seen, but I'm a happy man nonetheless

...Where's my Laharl in HD, dood?

@Kadamon

no worries, he's in it

http://www.andriasang.com/blog/2010/10/07/disgaea_4_sprite_vs_sprite/images/2132428007_view.jpg

look at the verrrrry top =D

@prettybetty2010 Hahahaha

Oh god yes. And it would appear this is properly hand-animated too, not with that lame cheap looking flash animation crap where they use cutouts for limbs and move them around. There needs to be more animation like this in games.

@bm111

And people wonder why game development costs are skyrocketing with each passing year.

Well it can't be because of how most devs implement 2D animation right now, that's for sure lol.

@bm111

Good 2D art is more time-consuming and laborious to produce than 3D, hence the greater development costs.

@bm111
*cough* Scribblenauts *cough*

@thisredengine: Yeah, and that's why they don't do it, and use cheap cutout flash animation instead. So what point where you trying to make with your first post?

@pluupy: What about it? If it had been even remotely in the realm of possibilities to hand-animate, oh, every single word in the dictionary, I'm sure they would have done it, and it would've looked better. But it's not. For something like scribblenauts, cutout animation is the only option.

oh looks sooo sweet!!! i need it and i need it now!!

Man this will be great!!! The storyline alone will have me laughing and saying ok wtf??? Can't wait but damn why did it have to come out in February though? Killzone 3 is due in the same month less money is my small wallet lol.

Man, what I wouldn't give for a completely new 2D Castlevania on modern hardware with IGA at the helm.

I appreciate the better sprites, but I am more interested in seeing whats different about the gameplay. They've been making the same game for a while now.

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten

Nippon Ichi shows off improved Disgaea 4 art

Reader Comments (45)

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:39PM Elmoogle said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:42PM Hayatoblaze91x said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:37AM EvoHelix said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 11:13AM Hayatoblaze91x said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:43PM Twist said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:01AM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:47AM Alexisonfire said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:50AM Zacxx201 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:37AM thisredengine said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 10:26AM Kaemon said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 11:34AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:29PM Kage25 said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:45PM neoand12 said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:49PM Hayatoblaze91x said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 2:17AM Mmmmz said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 2:35AM Kevadu said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:35AM erwos said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:47PM Hayatoblaze91x said

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 11:54PM Enosoma said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 11:37AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:02AM glemtvapen said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:04AM SteveoftheGods said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:14AM TraceurRyuk Prepping for LBP2 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:37AM JDSan24 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:59AM Necrostar said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:43AM Alexisonfire said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:58AM Chronomaster said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:59AM MrGreen said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 3:18AM Kabapu said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 1:17AM DevilSei said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 1:47AM UnnXandros said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 1:56AM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 2:23AM Kadamon said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 7:59AM skyblaze said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 3:51AM Juri said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 7:09AM bm111 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:38AM thisredengine said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 10:30AM bm111 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 11:25AM thisredengine said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 11:42AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 12:12PM bm111 said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 9:05AM DokiDokiBawanga said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 2:36PM Eroded Fallacy said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 3:10PM littletmart said

Posted: Oct 8th 2010 5:12PM Lerkero said

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten Info

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