You'll probably be happy to know that Atlus' Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is being offered for US$ 30. If you're interested in taking advantage of this deal, head on over to the full article by clicking on the "read more" link below.

Koei announced that the strategy RPG Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness developed by Nippon Ichi for the PlayStation Portable will be released in Europe this coming December. Based on the popular PS2 series, this game has a new story, multiplayer mode, and multiple customization options.

The PSP version has an exclusive story mode which centers on Etna as she tries to become the Beauty Queen Ultimate Overlord. Click the "read more" link to learn about the other details.

If last week's boatload of game releases knocked your socks off, this week's batch won't give you a chance to put them back on. We're approaching the big holiday rush as we enter November, and the quantity of game launches is continually picking up.

This week's sizable On Shelves cast features a diverse class of wallet-busters. Heading them is the anticipated debut of NC Soft's MMORPG Richard Garriot's Tabula Rasa.

Other heavy hitters such as Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, NIS America's Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Sierra Entertainment's TimeShift are also in the house. There's plenty more in store, so dig right in and try not to go crazy deciding which ones to buy first!

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The long-awaited showdown between you and the brightest icons of rock history has finally arrived, and you better bring your A-game because Slash, Bret Michaels, John Frusciante are all looking to shred you to bits. Re-live classic tracks with your meanest riffs and bring the house down on the biggest venues.

• Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii- October 28
• US$ 99.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$ 89.99 (Wii)
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Activision

Manhunt 2. With revisions made, Rockstar Games finally releases their latest offering. An experiment at a secret facility has gone terribly wrong and you're the product of that demented effort. The Pickman Project's forces are now after you to cover up the truth and bury your secrets. Using a mix of stealth and brutality, you'll have to take back what science has robbed you of.

• Sony PlayStation Portable- October 29, Nintendo Wii- October 31
• US$ 29.99 (PSP), US$ 39.99 (Wii)
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Rockstar Games

Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa. NC Soft unleashes its latest high-profile massively-multiplayer online (MMO) RPG this week. Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa features a wide array of races and career paths to choose from, martial arts-inspired combat moves, customizable weapons, and a horde of diverse monsters to slaughter. Solo or team-based player versus player combat is available to accommodate those who want to fight as lone wolves or stick with the brood. Prepare to be lost for a long, long time in the world of Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa.

• PC- October 30
• US$ 69.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• NC Soft

Buy: [Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)]
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (Wii, PSP)]
Buy: [Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa]

*Article originally posted Oct 29, 2007 at 01:14AM

The whole list behind the Full Article link below!

How big of a Disgaea fan are you? Are you proud of it? Proud enough to do cosplay and have your picture taken and displayed on the NIS America website? If so, the guys over at Nippon Ichi want to see you do it and they intend to reward you handsomely.

Starting October 25, 2007 fans can submit their favorite Disgaea moment pictures to the official Disgaea website and RPGamer to enter the contest. At stake will be enough goodies to make Prinnies want to loot the rig. These are the types of photos which will qualify as entries to NISA and RPGamer's Disgaea Moment tiff:

• Picture of you (and your friends) in Disgaea character cosplay
• Photoshop your picture as if you were in the Disgaea world and/or a Disgaea co-star
• Picture of you with Disgaea products such as Disgaea: of Darkness, Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, Disgaea figures, Prinny plushie, etc.
  

Curious about what's in it if you win? Two winners will be chosen for the grand prize and each will receive a free copy of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the Sony PlayStation Portable. One second prize winner will get a complete set of Disgaea 2: Chaos at the Colosseum palm figures; two third prize winners are to get a "Netherworld All=Star Inauguration Poster"; and five fourth prize winners will receive an Etna and Flonne transparent folder.

The promo ends on October 31, but before the winners are decided, photos will be uploaded daily to the official Disgaea website for everyone to see. If demons, overlords, and Netherworlds rock your boat, get out there and show the world just how cool it is to be a Disgaea fan.

Nippon Ichi Software America (NISA) sent us an email regarding the availability of the upcoming PlayStation Portable RPG Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness. Accordingly, you can now begin pre-ordering the title and those who will do so will receive their copies by early November.

Aside from that, NISA also informed us that those who will be ordering their copies from online retail store Rosen Queen will be receiving bonus items. The set includes the title itself, a strategy guide, and two Japanese transparent Moe folders featuring characters Etna and Flonne.

Furthermore, what we have below is a new video clip for Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness featuring the Fog of War mode. While this is something that is a norm to strategy games, the Fog of War in Disgaea is a bit more capricious as it works against everyone foolish enough to be unprepared before stepping into the shadows.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness will be released on October 30. Those who want to avail the pre-order and the bonus items from the said online store may refer to our Read link below.

 

If Nippon Ichi's Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the Sony PSP doesn't attract you yet as a port with plenty of new goodies, more bonuses in the game might interest you. Not only will Disgaea for Sony's handheld have Geo Cubes and "Fog of War" to make multiplayer fun, but neutral creatures will also be added to the mix.

Naysayers would argue that those aren't exactly new elements to the genre, but fans who spent hundreds of hours squeezing out everything Nippon Ichi's turn-based strategy video game had to offer would know what new surprises await. "Fog of War" limits the player's vision - imagine enemies of Baal's caliber jumping on your characters and killing them before you can say cheese.

Neutral enemies won't be taking any sides, but it's not difficult to expect them being crucial to gaining battlefield superiority. Them Japanese RPGs simply love to punish players with extremely powered critters, especially in ports or remakes.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness from Nippon Ichi is shaping up pretty well as it gets ready for the battle of Strategy RPG remakes, going up against Square Enix' Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War. One of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness' main draws though, is its new multiplayer mode which is seasoned with a lot of enhancements such as Geo Cubes, a trading system, and some new battle elements.

The most notable new feature is the use of Geo Cubes when battling other players. Series fans will already be familiar with the Geo Panel system, but Geo Cubes take it a notch higher as you'll need to buy them using Geo Souls to harness the effects. Even when your party is severely out-leveled by an opposing team, these Cubes can be your winning edge.

Geo Cubes have different effects which must be used with some planning to have good effects. Some can alter unit positions, other can randomly destroy units, and some can even blow base panels. This adds a puzzle element that will compel players to be careful with how they play to make for a more cerebral match.

Also added to Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is a trading mode where items - from the cheap to the legendary - can be sold. What's unique with this system is that even if you sell an item, it remains in your inventory. Given how easy it is to make money in approved glen's "New details on Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness' multiplayer mode" in the endgame, will this mean we'll see Yoshitsunas everywhere? Let's hope not.

A "Fog of War" mode has also been announced where player views are limited within a certain range. This hasn't been introduced in the series before and should alter the tactical field drastically.

Looks like Laharl and the rest of his Netherworld gang are set for another fun time aboard the Sony PSP. We'll keep you updated for more juicy details on Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness that will have you itching for the release.

For some reason, an hour of darkness extended to afternoon in the PSP version, but who's to complain? Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is definitely coming to Sony's handheld, and it's more packed than Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS2 was. This trailer pretty much sums up what to expect.

As a port, the much loved turn-based strategy RPG by Nippon Ichi returns with all the humor intact. Try not to crack up while listening to the game's theme song and we'll give you a prinny steak. Aside from retaining what made the original Disgaea so addictive, the portable version also offers around 100 jobs, multiplayer, and a chance to play as Etna in an alternative storyline after beating the game.

Just so you know, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness will really hit the shelves this October 30. See it for yourself by watching the embed below.

Now that Etna's awoken the almighty, loud-mouthed, pint-sized terror of an spoiled brat Overlord that is Laharl, what's to come next? Today's choice cut for NIS America's much-anticipated Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness game will take readers through a very quick gameplay vid.

This video will introduce players to Laharl (the blue-haired kid) during a play-through of what appears be an early game level. None of the Disgaea's famed humor is here, unfortunately. It is, however, a good opportunity for newcomers to watch over how the game works and what levelling up looks like. Enjoy the video.

Here's a treat for those of us itching to experience some portable SRPG joy with Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness - the first five minutes of the game, in full English, captured lovingly on video! Yep, Laharl, Etna and company are back to take care of business on your PlayStation Portable, and business will be booming pretty soon.

This five-minute nugget of non-stop Disgaea happy features Etna trying to wake Laharl, the Prince of Darkness himself, by ways we probably shouldn't even mention. Of course, he does wake up, but unfortunately gets clocked into next week with another well-placed round to the temple. We're then given control of Etna, who goes out to take over the Netherworld - with the help of her ever-so-loyal Prinny Squad, of course.

Enough spoilers from us, enjoy the video!