Disgaea makers Nippon Ichi has another role playing video game for us and it's called Infinite Loop. What is it about? Well, you're a ghost of a prince and you'd have to possess other characters to gain control of their bodies. Yes, we're serious. Check out the full article for more details.

We feature the latest developments in Sony PlayStation Portable homebrew here at QJ.NET all the time, and it's a given that 2007 had a ton of developments. Have you been keeping in step with the commercial side of things?

We'll jog your memory by reviewing just what went down in the PSP mainstream scene in 2007 in the detailed version. We'll take a look back at big games such as Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, then we'll discuss sweet features like PSP Firmware 3.80's Internet Radio.

PlayStation Portable RPG Dragoneer's Aria from Nippon Ichi Software was released in North America and Japan back in August 2007. Quite interestingly, the game was received differently by the two markets. While it got a warm reception in Japan, west-based websites and magazines, on the other hand, gave it mediocre reviews.

Seems a deadlock, eh? Well, that will definitely change in a couple of months after Nippon Ichi announced that it will be releasing Dragoneer's Aria in Europe by February of next year.

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.

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.

Anyone who's listened to the ending theme song of Nippon Ichi's Dragoneer's Aria can't deny the beauty of the song and how appropriate it was for the game. Therefore, it's rather nice to see game publishers encourage interactive events with their gamers to help promote their game, as well as give everyone something to immerse themselves into such a creative gaming experience.

In the recently concluded Song of Dragoons contest sponsored by NIS America, six winners have finally been chosen and will receive posters signed by the singer and the composer of the "Open the Gate" ending theme. Here's the list of the winners in an email sent by NISA:

• Jason from TX
• Thomas from PA
• Alana from AZ
• Anthony from IL
• James from NH
• Lisbeth from VA

NIS America also announced that Mimika, the singer of the Dragoneer's Aria ending theme, will be releasing her first album from Japan soon. The album will be available on the RosenQueen e-commerce site as soon as it comes out.

 

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.