For those who haven’t heard about it yet, it is a dungeon “grindfest” game featuring randomly generated dungeons and items allowing for endless possibilities and loads of replay value. You star as the newly appointed “Unlosing Ranger” who has to defeat Darkdeath Evilman in order to save the mysterious “Super Baby.” I know it all sounds confusing as the premise for a game, but as the story quickly unfolds you’ll get introduced to some hilarious characters and some curiously familiar people – even politicians!?

Among the world of Dungeon Crawling RPGs or roguelikes, I think Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman really shines. Although, true to roguelikes, you are punished for dying mid-dungeon and may develop mental trauma against the mob that killed you, you still are able to maintain stats through the gaming system even after death. As you are told in the beginning of the game, ”dying is a part of the game,” and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. To be honest I did feel like I dropped my ice cream on the pavement when I lost everything after I died. However, the sweet to the sour of roguelikes is that you can pick up your console, take a deep breath, and jump right back into a dungeon again knowing you’ll have a better chance, as with Z.H.P you get to keep your improved stats (invested time) from your previous dungeon grind. If you do make it through the dungeon, you can actually access your house to store all your items from your crawl, and then pay out some money for living expenses to your wife!

The first time I really started to laugh when I was playing the game was the first time you have to stand off against Darkdeath Evilman and fact the battle was in 8-bit graphics. I really appreciated the retro feel for that and it took me back to the late 80’s when I was playing oldschool RPGs. I just sat there and laughed as I got owned by Darkdeath Evilman, watching my HP decrease. On a side-note, I’m still working on my character at the moment, but I’m told the battle graphics do change once you level up higher. As for the controls, they are pretty comfortable as moving around and attacking are fairly easy to get accustomed to, and the tutorials help with other facets such as throwing and using items. The pace of attacking mobs is fairly quick too, so some may appreciate this over the longer turn-based RPG’s we are all accustomed to playing.

With Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman, I believe although the niche for roguelikes and dungeon crawlers may be small compared to other genres, if you view the game industry as a whole, it really has its own appeal and potential to provide an exponential number of hours of varied gameplay to anyone who enjoys RPGs in general, and especially those who have followed NIS titles in the past. I mean, at one point my character had a fishing pole and a hatchet for weapons, a troll mask, and a cloud for legs. My wife saw me playing and was like, “dood, what is up with your character, hahaha!” To answer your question, no, my wife isn’t a Prinny, but luckily for you in Z.H.P you actually do have a Prinny wife! Score, dood! The items are often hilarious and make the game stand out from other titles to create a memorable experience. With endless customization, beyond-bizarre items, a unique battle and tutorial system, and a wacky off-the-wall storyline, Z.H.P. will provide entertainment and hours of replay and enjoyment.

Check out Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman for PSP, coming October 26th and save that Super Baby, dood! Also, don’t forget to take advantage of our Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman Preorder for the Z.H.P Exclusive set and secure your pre-order bonus sticker by using the NIS America store!

That’s all for today folks, but stay tuned for some updated Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! info and a most “stimulating” contest on the horizon. Until then, party on dood!

Let’s cut to the chase. Here are three titles we will be releasing in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. First of all, Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel for the PlayStation 3 will be released in Spring of 2011! Nobody saw this coming, right? ;)

Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel is the final entry in the Ar tonelico series. There will still be song magic features, but the battle system has changed drastically. It is now an action-based battle system, and there is an eye popping twist to it as well… literally. You’ll be experiencing some edgy and kinky special moves the Ar tonelico girls pull off in this game! But we’ll talk about that a little later.

The game features all new characters with a new story, so even if you are new to the Ar tonelico series, you won’t have any problems getting into it! And if you have been a fan of the series… thank you for waiting patiently for this announcement! Ar tonelico Qoga will be released in Spring of 2011. Check out some of the Japanese screenshots until we have more to show!

Let’s move on to the next announcement. We will release two Nippon Ichi Software PSP titles in fall! They are… “Cladun: This is an RPG” and “Z.H.P. : Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman”!

Cladun will be released only on PlayStation Network. It is a retro-looking dungeon crawler RPG with (almost) unlimited customization for your equipment, Magic Circle (character battle formation), character features, and even the last boss! The dungeons will randomly change all the time, so even if you re-visit a dungeon, the traps, enemies, dungeon map, and more will be different. It is a PSN-only title, but don’t underestimate its endless replay value! Check out the trailer below. Also, check back on www.nisamerica.com for the official Cladun website, which will launch around 5pm Pacific Time today!

Z.H.P. is NIS’s new strategy RPG. The ridiculously over-the-top story and characters make you feel right back in familiar NIS territory. The story goes something like this: The main character (you) is an ordinary shy young man. One day, walking on the street after getting some stuff from a convenience store, he witnesses a car accident! Oh no! The victim was the hero, the Unlosing Ranger, supposed to be at the Last Boss Battle to save the world… The hero asks the young man to take over his mission to save the world from the Last Boss, Darkdeath Evilman. Unable to refuse the hero’s last wish, the young man became the weakest, wimpiest main character ever in videogame history!!

Z.H.P. will be released this coming Fall on both PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Network! Check out the trailer to see how deep this game is!

I hope you are excited about our new titles! Lastly, I have something very exciting news for Atelier Rorona fans: We have decided to make a premium package including a hard cover art book. The game and art book will come in a premium box with Rorona artwork on it! Yay! Also, we launched the official website for Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading my blog post. Hope you enjoyed it!