The life of a Prinny isn’t an easy one. The Prinny games sure make that clear. Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! is the sequel to Prinny 1: Can I Really Be The Hero? and both games will be available either in a physical bundle or individual digital purchases.
Story
Yet another incident has befallen the Prinnies. This time, Master Etna’s panties have been stolen. Once again, she’s been taking her wrath out on the poor little Prinnies and they must now sacrifice their numbers to catch the panty thief.
The story takes after the first game but with more substance. Unlike the first game, it tries to hold engagement more after clearing each level. It also packs a heavier punch with its humor, almost guaranteeing frequent chuckles.
Gameplay
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! plays similarly to its predecessor. It’s a 2D side-scrolling platformer where you control a scarfed Prinny to do Master Etna’s dirty work. It adds a new break mode mechanic that enhances some of Hero Prinny’s moves. You’ll have the same number of lives as the first game with the option of having a radish replace your dual-blades.
Even without playing the first game, Prinny 2 properly drills the basics into you so you’ll know what your blue penguin-looking friend is capable of. If the first practice stage and the tutorial signs weren’t enough, an NPC will be available at the main hub area to show you a preview of how a great Prinny does things. You’ll also be able to play these practice stages without any risks to your Prinny count.
Stages
Stages work the same as they did in Prinny 1 using the 10-hour clock. What differentiates these stages from the first is the additional challenge it brings. These stages are significantly more difficult unless you choose to play on the new, lowest difficulty. A lot more empty gaps are present and one bad play could lead to a fall the Prinny won’t be able to survive. Mixed in with the present enemies, progression won’t be straightforward. It’ll take many attempts to clear a single stage, while the lowest difficulty spoon feeds you victory and ensures a higher success rate.
This sequel adds more of the Netherworld’s creatures to the fray. The further you progress, the tougher the enemies you’ll have to engage. The majority of enemies won’t be much of a nuisance until the last set of levels. Not even the game’s easiest difficulty can save you from their determination to stop you, but the new Break Mode might. There’s a large variety of enemies to clash with and the faces never grow old. Some have been bestowed with a color rehash to represent their impenetrable body.
While Break Mode does help, it doesn’t drastically change the level gameplay formula seen in Prinny 1. Many silly mistakes or bad plays will still be made and lead to the buildup of further frustration. One of the best parts of Prinny 2 is its easier mode which opens up the game to casual players who don’t want to throw their console out of a window. It doesn’t stop the Prinny life count from depleting, but it surely helps prevent it from falling like flies.
Boss Battles
Prinny 2 maintains the quality of bosses from the first game with each level having one of these powerful foes as your last opponent. Similar to the first game, the boss you’ll fight against depends on the in-game hour you attempt the stage at. This game’s replay value honors the first, and an unlockable NPC grants you access to replay levels without starting a new save for your convenience.
What it lacks is the challenge it offered from the first game. The bosses in Prinny 2 are noticeably easier, and only until after midgame do the battles surge in difficulty. You’ll still have to learn their patterns and overcome them the usual way, but the majority of the early bosses will not be too complex and attack less frequently when compared to the first game. It can also feel slightly repetitive with the old fashion hip pound and slash, especially after playing the first game.
The late-game bosses are tough enough to make you want to pull some hair stands out of your head. You’ll need to rely on the new Break Mode to overcome their challenges, and it won’t be a pretty sight even with it. Even on the lowest difficulty, the battles will still feel like hell. And they’ll only get harder the more you progress, so anyone thirsty for a good, tough fight will rejoice.
Prinny’s Break Mode
Break Mode is new to Prinny 2. When a Prinny maxes out a bonus from consuming edibles or hip pounding multiple foes, Break Mode will activate. This mode increases the Prinny’s attack stat and can be vital in weakening some of the tougher bosses the game throws at you. When a Prinny spins, it gets a short period of invincibility. Break Mode upgrades this spin into a spin attack, but using it for too long will result in an unfavorable backlash. This high-risk high reward balance makes the game more intriguing, but can easily be poorly executed.
In addition to the spin attack, break mode enhances Prinny’s hip pound so that it damages the unfortunate soul underneath. The last break skill, Prinnikaze, isn’t as simple to utilize as the others. Although powerful, the skill isn’t necessary to finish the game. Mastering its three-button mashing controls and the best time to use it will make it beneficial, but the effort to put into it or remember it may not be worthwhile.
It does have its downsides, though. Although the lightning indicator looks cool, it can be distracting. There are points where you may need to carefully observe the stage and jump at the right time to avoid death. The lightning can divert your attention from the other elements present on the stage. It may take several Prinnies to scout the area before you can properly pass these specific obstacles. Another issue comes from the edible donut that instantly activates the mode; it breaks blocks beneath you, making it easier to fall to your death. This could be bait, which wouldn’t be too surprising considering the game’s theme is based on the underworld.
Difficulty Modes
The game’s difficulty modes have been changed a bit too. Instead of the basic two modes seen in the first game, Prinny 2 has three. These modes are Hell’s Finest, Standard, and Baby. Hell’s Finest remains as the highest difficult with a one-hit kill rate for any Prinny. Standard has received a downgrade from three lives to two before a Prinny kicks the bucket. The last, Baby, is a special difficulty for the people who want to play the game but enjoy it with a difficulty fitting for those who despise a challenge.
The ‘Baby’ difficulty is hilarious in the way they mock the player. While it wouldn’t modify how powerful the bosses in the game are, the difficulty mode retains the three lives known from the first game’s standard mode, but takes a step further with the activation of break mode on checkpoints and the addition of safety blocks. These safety blocks help make progressing through some of the obstacles you’ll have to face much easier. One minor mistake and you’ll fall to the pits of the netherworld; with these childproof blocks, you’ll be saved more times than you’ll be able to keep track of.
Unlockables
Prinny 2 has a large number of collectibles and unlocks. Collecting these items unlock great rewards and they’re much easier to find than in Prinny 1: Can I Really Be The Hero?. Carefully searching the stages and hub area is essential in finding these items.
The most notable unlock is a new mode called Asagi Wars: The Vengeance of Asagi which can be considered as its own game. This new mode allows you to play as Asagi. It follows the direction the base game went with some differences. One of these differences, for example, is that Asagi packs a variety of interchangeable weapons instead of Prinny’s famous dual blades. You’ll be able to use a flamethrower, a drill, and the list continues on.
Bundle Details
Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded will be available as a physical release for $59.99 US. The package includes the two games, a collector’s box, a fan-voted ‘Pringaea: Hours of Sleep, Dood’ reverse cover sheet design, an art book (Prinny’s Scrapbook of Memories), a one-disc official soundtrack loaded with tunes from the games, a Prinny building block set, and a 1-sided Asagi Wars EX Alpha Championship edition poster.
If you don’t want to pay a pretty penny for the bundle, or generally prefer purchasing games digitally, both games will be sold individually on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $19.99 each. The physical version’s higher price tag comes from the additional items you will receive. The amount of added content you get seems abundant for the extra you’ll have to pay.
Voice Acting
The game supports English and Japanese voice acting. Either can be chosen depending on your preference. The voices are fluid throughout dialogue in the game and greatly represent their respective characters. However, some enemies will utter Japanese catchphrases during stages.
Graphics and Soundtrack
The game looks extremely close to Prinny 1 but with new stages. Each environment sets them apart from each other and the soundtrack fits in well with the gameplay. The character designs are of top-notch quality and the new enemy faces bring a shine that wasn’t seen in the first game. It would be tough to tell both games apart if it wasn’t for the new content additions.
Conclusion
Prinny 2 reuses the first game’s foundation and adds a new Break Mode that isn’t sufficient to differentiate it from its predecessor. Its stages deliver a higher hell-like difficulty but also introduce a soft spot for casual gamers with its new, easier difficulty option. Expect to laugh and cry while uncovering how tough of a life Prinnies have it.
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! gets a 7.5/10.
