Remember those little dead penguins from the Disgaea series? Apparently they have their own game now. Yes, now you can be a hero and save the world from the forces of evil and conquer the Netherworld. This would sound like a pretty epic game, but sadly it is not to this extent. The Prinnies have to serve their master by finding the ultimate dessert. Yes, the treat you eat after dinner. You search for the ultimate desert by platforming, through fire, ice, and traversing through the landscapes of the Netherworld while bashing and stomping on your enemies.

Prinny: Can I really be the Hero, is a game designed for fans of Disgaea. Disgaea, a Strategy Role Playing game made by Nippon Ichi Software (NIS), is an anime inspired game with characters designs by famed artist Takihito Harada. In Disgaea you play as the all powerful Laharl, but in NIS' delivery to fan-service, you play the lowest of the low, the titular zombie penguin - Prinny. Yet, while Prinnies are pretty weak in their own right, in this game they have the ability to use their own Prinny attacks, dual blades, and Prinny bombs to slice and dice or blow up your enemies.

_{Look out, Dead Penguin with a bomb!}

Prinny takes a large portion of the characters from the Disgaea series and gives the iconic Prinny, a chance to do some damage. While playing as a Prinny, you will encounter 2D enemies within a 3D plane. At the very start of the game, you choose the stage you want to play and move from the left side of the screen to the right side as you do in many classic platforming games.  There are many classes of character that you have to fight, such as mages, zombies, and goblins. There is a vast array of enemies that you have to fight in order to get to the final boss of each level. While the gameplay may sound simple, it really isn't that easy. The gameplay disguises an underlying difficulty; there are many ways that you can die. You will frequently fall off platforms or get hit by any one of the massive number of enemies that you encounter on your treat hunting quest. Luckily, you don't have to repeat the level when you die. The game starts with 999 lives but you will quickly lose a lot if you are not careful. Apparently, there is more then one way for a dead penguin to die. 

_{Seriously, you know how hard it is to get good dessert?}

The music and sound effects of Prinny are fairly familiar to any fan of Disgaea. The music is whimsical and lifting. Each level has its own unique soundtrack that is generally appropriate for its environment. Every minion and boss has their own unique sounds. Some are kind of cute, like the little white mages flying around saying "Na-ni, na-ni" (Japanese for what, what).

The game has two different difficulty settings: one for the casual players in which you are granted three chances to get through a level while the other limits your chances to one. This game may be difficult but at least you get many opportunities to achieve ultimate victory. While minor enemies may be easy to get through, the boss battles are challenging and you will find yourself dying multiple times in every fight. Yet, if you figure out the pattern of the boss' attack, anyone can achieve victory.

 _{Umm, Sure, I guess?}

Prinny fits well in the palm of your hand. This was one game that feels like a portable game and earns the right of being one. It is an easy game to pick up and one may find it fun to play during long travels or just on your way to school or work.

Prinny is a classic example of how far you can take a game with a simple concept and a quirky charm. The game doesn't take itself seriously and you might find yourself wondering why you are playing the game to start with. While the main enemies and characters are funny and the story is ridiculous, the game has a certain appeal that makes you keep coming back for more. The game isn't very long, you could probably beat it in one sitting for the hardcore gamers, but there are multiple things to unlock and you can repeat levels over again and try to beat your score. While this game will attract mostly fans of NIS and Disgaea, fans of classic side-scrollering games will find a lot to enjoy in Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero.