Let's Zenryoku Hitchhike!!!!!!!!! focuses on the more attractive aspects of hitchhiking—thumbing efficiently for free rides on cows, tractors and rickshaws—with none of the negatives—having your corpse dumped behind the brush of an interstate rest area.

Even if the hitchhiking gameplay doesn't immediately appeal to you, we're certain the bright pompadours and masculine jumpsuits will. We haven't heard yet of a publisher picking this guaranteed cash cow here in North America, but if someone signs on for Let's Zenryoku Hitchhike!!!!!!!!! publishing duties, we'll give 'em the thumbs up.

Along with the standard retail edition of Prinny, which comes in a box with the soundtrack and a special Penny Arcade Prinny comic, Rosenqueen is offering a couple of bundles that provide a more complete Prinny experience. For $64.99 you can now pre-order the Prinny: Hero to the Rescue Set, containing the game, a lovely blue Prinny PSP pouch, and a red-scarved Prinny plushie just begging for punishment. An extra $5 nets you the Prinny: Ultra Dessert Set, which tacks on a Disgaea graphic novel to help you get the whole story.

Both the pouch and the plushie are also available for stand-alone purchase, so if you've already pre-ordered the game somewhere else you can still get the swag to go along with it.

Prinny Pre-order At Rosenqueen [Rosenqueen - Thanks Juan!]

Squeenix plans on liberally distributing the latest Nppon Ichi prinnyfest, Disgaea 3, throughout PAL territories come February 20th. The latest game in the series of course makes the jump to the PlayStation 3, without any of that pesky updating the game for the current generation of consoles stuff. That just complicates things.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “With Disgaea 3, Nippon Ichi have created a wonderful world full of bizarre characters and deep, addictive gameplay. I hope everyone enjoys playing this unique and rewarding title.”

Well of course you do, Mr. Yamamoto! If everyone enjoyed playing Diagaea 3, it would be a financial windfall!

Of course it will probably only attract the few die hard fans that haven't already imported it, but we can dream.

DISGAEA 3: Absence of Justice AVAILABLE ACROSS EUROPE IN FEBRUARY

London (7th January 2009) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that Nippon Ichi Software’s Disgaea®3: Absence of Justice will be released by Square Enix across PAL territories on 20th February 2009 exclusively on the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system.

Welcome to the twisted world of the Nether Institute, Evil Academy where good is bad and bad is good. In this school a good student is somebody that excels in delinquent activities such as skipping classes or not doing their homework, whereas a bad student arrives to school early and does their homework on time.

This is the setting for Disgaea 3, a rich and deep Strategic RPG that’s not afraid to display a very bizarre sense of humour. It’s a winning combination that will leave you laughing one minute and fighting cunning enemies the next. Where special attacks can deliver up to 100 million points worth of damage and the power of the PS3 is used to deliver 2D sprites, albeit lots of them!

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “With Disgaea 3, Nippon Ichi have created a wonderful world full of bizarre characters and deep, addictive gameplay. I hope everyone enjoys playing this unique and rewarding title.”

For more information about Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, please visit the official website at www.disgaea3game.com

About DISGAEA 3: Absence of Justice

Story

Mao was reading a comic book. His room was filled with jars of specimens from past experiments. The pages told of a superhero that defeated an atrocious Overlord. Right then, Mao made a huge decision. “As of now… I shall become a hero!”

The decision he made was a big deal, for he is the spawn of the Dean of the Nether Institute Evil Academy. Mao believes that to defeat the Overlord, he must become a hero.

Raspberyl, the delinquent of the school, learns about Mao’s plans and begins to worry. If Mao were to achieve the title of Hero, it would endanger her position as the school’s “Number One Delinquent”. She tries to talk Mao out of his plan.

Witnessing their conversation, Almaz, a hero, misunderstands the situation and tries to save the day. Mao accepts Almaz’s challenge and steals Almaz’s hero title after defeating him.

With the title of Hero, Mao believes he is one step closer to defeating his father and achieving his goal of becoming Overlord.

Will Mao be able to become a hero and defeat the Overlord?
Or will Raspberyl convince him not to?
What is going to happen to Almaz?

Features

• An RPG with a twisted funny-bone, where good is bad and bad is good – and see if you can spot all the anime references
• A rich and deep Strategic RPG with character creation and a student council
• Combine attacks to create devastating new combos with Skill Merge
• Magichange allows you to transform your character to launch powerful new attacks and unleash new abilities
• Geo Block – master this demonic trap via stacking and long-lasting chain combos
• Use all your wits and skills to survive the evolving Random Dungeon

Just like the PlayStation Portable port of the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness — which shrunk down in the form of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness — next year's portable version of Disgaea 2 will come with fresh content in the form of new battles and new characters. We're guessing they'll also come up with a snazzy new subtitle, especially if NIS America opts to localize it.

The official street date is March 26, 2009 for the Japanese version. No word yet on a Western translation, but we have our fingers crossed.

PlayStation®Portable向けゲームソフト『魔界戦記ディスガイア2 PORTABLE』 (PDF) [Nippon Ichi - thanks, Nekojin!]

Of course, being relatively timid RPG players we'd then apologize and quietly pre-order the import version once the tell us no, but for a brief moment we'd be united. That's the power of Felicia and a prinny on the same screen.

I'm sure Nippon Ichi wouldn't slight their U.S. fans by not bringing these over here. The question is, when? I need my fix, dammit.

Added Content For PS3 "Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 3" [Game Watch Impress via Destructoid]

Cross Edge is a new RPG due out in Japan for the PlayStation 3 this September that is a collaboration between some of the top names in the genre. Nippon Ichi, Gust, Namco Bandai, Idea Factory, and even Capcom have lent their properties to this superstar game, which features characters from Darkstalkers, Disgaea, Ar Tonelico, and many more. Hell, a game with Etna and Morrigan together alone is worth eleventy million dollars. The game features turn-based battles, a plot that involves rescuing souls, and...if you look to the bottom right corner of the scan...the ability to dress your characters up in a wide variety of outfits, from PE clothes to devil costumes.

Chances of this coming out in the states? Pretty damn unlikely. Chances of me importing this? Over nine thousand. Thanks to SupaPhly for the scans!

Weekly Famitsu info and scans [Akayuki.com via CVG]

Cult strategy hit Disgaea will get a sequel, according to developer Nippon Ichi. Tenatively scheduled for a 2006 release in Japan, Masaki Senki Disgaea takes place three years after the original and plays with a new cast of characters. Though the Prinny penguins certainly aren't extinct, expect to see them in lesser, supporting roles.

Disgaea 2 Announced By Nippon Ichi [GameSpot]