History VideoGame / DisgaeaHourOfDarkness

It was later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable as ''Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness'', which added several of the gameplay improvements from ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'' and a brand new AlternateTimeline story called "[[AnotherSideAnotherStory Etna Mode]]" where Etna accidentally kills Laharl during the first chapter and decides to become the Overlord herself. It was also ported to the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS as ''Disgaea DS'', which removed most of the voice acting but added "[[GreekChorus Prinny Commentary]]" on most of the cutscenes. A PC port was also released on [[UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} Steam]] on 25 Februrary 2016, with higher-res art, and the content from ''Afternoon of Darkness''. The game would eventually gain direct sequels in the forms of the VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/DisgaeaInfinite'' and later ''VideoGame/DisgaeaD2ABrighterDarkness''. A full HD remake entitled ''Disgaea 1 Complete'' was released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on July 26, 2018 in Japan and in October 2018 in the rest of the world. ''Complete'' was then ported to smartphones in 2020.

''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}: Hour of Darkness'' is a TurnBasedStrategy game released by Creator/NipponIchi in 2003 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2.

* BareHandedBladeBlock: In the trailer for the anime (on the ''Disgaea 2'' disc), Laharl catches the blade of a sword that looks to be ''[[{{BFS}} the size of his castle]]'' with his bare hand. Mind you, said blade was also being swung by [[BonusBoss Tyrant Baal]].

* BonusBoss: Baal, [[VideoGame/LaPucelle Priere]], and [[VideoGame/RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure Marjoly]]. [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Rozalin, Adell]], [[VideoGame/MakaiKingdom and Zetta]] join them in the UpdatedRerelease.

** Testament offers an overall boost to every stats, and is easilly alvailable from the Prinny God found on Prinny Land. Its stats boost make it a useful accesory to get and use even without leveling it on the item world, and its readilly alvailable after the midpoint of the game, making it one of the most useful accesory to use for much of the game, all the way until the best accesory items are finally alvailable most of which are from stealing off the many BonusBoss.

** The PSP and DS remake gave us the Demonhall Mirror. Like Cave of Ordeals 3, this one had 9 [[StoneWall Galactic Demons]] in a 3x3 formation. However, it has ''2'' EXP +50 effect and the monsters are of higher levels and tiers. However, you have to fight you way through several [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] such as a powerful Serpentine Dragon, Serra Winguard, The alt. Overlord, Laharl's dad's vassals, the Fallen Angel Vesuvius, and [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Adell and Rozalin]] before getting to the grinding first.

* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Prier(e), the heroine of ''VideoGame/LaPucelle'', appears as a BonusBoss.

** Also, some random character names and some item names fall under this. Even before [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs obviously nutty names]] were introduced in later installments, this game surprisingly had Russian (and possibly other) quite arbitrary words for names. You could get characters named Rubashka ("shirt"), Balalaika (a national music instrument), Mazurka (a Russian name for a Polish dance), [[VodkaDrunkenski Vodka]] (you know this one), and one of the emblem items was called "Pravda Necklace", which would be "Necklace of the Truth".

* BoobsOfSteel: Jennifer, who's a straight up brawler, although the creatable girl brawlers are otherwise flat (at least prior to ''Disgaea 1 Complete'').
** Becomes [[IncrediblyLamePun literally true]] when [[spoiler:Jennifer becomes a modified cyborg. Indeed, when the characters imagine what she looks like, she is pictured with machine-gun boobs.]]

* ChickMagnet: Laharl, at least in the [[LightNovel/DisgaeaNovels light novels]]. He manages to attract Etna, Flonne, her sister Ozonne, and Gordon and Jennifer's daughter Jane.

* SafetyInIndifference: Demon Prince Laharl wakes up from a two-year sleep (more like coma) to find out that his father is dead and that he is now inheritor to the throne of Overlord. [[TheChick Angel Trainee Flonne]] tries to console him about his father's death, but he brushes it off like nothing, which horrifies her. Later, we learn that [[spoiler:Laharl ignores his emotions -- especially empathy and love -- because of the pain of losing his mother when he was young.]]. Laharl actually cares a lot more than he lets on, but acts indifferent both because he hates the pain, and because [[TheChainsOfCommanding he can't look weak as the Overlord.]]

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: When the dark assembly rejects one of your propositions, you can use the "Persuade by force" option and make the senators agree with you by beating them up.

* RegalRinglets: The Archer unit has this hairstyle. Later incarnations would change to MegaTwintails.

* BuxomIsBetter: Averted. Laharl has a deep-rooted fear of large-breasted women so strong that being near one will cause him to weaken.

* DiscOneNuke: If by "disc one," you mean "the game proper." It's entirely possible to completely walk over the main game simply by using Laharl exclusively, building his sword skill and having him leveled well past the enemies, with occasional dips into Item World for LevelGrinding and building up his items and specialists. Don't try this in the bonus content, though.

* PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling: Several. Which is a good thing, given the insanely high level cap. One level in particular is peppered with Succubi and Kit-Kats, and aside from one square at the far end of the map, ''everyone'' is invincible. So the trick becomes to lob the monsters onto one another, creating one much stronger femme fatale which can be trapped in the single vulnerable square and [[ScratchDamage whittled down]].

* ShoutOut / ReferenceOverdosed: [[ShoutOut/{{Disgaea}} Has its own page.]]

* {{Gainaxing}}: Jennifer's sprite has a very noticeable "bounce" to it as she walks. Also, whilst most characters stand still when it's not their turn, the [=Kit-Kat=] and Succubus monsters, well, ''don't''.
** It's even worse in the anime, where the camera does a close-up of said bounce at least once per episode.
** Marjoly also won't stand still when she's idle. Priere has similar treatment to Jennifer.

--> '''Kurtis''': [[CrusadingWidower It's been five years since I lost my wife and daughter... and with them, my soul.]] \\

* AllThereInTheManual: [[spoiler:Mid-Boss/Vyers is actually Laharl's father]], which is never stated outright in the game. There are several scenes that make it pretty obvious, however.