Wow.
I'm quite amazed that I hadn't heard of this before, and a little peeved that it took me a long while after the series had been relased to catch wind of it (granted, it's a farely new series, still!)
This game is sweet! Basically, if oyu've played games like "Link into the Past" and "Mystiacal Ninja", you'll feel right at home here. I feel the sequel is a little stronger than the first title because instead of just going thorugh killing enemies and unlocking doors, you now get to hit switches to open doors, and there's even physical traps (fire lines, blade fans, etc.)
Also, editing your character is far more sweet here. Not only can you make their faces, you can also edit the armor and weapons! This game is 100% pure customization dreams come true! For instance, I have Princess Peach, BloodRayne, Cloud, Tifa, Alice (American McGee's), and Toad on my team, to name a few. And the best part is that it looks just like their pixelated counterparts would! From the outfits to the weapns (BloodRayne uses her arm blades, Peach slaps or can use Perry, Cloud has his Buster Sword).
If a game gives me this much custimaztion, and a random dungeon generator- I'm set! I agree with GameSpot, it does take a min to get fully used and versed in the world, but not by much. Pretty much by the time you get your first main character fledged out, the other options immediately become available to you. And being able to edit all of the armors and weapons are simple: either buy the "Absolute Edit" and equip it to your magic circle, or buy it in the Back Alley when your Fame and Dungeon Experience has gone up.
I think they were wise to avoid a story, and I appreciate them greatly for this. Instead of sticking some crap down your throat, they're just telling you you're here, you're stuck, now go kill isht! I love it!
I'd recommend this game to anyone looking for an awesome action/rpg or dungeon crawler, and I will ALWAYS mention this game when it comes to games with the best character customization. I hope this is a series that stays around and upgrades, because it really is just a little gem of a PSP game. So much so, in fact, I would say it is my favorite, as it's held my attention longer than any other PSP game has.
You definitely have to try this one!!