[MegaTen/Persona] Rise Kujikawa enters the Arena! Japan gets Ultra Suplexed on 2014/8/28

The Anonymous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdW_Y46DXiA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3EFoT-yvss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91r1STWZc9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKfaPgl8N8E

For those of you new around here, the previous OP talks a bit about why this series is wonderful:

cj iwakura wrote: »

And now, some history, thanks to Jucksalbe & HG101.



Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (September 11th, 1987)

• Released for: Famicom, Super Famicom (Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei), PC88, MSX
• No English release available!
• Fan translation: http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=megaten1 (Famicom, Not finished)
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101

Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II (April 6th, 1990)

• Released for: Famicom, Super Famicom (Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei)
• No English release available!
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101

Shin Megami Tensei (October 30th, 1992)

• Released for: Super Famicom, PC Engine Super CD, Mega CD, PlayStation, GBA, iOS
• English fan translation available! (Super Famicom)
• Fan translation: http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/988/ (fixed version of the Aeon Genesis translation)
• Music: Palace of the Four Heavenly Kings, Ginza
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101 and Aeana.

Shin Megami Tensei II (March 18th, 1994)

• Released for: Super Famicom, PlayStation, GBA, iOS
• English fan translation available! (Super Famicom)
• Fan translation: http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=smt2
• Music: 3D Devil's World, Messian Boogie
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101 and Aeana.

Shin Megami Tensei if... (October 28th, 1994)

• Released for: Super Famicom, PlayStation
• No English release available!
• Fan translation: http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=smtif (SFC, not finished)
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101

Shin Megami Tensei (III): Nocturne / Lucifer's Call (February 20th, 2003)

• Released for: PlayStation 2
• English version available (NA and PAL region)!
• Music: Labyrinth of Amala, Mystery, Cathedral of Shadows (Cursed), Reason Battle
• Screenshots by HardcoreGaming101

Shin Megami Tensei IV

• Released for: 3DS (JP: 2013)
• English release not yet announced

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (October 8th, 2009)

• Released for: Nintendo DS
• English version available (NA only!)!
• Music: Theme of Chaos, A Land Controlling Roads, Furious Wrath
• Screenshots by perfect free.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (December 25th, 1995)

• Released for: Sega Saturn, PSP
• No English release available!
• Screenshots by Saint35.

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (December 13th, 1997)

• Released for: Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 3DS
• 3DS release dates: August 30th (JP), Spring 2013 US!
• Music: Tenkai Airport (Reality), Spookies

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army (March 2nd, 2006)

• Released for: PlayStation 2
• English release available (NA and PAL region)!
• Music: Battle

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (October 23rd, 2008)

• Released for: PlayStation 2
• English release available (NA only!)!
• Music: Adventure

Revelations: Persona (September 20th, 1996)

• Released for: PlayStation, Windows PC, PSP
• English release available (PSX: NA only, PSP: NA and PAL region)!
• Best version: PSP
• Music: A Lone Prayer (PSP), Deva Yuga (PSX), Pandora's Den (Deepmost Area) (PSX), Satomi Tadashi Drugstore Song, City 2 Accident (PSX)
• Note: randomkid wrote a great post about the music in Persona here and here.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin (June 24th, 1999)

• Released for: PlayStation, PSP
• English release available (PSP only, NA and PAL region)!
• Fan translation (PSX version)

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (June 29th, 2000)

• Released for: PlayStation, PSP
• English release available (PSX: NA only, PSP: )
• Music: Kasugayama High School, Holy Spear Knights

Persona 3 / Persona 3 FES (July 13th, 2006)

• Released for: PlayStation 2, PSP, PSN (FES version)
• English release available (PSN version only in NA, every other version released everywhere)
• Best version: FES on consoles, P3P on the go
• Music: Want to Be Close, Danger Zone (PSP only), Battle Hymn for the Soul

Persona 4 (July 10th, 2008)

• Released for: PlayStation 2, PS Vita
• English release available
• Music: Heaven, Heartbeat, Heartbreak

Persona 4: The Arena (March 1st, 2012)

• Released for: Arcade, PlayStation 3, XBox 360
• English release available (released in NA, PAL region: someday)
  
  
  
  Digital Devil Saga (Avatar Tuner) (July 15th, 2004)
  
  
  • Released for: PlayStation 2
  • English release available (NA + PAL region)!
  • Music: Muladhara, Sahasrara, Hunting - Comrades
  
  
  Digital Devil Saga 2 (Avatar Tuner 2) (January 27th, 2005)
  
  
  • Released for: PlayStation 2
  • English release available (NA + PAL region)!
  • Note: Part 2 continues right after part 1. If you don't know the games, play them in order!
  • Music: Underground City, Divine Identity, Battle for Survival
  
  
  Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (Overclocked) (January 15th, 2009)
  
  
  • Released for: Nintendo DS, 3DS
  • English release available (DS: NA only, 3DS: released (NA), 2012 (PAL))
  
  
  Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 (July 28th, 2011)
  
  
  • Released for: Nintendo DS
  • English release available (released (NA), 2012 (PAL))
  
  
  
  Oh, and one more thing.
  
  

Oh and I guess a few people here like that Persona thing. It sucks but whatever, you can talk about it. We'll just sit here, silently judging you.

Cantido

Check out the rave reviews of SMTIV

EDIT - Warning - Critics confirm this game is NOT Persona 4. There are no slice of life first-world problems, social links, or waifus. You will have to settle with brilliant gameplay instead.

The Anonymous

I knew I was forgetting something.

AspectVoid

The Anonymous wrote: »

Oh and I guess a few people here like that Persona thing. It sucks but whatever, you can talk about it. We'll just sit here, silently judging you.

I see now, you're a Law junkie. They're the only ones who take it upon themselves to judge others. I can no longer trust you.

Man of the Waves

And I still need to go get this.

It's already been ordered and delivered. It's just sitting at my folk's house. Since day one.

The Anonymous

AspectVoid wrote: »

The Anonymous wrote: »

Oh and I guess a few people here like that Persona thing. It sucks but whatever, you can talk about it. We'll just sit here, silently judging you.

I see now, you're a Law junkie. They're the only ones who take it upon themselves to judge others. I can no longer trust you.

Your insurrection shall be punished, Gaian scum!

heenato

And I'll just sit here in the neutral route and call you both names.

Rizzi

I picked up Devil Survivor Overclocked today.
Seems pretty nifty so far.

AspectVoid

heenato wrote: »

And I'll just sit here in the neutral route and call you both names.

That's how I knew he was a brainwashed Law junkie. If he was Neutral he'd hate both series, and if he was Chaos he would have pit them against each other so only the strongest could win. Since he's set his arbitrary rules and is judging the games by them, he's obviously a follower of Law!

Alucard6986

Cantido wrote: »

Check out the rave reviews of SMTIV

Some demons are telling me they feel they will transform, in particular, Jack Frost. What can I do, knowing this?

Just keep leveling them until they transform. If you care, that is. I lost patience with the angel line--pretty much every one of them evolves into the next one. I wound up just fusing instead.

Frozenzen

I finally got my American 3DS trough a friend. The bad news is that he left before SMTIV was released, so I'll have to get that later.

The good new is that Devil Survivor overclocked is even better than the original, and it vies with p4 as my favorite rpg. Especially doing the no free battles/no deaths thing makes some fight pretty damn tricky, even early on. Seeing as how I want to see the new content as soon as possible, which routes have a day 8?

MagmyGeraith

Cantido wrote: »

Check out the rave reviews of SMTIV

Some demons are telling me they feel they will transform, in particular, Jack Frost. What can I do, knowing this?

Most of the evolutions are stuff you fight normally later on. Off the top of my head (aside from the Angel line that was already discussed), Poltergeist becomes Quicksilver and Jack Frost becomes Wendigo (oh god downgrade).

Xenogears of Bore

Depends on how much you level up whether or not that is a downgrade as Wendigos despite looking dumb have some great phys stats and are pretty alright.

It does suck that they are normal monsters in the area around the time a normal person would evolve one.

MagmyGeraith

Wow, Mahamaon with ~115 Luck and suddenly random encounters are single button actions.

Xenogears of Bore

Luck builds are entirely possible.

Polaritie

MagmyGeraith wrote: »

Wow, Mahamaon with ~115 Luck and suddenly random encounters are single button actions.

Or, you know, Alice. Die For Me! is basically a win button...

(I usually win in 1-2 moves - Megido from a magic build, then Megido from an Alice)

I'd expect the real benefit of a luck build to be the easy crits for press turns.

MagmyGeraith

Polaritie wrote: »

MagmyGeraith wrote: »

Wow, Mahamaon with ~115 Luck and suddenly random encounters are single button actions.

Or, you know, Alice. Die For Me! is basically a win button...

(I usually win in 1-2 moves - Megido from a magic build, then Megido from an Alice)

I'd expect the real benefit of a luck build to be the easy crits for press turns.

That's how I started, using a lot of multi-hit attacks. Then I saw a guy post in the old thread to use the instant death attacks...Sheesh this is great.

Though I am looking forward to going a raw MAG build on my second playthrough.

Xenogears of Bore

I'm guessing I'm about halfway and raw magic is fun as hell.

Marching up the ranks from weak single target to weak multi target/medium single target. I'm now at 130 magic or so with Medium multi targets in most fields.

Eventually because of increasing immunities I might need a heavy single target spell or two.

Polaritie

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

I'm guessing I'm about halfway and raw magic is fun as hell.

Marching up the ranks from weak single target to weak multi target/medium single target. I'm now at 130 magic or so with Medium multi targets in most fields.

Eventually because of increasing immunities I might need a heavy single target spell or two.

Honestly - I still have Bufu (+8, which makes it nearly free, stronger, etc.) set, and it still vastly outdamages a bufudyne from my demons. (I think the main difference is the base damage of the spell, or something?)

Of course, I usually just use Megido for mass damage because any mixed fight it's near impossible to hit everything with a weakness without tripping a Nl/Dr/Rp and losing my turn.

Right now, I think my spell list is... Megido, Energy Drain, Diarama, Rakukaja (due for replacement, really), Bufu, Zionga, Agidyne (juicy weakness smacking for extra turns - and mine's ALWAYS first... bwahahaahaha), and... I don't remember offhand. Zandyne would be nice here.

I've done like 1600 damage to a boss with just my MC in a single round before between two casts... my usual boss plan is to find the weakness the first time (and what they mass hit - no free press turns!), then the second time through I go for 2x Debilitate, 2x Tarukaja, and four hits on its weakness. It's really hard for their first turn to be dangerous at -2 everything, and my next turn I finish at +3 attack, them at -3 everything... and it's smooth sailing from there.

The last boss I was on was a jerk though - I was down to just a single demon up, MC down. Too bad for the boss it was spamming Mamudoon... and my demon was Alice (who also nulls all status, and reflects gun, which really mucks up the boss!) - He used an occasional Megidola, but since said Alice packs Energy Drain and Diarama, it wasn't nearly enough to take her out before she and Walter finished the job.

Cantido

I'm still waiting/looking for the elemental bullets. I've been heavily investing in Dex waiting for guns to get awesome.

Xenogears of Bore

I can't wait until I have almighty hit all. Spirit Drain+3 with 130 magic gets me 50-70 MP per go and is amazing.

Polaritie

Cantido wrote: »

I'm still waiting/looking for the elemental bullets. I've been heavily investing in Dex waiting for guns to get awesome.

I want to say the... second shop in Tokyo stocks basic ones.

I have death bullets though... which would be silly on a luck/dex build. Crits and instagibs all around!

Xenogears of Bore

Ueda shop, might be after an upgrade, has the bullets.

Tcheldor

Ugh, I like this game, but the whole "choose whatever skills you want" for the demons and then the MC really makes the gaming boring. The demons don't mean anything because I haven't had a demon with "new" skills in about 25 levels. Oh well. I'll have to finish it out, since I just got past the alignment lock.

Xenogears of Bore

Eventually if you want the best skills you're gonna have to plan out how to get them. You usually don't need them to beat the game though.

I find this system to be much more convenient and yet not as easy to break as the Megatama bs in Nocturne.

Polaritie

Tcheldor wrote: »

Ugh, I like this game, but the whole "choose whatever skills you want" for the demons and then the MC really makes the gaming boring. The demons don't mean anything because I haven't had a demon with "new" skills in about 25 levels. Oh well. I'll have to finish it out, since I just got past the alignment lock.

It'd be nice if it had inheritance restrictions like SJ, I guess, but picking which of the possible skill sets you want instead of rolling over and over? Much better.

Tcheldor

It's less annoying, but all the demons lose their personalities. Like, once I have the -kaja and -kunda lines, I'll just transfer those and some healing spells to any demon I fuse with high mp. I don't care who he is or what he has, my 300+ magic means I deal 3.5times or more the dmg any of my demons can deal, so they're meaningless. Further, they're meaningless because I just can just all my points into my offensive stats and already had a token demon or 2 teach me each elemental offense move. It's just poor game design if you want people to actually care about who their demons are.

It may be less frustrating, but when I can put Ice/Fire/Wind/lighting/healing/recarm/buff/debuff on all 3 demons, it's like, I don't care who they are.

Tcheldor

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

Eventually if you want the best skills you're gonna have to plan out how to get them. You usually don't need them to beat the game though.

I find this system to be much more convenient and yet not as easy to break as the Megatama bs in Nocturne.

Why do I ever need more than 4 Elemental Spells, Mediarama (mediahran eventually but i'm almost done and haven't needed it), energy drain, and then 3 other skills (whatever I think is useful)? At least in Nocturne the MC couldn't learn the best of everything so the demons had their place. Further you couldn't become 3-4times stronger than they are, so they had value in their damage numbers.

Xenogears of Bore

You can do that in Nocturne outside of a very few skills, it just takes a long ass time.

You can definitely do it in SJ.

TheBlackWind

Isn't this the game where you can get credit for registering it and fire emblem?

Tempted to get it, since its basically a free game, but having never play SMT, this doesn't sound like the place to start.

Tcheldor

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

You can do that in Nocturne outside of a very few skills, it just takes a long ass time.

You can definitely do it in SJ.

The key there is "long ass time." Here, I've been good to go since level 15.

Xenogears of Bore

In Nocturne the Demi-Fiend can get around 3 times stronger than your best non special demons and about twice as strong as the best of the best.

In Strange Journey things end up pretty damn even because of how ridiculous you can make a password demon.

This came could use a level based stat cap for the MC so he can't just dump everything into one stat and own town the entire game. Would make for a good addition to hard mode.

Gilder

Is there an App list so I can see what I'd like to invest in? Does the guide have one? I don't want to spoil myself if it's at the end of the book and whoops, I accidentally saw the endgame. I know gamefaqs will spoil me too if I check there. I've got 40 app points and I'm afraid as soon I spend them Burroughs is going to pull some app out of her hat that lets me whisper at every level and also recruit demons 100% of the time.

Tcheldor

I think it's more the lack of having any defense stats you have to use. Like the removal of VIT is a big deal.

Wyborn

What all does Luck affect, exactly?

Drez

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

In Nocturne the Demi-Fiend can get around 3 times stronger than your best non special demons and about twice as strong as the best of the best.

In Strange Journey things end up pretty damn even because of how ridiculous you can make a password demon.

This came could use a level based stat cap for the MC so he can't just dump everything into one stat and own town the entire game. Would make for a good addition to hard mode.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the protagonist in SJ is worth diddly squat. This is even more pronounced in Soul Hackers, unless you grind for the Casino sword.

heenato

Wyborn wrote: »

What all does Luck affect, exactly?

pretty much everything. Hit rate, dodge rate, crit rate, chance of status ailment hitting/missing, and negotiation.

Wyborn

So maxed out luck, theoretically, would be one of the more low-frustration builds in the game

Good to know

Wyvern

Drez wrote: »

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

In Nocturne the Demi-Fiend can get around 3 times stronger than your best non special demons and about twice as strong as the best of the best.

In Strange Journey things end up pretty damn even because of how ridiculous you can make a password demon.

This came could use a level based stat cap for the MC so he can't just dump everything into one stat and own town the entire game. Would make for a good addition to hard mode.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the protagonist in SJ is worth diddly squat. This is even more pronounced in Soul Hackers, unless you grind for the Casino sword.

Yeah, I had the same experience. My Strange Journey protagonist was an embarrassment compared to the demons at most stages of the game, and was pretty much demoted to item-spamming duty by the end. Getting stuck with the agility stat-set didn't really help, but even so I was more than a couple of shakes away from spearheading the team.

nicopernicus

TheBlackWind wrote: »

Isn't this the game where you can get credit for registering it and fire emblem?

Tempted to get it, since its basically a free game, but having never play SMT, this doesn't sound like the place to start.

This is my first SMT game, and I'm loving it. The first part of the game is pretty brutal, but once you get a full roster of demons it's a bit easier.

Polaritie

Wyvern wrote: »

Drez wrote: »

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

In Nocturne the Demi-Fiend can get around 3 times stronger than your best non special demons and about twice as strong as the best of the best.

In Strange Journey things end up pretty damn even because of how ridiculous you can make a password demon.

This came could use a level based stat cap for the MC so he can't just dump everything into one stat and own town the entire game. Would make for a good addition to hard mode.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the protagonist in SJ is worth diddly squat. This is even more pronounced in Soul Hackers, unless you grind for the Casino sword.

Yeah, I had the same experience. My Strange Journey protagonist was an embarrassment compared to the demons at most stages of the game, and was pretty much demoted to item-spamming duty by the end. Getting stuck with the agility stat-set didn't really help, but even so I was more than a couple of shakes away from spearheading the team.

You never got the cat punch gun then... I think you can find it by the third or fourth area and basically use it for half the game - doing 1-8 solid hits is deadly.

That said, yes, demons came back on top at the end and I was just healing them... Random stat distribution hurts, a lot.