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Shin Megami Tensei Community Thread: Be Your True Demon
- Thread starter cj_iwakura
- Start date
Fuse often, don't get attached to demons. Once you can fuse fiends (which happens after you defeat a certain boss early on) everything becomes really easy.
TurnipFritters
Member
it's good
buddha0991
Member
dungeons are said to be a weak point, they aren't complicated apparently.
archnemesis
Member
NeonZ
Member
I've finally finished the first Shin Megami Tensei. It's kind of weird how easy it is for a SNES RPG, especially compared to later games in the SMT series. Well, I say that it's easy, but it's also very frustrating, with the huge final dungeon and random enemies with instant death spells. The bosses towards the ending of the game become pathetic though. Comparatively, Soul Hackers bosses often at least killed me once before I had to retry and beat them, and Soul Hackers itself isn't a hard game...
Anyway, I really like the escalation going on in SMT 1 - in the beginning of the game you've got what's basically a murder mystery, and the only monsters are mostly thugs, with ghosts and fairies popping up rarely.
Looking back, it's kind of weird how in something like Soul Hackers the demons are just fine apparently sitting in a few buildings and the incidents seem mostly isolated.
I think there has been a trend in later Shin Megami Tensei games of not touching monsters from literature, even if the original source is old and as much part of the general culture as any mythology.
Vampires and Werewolves haven't been seen in the main series since the SNES games, and Lovecraft mythos seem to just have been almost completely dumped after Persona 2. Nyarlathotep seems to be an exception thanks to his big role in Persona 1 and 2 making him kind of iconic for the franchise.
Anyway, I really like the escalation going on in SMT 1 - in the beginning of the game you've got what's basically a murder mystery, and the only monsters are mostly thugs, with ghosts and fairies popping up rarely.
Then things escalate and you've got the army involved, as well as zombies and a clear outbreak of monsters around the streets, which leads to the ruined Tokyo of the second half of the game and eventually a big war between the law and chaos supernatural creatures.
I'd love to see that game redone with modern visuals and mechanics, or at least a new game attempting to repeat a similar flow.
I'd love to see that game redone with modern visuals and mechanics, or at least a new game attempting to repeat a similar flow.
I think there has been a trend in later Shin Megami Tensei games of not touching monsters from literature, even if the original source is old and as much part of the general culture as any mythology.
Vampires and Werewolves haven't been seen in the main series since the SNES games, and Lovecraft mythos seem to just have been almost completely dumped after Persona 2. Nyarlathotep seems to be an exception thanks to his big role in Persona 1 and 2 making him kind of iconic for the franchise.
Beat Trumpeteer in Nocturne. It took me like four attempts at total, wasn't too tough. I didn't figure out how he chooses the target for his Evil Melody though. At first I thought it was by highest HP percentage, but at some point he targeted the main character with 50% HP instead of the only demon with 100%. Fortunately, I had Endure.
Devil Survivor is harder (other than fucking Mem Aleph) than Strange Journey.
Soul Hackers is easier and definitely has a more "light-hearted" atmosphere than those two, although still dark in some parts.
Hackers would be a great game to play before IV drops.
Are you only interested in portable games? The Raidou games are very light-hearted and pretty easy, too.
Thanks, I've been playing Soul Hackers for about three hours now and I'm loving it. Great atmosphere, good story, good characters, definitely a fun game overall. There's something hilarious about Kinap appearing in whatever animal form with the super serious music playing in the background as he sends you on his vision quests though. It helps that Nemissa is voiced by Laura Bailey too.
Yeah, I've played both Raidou games (well all the SMT games on PS2), so pretty much whatever is on the 3DS. I'll double dip into the persona series whenever I happen to get a Vita too.
I was wondering if the Super Famicom remakes of the first two games are good or should I stick to the originals? I have quite a few of the SMT branded games but I can't stand not starting from the beginning (even if they aren't really connected). I just like to see how they evolved over time and if I play for a few hours and can't get into it then I can move to the next. Also, I'm surprised to find how cheap they are on ebay. I see them range from $7 for a loose copy to $40 for complete copies of both. Is this pretty normal?
Midnight Moon
Banned
They dont have demos dor these games on 3DS do they?
I have never played SMT and I preordered 4.
I have never played SMT and I preordered 4.
TurnipFritters
Member
The SFC versions are better than the originals. To me the Famicom versions are basically unplayable because of the scrolling effects in the first person view (which, I mean, the scrolling effect in SFC isn't really what I'd call good, but it's at least something I can handle).
They do not. Even if you don't enjoy it, all of the first edition junk could be worth something in a couple of years.
I messed around with the first hour of If thanks to that PS+ tryout offer and you guys weren't kidding about the game being a Persona precursor. Was pretty difficult to tell at times if I was back in St. Hemerlin or not wandering around those hallways. I guess all Japanese high schools are kinda designed the same?
Feels cool to have at least tried the game out, now I can say I've played every SMT before IV's imminent arrival. I wish there was an update on Kyuuyaku though.
Also Demikids on PSX sure has a lot of voice acting.
Edit: Just need to say that Jack Frost heeho-ing expressively like a bootleg Pikachu is a little disconcerting.
Feels cool to have at least tried the game out, now I can say I've played every SMT before IV's imminent arrival. I wish there was an update on Kyuuyaku though.
Also Demikids on PSX sure has a lot of voice acting.
Edit: Just need to say that Jack Frost heeho-ing expressively like a bootleg Pikachu is a little disconcerting.
buddha0991
Member
I am jealous man, have fun with that, its been a long while.
Where did you get that poster?
Oh and how are the Raidou Devil Summoner games on PS2?
Good enough to get me to seriously consider buying a videogame character doll.
But seriously, they are wonderful. Everyone will tell you to ignore 1 and start with 2 but with the new cheap reprint price you might as well give them both a shot.
charlequin
Banned
Raidou 1 is widely considered the worst (by a good margin) Megaten-family game on PS2 -- it's janky and half-baked.
Raidou 2 is great -- fun (if relatively brainless) action battles, great music, neat story, lots of sidequests.
archnemesis
Member
They have this thing, as with most older RPGs, where it's easier to get lost due to monotonous dungeons and a general lack of handholding. I wouldn't play them unless you've already gone through the PS2/NDS/3DS games.
Raidou 2 is one of the best SMT games. Raidou 1 I haven't played.
archnemesis
Member
The first Raidou is quite unpolished, but I preferred its story/plot compared to the sequel.
Worthintendo
Member
Hey all,
Random question from someone who has sort of dabbled in the series up until now (only finished Devil Survivor Overclocked, am playing Soul Hackers at the moment and hopefully getting to IV soon) is Revelations: The Demon Slayer for Game Boy Colour worth looking in to for some old school Game Boy RPG fun?
Random question from someone who has sort of dabbled in the series up until now (only finished Devil Survivor Overclocked, am playing Soul Hackers at the moment and hopefully getting to IV soon) is Revelations: The Demon Slayer for Game Boy Colour worth looking in to for some old school Game Boy RPG fun?
archnemesis
Member
No, it's not a good game. I played through it a few years ago and it's not even worth it for the sightseeing. The core game is very basic compared to the console games and the demons in it have random personalities which turns recruitment of new allies into pure guesswork.
You're better off playing any of the PS2, PSP, PSV, NDS or 3DS games instead.
You're better off playing any of the PS2, PSP, PSV, NDS or 3DS games instead.
Worthintendo
Member
Well I've got everything I can get Shin Mega Ten related on the DS/3DS and I'm only missing Persona 1 from PSN for my Vita so I'm pretty much covered on that side of things.
I'm more interested in the GBC game as how it compares to other Game Boy RPGs of the time. That said it was going up against alot of good RPGs for the system late 1990's
archnemesis
Member
If you want to explore earlier MegaTen games I suggest you take a look at Shin Megami Tensei I and II for the SNES. You can find English fan translations here. Jack Bros (Virtual Boy), Imagine Online (PC), and DemiKids Light/Dark (GBA) are all better than Revelations: The Demon Slayer. Even though it's not a MegaTen game you might also want to check out Maken X or Maken Shao.
cj_iwakura
Member
I think everyone feels this way. Raidou 1's story is much better than the second's.
I recently, within the last few years, got into the SMT series. I now have played most of the titles released within the last decade or so.
First of all, have you played Persona 3/4 or no? Technically they are not under the SMT label, but have many similarities in the battle gameplay.
Digital Devil Saga 1/2 for PlayStation 2 is a pretty good place to start. It is a standalone spinoff series from SMT, featuring a permanent cast of characters and a progression system similar to FFX's sphere grid. Digital Devil Saga has the Press Turn battle system, which is the primary turn-based battle system you'll see in SMT titles. Digital Devil Saga does not have demon capturing or fusing, which the primary reason I recommend it first. You can get used to the battle system, dungeon style, and spell names and such without having to get into the demon collecting systems. The games are also fairly inexpensive still. They have a stronger, more outward, narrative focus than a game like Nocturne, although the narrative isn't fantastic.
I actually started with SMT: Nocturne, the 3rd mainline title. It has the Press Turn battle system as well, but this time your party is the main character + demons you capture and fuse. It's a more difficult game (difficult may not be the right word), and also a longer game, with a more subdued plotline/narrative. It is a better game in all regards, but it took me a while to really 'get' everything, from understanding the best way to go about building a team and getting used to the style of gameplay. If you can muster your way through this title first, getting into other titles in the series should be simple.
SMTIV for 3DS is the 'sequel' to Nocturne, and plays much the same. It has no relation to Nocturnes narrative however, and can readily be played first. The narrative isn't as subdued , with more characters who are more prevalent. It lacks the tone and sense of isolation that Nocturne has, but I would say this is a fine place to start as well. It also adds things like bulletin board quests and such.
In short, Digital Devil Saga is a good way to ease into the series, where Nocturne is if you want to dive into it head first.
The two Devil Summoner Raidou games on PS2 are also stand-alone, but feature a more action battle system unlike any other SMT labeled games. They are worthwhile games, and share the same demons and spell names and such, but play very differently. These are probably better played once you are already familiar with the series rather than your starting point.
Or you could start with Persona 3/4, which is a slight variation of the Press Turn battle system, but also features the high school setting and Social Link simulation gameplay. The Persona games, 4 especially, are known for their strong characters and dialogue. Be warned that there is a /lot/ of dialogue. They are great games, but again, hold many differences from "SMT"
I've played P3 and P4. I got halfway through P3 before my save file accidentally got deleted. I'm somewhat in the early stages of P4, so essentially I'm familiar with the Persona side. I actually started Nocturne a couple of days ago and I'm a few hours into it. I wasn't sure if Nocturne was a good place to start and whether I would be missing out on a lot of lore. The whole thing seems confusing as fuck. I thought about starting with the first two SMT games that were old as dirt but looking at them, they didn't look fun to play at all.
Well, some of the common or popular demons and their personalities will be lost on you when you start. Kind of like, let's say if you started Pokemon with X and Y, and found Mewtwo in a dungeon (I haven't played Pokemon X/Y, this is made up). Fans of the series might love this call back and go "Oh wow it's Mewtwo!" where that reference would be lost on you.
I started with Nocturne. I didn't know what a Nekomata or Jack Frost was, or who the 'fiends' were, and whatnot, but after playing several games now, you gain that familiarity. Have to start somewhere.
cj_iwakura
Member
In a nutshell, SMT1&2 are strongly connected, 3 references it. I suggest playing 3, since most consider it the best, and it's still great. If you really love it(and I hope you will), go from there to the DDS games(same engine/system, more or less), and if you really want to go deep, try the fan translations of 1 & 2. Great story, first person dungeon crawling galore though.
I too started with Nocturne and this is indeed a great starting point (and the best game of the series from what I've played so far).
cj_iwakura
Member
Wow. SMT1 Sega CD may as well have a whole new OST.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlmnwve-i2k
(Palace of the Four Heavenly Kings)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeA5jHkkMfk
(Arcade Street)
Is it as expensive/crazy rare as Shadowrun? I want to try it someday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlmnwve-i2k
(Palace of the Four Heavenly Kings)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeA5jHkkMfk
(Arcade Street)
Is it as expensive/crazy rare as Shadowrun? I want to try it someday.
Yeah I was actually randomly watching this playthrough video today for the first time and the music is hot stuff. It's too bad the dialogue portraits are so heinous though.
cj_iwakura
Member
Food for thought...
As cool as their designs are, am I alone in thinking SMT II's cast was kind of dull? They're all one-trick ponies, more or less.
You have the MC, the girls who do whatever he wants, the YHVH-fearing Messian ponies, and Gimmel, who's just an idiot.
The only likable character is Louis Cypher.
Compare this to SMT1's cast. The Law Hero is out to protect his girlfriend, the Chaos Hero wants to be strong to never be bullied again, the Heroine is the badass head of the Resistance, etc.
They feel like fleshed out characters. SMTII's just feel like archetypes.
As cool as their designs are, am I alone in thinking SMT II's cast was kind of dull? They're all one-trick ponies, more or less.
You have the MC, the girls who do whatever he wants, the YHVH-fearing Messian ponies, and Gimmel, who's just an idiot.
The only likable character is Louis Cypher.
Compare this to SMT1's cast. The Law Hero is out to protect his girlfriend, the Chaos Hero wants to be strong to never be bullied again, the Heroine is the badass head of the Resistance, etc.
They feel like fleshed out characters. SMTII's just feel like archetypes.
cj_iwakura
Member
Yes.
Disco.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the game, I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. I vastly prefer SMT1.
buddha0991
Member
We need to breathe more life into this place yo.
TurnipFritters
Member
I literally do not understand how you can complain that the SMT2 girls only do what the hero wants and turn around and praise the SMT1 heroine for being a badass.
Higgins113
Banned
Being europe is suffering