Megami Tensei is a series of role-playing video games (RPGs) primarily developed by Atlus. It began with 1987's Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei , which is based on Aya Nishitani's novel of the same name, and has spawned a sequel and several sub-series, such as the Persona and Devil Summoner series. The original Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei games and the Shin Megami Tensei sub-series form the core of the series, while other entries are considered spin-offs. [1] [2]
Early games have received infrequent releases outside Japan: the first title to be released in North America was 1995's Jack Bros. , and the first Megami Tensei RPG released in the region was 1996's Revelations: Persona . The first game released in the PAL region was 2003's Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne , which was released there in 2005. The series has several recurring themes, including demon-summoning, Japanese folklore, and the occult. Despite its thematic roots in Japanese culture and mythology, it has found a cult following internationally. [3] It is Atlus's flagship role-playing game series, [4] and one of the biggest in the genre in Japan. [5] Several other types of media based on the series have been made, including anime and manga. [6] [7]
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei | July 1987 | none | none |
Notes:
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Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei | September 11, 1987 [9] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II | April 6, 1990 [12] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Kyūyaku Megami Tensei | March 31, 1995 [14] | none | none |
Notes: |
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Shin Megami Tensei | October 30, 1992 [17] | March 18, 2014 (iOS) [18] | March 18, 2014 (iOS) [19] |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei II | March 18, 1994 [25] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei If... | October 28, 1994 [30] | none | none |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei: Nine | December 5, 2002 [34] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne | February 20, 2003 [38] | October 12, 2004 [39] | July 1, 2005 [40] |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine | April 4, 2007 [43] | December 31, 2008 [44] | January 5, 2009 [45] |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey | October 8, 2009 [54] | March 23, 2010 [55] | May 18, 2018 (Nintendo 3DS) [56] |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei IV | May 23, 2013 [60] | July 16, 2013 [61] | October 30, 2014 [62] |
Notes:
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Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse | February 10, 2016 [63] | September 20, 2016 [64] | December 2, 2016 [65] |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei V | November 11, 2021 | November 12, 2021 [66] | November 12, 2021 [66] |
Notes:
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Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Revelations: The Demon Slayer | December 23, 1992 [69] | August 1999 (Game Boy Color) [70] | none |
Notes:
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Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible II | November 19, 1993 [73] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Last Bible III | March 4, 1995 [75] | none | none |
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Another Bible | March 4, 1995 [76] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special | March 24, 1995 [78] | none | none |
Notes: |
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Majin Tensei | January 28, 1994 [79] | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis | February 19, 1995 [80] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Ronde | October 30, 1997 [81] | none | none |
Notes:
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Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner | December 25, 1995 [83] | none | none |
Notes:
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Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers | November 13, 1997 [85] | April 16, 2013 (Nintendo 3DS) [86] | September 20, 2013 (Nintendo 3DS) [87] |
Notes: | |||
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army | March 2, 2006 [90] | October 10, 2006 [91] | April 27, 2007 [92] |
Notes: | |||
Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon | October 23, 2008 [94] | May 12, 2009 [95] | none |
Notes: | |||
Soul Hackers 2 | August 25, 2022 [96] | August 26, 2022 [96] | August 26, 2022 [96] |
Notes:
|
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Revelations: Persona | September 20, 1996 [97] | November 1996 [98] | August 11, 2010 (PlayStation Portable) [99] |
Notes: | |||
Persona 2: Innocent Sin | June 24, 1999 [102] | September 20, 2011 (PlayStation Portable) [103] | November 4, 2011 (PlayStation Portable) [104] |
Notes: | |||
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment | June 29, 2000 [106] | November 2000 [107] | none |
Notes: | |||
Persona 3 | July 13, 2006 [109] | August 14, 2007 [110] | February 29, 2008 [111] |
Notes:
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Persona 4 | July 10, 2008 [114] | December 9, 2008 [115] | March 12, 2009 [116] |
Notes:
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Persona 4 Arena | March 1, 2012 [120] | August 7, 2012 [121] | May 10, 2013 [122] |
Notes:
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Persona 4 Arena Ultimax | November 28, 2013 [125] | September 30, 2014 [126] | November 21, 2014 [127] |
Notes:
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Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth | June 5, 2014 [129] | November 25, 2014 [130] | November 28, 2014 [130] |
Notes: | |||
Persona 4: Dancing All Night | June 25, 2015 [131] | September 29, 2015 [132] | November 6, 2015 [132] |
Notes:
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Persona 5 | September 15, 2016 [134] | April 4, 2017 [135] | April 4, 2017 [135] |
Notes:
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Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight | May 24, 2018 [133] | December 4, 2018 [138] | December 4, 2018 [138] |
Notes: | |||
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight | May 24, 2018 [133] | December 4, 2018 [138] | December 4, 2018 [138] |
Notes: | |||
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth | November 29, 2018 [139] | June 4, 2019 [140] | June 4, 2019 [140] |
Notes:
| |||
Persona 5 Royal | October 31, 2019 | March 31, 2020 | March 31, 2020 |
Notes:
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Persona 5 Strikers | February 20, 2020 | February 23, 2021 | February 23, 2021 |
Notes:
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Persona 5 Tactica | November 17, 2023 | November 17, 2023 | November 17, 2023 |
Notes:
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Persona 3 Reload | February 2, 2024 | February 2, 2024 | February 2, 2024 |
Notes:
|
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – Black Book and Red Book | November 17, 2000 [142] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – White Book | July 27, 2001 [145] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei Trading Card: Card Summoner | July 27, 2001 [146] | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
DemiKids: Light Version and Dark Version | November 15, 2002 [148] | October 7, 2003 [149] | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – Puzzle de Call! | July 25, 2003 [150] | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – Book of Fire and Book of Ice | September 12, 2003 [151] | none | none |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – Messiah Riser | November 4, 2004 [152] | none | none |
Notes:
|
Title | Developer | Release date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Akuma Shōkan Program | Atlus | October 16, 2000 | [153] |
Shin Megami Tensei J | Atlus | April 1, 2002 | [154] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children – Appli de Call! | Atlus | April 28, 2003 | [155] |
Shin Megami Tensei: 20XX | Atlus | August 26, 2004 | [156] |
Shin Megami Tensei If... Hazama-hen | Atlus | May 26, 2004 | [157] |
Shin Megami Tensei Pinball: Judgment | KAZe | October 5, 2006 | [158] |
Megami Ibunroku Persona: Ikū no Tō-hen | Bbmf | December 1, 2006 | [159] |
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner: A's Test Server | Interactive Brains | April 18, 2007 | [160] |
Megami Tensei Chaining Soul: Persona 3 | Bbmf | May 14, 2007 | [161] |
Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker | Bbmf | July 11, 2007 | [162] |
Megami Tensei QIX: Persona 3 | Bbmf | July 19, 2007 | [163] |
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – Intruder | Bbmf | August 30, 2007 | [164] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Tokyo Requiem | Bbmf | April 2, 2007 | [165] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Colosseum 20XX | Bbmf | May 28, 2007 | [166] |
Aegis: The First Mission | Bbmf | October 29, 2007 | [167] |
Persona 3 éM | Interactive Brains | December 12, 2007 | [168] |
Persona 2 Tsumi: Lost Memories | Bbmf | December 27, 2007 | [169] |
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible New Testament | Bbmf | January 16, 2008 | [170] |
Illust Puzzle Persona 3 | Bbmf | March 3, 2008 | [171] |
Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker II | Bbmf | March 24, 2008 | [172] |
Persona 3: Broken Shadow | Bbmf | April 28, 2008 | [173] |
Shin Megami Tensei II Gaiden: Ma To Houkai | Bbmf | May 12, 2008 | [174] |
Onsen Nozokimi Daisakusen | Atlus | July 2, 2008 | [175] |
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – New Generation | Bbmf | July 22, 2008 | [176] |
Persona 2 Batsu: Infinity Mask | Bbmf | September 8, 2008 | [177] |
Persona Mobile Online | Bbmf | March 16, 2009 | [178] |
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible New Testament II | Bbmf | April 23, 2009 | [179] |
Persona 3 Social | Index Corporation | August 17, 2010 | [180] |
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible New Testament III | Bbmf | September 17, 2010 | [181] |
Persona 3 Escape | Bbmf | November 19, 2010 | [182] [183] |
Persona 4 Colors | Bbmf | January 19, 2011 | [184] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Hunter Zero | Index Corporation | January 21, 2011 | [185] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children | Index Corporation | July 13, 2011 | [186] |
Persona 4: The Card Battle | Index Corporation | September 24, 2012 | [187] |
Devil Survivor 2: The Extra World | Bbmf | April 9, 2013 | [188] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Collection | Index Corporation | August 8, 2013 | [189] |
Hanate Wotagei! Rise no Dance Battle | Atlus | June 17, 2015 | [190] |
Nanako to Odoro: Issho ni Pose! | Atlus | June 24, 2015 | [191] |
Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 | Sega | January 22, 2018 | [192] |
Title | Original release date | ||
---|---|---|---|
Japan | North America | PAL region | |
Jack Bros. | September 29, 1995 [193] | October/November 1995 [194] | none |
Notes:
| |||
Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku | 1997 [195] | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga | July 15, 2004 [196] | April 5, 2005 [197] | July 21, 2006 [198] |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 | January 27, 2005 [199] | October 3, 2005 [200] | February 16, 2007 [201] |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor | January 15, 2009 [202] | June 23, 2009 [203] | March 29, 2013 (Nintendo 3DS) [204] |
Notes:
| |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 | July 28, 2011 [206] | February 28, 2012 [207] | October 15, 2013 [208] |
Notes:
| |||
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE | December 26, 2015 [211] | June 24, 2016 [212] | June 24, 2016 [213] |
Notes: | |||
Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue | October 16, 2017 [214] | none | none |
|
Megami Tensei, marketed internationally as Shin Megami Tensei, is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed and published by Atlus, and currently owned by Atlus, the franchise consists of multiple subseries and covers multiple role-playing video game genres including tactical role-playing, action role-playing, and massively multiplayer online role-playing. The first two titles in the series were published by Namco, but have been almost always published by Atlus in Japan and North America since the release of Shin Megami Tensei. For Europe, Atlus publishes the games through third-party companies.
Shin Megami Tensei is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for the Super Famicom. Originally released in 1992 in Japan, it has been ported to multiple systems and eventually released in the West for iOS in 2014. It was released on the Virtual Console service in Japan on Wii in 2007 and on Wii U in 2013, as well as Nintendo Switch Online in 2020. It is the third game in the Megami Tensei series and the first in the central Shin Megami Tensei series. The gameplay uses first-person navigation of dungeons and turn-based battles against demons. The player can recruit demons as allies by talking to them rather than fighting them, and two to three demons can be fused to create new demons.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei refers to two distinct role-playing video games based on a trilogy of science fantasy novels by Japanese author Aya Nishitani. One version was developed by Atlus and published by Namco in 1987 for the Famicom—Atlus would go on to create further games in the Megami Tensei franchise. A separate version for personal computers was developed and published by Telenet Japan with assistance from Atlus during the same year.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and published by Namco for the Famicom. An enhanced Super Famicom port was developed by Opera House and released by Atlus in 1995. The second entry in the Megami Tensei series, the gameplay features the unnamed protagonist exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, battling and recruiting demons as they are pushed into taking part in a conflict between the demonic forces of Lucifer and the army of the One True God.
Shin Megami Tensei II is a post-apocalyptic role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in 1994 in Japan, and has since been ported to multiple platforms. It is the second game in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which is a subset of the larger Megami Tensei franchise.
Shin Megami Tensei If…, stylized as Shin Megami Tensei if…, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus in 1994 for the Super Famicom. It is a spin-off from the Shin Megami Tensei series, itself part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Since release, it has been ported to mobile devices, PlayStation and Microsoft Windows; it had also been re-released on the Virtual Console in Japan on Wii in 2011 and Wii U in 2013, as well as Nintendo Switch Online in 2021. The story follows a student of Karukozaka High School after their school is sucked into the realm of demons by a vengeful student's demon summoning spell going wrong.
Majin Tensei is a series of strategy video games published by Atlus. It is a spin-off from Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise, and began with 1994's Majin Tensei. Since then, four further titles have been released: Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis (1995), Ronde (1997), Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker (2007) and Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker II (2008). The player navigates a field seen from a top-down or three-quarters perspective as a human character, and battles demons; they can also recruit demons, and fuse multiple allied demons to create new, stronger demons.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. Forming part of the Megami Tensei franchise, it is the first title in the Devil Summoner series. It was first released for the Sega Saturn in December 1995, and received a port to the PlayStation Portable in December 2005. Despite reports of it being planned for localization, neither version has been released outside Japan.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin is a 1999 role-playing video game by Atlus for the PlayStation. It is the second entry in the Persona series, itself a subseries of the Megami Tensei franchise, and acts as a sequel to the original Persona. The game was re-released in 2011 for the PlayStation Portable. The original version was not localized for western territories; however, the PSP version was released in North America and Europe under the title Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 – Innocent Sin.
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible is a role-playing video game series developed by Multimedia Intelligence Transfer, Sega, and Menue, and published by Atlus and Sega for multiple platforms. The first game of the series, Revelations: The Demon Slayer, was released in 1992; this is the only title in the series to have been released in English. After The Demon Slayer, two sequels and five spin-off titles have been released. In the main series titles, players explore the game world and fight monsters in menu-based battles; players can also attempt to recruit monsters to their party, and can fuse two allied monsters into a single new one to try to get stronger monsters. The spin-off title Another Bible is a turn-based strategy game, while Last Bible Special is a role-playing game controlled from a first-person perspective.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children, also known as DemiKids, is a series of role-playing video games primarily developed by Multimedia Intelligence Transfer and published by Atlus. It is a spin-off from Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise, and began in 2000 with the Game Boy Color games Black Book and Red Book. Five more role-playing games and three games in other genres were released until 2004, followed by no new releases until the 2011 social game Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children. In addition to the games, the series has been adapted into manga, anime, and a trading card game, and two soundtrack albums have been released by First Smile Entertainment.
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, formerly known as Megami Tensei Online: Imagine, was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Windows. It is part of the Megami Tensei series, and was developed by CAVE and later on GungHo Online Entertainment under license from the series creator Atlus. Originally released in Japan in 2007, it was later released in North America in 2008, then in Europe in 2009. Imagine is set between Shin Megami Tensei and its sequel, in the aftermath of a war which devastated humanity and prompted the arrival of hostile demons split into two opposing factions: Law and Chaos. The player character, a Demon Buster, is tasked with interacting with and fighting the demons that infest post-apocalyptic Tokyo. The gameplay uses real-time combat in open environments similar to other MMORPGs, while carrying over the Megami Tensei series' recurring demon recruitment and fusion mechanics.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nine is a 2002 role-playing video game developed by Atlus and NexTech, and published by Atlus for the Xbox. Forming part of the Megami Tensei series, Nine takes place in the period of time between Shin Megami Tensei and its sequel, with the survivors of Tokyo's destruction sheltering in underground bunkers. Taking on the role of a debugger, the player navigates the Idea Space virtual world set up by the survivors of Tokyo's destruction, which has come under attack by demonic beings called "noise". The gameplay has the player navigating a customized avatar in third-person through the virtual world of Tokyo, battling enemies using a real-time command-based battle system. Despite its title, it is the eighth game in the Megami Tensei series. The game's title instead refers to the number of possible moral alignments available to players.
Devil Summoner, initially marketed as Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, is a video game franchise developed and primarily published by Atlus. Focused on a series of role-playing video games, Devil Summoner is a spin-off from Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise. The first entry in the series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, was released in 1995 for the Sega Saturn. The series has seen several more games since, with the most recent main entry being Soul Hackers 2 released in 2022.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and Lancarse for the Nintendo DS. The game is the sixth entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which forms the core of the Megami Tensei franchise. It was released in Japan in 2009, and in North America in 2010. An enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released in Japan in 2017, and was released internationally in 2018 by Atlus in North America and Deep Silver in Europe.
Megami Ibunroku Persona: Ikū no Tō-hen is a role-playing video game developed and published by Bbmf. It is a spin-off from Atlus's 1996 game Revelations: Persona, and part of the Persona series, itself a part of the larger Megami Tensei series. It was originally released for Japanese feature phones on December 1, 2006, and was re-released by G-Mode for Nintendo Switch and Windows in September 2023 as part of their G-Mode Archives+ line, after being unavailable for years.
Shin Megami Tensei: 20XX is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. It is part of their Megami Tensei series, and is a prequel to the 1994 game Shin Megami Tensei II, taking place decades earlier. It was released for Japanese feature phones starting on August 26, 2004, and was followed by the spin-off game Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Colosseum 20XX in 2007.
Shin Megami Tensei J, also released as Shin Megami Tensei EZ, was a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. It is part of the Megami Tensei series, and was released for Japanese feature phones starting on April 1, 2002, through a monthly subscription.