Megami Tensei

Last updated
Megami Tensei
Megami Tensei logo.png
Genre(s) Role-playing, monster-taming
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Atlus
Creator(s)
  • Aya Nishitani
  • Kouji Okada
  • Gin'ichiro Suzuki
  • Kazunari Suzuki
Platform(s)
Various
First release Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
September 11, 1987
Latest release Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
June 14, 2024
Spin-offs

Megami Tensei, [a] marketed internationally as Shin Megami Tensei (formerly Revelations), 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 (and Sega, after acquisition), 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 (now Bandai Namco Entertainment), 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.

Contents

The series was originally based on Digital Devil Story, a science fiction novel series by Aya Nishitani. The series takes its name from the first book's subtitle. Most Megami Tensei titles are stand-alone entries with their own stories and characters. Recurring elements include plot themes, a story shaped by the player's choices, and the ability to fight using and often recruit creatures (demons, Personas) to aid the player in battle. Elements of philosophy, religion, occultism, and science fiction have all been incorporated into the series at different times.

While not maintaining as high a profile as series such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest , it is highly popular in Japan and maintains a strong cult following in the West, finding critical and commercial success. The series has become well known for its artistic direction, challenging gameplay, and music, but raised controversy over its mature content, dark themes, and use of Christian religious imagery. Additional media include manga adaptations, anime films, and television series.

In Japan, some games in the series do not use the "Megami Tensei" title, such as the Persona sub-series. Many of the early games in the series were not localized due to potentially controversial content including religious references, and later due to their age. English localizations have used the "Shin Megami Tensei" moniker since the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne in 2003.

Titles

Games

The first installment in the franchise, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei , was released on September 11, 1987. [1] The following entries have nearly always been unrelated to each other except in carrying over thematic and gameplay elements. The Megami Tensei games, and the later Shin Megami Tensei titles form the core of the series, while other subseries such as Persona, Devil Children, and Devil Summoner are spin-offs marketed as part of the franchise. There are also stand-alone spin-off titles. [2] [3]

Main series

Release timeline
1987 Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
1988–1989
1990 Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II
1991
1992 Shin Megami Tensei
1993
1994 Shin Megami Tensei II
Shin Megami Tensei If...
1995 Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei
1996–2001
2002 Shin Megami Tensei: Nine
2003 Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
2004–2006
2007 Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
2008
2009 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
2010–2012
2013 Shin Megami Tensei IV
2014–2015
2016 Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
2017 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
2018 Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2
2019
2020 Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
2021 Shin Megami Tensei V
2022–2023
2024 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Two entries were released for the Famicom: Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei in 1987, and Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II in 1990. [1] [4] The two titles are unrelated to each other in terms of story, and each introduced the basic gameplay and story mechanics that would come to define the series. [5] Two entries were released for the Super Famicom: Shin Megami Tensei in 1992, and Shin Megami Tensei II in 1994. [5]

After a nine-year gap, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2. Its Maniax Edition director's cut was released in Japan and North America in 2004, and in Europe in 2005. The numeral was dropped for its North American release, and its title changed to Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call in Europe. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The next entry, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey , was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America. [11] Shin Megami Tensei IV for the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2013 in Japan and North America, and a year later in Europe as a digital-only release. [12] [13] [14] Another game set in the same universe, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse , was released for the 3DS in February 2016 in Japan. [15] Shin Megami Tensei V was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021. [16] An enhanced version of the game titled Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance was released in June 2024 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

In addition to the main series, there are Shin Megami Tensei spin-off games. The first is Shin Megami Tensei If... , released in the same year and on the same system as Shin Megami Tensei II. [17] The second, Shin Megami Tensei: Nine , was released for the Xbox in 2002. [18] Originally designed as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), it was later split into a dual single-player and multiplayer package, and the single-player version released first. The online version was delayed and eventually cancelled as the developers could not manage the required online capacities using Xbox Live. [19] [20] A true MMORPG, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine , was released for Microsoft Windows in 2007 in Japan, 2008 in North America, and 2009 in Europe. [21] [22] [23] Western service was terminated in 2014 when Marvelous USA, the game's then-handlers, shut down their PC Online game department. [24] Its Japanese service ended in May 2016. [25] A smartphone game, Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 , was released in 2018. [26]

Persona

The Persona series is the largest and most popular spin-off from the Megami Tensei series. [27] The first entry in the series, Megami Ibunroku Persona (originally released overseas as Revelations: Persona ), was released in 1996 in Japan and North America. [28] [29] The first Persona 2 title, Innocent Sin , was released in 1999 in Japan. [28] The second game, Eternal Punishment , was released in 2000 in Japan and North America. [28] [30] Persona 3 was released in 2006 in Japan, 2007 in North America, and 2008 in Europe. [31] [32] [33] Its sequel, Persona 4 , was released in 2008 in Japan and North America, and in 2009 in Europe. [34] [35] [36] A sixth entry in the series, Persona 5 , was released in Japan on September 15, 2016, and was released in North America and Europe on April 4, 2017, [37] to critical acclaim. In addition to the main Persona games are spin-offs, so far focused on Persona 3, 4 and 5: the canon spin-offs Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth , two fighting games Persona 4 Arena and its sequel Arena Ultimax as well as the crossover fighting game BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle , and rhythm games Persona 4: Dancing All Night , Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight , and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight . [38] [39] While Persona 3 and 4 used the Shin Megami Tensei moniker in the West, it was dropped for the Persona 4 Arena duology and Persona 4 Golden as it would have made the titles too long to be practical. [27] [40]

Devil Summoner

The Devil Summoner subseries began in 1995 with the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner . [5] It was followed by Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers in 1997, [28] which itself is followed by Soul Hackers 2 , released in 2022. [41] Two action role-playing prequels set in 1920s Tokyo were also developed, which revolve around demon summoner Raidou Kuzunoha: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army was released in 2006, and Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon was released in 2008. [6]

Other spin-offs

Aside from Persona and Devil Summoner, there are other spin-off series covering multiple genres. After the release of Shin Megami Tensei II, Atlus began focusing work on building spin-offs and subseries that would form part of the Megami Tensei franchise. [2] Shortly after Nocturne's release, a duology titled Digital Devil Saga (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner in Japan) was created based around similar systems to Nocturne, and was also intended as a more accessible gaming experience. [42] Two tactical role-playing games have been developed by Atlus for the DS under the Devil Survivor moniker: the original Devil Survivor and Devil Survivor 2 . [43] [44] Both have received expanded ports for the 3DS. [45] [46] Other subseries include Last Bible , a series aimed at a younger audience and using a pure fantasy setting; [3] Devil Children , which was inspired by the popular Pokémon series; [47] and Majin Tensei , a series of strategy games. [48] Two notable stand-alone spin-offs are action spin-off Jack Bros. and Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE , a crossover with Intelligent Systems' Fire Emblem series. [49] [50]

Several titles in the franchise have received anime and manga adaptations: Persona 3 received both a four-part theatrical adaptation ( #1 Spring of Birth , #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream , #3 Falling Down , #4 Winter of Rebirth ), [51] [52] [53] [54] and a spin-off series titled Persona: Trinity Soul . [55] Persona 4 received two adaptations: Persona 4: The Animation , based on the original game, and Persona 4: The Golden Animation, based on its expanded PlayStation Vita port. [56] [57] A live-action television series based on the original Devil Summoner was broadcast between 1997 and 1998. [58] Devil Survivor 2 also received an anime adaptation of the same name, while the Devil Children series received two anime adaptations. [3] [59] Multiple Shin Megami Tensei and Persona titles have received manga and CD drama adaptations. [3] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] Action figures and merchandise related to Persona have also been produced. [66] [67]

Common elements

Despite most games in the series taking place in different continuities, they do share certain elements. One of its defining traits is it being set in a contemporary urban environment, specifically modern-day Tokyo. Post-apocalyptic elements are a recurring feature in settings and narratives. [3] [68] This choice was originally made to set the game apart from other fantasy-based gaming franchises of the time, as modern day Tokyo was rarely seen in games as opposed to versions of it from the past. [68] [69] The Persona series takes place exclusively within this setting, spanning a single continuity and mostly focusing on the exploits of a group of young people. [27] [70]

Shin Megami Tensei II is one of the notable early exceptions to the series' common setting, as it is set in a science fiction-styled future despite still including fantasy elements. [71] The Last Bible series also shifted to a full fantasy setting. [3] Two more recent notable departures were Strange Journey, which shifted the focus to Antarctica to portray the threat on a global scale, and Shin Megami Tensei IV, which included a medieval-stage society existing separately from a modern-day Tokyo. [72] [73] The Devil Summoner games take the form of modern-day detective stories as opposed to post-apocalyptic settings. [3]

The series title translates as "Reincarnation of the Goddess": this has carried over into the current Shin Megami Tensei series, which has been officially translated as "True Goddess Metempsychosis". The word "Metempsychosis" refers to the cycle of reincarnation that ties into many Megami Tensei stories. The reborn goddess of the title has multiple meanings: it refers to a female character in each game that could be interpreted as the goddess, and is also representative of the drastic changes a location undergoes during a game. [2] [5] The concept of reincarnation was also included in narratives and gameplay mechanics to tie in with these themes. [5] The series' overarching title has been truncated to "MegaTen" by series fans. Originating in Japan, the abbreviation has become a common term for the series among its fans. [74] [75] Its subseries Persona is named as "Nǚshén Yìwénlù" (simplified Chinese :女神异闻录; traditional Chinese :女神異聞錄; lit.'Alternate Tale of the Goddess') in Chinese, originating from the Japan version of Megami Tensei series used this term as subtitles in early spin-offs. [76]

Gameplay

Screenshot of the Press Turn system as it appears in Shin Megami Tensei IV. Allied demons include designs by Kazuma Kaneko. SMT IV gameplay.jpg
Screenshot of the Press Turn system as it appears in Shin Megami Tensei IV. Allied demons include designs by Kazuma Kaneko.

The gameplay in the series has become notable for its high difficulty, along with several mechanics that have endured between games. [77] A key element present since the first Megami Tensei is the ability to recruit demons to fight alongside the player in battle, alongside the ability to fuse two different demons together to create a more powerful demon. [5] Equivalents to these systems appear in the later Persona titles. [78] The game's most recognizable battle system is the Press Turn system, first introduced in Nocturne. The Press Turn System is a turn-based battle mechanic governing both the player party and enemies, where either party are rewarded an extra turn for striking an enemy's weakness, but can also lose turns if attacks miss or are blocked. [42] [79] [80] A Moon Phase System or equivalent, in which phases of the moon or changes in the weather affected the behavior of enemies, is also featured in multiple games. [79] [81]

The layouts of the first two Megami Tensei games were noticeably different from later games: Megami Tensei used a 3D first-person perspective, while Megami Tensei II used a combination of first-person 3D displays for battle and top-down 2D displays for navigation. The change was suggested by staff members who did not want players getting lost in a large 3D environment. [5] The 2D/first person viewpoint continued until Nocturne, which switched to a third-person perspective. This was done due to a condition similar to car sickness called "3D sickness" with first person shooters in Japan at the time: the developers wanted something for players to focus on. [2] A first-person perspective was reintroduced in Strange Journey, and incorporated into IV's battles along with navigable 3D environments. [82] [83]

Plots and themes

Each title focuses on the extraordinary invading the ordinary world, though the two main Megami Tensei series focus on different things: Shin Megami Tensei focuses more on the main protagonist gaining the power needed to survive in a world ruled over by tyrannical deities, while Persona focuses on interpersonal relationships and the psychology of a group of people. [72] The protagonist is generally male within the Shin Megami Tensei titles: while a female lead or the ability to choose a lead's gender is not out of the question, some staff feel that Shin Megami Tensei lead roles are better suited to a male character. [81] Throughout its lifetime, the series has incorporated elements of Gnosticism, various world mythologies and religions including Christianity and Buddhism, early science fiction, Jungian psychology and archetypes, occultism, goth, punk, and cyberpunk. [2] [5] [73] [77] [84] [85] [86] The science fiction and fantasy elements are brought together and unified through the use of philosophical concepts, enabling a blending of concepts and aesthetics that might normally clash. [77]

The stories of the core Shin Megami Tensei titles frequently include fighting against a tyrannical God. [87] The method of story-telling in the series can involve traditional use of cutscenes and spoken dialogue (Persona, Digital Devil Saga), or a text-based minimalist approach that places emphasis on atmosphere (Nocturne). [77] A tradition within the core Shin Megami Tensei series is to focus on a single playable character as opposed to a group. [85] Alongside other recurring characters is Lucifer, the fallen angel who stands against God and is portrayed in multiple forms to represent his omnipotence. [88] Since Megami Tensei II, the series has used a morality-based decision system, where the player's actions affect the outcome of the story. [5] In Megami Tensei II, the alignments were first defined as "Law" (the forces of God) and "Chaos" (the army of Lucifer). [68] In future games, an additional "Neutral" route was included where the player could reject both sides. [72] Selected games have been thematically or otherwise linked to a particular alignment. Shin Megami Tensei II, due to events prior to the story, focuses on the "Law" alignment. For Nocturne, all the characters were roughly aligned with "Chaos", which was done both to bring variety to the series and allow the development team more creative freedom. [89] [90] Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is restricted to a "Neutral" alignment while still having multiple endings. [91] The three-tiered alignment was used in Strange Journey, and continued into Shin Megami Tensei IV. [72] [92]

Development and history

Origins

The Megami Tensei series began life as a media expansion of the Digital Devil Story series, a trilogy of science-fantasy novels written by Aya Nishitani during the 1980s. [68] The media expansion was handled by Nishitani and his publisher Tokuma Shoten. [93] [94] The game was developed at Atlus and published by Bandai Namco (then Namco). Although they wanted to incorporate as much of the original story as possible, the limited capabilities of the Famicom made this goal nearly impossible. [5] [68] [95] The series' creators were Kouji Okada (credited as Cozy Okada in English), Ginichiro Suzuki, and Ginichiro's son Kazunari. [5] [96] The game proved popular in Japan, and effectively launched the Megami Tensei franchise, with its more ambitious sequel following in 1990. [5] [95] During the development of Shin Megami Tensei, which was driven by the concept of a Super Famicom game with the company's brand on it, the team slowly decided that they wanted to break the then-current gaming status quo using its aesthetic and content. [97] Despite this attitude, the staff considered Shin Megami Tensei to be a remake of Megami Tensei II. [5] In many of these earlier games, staff members at Atlus had cameos. [5]

The majority of the Megami Tensei series is developed by Atlus' R&D Department 1. [98] Other developers have been involved with the series: these include Multimedia Intelligence Transfer (Last Bible series), Lancarse (Strange Journey), CAVE (Imagine) and Nex Entertainment (Nine), and Arc System Works (Persona 4 Arena). [22] [72] [99] [100] [101] [102] Most of the games up to 2003 were handled by Okada, but when he departed to form his own company Gaia, Kazuma Kaneko became the series' creative director. [88] [96] There are two main writers in the franchise: Shogo Isogai and Ryutaro Ito. [5] [103] Ito first worked on Megami Tensei II, joining the team after development to write the script, along with working with the script and being part of the debug team. [5] Isogai's first work for the series was the script for Shin Megami Tensei II. [103] The next entry If... was also written by Ito, and designed as a departure from the grand scale of previous games, instead being set within a cloistered school environment. His final work for the series was the first Devil Summoner. [5] Isogai also worked on Shin Megami Tensei II and If..., and later worked on multiple Devil Summoner games, Nocturne and Strange Journey. [103] The music for the first five main Megami Tensei titles was composed by Tsukasa Masuko. [5] [104] For Nocturne, Shoji Meguro, who had done work on earlier spin-off titles, was brought in. He later became well known for his work on the Persona titles. [105] [106] [107]

Art design

The demons as seen in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, including the designs by various Megami Tensei artists. Shin Megami Tensei V- Vengeance demons.png
The demons as seen in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, including the designs by various Megami Tensei artists.

The Shin Megami Tensei and Persona art styles have been defined by two different artists: Kazuma Kaneko and Shigenori Soejima. [28] [89] Kaneko had a long history with the series, having done some work on the original Megami Tensei titles. [89] His first prominent work for the series was on Shin Megami Tensei, who worked on both the sprite art and promotional artwork for the game's characters and demons. He was also responsible for suggesting many of the game's darker features, defining the series' eventual identity. [97] Before designing each demon, Kaneko looks up his chosen subject to get their mythological background, and uses that in their design. Many of Kaneko's demon designs were influenced by both creatures and deities from world mythology, and monsters from popular culture like Godzilla. [77] [89] Alongside working on Shin Megami Tensei II, If... and Nocturne, he also did character designs for the first three Persona games. [71] [89] [97] [108] Kaneko's style has been described as "cold [and] stoic", evolving into that state over time to keep the artwork as close as possible to the in-game render. [89] He states that he mainly does line drawings for the artwork. He starts his artwork with pencil, and then scans them onto a computer so other artists can work on them digitally. [109]

Soejima's first work for the series was as part of the digital coloring team for the first Devil Summoner. He later had minor roles in artwork and character design in the first Persona and Soul Hackers. He later did the secondary characters for the Persona 2 duology, and was also part of the team checking over the PlayStation ports of the first three Shin Megami Tensei games, as well as minor work on Nocturne. [28] Soejima was chosen as the lead designer for Persona 3 by Kaneko, as Kaneko wanted the younger staff members to gain experience. [89] Persona 3 proved challenging for Soejima as he needed to refine his drawing style and take the expectations of series fans into account. He would go on to design for Persona 3/FES and Portable, Persona 4, and Persona 5. [28] [110] Soejima's drawing style is recognized as being lighter-toned than Kaneko's work on the Shin Megami Tensei games. [89]

Other designers have also worked on the series. For Nine, the developers wanted to have a new style to suit the game's original vision, so the characters were designed by animator Yasuomi Umetsu. [111] the new main designer for the series is Masayuki Doi, who had made a name for himself with the Trauma Center series; and designed the main characters for Shin Megami Tensei IV . Inspired in his work by Kaneko's designs, he created the main characters' clothing to be a blend of Japanese and western fashions while incorporating design elements from the Star Wars series. After the success of IV, he went on to become the main demon designer for Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and Shin Megami Tensei V , while still retaining his job as lead character designer. [112] [113] [114] For the Devil Survivor games, Atlus were aiming to appeal to a wider audience and reinvigorate the Megami Tensei franchise, hiring Suzuhito Yasuda as character designer for this purpose. Some monsters in the second Devil Survivor were designed by manga artist Mohiro Kitoh. [115] [116]

Localization

For a long time, the Megami Tensei franchise was not exported to western territories despite there being a recognized market. The original reasons were the heavy religious themes and symbols used, which were considered taboo in western game markets, and Nintendo's strict content guidelines for overseas releases. [68] [117] [118] Later, many of these early works were prevented from coming overseas due to their age, which would have put them at a disadvantage in the modern gaming market. [87] Early entries on the PlayStation were also blocked by Sony of America's then-current approval policies. [85] The first title in the franchise to be localized was Jack Bros.; [49] the first role-playing game in the franchise to receive an overseas release was the first Persona game. This was done to give Atlus' North American branch a flagship RPG franchise that could compete with the likes of Final Fantasy , Suikoden and Breath of Fire . [119] According to Okada, the naming of creatures and enemies was adjusted from the main series and original Japanese release of Persona to make it more acceptable for an overseas audience. [68] Though it managed to establish the franchise overseas, the localization was a taxing task due to a small staff and the need to change multiple aspects to suit a North American audience, including removing references to Japanese culture and changing one character from Japanese to African-American. This, and other changes were fixed in the re-release on the PlayStation Portable. The first Persona 2 title, Innocent Sin, needed to be passed over due to shortage of manpower and the fact that development was focused on the second title, Eternal Punishment. [119]

Nocturne was the first release in the Shin Megami Tensei series to be released overseas. [120] After the release of Nocturne, Atlus' overseas branches decided to add the Shin Megami Tensei moniker to future releases within the Megami Tensei franchise to help market the games. Despite many of the original games not bearing the moniker, it ultimately worked in Atlus' favor as, regardless of title differences, the games chosen for localization were all part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise, and using the core Shin Megami Tensei moniker kept all the titles under a single banner. [119] [121] Before this decision was made, the series was given the localized title Revelations, used for the first Persona and the first Last Bible. [49] [121] Later, changes to titles were made to make them less unwieldy, such as with Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army. Called Raidō Kuzunoha vs. The Super-Powered Army in Japan, the title was altered as it sounded "goofy" in English. [87] By the time Strange Journey was in development, the franchise had a strong presence overseas, so the team created Strange Journey with localization in mind: the two aspects actively linked with this were the game's setting in Antarctica as opposed to modern-day Japan, and the fact that it was not given a numeral. [122] Starting with Shin Megami Tensei IV, the company decided to actively promote the franchise overseas to North America, Europe and mainland Asia. [117] After 2016, due to Atlus USA's merger with Sega of America, Sega took over North American publishing duties, although the Atlus brand remained intact. [123]

In general, Atlus publishes Megami Tensei games in Japan and North America, but as they lack a European branch, they publish titles in the region through third-party companies such as Ghostlight and NIS America. [124] [125] [126] Their latest partnership, after their deal with NIS America ended with the publication of Odin Sphere Leifthrasir , was with European publishing firm Deep Silver to publish multiple titles in the region, including Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and Persona 5. [127] [128] Atlus has occasionally published titles digitally in Europe. [129] [130]

Reception

Prior to its popularity in the west, the game was a major franchise in Japan, having sold over four million copies by 2003. [120] Excluding the Persona series, the Megami Tensei series sold approximately 7.2 million copies by October 2017. [131] By October 2018, the Megami Tensei main series has shifted approximately 12.4 million packaged and digital copies (including DL of free-to-play titles [132] ) of games worldwide. In addition, the Persona sub-series sold 9.3 million copies, bringing total franchise numbers to 21.7 million units (including DL of free-to-play titles [132] ) by 2018. [133] Excluding the Persona series, the Megami Tensei series had supplied 19.2 million copies by 2023, including free-to-play titles. [134] As of 5 March 2024, the Persona series has sold 22.6 million units worldwide. [135] Based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment , the combined fanbase of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series within Japan has an average age of 32 years, and a male-to-female ratio that skews 40:60. [136]

Japanese website 4Gamer.net referred to the series as one of Japan's biggest role-playing franchises. [69] UGO Networks writer K. Thor Jensen cited the first Megami Tensei game as the first successful use of cyberpunk aesthetics in video games, saying that the series' mix of science fiction elements and the occult "create a truly unique fictional cyberpunk world". [137] Nintendo Power has noted that Atlus always mixes "familiar gameplay" with surprising settings when creating games for the series, citing Persona, with its "modern-day horror stories" and "teams of Japanese high-school kids", as the perfect example. The editor also added that Strange Journey followed a similar system, calling it a "science-fiction makeover" of the series. [138] In an article about the interaction of Japanese and Western gaming culture, 1UP.com mentioned the Shin Megami Tensei subseries alongside Nippon Ichi Software's Disgaea series. Kurt Kalata wrote: "[They] may not be big sellers, but they've garnered underground success and attracted thousands of obsessed fans." [139] GameSpot writer Andrew Vestal referred to the series as the third biggest RPG series in Japan after Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest . [140] IGN 's Matt Coleman mentioned Nocturne in the article "A History of Console RPGs", referring to its content as "challenging stuff for a genre that used to be all about princess saving and evil cleansing". [141]

Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II and Shin Megami Tensei both appeared on Famitsu 's 2006 "Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time" audience poll at No. 58 and No. 59, respectively. [142] RPGFan's "Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade" list was topped by the two Digital Devil Saga games, followed by Persona 3 in second place, while Persona 4 ranked fourth place. [143] Kalata, writing for Gamasutra, referred to Nocturne as one of the 20 essential RPGs for players of the genre. [10] GameTrailers cited the Press Turn system as one of the best JRPG battle systems in existence, with particular reference to the version used in Shin Megami Tensei IV. [144]

Alongside its critical acclaim, the series has garnered controversy both in Japan and overseas. [118] [145] Amongst the material cited are its demon negotiation mechanic, depictions of suicide and cannibalism, religious criticism, its use and mixture of Christian and occult imagery, political references, depictions of homosexuality, and its sometimes-strange demon designs. [118] [146] Specific examples have been cited by western journalists. The original release of Persona caused concern due to the title's religious implications. [27] 1UP.com's 2007 game awards, which ran in the March 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly , Persona 3 was given the "Most controversial game that created no controversy" award: the writers said "Rockstar's Hot Coffee sex scandal and Bully 's boy-on-boy kissing's got nothing on this PS2 role-player's suicide-initiated battles or subplot involving student-teacher dating." [147] GamesRadar included the series on its list of "Controversies Waiting to Happen", saying that the lack of public outcry was due to its niche status when compared to other series with similar content. [146] Writing for 1UP.com in a later article, Kalata traced this use of controversial content back to the Digital Devil Story novels, which depicted violence and rape committed by demons, and said that "Such violence is not particularly rare in the land of Japanese animation, but it became even more disturbing in Megami Tensei II. [118] A Chinese game regulation document in 2021 cited Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse as an example of unsuitable depictions of religious figures. [148]

In a review of the Shin Megami Tensei series in Black Gate , Josh Bycer said "the Shin Megami Tensei series is very similar to Pokémon, in the use of an ever changing party roster. However Shin Megami Tensei did come first and is more mature, both in terms of design and storytelling." [149]

Notes

  1. ↑ Megami Tensei (Japanese: 女神転生) is often translated as "Reincarnation of the Goddess", and commonly abbreviated as MegaTen (メガテン).

Related Research Articles

<i>Shin Megami Tensei</i> (video game) 1992 role-playing video game

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.

<i>Revelations: Persona</i> 1996 role-playing game

Revelations: Persona, released in Japan as Megami Ibunroku Persona, is a 1996 role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. It is the first entry in the Persona series, itself a subseries of the Megami Tensei franchise, and the first role-playing entry in the series to be released in the west. Originally released for the PlayStation in 1996 in Japan and North America, the title was ported to Microsoft Windows in 1999. A port to the PlayStation Portable retitled Shin Megami Tensei: Persona was released in North America and Japan in 2009, and the following year in Europe. This port featured new cutscenes and a reworked English localization that was more faithful to the original Japanese release, as the original 1996 North American localization was heavily criticized for its unfaithfulness to the original Japanese version. The PlayStation version was also released for the PlayStation Classic on December 3, 2018 worldwide, marking the PlayStation version being released in Europe for the first time.

<i>Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei</i> 1987 action RPG and dungeon crawler

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.

<i>Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II</i> 1990 role-playing game

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei II</i> 1994 role-playing video game

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne</i> 2003 video game

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus for the PlayStation 2. It was published by Atlus in Japan and North America, and by Ghostlight in Europe. It is the third numbered entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series, the central series in the Megami Tensei franchise. Multiple versions of the game have been published: the original version was published in Japan by Atlus in 2003, while a director's cut was released in 2004 in Japan. The director's cut was localized and released in North America in 2004 as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and in PAL regions in 2005 as Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call. A high-definition remaster was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2020, and was internationally released in 2021 on those consoles and Windows.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga</i> Role-playing game series

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga is a duology of role-playing video games developed by Atlus for the PlayStation 2. They are a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series. The first Digital Devil Saga was released in Japan in 2004, North America in 2005, and Europe in 2006. Its direct sequel, Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2, released in 2005 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australasia. The games were published in Europe and Australasia by Ghostlight and in other regions by Atlus and its North American subsidiary Atlus USA.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei If…</i> 1994 role-playing video game

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner</i> 1995 role-playing video game

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.

<i>Persona 2: Innocent Sin</i> 1999 role-playing game

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.

Kazuma Kaneko is a Japanese video game artist and designer for Japanese video game company Atlus. Kaneko is best known for his work in the Megami Tensei series of video games, acting as a character designer across multiple games. Kaneko is often referred to as the "Demon Artist" due to his artistic ability to represent otherworldly and demonic forms. During his professional career, Kaneko has also done freelance work for videogame companies Capcom and Konami, designing Dante and Vergil's Devil Trigger forms in the video game Devil May Cry 3, as well as designing the characters Inhert and Lloyd in Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children</i> Video game series

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine</i> 2007 online role-playing video game

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Nine</i> 2002 role-playing game

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.

<i>Devil Summoner</i> Video game series

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.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor</i> 2009 video game

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is a 2009 tactical role-playing game developed and published by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. It is a spin-off within the wider Megami Tensei series. An expanded version subtitled Overclocked was released on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan and North America by Atlus in 2011, and in Europe by Ghostlight in 2013. Following a group of teenagers in Tokyo who are trapped inside a government lockdown following an invasion of demons, the gameplay is divided between story events tied to an in-game clock, and tactical grid-based combat with a turn-based battle system. Which events and battles are completed can unlock different endings.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey</i> 2009 role-playing game

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Digital Devil Monogatari: Megami Tensei". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "An Interview By You". Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne: The Official Strategy Guide. DoubleJump Publishing. 2004. pp. 384–387. ISBN   978-0974170046.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lada, Jenny (2009-11-13). "Important Importables: Shin Megami Tensei". Technology Tell. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  4. ↑ "Digital Devil Monogatari: Megami Tensei II". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Shigihara, Moriyuki (2007-11-06). "CHAPTER.04 Ryutaro Ito". ゲーム職人 第1集 だから日本のゲームは面白い (in Japanese). Micro Magazine Inc. ISBN   978-4896372670.
  6. 1 2 "Atlus Products" (in Japanese). Atlus. Archived from the original on 2015-04-26. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
  7. ↑ Guisinger, Elliot (2004-12-28). "Atlus to Re-release Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  8. ↑ Young, Billy (2014-03-12). "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Sees Another Delay". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2004-10-02.
  9. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (2005-04-24). "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne gets Euro release". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  10. 1 2 Kalata, Kurt (2008-03-19). "A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20". Gamasutra . p. 8. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  11. ↑ "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  12. ↑ Romano, Sal (2013-02-19). "Shin Megami Tensei IV Japanese release date set". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  13. ↑ Cunningham, Becky (2013-07-10). "Club Nintendo Offers Special RPG Deal". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  14. ↑ Karen Halloran (2014-10-18). "Shin Megami Tensei IV Dated for 30th October in Europe". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  15. ↑ ヒトは, "神殺し"の速具なのか?. Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 1401. Enterbrain. 2015-10-08. pp. 14–23.
  16. ↑ "『真・女神転生V』発表＆PV公開！ ニンテンドースイッチ向けの新作が正統ナンバリングタイトルに!!". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2017-10-23. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  17. ↑ 真・女神転生if... (SFC) (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  18. ↑ 新作ゲームソフト発売スケジュール11月7日～12月5日 (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2002-11-09. Archived from the original on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  19. ↑ Long, Andrew (2002-08-05). "Atlus Splices Shin Megami Tensei Nine". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  20. ↑ IGN Staff (2003-08-11). "Shin Megami Tensei Nine Online Cancelled". IGN . Archived from the original on 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  21. ↑ Ōji, Masashi (2007-04-13). 数々の困難を乗り越えて新生した，オンライン専用版“メガテン”の実力と可能性 女神転生IMAGINE (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  22. 1 2 "Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine". Cave. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  23. ↑ Welsh, Oli (2009-01-05). "Beta opens for Shin Megami Tensei MMO". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  24. ↑ "Closure: Marvelous USA, PC Online Division". Steam Community. 2014-01-28. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  25. ↑ 「真・女神転生IMAGINE」のサービスが5月24日11：00をもって終了に (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. 2016-03-11. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  26. ↑ Tran, Edmond (2018-07-24). "Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Fans Should Look Forward To New Game, Liberation Dx2". GameSpot . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Hilliard, Kyle (2012-08-04). "What Is Shin Megami Tensei: Persona?". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Shigenori Soejima Interview". Shigenori Soejima Art Works 2004-2010. Udon Entertainment. 2010-07-01. pp. 145–153. ISBN   978-1926778327.
  29. ↑ Lada, Jenni (2009-09-01). "Gamertell Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for PSP". Technology Tell. Archived from the original on 2015-05-06. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  30. ↑ IGN Staff (2000-12-04). "The Games of December". IGN . Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  31. ↑ "Sony PS2 Japanese Ranking". Japan-GameCharts. 2008-11-02. Archived from the original on 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  32. ↑ Hayward, Anthony (2007-07-25). "Persona 3 Gets a New Date: August 14". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  33. ↑ Purchese, Robert (2008-01-29). "Koei to bring Persona 3 to Europe". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 2011-08-29. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  34. ↑ ペルソナ4 (PS2) (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  35. ↑ Fitch, Andrew (2008-07-05). "Anime Expo: Persona 4 Release Date Announced". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  36. ↑ Purchese, Robert (2009-01-13). "Persona 4 dated for early March". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  37. ↑ Sato (2015-09-17). "Persona 5 Director Shares A Message About The Game's Development And Delay". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  38. ↑ Clements, Ryan (2012-02-21). "Persona 4 Arena Confirmed for North American Launch". IGN . Archived from the original on 2015-06-28. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  39. ↑ Farokhmanesh, Megan (2013-11-24). "Persona 5 coming to Japan winter 2014, spin-off titles announced". Polygon . Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  40. ↑ 『ペルソナ4 ザ・ゴールデン』が北米でも大人気の理由・前編【翻訳担当者インタビュー】 (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2013-02-02. Archived from the original on 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  41. ↑ Stewart, Marcus (February 21, 2022). "Atlus Announces Soul Hackers 2 Is Arriving This August". GameInformer . Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  42. 1 2 "RPGamer Feature - Interview with Atlus USA". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  43. ↑ "RPGamer Feature - The Road to E3 - Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Interview". RPGamer. 2009. Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  44. ↑ Brenna, Hillier (2011-03-22). "Devil Survivor 2 announced for DS". VG247 . Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  45. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (2011-03-04). "Devil Survivor Overclocked Has The Most Voiced Dialogue Of Any Atlus Game". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
  46. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (2013-03-02). "Report: Devil Survivor 2: Break Code Announced, Has New Story Content". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  47. ↑ Kalata, Kurt; Snelgrove, Christopher J. (2010-08-08). "Devil Children / DemiKids". Hardcore Gaming 101. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
  48. ↑ Kalata, Kurt; Snelgrove, Chrisopher J. (2010-08-08). "Majin Tensei". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  49. 1 2 3 "Ask Wheels: History of the World Pt. 2". RPGamer. 2012-02-24. Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  50. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (2015-04-01). "Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem Wii U Crossover is Finally Shown". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  51. ↑ 第2章キービジュアル＆サブタイトルを公開！ (in Japanese). Aniplex. 2013-12-05. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  52. ↑ "2nd Persona 3 Film's 1st Trailer, Cast, & Staff Unveiled". Anime News Network . 2014-02-14. Archived from the original on 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
  53. ↑ "3rd Persona 3 Film Titled 'Falling Down'". Anime News Network . 2014-07-06. Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  54. ↑ Sal, Romano (2015-07-01). "Persona 3 the Movie #4 dated for January 23". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  55. ↑ "Persona 3 Game Adapted as Television Anime for January". Anime News Network . 2007-11-07. Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  56. ↑ "News: Persona 4 RPG Gets TV Anime by AIC ASTA". Anime News Network . 2011-04-11. Archived from the original on 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  57. ↑ "Persona 4: The Golden Animation's Promo Video, Story Unveiled - News". Anime News Network . 2014-05-02. Archived from the original on 2015-03-22. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  58. ↑ 宇宙船 Year Book 1999[Uchūsen Year Book 1999] (in Japanese). Asahi Sonorama. 1999-05-01: 101. ASIN   B00J8NE588.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  59. ↑ "Sentai Filmworks Adds Devil Survivor 2 the Animation TV Anime". Anime News Network . 2013-04-18. Archived from the original on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  60. ↑ "Persona 3 Game-Based 4-Panel Manga Serialized Online". Anime News Network . 2008-01-31. Archived from the original on 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  61. ↑ ペルソナ4 アンソロジーコミック (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2008-10-01. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  62. ↑ "Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth 3DS Game Gets Manga Adaptation". Anime News Network . 2014-07-24. Archived from the original on 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  63. ↑ "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor's Manga Launched". Anime News Network . 2012-05-27. Archived from the original on 2015-04-26. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  64. ↑ "Shin Megami tensei III NOCTURNE: Drama CD". CDJapan. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  65. ↑ "Drama CD "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor"". CDJapan. Archived from the original on 2015-04-04. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  66. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (2011-05-19). "Another Day, Another Action Figure of Persona's Aegis". Kotaku . Archived from the original on 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  67. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (2009-05-12). "Hey, Who Wants Another Persona 4 Figure?". Kotaku . Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  68. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 東京大学”五月祭”で岡田耕始氏が『女神転生』誕生秘話を語った (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2008-05-25. Archived from the original on 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  69. 1 2 Mafia, Kajita (2009-12-17). 【PR】新たな戦慄がここから始まる。「真・女神転生IMAGINE」2nd wave Chain of Curse（チェインオブカース）の魅力を大紹介 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on 2014-08-15. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  70. ↑ Fitch, Andrew. "Persona 4 Afterthoughts". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  71. 1 2 "Kazuma Kaneko Art Book III Plus Booklet". 金子一馬画集 III[Kazuma Kaneko Art Book III] (in Japanese). Shinkigensha. 2008-02-28. pp. 2–4. ISBN   978-4775306093.
  72. 1 2 3 4 5 Loe, Cassy (February 2010). "The Demon Whisperer". Nintendo Power . No. 251. Future US. pp. 70–72.
  73. 1 2 Gifford, Kevin (2013-04-24). "Shin Megami Tensei 4's director talks about the series and its 'punk' ethos". Polygon . Archived from the original on 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
  74. ↑ Loe, Casey (March 1996). "Exclusive: Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner". GameFan (39 (Vol 4, Issue 3)). Metropolis Media: 46. ISSN   1092-7212.
  75. ↑ Jenkins, David (2013-06-03). "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked Ver 1.1 review – MegaTen Tactics". Metro . Archived from the original on 2015-11-29. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  76. ↑ LS Crusader (2016-11-05). "《Persona》系列梳理". gcores.com (in Chinese (China)).
  77. 1 2 3 4 5 The Escapist Staff (2010-11-10). "Interview: Behind the Scenes of Shin Megami Tensei". The Escapist . Archived from the original on 2015-05-04. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  78. ↑ Fitch, Andrew (2008-07-08). "Anime Expo: Atlus Talks Persona 4, Trauma Center's Future". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  79. 1 2 Den Ouden, Adriaan. "Persona 4 - Staff Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  80. ↑ Yip, Spencer (2009-06-15). "The E3 2009 Shin Megami Tensei Interview Part 2". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  81. 1 2 Sato (2013-04-27). "Shin Megami Tensei IV Developers Answer Fan Questions". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-12-29. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  82. ↑ Fletcher, JC (2009-07-22). "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a first-person RPG for DS". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  83. ↑ Brown, Peter (2013-07-15). "Shin Megami Tensei IV Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  84. ↑ Megami Ibunroku Persona Digital Collection: Persona World (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 1993. pp. 6–11. ISBN   978-4757200142.
  85. 1 2 3 "Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne Interview". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  86. ↑ Verity Townsend (2024-05-10). "Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to unexpectedly feature at UK rock music festival". AUTOMATON .
  87. 1 2 3 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army Official Strategy Guide. DoubleJump Publishing. 2006-10-10. pp. 384–387. ISBN   978-0761554479.
  88. 1 2 Maragos, Nich (2004-09-20). "In Character: Kazuma Kaneko". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
  89. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kemps, Heidi (August 2008). "Game King: An Interview with Kazuma Kaneko". Otaku USA . 2 (1). Sovereign Media: 120–123.
  90. ↑ 真・女神転生悪魔事典[Shin Megami Tensei Demon Encyclopedia] (in Japanese). Shinkigensha. 2003. pp. 511–516. ISBN   978-4775301494.
  91. ↑ Sato (11 October 2015). "Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final Will Follow A Neutral Route With Multiple Endings". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  92. ↑ Yip, Spencer (2013-06-21). "Shin Megami Tensei IV Interview: Making Law And Chaos Heroes". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
  93. ↑ Nishitani, Aya (2018-04-30). 西谷史 - 30 April 2018. Facebook (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01. Translation [usurped]
  94. ↑ メガテン原作者・西谷史が語る！ 『デジタル・デビル・ストーリー 女神転生』と仏教・北欧神話・ラブクラフト…… (in Japanese). Mitok. 2016-03-27. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
  95. 1 2 Sevakis, Justin (2013-04-30). "Pile of Shame - Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Story". Anime News Network . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  96. 1 2 Ronaghan, Neal (2010-10-06). "Cosmic Walker Developer Possibly Closed". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  97. 1 2 3 "Kazuma Kaneko Art Book I Plus Booklet". 金子一馬画集 I[Kazuma Kaneko Art Book I] (in Japanese). Shinkigensha. 2004. pp. 1–4. ISBN   978-4775303153.
  98. ↑ "Atlus Corporate". Atlus. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  99. ↑ "Nex Entertainment Contents" (in Japanese). Nex Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  100. ↑ MIT / 作品紹介 (in Japanese). Multimedia Intelligence Transfer. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  101. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (2012-09-05). "Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible II Headed To 3DS Virtual Console In Japan". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  102. ↑ McNeice, Kiera (2011-09-01). "Persona Mania: Developer Reveals New Details". IGN . Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
  103. 1 2 3 Riley, Adam (2009-03-08). "5th Shin Megami Tensei RPG for Nintendo DS". Cubed3. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  104. ↑ Schweitzer, Ben (28 March 2009). "RPGFan Music - Megami Tensei I•II". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  105. ↑ "A Little Night Music: A Conversation with Shoji Meguro on the Sounds of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  106. ↑ "Shoji Meguro interview". RocketBaby. Archived from the original on 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  107. ↑ Hashino, Katsura (2014-09-01). 『ペルソナ５』開発チームより (in Japanese). Persona Channel News Blog. Archived from the original on 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  108. ↑ "Kazuma Kaneko Art Book II Plus Booklet". 金子一馬画集 II[Kazuma Kaneko Art Book II] (in Japanese). Shinkigensha. 2006-05-29. pp. 1–4. ISBN   978-4775303504.
  109. ↑ Sheffield, Brandon. "E3 Q&A: Atlus' SMT Character Designer Kazuma Kaneko". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
  110. ↑ James, Thomas (2015-02-09). "Persona 5 protagonist, first Persona, and more detailed in Famitsu". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  111. ↑ アトラス、秋葉原で「真・女神転生 NINE」発売記念イベント開催岡田耕始氏と金子一馬氏が登場. Game Impress Watch. 2002-12-05. Archived from the original on 2013-06-29. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  112. ↑ Wallace, Kimberley (2013-06-28). "Blending Realism and Fantasy – Insight Into SMT IV's Character Design". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  113. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (2013-06-14). "The Stylish Apocalypse of Shin Megami Tensei IV". USGamer. Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  114. ↑ Brian (2012-09-18). "Shin Megami Tensei IV details". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  115. ↑ Devil Survivor: Official Material Collection Art Book. Udon Entertainment. 2013-08-13. p. 164. ISBN   978-1926778730.
  116. ↑ Yip, Spencer (2011-03-23). "Devil Survivor 2 Has Many More Main Characters Than The Last Game". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  117. 1 2 Makoto, Satsuki (2013-04-28). 『真・女神転生IV』でもマッカビームが脅威となる!? インデックスのステージで開発者がファンからの質問に回答【ニコニコ超会議2】 (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  118. 1 2 3 4 Kalata, Kurt (2006-04-10). "Devil in the Details: MegaTen's Controversial History". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  119. 1 2 3 Wallace, Kimberley (2013-09-17). "Perfecting Persona: How Atlus USA Bloomed". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2015-05-03.
  120. 1 2 Bedigian, Louis. "Devils May Cry when Dante Enters the World of "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne"". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2010-02-24. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  121. 1 2 "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Interview". Digital Devil Database. Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  122. ↑ Yip, Spencer (2009-10-02). "Why Is Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Set In Antarctica?". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
  123. ↑ Futter, Mike (2016-03-31). "Sega Is Now Publishing Atlus U.S.A. Games, But Don't Worry". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  124. ↑ Kubba, Sinan (2014-06-03). "Persona 4 Arena digital rights in Europe back with Atlus". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2015-06-06. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  125. ↑ Yip, Spencer (2011-01-11). "Ghostlight Bringing Persona 3 Portable Plus A Collector's Edition To Europe". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  126. ↑ McFerran, Damien (2015-05-29). "NIS America Confirms Euro Launch Dates For Etrian Mystery Dungeon And Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker". Nintendo Insider. Archived from the original on 2015-06-06. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  127. ↑ Romano, Sal (2016-04-25). "NIS America will no longer publish Atlus games in Europe". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  128. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2016-07-06). "Persona 5 coming to Europe - courtesy of Deep Silver". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  129. ↑ Lada, Jenni (2010-08-12). "Atlus releases Shin Megami Tensei: Persona in Europe and Australia". Technology Tell. Archived from the original on 2015-06-06. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  130. ↑ "Persona 4 Arena". PlayStation. Archived from the original on 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  131. ↑ "Persona series sales top 8.5 million, Megami Tensei series sales top 7.2 million". Gematsu.com. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  132. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  133. ↑ Romano, Sal (13 October 2018). "Sega shares updated sales numbers for Persona, Megami Tensei, Yakuza, and more; aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  134. ↑ "Sega Sammy Integrated Report 2023" (PDF). segasammy.co.jp. Sega Sammy. p. 28. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  135. ↑ "『ペルソナ』シリーズ全世界セールス2,200万本突破！" ["Persona" series surpasses 22 million copies sold worldwide!]. Persona Channel (in Japanese). Atlus. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  136. ↑ Ayase Hirashima; Eri Hatano (February 2, 2024). "今、本当に推されている「人」「作品」が分かる 最旬"推し"新潮流". Nikkei Cross Trend (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 22, 2024.
  137. ↑ Jensen, K. Thor (August 23, 2011). "A History Of Cyberpunk In Games". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  138. ↑ "Preview: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey". Nintendo Power . No. 252. Future US. March 2010. p. 30.
  139. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (2007-01-18). "Clash of the Cultures". 1UP.com . p. 8. Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  140. ↑ Vestal, Andrew (1999). "The History of Console RPGs - Persona". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  141. ↑ Coleman, Matt (2011-10-25). "A History of Console RPGs". IGN . p. 4. Archived from the original on 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  142. ↑ Campbell, Colin (2006-03-03). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Edge . p. 2. Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  143. ↑ "Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade". RPGFan. pp. 2–4. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  144. ↑ "GT Countdown - Top 5 JRPG Battle Systems". GameTrailers. 26 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2014– via YouTube.
  145. ↑ Tjan, Mark P. (2004-08-17). "RPGFan Previews - Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  146. 1 2 "The Top 7... Controversies Waiting to Happen". GamesRadar. 2007-09-04. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
  147. ↑ "2007 1UP Network Editors' Choice Awards". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 226. Ziff Davis Media. March 2008. p. 65. ISSN   1058-918X.
  148. ↑ Yuki Kurosawa (2021-10-01). "Chinese game regulation: Genshin Impact, Shin Megami Tensei and Naruto cited in leaked document". AUTOMATON .
  149. ↑ "Shin Megami Tensei and a Different Take on JRPGS (Part 1) – Black Gate". 25 July 2015.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.