/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.1943516]

Looking to get into this series... not aware of a pastebin for this delicious series, unlike the ff pastebin. If it exists can someone post it, if not can you give me a rundown on the best systems to play it on /vr/ style, and which game I should start with?

[Anonymous No.1943565]

Copied this from /smtg/ on /vg/

>Starter guide
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10886965/smtstarterguide.png

>Tips and tricks
http://pastebin.com/qqxkrWFh

>Artbook, soundtrack, manga, and other downloads
http://pastebin.com/fgVp423S

>Misc. Translations
http://pastebin.com/LHKVLNQB

>Booru
http://smtg.booru.org/

>Recommended Reading
http://pastebin.com/YppqPPjf

>P1P PSX Music Patch By Canzah [Pre-patched ISO]
http://www.mediafire.com/download/wbz6rpqrqt0pfqb

You're in for a wild ride.

[Anonymous No.1943612]

>>1943565
/smtg/ here.

The starter guide is shit.

Start with SMT I or KMT.

You will have such a ride.

[Anonymous No.1945941]

>>1943612
Why do you think the starter guide is shit?

[Anonymous No.1947206]

>>1943516
Persona 2 IS and EP are a good place to start

[Anonymous No.1949020]

[Anonymous No.1949032]

>>1943612
Opinion discarded.

[Anonymous No.1949059]

Start with SMT1, you shouldn't really worry about Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei unless you REALLY REALLY wanna play some old school grindan, because that's all it is. Your plot is KILL SATAN, starting halfway through there are enemies that can steal your levels, and your reward is a few lines of text that amount to "Lucifer is gone, struggle is over."

The games really didn't get interesting until SMT, wherein you have to [%]KILL YOUR OWN MOM[%]

[Anonymous No.1949125]

Yeah, start with SMT. It's amazing.

[Anonymous No.1950943]

[Anonymous No.1950948]

If you must start with SMT1, play the iOS version.

[Anonymous No.1950961]

>>1949059
What the fuck kind of spoiler tag was that?

[Anonymous No.1950968]

>>1950961
Oh God, we're being invaded by demons.

I still haven't gotten my summoning program from STEVEN.

[Anonymous No.1950991]

>>1949059
>KILL SATAN
>"Lucifer is gone, struggle is over."
>Megami Tensei
Does not compute

[Anonymous No.1951019]

>>1943516
Plot wise it doesn't matter witch one you start with as almost all of them are totally unrelated, with the obvious exception of games made to be 2 parters, like Persona 2 and Digital Devil Saga. In witch case, be careful to play those sub-series' in order. You're fine otherwise. You could even play Devil Survivor 2, then DS1, because they're basically the same gameplay wise and unrelated plot wise.

Gameplay wise, you should just go in release order, as the gameplay has little evolutions here and there over the years. But again, it really doesn't matter. The core gameplay of most of the franchise has remained the same from the beginning with only minor alterations over the years.

If you just want a noob friendly game, then several of the newer ones are great starting points, but some of them may serve to turn you off to the series.

For example, if you like "slice of life" stuff, dating sims, randomized dungeons and high school themed anime, then Persona 3 and 4 are great places to start. If that stuff makes your butthole pucker, then skip 'em. Entirely.

Personally I recommend starting with something like SMTIV on 3DS or Strange Journey on DS, because they "get" the classic style, but aren't too intense. However, if you're looking for something purely /vr/ related, then you can't go wrong with the original SMT.

The SNES version of SMT is the only one with an English patch, but if you can read Japanese, there's a PS1, GBA and Droid version as well.

The all time highlight of the series is debatable, but SMTIII: Nocturne is very widely considered the best game of the entire franchise. So don't skip that one.

Not aware of any pastebins, but I'll post the entries of the series (that I'm aware of) and the "best" versions in another post soon

[Anonymous No.1951036]

>>1951019

I'm less into the anime stuff and looking more for the dragon warrior type stuff. I think I'll start with SMT1, noob friendly would probably just turn me off before I finished the game, though I had a 3ds and will probably try IV eventually.

[Anonymous No.1951046]

>>1943516

The "best" (IMO) versions of the various entries:

>SMT - SNES (has English patch)
>SMT2 - SNES (same)
>SMT If... - PS1 (No English)
>SMT3 Nocturne - PS2
>SMT Strange Journey - DS
>SMT4 - 3DS

>Persona - PSP
>Persona 2 Innocent Sin - PS1 (English patch)
>Persona 2 Eternal Punishment - PS1
>Persona 3 - PS2 (Specifically, the "FES" version)
>Persona 4 - Vita
>P4 Arena - PS3

>Devil Summoner - PSP (no English)
>Soul Hackers - 3DS
>Devil Summoner (different game)- PS2
>Devil Summoner 2 - PS2

>Digital Devil Saga - PS2
>DDS2 - PS2

>Devil Survivor - 3DS
>Devil Survivor 2 - 3DS

There may well be more entries in the franchise than this, but these are the main ones. Also note that I did not count literally every different version of every game or every side series or game in the list, as that gets a little out of hand. And I haven't played everything myself yet either.

[Anonymous No.1951049]

>>1951019
Damn, I really wanted to get into SMT, but the only one I played was several playthroughs of Nocturne (the one with the extra content).

Was that really the highlight? It wasn't exactly blowing my skirt up all the time.

[Anonymous No.1951054]

>>1951049
Give the others a try. Some people like guns in their SMT games.

Like me.

[Anonymous No.1951920]

>>1951049
At first I didn't really like Nocturne, it seemed really barebones and minimalistic for an RPG. Just a lot of walkan and punchan and not a lot of talkan. It wasn't until I went back and played the first two SMT games that I really understood what exactly a Shin Megami Tensei game is, and Nocturne is so fucking SMT it's not funny.

I guess it boils down to "For an SMT game, it's really, really good."

[Anonymous No.1952916]

>>1951019
I personally hated the direction Persona took with 3 and 4 by making them all anime and dating sim. It goes against what SMT has been up to this day

[Anonymous No.1952943]

>>1952916
Well, Persona has always been a spinoff, so if you want your SMT, you have to go elsewhere. And the first two Persona games aren't even as "SMT" as SMT.

3 and 4 is also better than 1 and 2 (though 2 is still great).

In b4 everything. I don't give a fuck what you all think.

[Anonymous No.1954521]

>>1952943
If you don't care for debate, why are you shoving the opinion down our throat?

[Anonymous No.1954543]

>>1954521
Because I know how 4chan, and /vr/ by extension like to get about those games. I predicted a rash of greentexting and "hurr your opinion is shit" from that post (which I will admit did not happen this time) so I was preemptively responding.

[Anonymous No.1954549]

>>1954543
I don't feel you did anything worth being flamed about. I know Persona were a spin off but they are spin offs that still retained the "spirit" of the series while Persona 3-4 just felt like Saturday Morning anime and dating sim land. I do forgive Devil Children (Demi Kids) since it was aimed at kids in the first place. But Persona 3-4 are arguably aimed at the same people who liked 1-2 yet feels very un-SMT outside the demons. Using a different character designer didn't help.

[Anonymous No.1954554]

>>1954549
>I don't feel you did anything worth being flamed about.

Neither did I. And considering no one did, I look like an asshole and will apologize for being defensive.

I think that 3 and 4 were "SMT" enough in what their stories dealt with. Not quite to P2 levels, of course. I suppose a little bit of change in tone would be necessary to get it back there. It's a bit of a line to walk--even mainline games aren't without lighthearted moments.

[Anonymous No.1954567]

>>1954554
Looking at it in another way, they were a product of their time. Persona 1-2 were made in the '90s, while Persona 3-4 were made in the '00s. Maybe the audiences changed and Atlus tried to reboot

[Anonymous No.1954573]

>>1954567
Perhaps.

The thing is, you just know there's some sort of overlap between the two (when separated--as previously stated I like both) fanbases given the content of the game. I mean the tone of 3 gets pretty dark towards the end (and the game was already fairly dark by JRPG standards) and 4 has you solving murders, which isn't really in line with most other games in the genre.

I would be interested in seeing a more adult cast in the future again, but one could argue someone is just following MT tradition, given these games started out starring high school kids.

[Anonymous No.1954578]

>>1954573
I think it was more of a tone and direction issue than a cast issue. For example, there is media using kid or teenagers that can be fairly dark. I also hate there is only one dungeon in Persona 3 I didn't get far in Persona 4 to find out if there are more than one as it felt like Scooby-Doo.

[Anonymous No.1955679]

>>1951920
I hope you mean that in a good way because DQ are just as guilty of "walkan and punchan"

[Anonymous No.1956906]

>>1950948
>If you must start with SMT1, play a version that is not in English,so you can be hardcore like me

[Anonymous No.1956964]

>>1956906
Um, anon...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRdRTSxI5Co

[Anonymous No.1958165]

>>1956964
I stand corrected

[Anonymous No.1958201]

>>1956964
The Ios translation is shit.

[Anonymous No.1958746]

If you do choose to play the SNES version of SMT1, then make sure you play with Orden's patch. Not Aeon Genesis, but Orden's.
>What's the difference?
AG's translation of demon names, items, and spells is wobbly. If I remember right then certain routes don't work either. Orden's fixes all that.

[Anonymous No.1958774]

>>1945941
Well since he is on /vr/, i guess because he think playing the older games first is better. Can't blame him, most of them are pretty good.

[Anonymous No.1958987]

>>1958201
It's not that bad. It's a bit more tone down than the fan translation but it's bad in any major way.

[Anonymous No.1959713]

>>1958987
>more tone down

[Anonymous No.1960516]

>>1958774
>because he think

[Anonymous No.1960539]

Shin Megami Tensei If... ENGLISH TRANSLATION FUCKING WHEN!?

[Anonymous No.1961613]

>>1960539
When you learn Japanese or rom hacking to help

[Anonymous No.1962760]

>>1958746
Where can you find Orden's patch?

[Anonymous No.1962974]

>>1943565
this mentions a pastebin with a download of the SMT2 fix patch, but I cant find it anywhere. does anyone have this?

[Anonymous No.1963000]

>>1962760
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/988/

[Anonymous No.1964118]

>>1963000
Thank you

[Anonymous No.1964434]

>>1954549
Blame Kaneko. He wanted the Persona series to be lighter in order for a wider audience to appreciate the MegaTen series. He also wants new artists to work their way up. I can understand all that, but if anything, Kaneko should have stayed on mainline and maybe let the other artists mess around on the spin-offs.

[Anonymous No.1964568]

>>1962974
Link is in the second one (tips and tricks) pastebin.

[Anonymous No.1966032]

>>1964434
Kaneko should have known better than to sell out

[Anonymous No.1967083]

>>1949032
>Stop hating what I like

[Anonymous No.1968464]

>>1949125
What is amazing about it?

[Anonymous No.1969583]

[Anonymous No.1970471]

[Anonymous No.1971398]

[Anonymous No.1971453]

>>1968464
Art, music, encounters rate is pretty amazing too.

[Anonymous No.1972850]

>>1971453
How can an encounter rate be amazing when most people hate random battles in RPG's?

[Anonymous No.1973674]

[Anonymous No.1973901]

I love SMT because it's basically just a solid Wizardry-style series with some interesting mechanics and an entertaining theme.

Persona on the other hand can go suck a bag of dicks.

[Anonymous No.1974206]

>>1973901
But Persona 1 is pretty fun.

[Anonymous No.1974523]

>>1972850
>most people hate random battles in RPG's
Is that why most RPGs had random encounters?
Also,
a•maz•ing (əˈmeJ zJŋ)
adj.
causing great surprise or sudden wonder.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010

[Anonymous No.1975524]

>>1974523
>Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010
>Not using Oxford

[Anonymous No.1976792]

>>1974206
Persona 1-2 are fun. It isn't until Persona 3 and 4 than it became a cash cow aiming at otaku

[Anonymous No.1977885]

[Anonymous No.1978098]

>>1952916
they're not dating sim really, it just uses social stuff to make ur demons better. in 3 they force you to date girls if you wanna max their link which is stupid, but they fix that in four and you don't have to date anybody, which is how 3 should have been. i think they both lie too heavily on set events that play on all the anime tropes/conventions and that corny shit can get annoying and it's weird to see in an smt game, but whatever i still think both games are near perfect for what they are.
>>1954578
>there's only one dungeon in p3
not really, it's separated into 6 blocks which are each like their own dungeon so not buying that
>scooby doo
it gets pretty large in scope and more smt-like in terms of story by the end of the game, just like 3, but if you quit early you never get to that stuff.

[Anonymous No.1978892]

>>1978098
>ur demons better

[Anonymous No.1979816]

[Anonymous No.1980989]

[Anonymous No.1981012]

I love old SMT games, but I hate old Persona games. Persona 1's position-based battle system is fucking horrible. Innocent Sin has cool characters and art direction but its combat is again terrible (though in a different way. The whole game is trivialized by lobbing fusion attacks at everything), while Eternal Punishment has a better sense of difficulty but a lesser story. P3 and P4 did a way better job of combining interesting stories and gameplay mechanics with combat that's not easy enough to be utterly thoughtless like Innocent Sin, yet not brutally difficult like the later parts of Nocturne.

I started out with Nocturne and I think it's the best, but I'd suggest starting out with the SuFami games. SMT1 and 2 are both really really awesome. 2 trounces 1 it in terms of setting and atmosphere, but I think they're best played one after another. Besides, SMT1 is hilariously goofy like most SMT games so it would be a shame to miss it.

[Anonymous No.1981965]

>>1954549
>1/2
>same spirit as mainline

Have you played Innocent Sin? It's filled with wacky hijinks thanks to based Eikichi. The only thing people have to counter with is the sequel is "darker" and the ending of IS is bitter sweet.

[Anonymous No.1982118]

>>1981965
>Wipe that geisha makeup off your face, no son of mine will grow up to be okama

[Anonymous No.1982124]

>>1981965
>Wipe that geisha makeup off your face, no son of mine will grow up to be okama

[Anonymous No.1982286]

>>1981012
I agree, Persona 1's battle system is the main reason why I can't bring myself to play it anymore, I think I went through 2 dungeons and then decided the game just isn't for me. On the other hand, I liked P2's battles.I have high hopes for P5.

[Anonymous No.1982314]

>Playing Megami Tensei 1 on KMT
>Wandering around the first floor of Daedalus
>Know there's a boss somewhere here, but I want to try and map out more of the area before I head back
>Both main character and female protag are healthy, FC has a lot of magic left and I recruited a Cerberus who has been pretty useful, but the rest of my demons are dead
>Wandering around, wander into boss room
>Confident I can beat him
>Have MC attack, FC use Agirama, and Cerberus attacks
>Turns out he deflects fire
>mfw

I beat him, but I had to stab him A LOT

Like, I did maybe 5 damage per turn.

[Anonymous No.1983903]

>>1982314
>Turns out he deflects fire

You had one job

[Anonymous No.1985373]

>>1982286
>Expecting anything good whatsoever out anime styled Persona

[Anonymous No.1987893]