Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

They just unveiled what the final package will look like:



Makes me wish I had the spare cash to pre-order two, but I don't want to miss out on Steal Princess the following week.

This also looks to be Atlus' final PS2 release, so they're trying to go out with style.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

I got it and ... I opened it anyway.

Left the plushie in the boe so I can just stick the game back in when I'm doing.

eBaystards are already buying them out and jacking it up.

So far:

• If you have a finished game save from the previous game, you're rewarded with items you can sell for money. Dunno how much yet, I'm investigating a case, didn't have much to buy yet anyway.

• Off the bat, you're given the ability to summon two demons. Yay.

• Elemental bullets are gone... good, I hated buying them.. You share a manapool with demons called MAG. Exploit enemy weaknesses to restore MAG. Gun is just for stunning enemies now. Each shot is manual, six shots and you have to manually reload.

• Strong and weak sword attacks, more combos, evasive manuvers. New kinds of damage types in weapon fusion, though its still a sword at the end of the day.

• Demon negotiations are back too, no more Pokemon-style capturing.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

BBQ, if I weren't already in things to do up to my eyeballs, based on your experience so far, this or P4?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Thought you already had P4..

I'd probably go with Persona 4 first, but I'll tell you right now there is very likely not going to be a reprint of Devil Summoner 2. If there is, it won't be with the bonus, its got that serial number for collectors on the current release..

I'm sure TGM or Pai Pai preordered a dozen, may want to persuade them later

Devil Summoner (at least the PS2 incarnation of the series) is more of an action RPG and while this installment is said to be lengthier than the previous Raidou game, I doubt it will stack up to Persona 4 in terms of length.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Nope, I did P3F. P4 looks even better, but like I said, have like 11 games and 11 books to get through right now, plus other stuff.

Any idea how many copies of P4 Atlus printed? Because it seems like I still see Persona 3 boxes around, and of course FES, but they are notoriously stingy with prints of the other SMT games. I'd like to pay less than $40 if it ever drops.

And by bonus, do you mean the plushie, or something in game? The plushie doesn't really interest me that much, and I'm not one for taking up shelf space for collectibles I don't care about.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Well, the Persona games have the strongest mainstream appeal of the SMT games, so the do keep them in print longer. I see then around new and used still. Persona 4 just isn't getting the special edition run that Persona 3 got. P3 FES can still be found new some places for $15 under GameStop's Game Days sale, but that's in the process of winding down. Some places its already back to $30.

Dunno if you can find a copy of Devil Summoner 2 without having preordered it, but I guess you can ask around.

DS2 is pretty much uninvolved with the previous game. There's some small discussion of the previous game and there's the bonuses for completing the previous game (money items and a special demon to summon, I think, dunno which one yet). Its got a bit of a campier vibe than the other parts of the SMT series, given its focus on the 1920s and the detective theme. The whole "in all the places in all the world, she had to walk into mine" kind of vibe. Jazzy music and rock driven battle themes.

The action isn't up there with DMC, its more Diabolo style with AI-controlled partners. Raidou's got more moves this time, so its less button-mashy than the last game. Exploitation of weaknesses remains a common theme as with other SMT games.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

yeah, saw P3F in a bin at a local GS at that price. Would've bought it if I had anyone I thought would like it, $15 for a game that can easily take over 100 hours of your life (if you never replay it) is insane.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Something else cool I noticed about Devil Summoner 2, with this being one of the rare streaks of continuity in the SMT series, if you meet a demon you captured and trained in the previous game through a random encounter, it just joins up with you.

You still have to re-level them and if you want them with special skills, you may as well just fuse them through another fusion combo, still, it was a nice gesture to add that rather than force you to collect every last one of the demons you had from your previous run. So for returning players, no Samus Aran "Where's my morph ball" syndrome. More of a "How did this pseudo- New Game Plus thing happen?"

I still haven't come upon the bonus demon from transferring my save over. Still working through collecting the low-tier demons. Some RPGs start you out with slaying rodents, SMT games start you out by teaming you with pixies.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

man stop reminding me of Metroid. It's bad enough it's probably going to be a couple months before NPC Metroid Prime makes it here, and then I have to continue to wait for NPCMP2 so I can finally do that and MP3.

Also, wish more games would carry over your progress like that. Shenmue did, but not in North America.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

I imported the EU version of Shenmue 2... the bonuses weren't much to write home about.

This kind of stuff crossing over is better than some item with e a meager stat boost.

Or swimsuits for androids.

Digital Devil Saga 2 had crossover bonuses, too, but only if you beat certain optional bosses from the original game. Still need to get back to finishing the first one so I can transfer my save over to DDS2.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Arrrrrrrrrrrgh.

Persona 4 at $30 is Amazon's DOTD. I'm really torn between this possibly being the best price it ever gets and it being half of that sometime before I'm ever able to play it.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Feba, just draw a line.

Get Persona 4 and don't get anything else for a bit, focus on finishing what you have. If you do get something else, don't open it. I have Steal Princess and SMT: Devil Survivor on pre-order: If I don't have two games in my pile done before I get those, they're staying sealed.

Persona 4 is about as entry level as you'll ever get to the series. Oh, I'm not saying that because its easy - it'll beat your ass in the first dungeon. I'm saying that because it really helps you understand the terminology of the series in ways prior installments of SMT never did. Devil Summoner 2 also enjoys similar features that help a newcomers to the series know what the spells and buffs do.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

Well, if I were to draw a line, it would be "Anything not-insane once I get crap done", but with how games go out of print, I'd be worried that won't be soon enough.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

I'm not too worried about Persona 4 as much as I am Devil Summoner 2 when it comes to rarity. The Persona games are ones Atlus usually keeps in print longer because they're more mainstream in the US than even main series SMT. Persona 2 was still on shelves when PS2 had been out a year.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Shin-Megami-Tensei-Summoner-Kuzunoha-Playstation/dp/B001QTW2GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1242455412&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha versus King Abaddon: Playstation 2: Video Games[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Shin-Megami-Tensei-Persona-Playstation-2/dp/B001C6GVI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1242455633&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4: Playstation 2: Video Games[/ame]

Persona 4 $30 new on Amazon, also a copy of Devil Summoner 2 that seemed to get boxcuttered a bit, so its going for $30.

Only reason to get Persona 4 now would be for the bonus CD from the first print. When and if they reprint in the future, it won't be included.

[Feba]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

two more questions for ya, A, does Persona 4 have Widescreen? 2: is there much of a history of ports, other than the obvious PSP remake, in SMT? Whatever slim chance there is of it, a Wii port of P4 would be nice; and if they don't want to significantly upgrade their graphics engines going from PS2 to Wii would be very natural.