Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

It is actually surprisingly cheap on EBay and Amazon even in the UK so I might actually pick it up from a vendor there. I've been looking for an excuse to see if I can get a PS2 emulator working on this laptop anyway.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

i'm trying to figure out how to get one to work myself, mostly just so I can have some screen grabs from games I'm blogging about (rather than grab SD screenshots from an HDTV on a smartphone). I've been trying to run the PCSX2, but can't seem to find a readable BIOS got get it going.

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I'm actually quite looking forward to seeying how Ryota Kazuka's work stacks up, but so far just based on the varied "intro" themes they used in the teasers I'm pretty optimistic he'll be able to keep the tone of the series

His spin on themes from prior games:

And his theme for SMT IV:

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

It's one of the reasons why BC for PS2 games was eventually dropped from the PS3, emulation of PS2 games is a pain to get working at times. When I can next hop on my PC I will let you know what I have been using on it.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Killer deal. Already had FE: A registered anyway

Club Nintendo: $30 Credit for Shin Megami Tensei IV and Fire Emblem Awakening

At any rate its a nice nod to the fact that SMT X FE is a thing, even if we've not heard much about it in months.

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Shame it requires both games otherwise I'd be taking advantage of that.

We still have no release date for SMT IV in Europe. However we do have a confirmed release date for Soul Hackers. It comes to Europe on Friday 13th September and is again going to be published by NISA. Since NISA are localising it for all of Europe, a 5 month wait for the game is understandable given that it is an RPG that they are localising into several languages at once.

We've no confirmation on who is actually publishing SMT IV over here. Best bet is that it's going to be NISA again (makes more sense given the localisation needs), or Atlus self-publishing via the eShop.

Anyway, hopefully we should get it before the end of 2013. I don't think Atlus is dumb enough to cause another P4A backlash whatever the reason, especially since they will have to be competing with Pokemon, Final Fantasy and the inevitable Kingdom Hearts port/remake/rehash if they leave it until Christmas.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Well, seeing as Atlus and Nintendo are trying cross-promote those IPs to promote SMT X FE in advance, it largely makes sense both games are required. They want buyers associating those franchises now. That and most deals of this kind require more than one purchase when it comes to online store credit anyway. This is just more credit than I'm used to seeing from a console manufacturer.

Also, I do thing there's nothing to worry about for the EU version of SMT IV. Given Atlus and NIS's prior dealings, I can see this being a long-term deal for them and mutually beneficial.

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

It would be very cool if they did this promotion when SMT IV comes out over here. I can see a lot of people made happy if they did and it would also help drum up interest for SMT x FE in another territory.

NISA did a good job with Persona 4 Golden and releasing it in February was a smart move on their part because; it would avoid being buried under other games during the Christmas rush, February is the first Pay Day after Christmas for a lot of people over here, and it also gave people a very good reason to get a Vita over Christmas.

Either way NISA is a great partnership for Atlus so seeing any of Atlus' games in their hands is always good news for Atlus and NIS fans over here.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Scores so far:

Wired (no score)
Destructoid (9.5/10)
Gaming Age (A-)
Joystiq (4/5)
Game Informer (8.5/10)
Nintendo World Report (8.5/10)
Pocket Gamer (9/10)
Nintendo Life (9/10)
Blistered Thumbs (9/10)
VentureBeat (9/10)
IGN (8.5/10)
GamesRadar (4/5)
Cubed3 (9/10)
USGamer (5/5)

So far the only notable criticisms seem to be that the soundtrack is a bit dull in the main city, the navigation there is unusual compared to the rest of the game and that "horde" battles are less rewarding than they should be for the effort.

Some reviews don't mention this at all, but the in-game currency - macca - isn't won from fights, but by selling loot and doing quests, though its also mentioned this is alleviated through the treasure chests you come upon and saleable loot won from fights.

They also expanded on the "app" functions found in Strange Journey in SMT IV, which were also piggybacked into the enhanced port of Soul Hackers on 3DS. There's now also a save-anywhere feature, though it was not mentioned if that was an app like it is in Soul Hackers.

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Because it seemed relevant:

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Isn't that referencing the upcoming (but little known-about) SMT x FE crossover?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Yeah, pretty much.

Though if my Daisoujou ever had Mamudoon or Mahamaon, I made him forget it (yeah, they forget skills like Pokemon when their slots are full).

SMT IV is pretty hard so far. At least, the initial curve feels a little steeper and Strength seems to be the stat of diminishing returns this time out. Dexterity seems to be the more important modifier for melee and gun skills.

Currently on the mission that I assume is one of the first major turning points of the plot. So far its been very day-to-day Persona-esque stuff, your initial training as a Samurai doubling as a tutorial for the game's systems. You start your day, you have an objective and go down to a particular dungeon under the city for "training" and then stuff gradually just goes weirder and weirder.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

So I was browsing deals on the eShop just because and it turns out SMTIV is $30 off until November 3rd. I suppose it would make up for missing out on the aforementioned $30 eShop credit offer (which ended in August). Thinking I might pick it up and dive into it much like I did FE:A. Then again, I would of course need a new SD card just to download it on. (How much storage space is ~15000 "blocks" anyway?) Thoughts?

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

(How much storage space is ~15000 "blocks" anyway?)

1 block = 128 kb
How big is a 3DS download block in KB/MB? - Nintendo 3DS Answers for 3DS - GameFAQs

You can do the rest of the math.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

Go for it, just don't expect SMT IV to be as narratively forthcoming as its RPG brethren from Japan. It tends to look at the genre in western terms narratively (exploration, choice and setting mattering more than the hero).

Basically, don't hope for a story of enduring friendship.

[Firewind]

Re: Shin Megami Tensei IV to 3DS!

SMT IV always felt more like "SMT Lite", even down to rendering the battles in what is a glorified menu. It is a portable game, and gameplay you can hop into and out of at a moment's notice is important for that platform however. But it is a shame to see that the game would hardly tax the DS's hardware to any sort of limit when it has had all of the development time in the world to keep Nocturne's 3D rendered battles.

There are also issues with how poorly the game displays information to the player (compare it with any other main or spin off SMT series game and it does a horrible job of it), especially with how the demon recruitment gives you no info on what demons like (it seems random and arbitrary which is disappointing to say the least), and how battles basically break down to Rocket Tag Gameplay, where the majority of wipes are caused by you rolling poorly for initiative. So in a way it makes a better D&D game than most D&D games in accurately portraying how most D&D battles play out.

Joking aside, it's a fun game, and the above things are the only things I can find that are objectively bad about the game. Just remember that you are getting "SMT Lite". It's not a bad thing for sure, but there are better JRPGs on the 3DS like Fire Emblem Awakening and Pokemon X/Y to name a couple, and I can't stop thinking that I would rather be playing Pokemon whenever I try to replay this.