History of the Megaten Series Part II – The Golden Age - News

by VGChartz Staff , posted on 05 September 2009 / 2,825 Views

BANNERPART2.jpg picture by spdk1

The VGC history series is a series of semi-encyclopedic features trying to educate our very readers on the origins and progression of some of your favorite games. I proudly present to you the second installment of our “History of Megaten” articles.

To see older parts in this series:

The History of the Megaten Series Part 1: The Dark Ages

Last time I talked about the origins of the series that fans affectionately call “Megaten”. The Megaten franchise is an umbrella of many different games, that all spun off of a series of novels written by Aya Nishitani. We have seen the games’ humble beginnings and the growing popularity that eventually led to anime productions and other merchandising. After the NES era, the series was actually transferred from Namco to Atlus, and the “Shin Megami Tensei” term was created. “Shin” has many meanings but in the case of our little franchise here, it means anything from “new” to “true”. It is widely accepted that “Shin Megami Tensei” translates to something roughly like “reincarnation of the true goddess”. What is funny though, is that almost none of the later games have any sort of goddess reincarnation motif found within, but may have some sort of double meaning. In a way it’s just as ludicrous as hearing the words “Final Fantasy XIII” – guess it wasn’t so final huh?

While it would still be a few years before the series began trickling into the western waters, this is the defining moment for the games, as the 16 bit era solidified the games cult following – something that persists to this day. As you read these synopses you can clearly see the theme of choice begin to pop up, a staple of the games from this point on...

Console Games of this era:

Note: All pictures were culled from a Google image search, and because of that a lot of the covers are from Moby Games.

Shin Megami Tensei - Super Famicom (1992)

Much like its predecessors, Shin Megami Tensei is a first person role playing game in which you, as the player, control a party of six characters. This game also has many of the old tenants of the series including a type of demon fusion, and demon recruitment, but on a much grander scale than the previous games.

The story of Shin Megami Tensei is set in Tokyo in the year 199X. Demons from the nether-realm of Makai have found their way back to Earth, and as such have upset the balance of power. A charismatic Japanese leader attempts a coup d'état using these demons as a potent military force, forcing America to intervene with its military. The player, as the hero, becomes involved when sent a Devil Summoning Program via email which allows him to converse with and recruit demons to fight for him, storing them as digital data on his computer.

In the aftermath of the ensuing destruction, the hero must decide what kind of world should be created on its ruins. Will he side with the angels and create a kingdom of absolute order that would last for a thousand years, or will he side with the demons and bring about an eternal anarchy, or will he choose neither, and destroy everyone who opposes him?

Shin Megami Tensei II - Super Famicom (1994)

Shin Megami Tensei II follows the story of Hawk, a battler in the Valhalla district of Tokyo Millennium. The citizens of Valhalla compete in a tournament in hopes of gaining citizenship in the Center district, which is out of the reach of demons.

Hawk fights in the tournament and wins. He gains citizenship in the Center district and has a personal meeting with the Bishop of the Messian religion. During the meeting, he is told that he is actually the Messiah, who will one day save mankind from the current bleak world and bring about a paradise called the "Thousand Year Kingdom".

Hawk, whose true name is revealed to be Aleph, is sent on missions from the Center to eradicate demons and prepare the world for the Thousand Year Kingdom. Yet while he travels across Tokyo Millennium, he witnesses first-hand the atrocities the Center inflicts on the people and must decide whether to follow his pre-determined destiny or fight against it in the hope of creating something better.

Shin Megami Tensei If... - Super Famicom (1994)

In Megami Tensei if… the player chooses between an unnamed male and female student to control. The setting is Karukozaka High School, which is mysteriously sucked into a void and emerges in the realm of Makai, a world of demons. After arming him/herself with protective equipment from a sports locker, the player character must investigate the various worlds of Makai, which are based on 5 of the 7 deadly sins. The person claiming credit for the new surroundings is Hazama, a vengeful student who proclaims himself the new ruler of Makai.

To help the hero there will be a faithful (or not...) companion and the always-present minions recruited by the usual demon-negotiation process or the fusion process into a Jakyou. This game introduced the possibility to acquire Guardian spirits. The way to accomplish this is quite simple: the player must die in combat. Spirits are always mindful of your actions, so stronger and braver players manage to get stronger guardian spirits, whereas players who tend to die often tend to remain with weaker guardians.

Megami Tensei if…Is definitely a spinoff rather than a main title to the series, and can be seen as the prototype for the later Persona series in that it has a high school setting. The name is a play on the film title “if…”, a film about a boarding school. Shin Megami Tensei if… was retold in the form of a manga and was given a manga sequel a few years later, the sequel called “kahn” was released in the West by Tokyopop under the name Shin Megami Tensei Kahn.

Majin Tensei - Super Famicom (1993)

"Majin Tensei" (Demon God Reincarnation) is a strategy RPG that incorporates many elements of classic Megaten into a different genre. You must lead a party of summoned creatures to claim the victory over hostile demons who invaded a futuristic city named New Tokyo. The gameplay is round-based. You issue commands to your party, moving around the battle field, using magic or attacking your enemies physically. At that moment, a short automatic battle occurs, whose outcome is determined by character parameters. You create your hero by allocating available skill points and then improve his stats by level up.

Majin Tensei 2: Spiral Nemesis - Super Famicom (1995)

Majin Tensei 2 is a video game for the SNES and is the sequel to Majin Tensei. Like its predecessor, Majin Tensei 2 uses a strategy based fighting system. Strangely, the menus are in English while the dialogue is Japanese. Gameplay elements from the previous Shin Megami Tensei such as moon phases affecting demons are also present. Equipment and items from the SMT games are also in this game.

Handheld Games of this era:

Revelations: Demon Slayers / Megami Tensei Gaiden:Last Bible - Gameboy/Game Gear/Gameboy Color 1992 (GBC re-releases in 1999)

Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible is a side-game (gaiden) of the Megami Tensei universe. The humans in this game can call on the power of Gaia. The main hero, El, learns the art of Gaia and must save the world from an evil Gaia master (called Gaia Meisters in the original Japanese version), assisted by his friends Kishe and Uranus.

This game uses very basic RPG fighting mechanics, with turn-based battles with experience points and gold awarded at the end of each. Also, similar to Pokémon, monsters can be asked to join the main party, but unlike Pokémon, the monsters fight alongside the three main adventurers. The monsters are also much less cute, and more along the lines of Final Fantasy type enemies.

(Screenshots are from the GBC version, but are basically re-colored versions of the original)

Last Bible 2 - Gameboy/Game Gear/Gameboy Color (1993)

In Magoku (Demon Country), only one baby was born one night. This is a sign that the revival of a godly power called Gryas will occur. Fifteen years later, Yuri, the main character and student of the powers of Gaia is recruited by the King of Magoku to destroy the ever approaching Gryas.

Unlike most Megami Tensei games, which take place in a modern Japanese world, Last Bible II takes place in Magoku, a more medieval, fantasy world, along the lines of Dragon Quest. Last Bible features a similar world.

Last Bible II is very similar to Last Bible in terms of gameplay. The game features standard RPG turn-based battles, leveling up, etc. Like the other gaiden games, the player can recruit monsters by speaking to them. Different phases of the moon affect the conversations with the monsters, and questions must be answered correctly to recruit the monster.

(Screenshots are from the GBC version, but are basically re-colored versions of the original)

Last Bible Special - Game Gear (1995)

The events of "Last Bible Special" take place in an alternate Middle East in the beginning of the Christian era. You play as Materu, a young warrior who gets an assignment from the bishop of Jerusalem to travel to four dungeons. The demon king Graias is controlling other demons who found their hideout in those dungeons, and it's your task to defeat them.

Unlike the three previous Last Bible games, "Last Bible Special" features 3D first-person dungeons, like in mainstream Shin Megami Tensei games. The game is heavier on dungeon crawling: you cannot travel on the world map, but are taken automatically to the huge dungeons which you should complete in a specific order. In the town, you can buy items, as well as recruit party members. The battles are random and turn-based. Like in all Megaten games, you can communicate with the demons you encounter and convince them to join your party.

Last Bible 3 - Super Famicom (1995)

The game opens with a man, Alek, wandering around in a snowy wasteland, convinced of his death. He eventually finds an entrance to the Demon World and collapses. As he collapses, he remembers his friend, Glenn, and the news of a child.

This child is the main character, a blue haired boy named Ciel (Shieru). He begins his adventure by leaving his hometown and gets caught up in a large RPG story. Ciel must fulfill an ancient prophecy and defeat a great evil, with the help of his friends and recruited monsters.

Like in most Megami Tensei Gaiden games, Last Bible III takes place in a fantasy world. However, Last Bible III differs in that the setting is a 19th Century-style world with steampunk elements instead of a modern Japanese one, which is in most Megami Tensei games.

Last Bible III features basic RPG elements (leveling up, items, turn-based battles). Like in the other two Last Bibles, the player can recruit monsters. However, this game takes a step further and allows the player to customize monsters. Monsters can be equipped with items and level up just like human characters. A new feature during battle is a gauge that tells the player how close a monster is to being recruited. Recruitment of monsters requires correct answers of a few questions.

NOTE: I know it's not a handheld game, but it goes better here.

Another Bible (1995)

Years ago, there was a great war between humans and demons. After much conflict, peace was established. But in the present, a demon cult emerges and demons no longer wish to live in peace with the humans.

The two main characters are the Hero and Heroine. Together, along with other party members, they must save the world. Also, the Heroine can speak to demons, which allows the player to collect them.

Another Anime in 1995

Tokyo Revelation OVA (not to be confused with the Tsubasa Chronicle OVAs)

Released in the U.S. and U.K. By Manga Entertainment – Now out of print, but can be found fairly easily.

“Akito Kobayashi has always had an interest in the occult, and when he learns to control demons though the help of a computer program he created and magnetite, the essence of human life, he plans to unleash hell on earth. The only hindrance may lie within his old friend Kojiro Soma, who has the ability to stop the destruction, if he can find it within himself to do so.”

That’s it for this edition of VGC History, next time we will talk about Westward Expansion….hold on, not that kind of Westward Expansion! We will be talking about the series finally coming to the west little by little. You may be surprised to find out what the first Megaten game to hit our shores was.

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