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Persona 2: Eternal Punishment comes to PSN (PS3/PSP/Vita) as a PSone Classic tomorrow

T

Takao

Banned
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/25/persona-2-eternal-punishment-hits-psn-tomorrow/

$9.99

RIP PSP version

If you’re a die-hard Persona fan, there’s a good chance you have every game in the series—Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Persona 3 Portable, and the recent Persona 4 Golden—playable on PS Vita… except one. Persona 2 was split into two games — Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment — the former of which came out on PSP in 2011 and the latter having had no American release.

There’s good news and bad news about that. The bad news is that unusual circumstances have prevented us from localizing Eternal Punishment PSP the way we’d have liked to, but the good news is that you can still find out how the story of Tatsuya Suou, Maya Amano, and the Joker curse ends! Unlike Innocent Sin, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was localized once before on PlayStation in 2000, and it’s that version of the game that we’re bringing to PSN as a PSOne classic now.

Since Persona 2: Eternal Punishment on PSP was a port of the original, the general graphics and gameplay in this PSOne Classics release are the same as you would have gotten. You’ll still control a party of oddballs brought together by disturbing goings-on in Sumaru City: teen-focused magazine reporter Maya Amano, her unlucky-in-love boxer friend Ulala Serizawa, the upright police detective Katsuya Suou, and a shady Taiwanese fixer known as “Baofu.” Together, the four of them must hunt down the cause of the Joker Curse and unravel the mystery of a strange boy whom Maya could swear she’s seen somewhere before.

Fortunately for them, they have the power of Persona on their side. As in Innocent Sin, you have the option to fight the demons you meet or negotiate with them to earn items, assistance, or their Arcana cards in order to fuse new Personas. Spreading specific rumors through the city can also cause them to come true, which has all sorts of effects on the game.

The one thing that might throw players who got their start on the PSP or Vita is that a few of the names might seem unfamiliar. The original Eternal Punishment was sort of a halfway point in that era’s approach to localization: by that time, we were making a move toward the more faithful translations we’re known for today, but we were also mindful of the established naming conventions American players would be familiar with from “Revelations: Persona.” To help smooth things over for you, here’s a list of mental replacements to make as you go through the PSOne Classics release of Eternal Punishment:

Saeko Smith: You’d know her better as Ms. Saeko, formerly a homeroom teacher at St. Hermelin High and later on a warm, caring educator at Seven Sisters High.

Principal Harding: Principal Hannya, another veteran of St. Hermelin. In Innocent Sin, he was the hated principal of Seven Sisters who used the Joker’s power to make the students love him, even if none of them understood why.
Tammy: Tamaki, who’s actually a nod to the original Shin Megami Tensei series: she was the heroine of SMT If…, and became a devil summoner to rid Karukozaka High of evil. Now, she works for fellow devil summoner Chief Todoroki at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency.

Tad: Tadashi, son of the owner of the Satomi Tadashi drugstore chain.

Mary: Maki Sonomura, the troubled heroine of Persona PSP, is now grown up and running Hiiragi Psychotherapy to help ease the minds of others who are psychologically tormented.

Sky Museum: Known as the Aerospace Museum in Innocent Sin PSP.

Ellen: Elly Kirishima in Persona PSP. She’s one of two guest stars from the original game who can briefly join your party in Eternal Punishment. The unnamed “Boy with Earring” who shows up in her route was the protagonist of that game.

Nate: Kei Nanjo, the other possible guest party member from Persona PSP. He’s the heir to the Nanjo Group megacorporation, which Persona fans with a sharp memory might know as having ties to Mitsuru Kirijo’s own business empire in Persona 3.

Yuki: Yukino Mayuzumi, another character you might know from Persona and Innocent Sin PSP. Once the leader of a girl gang at St. Hermelin, she grew up to be a professional photographer who works alongside Maya at Coolest.

Chris: Reiji Kido, sort of a hidden character in Persona PSP, will make a brief appearance in Elly’s path in Eternal Punishment.

Brad: Hidehiko “Brown” Uesugi’s routine is just as obnoxious as it was in Persona PSP, but now he’s famous for doing it on TV.

Guido: More properly known as Takahisa Kandori in Persona PSP, where he was the mastermind behind the dimensional warp that drew in the city of Mikage-cho. Though he died in the events of Persona PSP, Kandori casts a long shadow, and his influence will be felt in Sumaru City during the course of Eternal Punishment’s story.

Masquerade: Localized in Innocent Sin PSP as the “Masked Circle,” this was an innocuous child’s game that was twisted into something more sinister many years later.

Araya Shrine: Corrected to the Alaya Shrine in both earlier PSP games. “Alaya” is a Buddhist term for the uninfluenced stream of thought before it is transformed by self-knowledge and reflection.
Click to expand...

New news, new thread.
 
A

Aeana

Member
I'm glad Nich wrote that post. It should make it a lot easier to adapt from Innocent Sin PSP for people.
 
7

7threst

Member
I really wanted the PSP-version :(

But at least people can play the game now without going broke buying the original on disc.
 
S

Sophia

Member
Well, it's nice that it's coming, and the post is easily linked to in case confusion arises. Disappointing that Nich was even more vague about why EP PSP couldn't come tho.

Time for rumors to become reality again!
 
S

Soma

Member
Ahhhhh still need to finish up my playthrough of Innocent Sin.

Really excited to get started on this because I've really been enjoying Persona 2 lately.
 
E

Eusis

Member
MagusKen said:
Account locked rather,

as long as you have an account for that region, you can play any game.
Click to expand...
That isn't Persona 4 Arena anyway. Though it sounds like some have issues with X/O swapping and so are defacto locked, but that's not really an issue with PS1/PS2 titles.
 
Velcro Fly

Velcro Fly

Member
Well at least I'll have something to spend my $20 PSN credit on for doing that Vita referral pyramid scheme thing. Now to decide whether I buy a physical copy of Innocent Sin to sit with Persona 1 and P3P or go digital and have both halves of Persona 2 on my Vita.
 
J

jello44

Chie is the worst waifu
Sophia said:
Well, it's nice that it's coming, and the post is easily linked to in case confusion arises. Disappointing that Nich was even more vague about why EP PSP couldn't come tho.

Time for rumors to become reality again!
Click to expand...

Yeah.. I'd love to know the story, but looks like it will be one of those things that will never come to light.

Thankfully I got that $10 from Sony, so I'll just use that for this.
 
Z

Zippedpinhead

Member
$ 9.99

well worth it. It is much cheaper than $50-72 used with no garauntee if it would come with a box, manual, or even be usable...

And as a bonus I can play it on my Vita!
 
R

randomkid

Member
It's cracking me up how excited I am for this, feelin like a teenager again. Wonder if I'll play on the big huge TV or the pretty Vita screen with suspend save, it's pretty easy to switch back and forth right? That's what I'll probably end up doing.
 
A

Aeana

Member
randomkid said:
It's cracking me up how excited I am for this, feelin like a teenager again. Wonder if I'll play on the big huge TV or the pretty Vita screen with suspend save, it's pretty easy to switch back and forth right? That's what I'll probably end up doing.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's easy enough to transfer your save back and forth.
 
Z

Zippedpinhead

Member
Why is there is big issue with PS1 titles at $9.99?

I would be hard-pressed to find this title for less than that for a physical copy (more likely at three or four times that).

This Digital version is even more versatile than the physical copy as you can play it natively on portable game systems.
 
I

inHallways

Member
I will hold out for now in the hope that it may eventually come to EU PSN in some form allowing me to complete my Vita Persona collection.
 
S

Spiegel

Member
Aeana said:
I don't think Persona 2 EP is worth less than Persona 3 FES.
Click to expand...

It just would have been nice if Atlus would have priced the game as a normal PSX game considering they can't bring the upgraded port.

I'm just mad because I can't see myself playing the game on PSP/PS3 and I'm not going to bother juggling between memory cards on Vita (my main account is an euro one).

So what I was trying to say is fuck Sony and their account policy, I guess... ;)
 
D

Dantis

Member
That explanation is very disappointing, if expected.

What's the easiest way for me to get ahold of this as a European?
 
A

Aeana

Member
Dantis said:
Of course, and I have one.

The problem is actually purchasing the game. :p
Click to expand...
US PSN accepts PayPal now, but I don't know if you can make use of that feature from Europe or not. Otherwise, I guess you just have to get points... and I'm not sure what retailer to suggest.
 
D

Dantis

Member
Can you gift points or game codes or something with US PSN?

Aeana said:
US PSN accepts PayPal now, but I don't know if you can make use of that feature from Europe or not. Otherwise, I guess you just have to get points... and I'm not sure what retailer to suggest.
Click to expand...

A guy in the Persona Community topic said that it doesn't work. :(
 
D

DasMarcos

Banned
It is times like these that I wish I had my PS3 with me at this moment. What have I done to myself by leaving it 4000 miles away!
 
R

randomkid

Member
Everyone's got their own value propositions but $9.99 for a lengthy RPG CLASSIC that is unobtainable for less than $70 disc only seems pretty okay to me, and I am actually quite the cheapass about this stuff usually.

It seems like they really do take game length into account though with their pricing though right? Tomba, Grandia, the FFs, I guess Resident Evil is an exception?
 
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