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Persona 4: Arena |OT| Midnight's Just Around The Corner

Deitus

Member
So the Shin Megami Tensei appellation is more of a "brand" (like Final Fantasy)? Sorry for the noob questions. No idea why I never got into this series before now, it's amazing.

Sort of... at least in the West. It's sort of like how the first game in the Mana series was originally marketed as Final Fantasy Adventure in America, and the first game in the SaGa series was called Final Fantasy Legend.

Basically, there is a main series, Shin Megami Tensei which itself is sort of a spinoff of the original Megami Tensei series, but is now considered the main franchise. This main series shares a universe across all the games, as well as a number of themes, including the system of forming contracts with and summoning demons. Of the main series, only 3 (also known as Nocturne, or Lucifer's Call in Europe) and Strange Journey were ever released in the West.

Then there are a number of spin-off series, that may share some themes and gameplay mechanics with the main series, but take place in a different universe. For each of these series, in Japan the first game in the series had some form of the Shin Megami Tensei name in the title, indicating that it was a spinoff series, and all the later titles dropped the SMT name entirely. For instance, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner was the first game in the series, while all future games only used "Devil Summoner" and did not include SMT in the title anywhere. For Persona, the first game was Megami Ibunroku Persona, or "Alternate Tale of the Goddess: Persona", with the Megami in the title being a reference the Shin Megami Tensei, quite literally stating that this is a spinoff series. All future Persona games were just called Persona. The exception to this is Digital Devil Saga, which has never included the SMT name in any of its titles in Japan.

In America though, just about all of them are given the Shin Megami Tensei name. This is done for marketing reasons. Atlus was not big enough in the west to sell games on the developer name alone, and they had to try to carry over as many fans as possible from game to game. And now the series has actually gotten decently large, so it really makes sense for them to continue taking advantage of it.

tl;dr version: There is a main series that is directly related, and there are several spinoff series that share similarities, but take place in different universes.
 

Astral

Member
Unrelated, but the devs need to patch in rematch function in versus mode.

Time drags having to keep going back into character selection after every match set.

That's unfortunately how ArcSys works. I don't think any of their games have a rematch option.
 

NichM

Banned
tl;dr version: There is a main series that is directly related, and there are several spinoff series that share similarities, but take place in different universes.

It's a little more complex than that, though. There are loose ties between the main series and the sub-series that mostly revolve around Shin Megami Tensei: If.... The heroine of that game, Tamaki, later appeared in the Persona games and made references to attending Karukozaka High and being a devil summoner. Moreover, the Kuzunoha Detective Agency appears in both the Devil Summoner and Persona series, and the plot of Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army (spoilers)
is eventually revealed to tie into the Millennium Kingdom from SMT II
. So I don't think it's accurate to say that the overall "Shin Megami Tensei" name used in the US is purely for branding purposes; there is a loosely shared universe in play, though not every game (such as the DDS or Devil Survivor games) takes part in it.
 

vocab

Member
Ugh loading screens. Even SFIVAE on PC has a feature where you hold the start button it skips the flame background loading screen because the game is already loaded on PC. Games are instant. If skullgirls can do rematch, why not this game :(
 

Beckx

Member
tl;dr version: There is a main series that is directly related, and there are several spinoff series that share similarities, but take place in different universes.

So I don't think it's accurate to say that the overall "Shin Megami Tensei" name used in the US is purely for branding purposes; there is a loosely shared universe in play, though not every game (such as the DDS or Devil Survivor games) takes part in it.

Thanks both - for the abundance of detail & clarification. I like "loosely shared universes."
 

Deitus

Member
So I don't think it's accurate to say that the overall "Shin Megami Tensei" name used in the US is purely for branding purposes; there is a loosely shared universe in play, though not every game (such as the DDS or Devil Survivor games) takes part in it.

You are right, I was definitely oversimplifying it. Also, I wasn't aware of some of those connections, pretty cool stuff (though I was under the impression that the Devil Summoner references in the Persona series were more easter eggs, rather than indications the series were directly connected).
 

SerRodrik

Member
You just need to learn to predict your opponent (easier said than done I know). For example, you notice that he has a tendency to try a DP out of your blockstrings, you can stop in the middle of one of them and block. The opponent's blocked DP leaves him open for a counterattack.

The trouble is I don't understand things enough to be able to recognize what he's doing and figure out what the best counter would be, let alone be able to do that in time for it to still be useful.

Also I barely understand the concept of blockstrings.
 

NichM

Banned
You are right, I was definitely oversimplifying it. Also, I wasn't aware of some of those connections, pretty cool stuff (though I was under the impression that the Devil Summoner references in the Persona series were more easter eggs, rather than indications the series were directly connected).

It's heavily implied in Persona 2 that
Chief Todoroki is being possessed by Kyoji Kuzunoha, a la the protagonist of the first Devil Summoner game.
 

Onemic

Member
You just need to learn to predict your opponent (easier said than done I know). For example, if you notice that he has a tendency to try a DP out of your blockstrings, you can stop in the middle of one of them and block. The opponent's blocked DP leaves him open for a counterattack.

How can you DP out of a blockstring if it's a true blockstring?

And this is a question I've always wanted to know. Is there any negative to mashing dp as soon as you're hit/getting combo'd or blockstringed? It seems like(at least in terms of online) the only negative is staying still and blocking rather than mashing DP as that opens you up to frametraps(DP beats it), throws,(if late enough DP beats it), and jumping back into another blockstring(DP beats it) This is all coming from SF, but it should be applicable here too I'm assuming.

In SF that's what lamers would always do, but at the same time it seems like a strategy that works more often than not. The only situation where it could possible work against you is during wakeup as you can be baited into a whiffed DP.
 

Xevren

Member
How can you DP out of a blockstring if it's a true blockstring?

And this is a question I've always wanted to know. Is there any negative to mashing dp as soon as you're hit/getting combo'd or blockstringed? It seems like(at least in terms of online) the only negative is staying still and blocking rather than mashing DP as that opens you up to frametraps(DP beats it), throws,(if late enough DP beats it), and jumping back into another blockstring(DP beats it) This is all coming from SF, but it should be applicable here too I'm assuming.

In SF that's what lamers would always do, but at the same time it seems like a strategy that works more often than not. The only situation where it could possible work against you is during wakeup as you can be baited into a whiffed DP.

Well, if the person you're playing against gets hit by it they might just start stopping their strings to bait out said DP's to punish you. It's one of those, try not to use it too much or you're going to get punished really hard type of deals, same with wake up attacks.
 

Snakeyes

Member
The trouble is I don't understand things enough to be able to recognize what he's doing and figure out what the best counter would be, let alone be able to do that in time for it to still be useful.

It all comes with practice. You'll start picking up on it after getting comfortable with the game.

Also I barely understand the concept of blockstrings.

Applying pressure or getting pushed back to a safe distance if your first attack is blocked.
 
The trouble is I don't understand things enough to be able to recognize what he's doing and figure out what the best counter would be, let alone be able to do that in time for it to still be useful.

Also I barely understand the concept of blockstrings.

That's kinda the whole point, fighting games are a learning experience. You learn about you opponents moves and counter him in time to make sure he isn't keen on using that move next time.
 

Skilletor

Member
Ugh loading screens. Even SFIVAE on PC has a feature where you hold the start button it skips the flame background loading screen because the game is already loaded on PC. Games are instant. If skullgirls can do rematch, why not this game :(

You just blew my mind!
 

Tomat

Wanna hear a good joke? Waste your time helping me! LOL!
A game that has this as it's battle theme can't be that bad.

Sounds pretty good. I listened to bits and pieces of the DDS1 soundtrack and didn't like what I was hearing. Still think the P3 soundtrack is the best out of the SMT games I've played (P3, P4, and SMT: Nocturne). Nocturne has some good tracks too though.
 
Soo...story-wise, and without spoiling too much, is it a worthy sequel to P3/P4 ? Are there some answer to the hanging questions of P3/P4 ? (I'm not overly fond of Arksys fighting games, but I figured I'd buy this because it's branded "Persona")
 

Trigger

Member
Soo...story-wise, and without spoiling too much, is it a worthy sequel to P3/P4 ? Are there some answer to the hanging questions of P3/P4 ? (I'm not overly fond of Arksys fighting games, but I figured I'd buy this because it's branded "Persona")

I thought P4 already wrapped up the story. What would be left?
 

Tomat

Wanna hear a good joke? Waste your time helping me! LOL!
Anyone played this with a fightpad yet? Just curious as to how it feels.

Sorta wish I had a stick to play with, but I don't play enough fighters to really justify it.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Soo...story-wise, and without spoiling too much, is it a worthy sequel to P3/P4 ? Are there some answer to the hanging questions of P3/P4 ? (I'm not overly fond of Arksys fighting games, but I figured I'd buy this because it's branded "Persona")

It takes place 2 months after the events of 4 during golden week where Yu is returning to the town on vacation to see everyone.
 

SerRodrik

Member
That's kinda the whole point, fighting games are a learning experience. You learn about you opponents moves and counter him in time to make sure he isn't keen on using that move next time.

My point is sort of that I don't know how to begin doing that because I don't understand the underlying mechanics of fighting games, I guess, which is why I keep asking dumb questions.
 

Scratch

Member
Cool, I was under the impression that it would be harder.

The first day is the worst. It's just really frustrating and you feel like you just wasted xx dollars. But each day after it gets better. It feels great once you get it though. Dat authentic arcade experience!
 

Hex

Banned
Anyone played this with a fightpad yet? Just curious as to how it feels.

Sorta wish I had a stick to play with, but I don't play enough fighters to really justify it.

4 button fighter should be fine with a pad.
No worries at all.
 

Solune

Member
Anyone played this with a fightpad yet? Just curious as to how it feels.

Sorta wish I had a stick to play with, but I don't play enough fighters to really justify it.

As someone once told me, sticks can be used for alot more than just fighters.
 

Snakeyes

Member
My point is sort of that I don't know how to begin doing that because I don't understand the underlying mechanics of fighting games, I guess, which is why I keep asking dumb questions.

Street Fighter 2 can be played for free online, maybe check that out to learn a few basics?
 
Anyone played this with a fightpad yet? Just curious as to how it feels.

Sorta wish I had a stick to play with, but I don't play enough fighters to really justify it.

I'm likely totally off on this but I imagine that the button combinations needed for P4A would require config or a dexterous thumb. For me personally, it's a matter of comfort since my manhands are large.
 
I'd hope so since DDS is one of the best games in the series. :p

Great my HDMI cable snapped. -_-
If you took out all the interesting battle mechanics from smt games, all the interesting demon mechanics, stripped the personality from all the characters and set them in a soulless world, what you're left with is digital devil saga.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
I'm likely totally off on this but I imagine that the button combinations needed for P4A would require config or a dexterous thumb. For me personally, it's a matter of comfort since my manhands are large.

Well a lot of the double / triple pushes are also mapped to other (shoulder) buttons by default so shouldnt have any issues.
 

Ken

Member
So I want to Personafy the art on my SF4 TE stick but I'm not sure where to start. Any advice? I've never done anything with the stick so it looks like it was straight out the box.
 
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