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Shin Megami Tensei Community Thread: Be Your True Demon

Hylian7

Member
Also I read something about her being in a new dungeon? That looks like a new dungeon in the screenshot. At first glance I thought it was Delphinus, but it is definitely not. Looks like a corn field/garden?
 
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Mother and daughter. Guess which one's which.

I sure hope "it's good except for X fetishistic element" isn't a thing forever. I'm fucking sick of otaku garbage.

Also, why did they add Night Stalker of all things? Nice one on Thanatos though, even if it's one of Kaneko's more puzzling designs.
 

Opa-Pa

Member
I feel like the bar is so low right now that anything that isn't offensively ugly like some of the SMT4 designs will be fine.

I mean it's not a terrible design out of context... but it's not Megaten to me either, and if you know about Demeter, yikes.
 
A: "Hey so we need a design for a mythological figure whose only real significant myth was largely about her being a mother who wanted her daughter back"
B: "I've got just the ticket!"
 
That's an odd design for Demeter. Her whole thing is motherhood and fertility.
So I guess she's a small child?
Demeter is all about agriculture and fertility of the earth. Motherhood plays a big part in the story of her and Persephone, but isn't what she was worshiped for as far as I'm aware.

I wouldn't have depicted her as a child myself, but I can kind of see where it comes from, I guess? I feel Doi has taken a more "playful nature spirit" approach to her, which is fine. One of the charms of SMT is that it doesn't shy away from depicting mythological figures in new and unexpected ways.

I sure hope "it's good except for X fetishistic element" isn't a thing forever. I'm fucking sick of otaku garbage.
I honestly can't tell if you're talking about Demeter or Persephone here. Besides, it has already been a thing forever, given the fetishistic elements Kaneko liked to add to his designs.
 

Hylian7

Member
I honestly can't tell if you're talking about Demeter or Persephone here. Besides, it has already been a thing forever, given the fetishistic elements Kaneko liked to add to his designs.
I was gonna say, that has been a thing since the Kaneko days. See: Angel, one of the demon designs everyone loves. Angel (the BDSM one, not the Devil Survivor/old school one) is an perfect example of demons being depicted in unexpected, yet logical if you think about it, ways.

Or Arioch might be an even better example. I won't post the pic here since he might be considered NSFW, but basically he is a giant blue vagina with teeth and a tongue, holding a sword. His name in Hebrew means "fierce lion". Lion = cat = pussy = vagina

And he certainly looks quite fierce.

Doi's designs aren't as good as Kaneko for sure, but they definitely are quite good.
 
Demeter is all about agriculture and fertility of the earth. Motherhood plays a big part in the story of her and Persephone, but isn't what she was worshiped for as far as I'm aware.

you're right. she was worshiped because she turned herself into an old woman and taught a guy how agriculture worked so he could share it with all the humans.
 
I honestly can't tell if you're talking about Demeter or Persephone here. Besides, it has already been a thing forever, given the fetishistic elements Kaneko liked to add to his designs.

That sounds too blasé with Demeter under consideration. The point of contention is her infantilization. With enough (any?) exposure to otaku and otaku media (including 4A and its pedophilic creepfests), her design reads as cheap, gross "loli" pandering. While not as explicit as the historical figures depicted as half-naked children in Fate/Grand Order, it's still reminiscent of them. I see no good reason for her to be a child and there's enough precedent for me to not trust that it was done in good faith. It gets way, way worse when you factor in her many consorts and children. Uggggghhhhhh. It doesn't help either that Anahita has incongruent playboy body language going on.

Also, Persephone's design has zero fetishistic content, she's just nude. It's not about the existence of creative liberties, but rather responsibility in regard to what they are, what they're for, and how they're used.
 

Rizzi

Member
Demeter is all about agriculture and fertility of the earth. Motherhood plays a big part in the story of her and Persephone, but isn't what she was worshiped for as far as I'm aware.

I wouldn't have depicted her as a child myself, but I can kind of see where it comes from, I guess? I feel Doi has taken a more "playful nature spirit" approach to her, which is fine. One of the charms of SMT is that it doesn't shy away from depicting mythological figures in new and unexpected ways.


I honestly can't tell if you're talking about Demeter or Persephone here. Besides, it has already been a thing forever, given the fetishistic elements Kaneko liked to add to his designs.

She was worshipped at Eleusis because of her search for Persephone, and it's pretty linked to her. Life and death etc.
It's not a great design.
 

Golnei

Member
The concept of Demeter does remind me a bit of the 'moe representation' school of design, with a couple of character items added to an otherwise unrelated design.


It's obviously not comparable in quality; and there's nothing offensive about it on its own, but for how it's being used and what it's intended to represent; it does kind of invite that parallel.
 

1upsuper

Member
I've got another random question. Does anyone know of a list (or just know) of every demon in the Jack Frost family throughout the entire IP? I was looking for a list but couldn't find one.

Off the top of my head, there's:

Jack Frost
Pyro Jack/Jack-o-Lantern
Jack Ripper
Devil Buster Busters
King Frost
Frost Ace
Black Frost
Demonee-Ho
Raiho
Frost Five
Frost Trio
Lucifroz
Hairy Jack

What am I missing?
 

Golnei

Member
I've got another random question. Does anyone know of a list (or just know) of every demon in the Jack Frost family throughout the entire IP? I was looking for a list but couldn't find one.

This page should have a few.

Ones listed there you missed are the Blue Hawaii Frost, Petit Frost, Milky Frost, Queen Frost; and Lemon, Strawberry and Melon Frosts.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
I'm digging this new Incubus design, it really captures men's descent into madness as a result of their lust. Kaneko truly was a genius.
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Also, is that Lisa in the hospital? Why is she there? Wish I could understand what they're saying.

The Lisa thing was from debug mode, I'm pretty sure it was just a test of the engine, not meant to have her be part of the story.
 
Yeah, just test assets. There were also models for Maya, younger man Louis, and Sid Davis.

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Neat video. Amazing scene of Lilith's snake hacking up a fireball to open a goblin door to Bowser's castle.
 

Lynx_7

Member
Wow, I don't remember that quest at all, and I'm pretty sure I did all of the side-quests. Unless it's a Fiend fight? I never got around to those because 1/74291475683 chance of encounter is just not something I want to deal with.

Also, is it normal to be in a constant state of wanting to replay Nocturne but never getting around to it because you still have other titles in the franchise to play
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Wow, I don't remember that quest at all, and I'm pretty sure I did all of the side-quests. Unless it's a Fiend fight? I never got around to those because 1/74291475683 chance of encounter is just not something I want to deal with.

Also, is it normal to be in a constant state of wanting to replay Nocturne but never getting around to it because you still have other titles in the franchise to play

I personally ache whenever I see someone say "I need to get to that one day". I want to grab them by the shoulders like Max would and say "NOW. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLAY IT NOW".
 

NeonZ

Member
Wow, I don't remember that quest at all, and I'm pretty sure I did all of the side-quests. Unless it's a Fiend fight? I never got around to those because 1/74291475683 chance of encounter is just not something I want to deal with.

Also, is it normal to be in a constant state of wanting to replay Nocturne but never getting around to it because you still have other titles in the franchise to play

It's not an actual Fiend fight. It's a quest you get in Infernal Tokyo when returning there after defeating Lucifer/Merkabah. It might be new game + only too. They're much weaker than the Fiends from the actual Fiend battles though, so it's not really hard at all.
 
You should do it if you're in the mood probably.

If you haven't gotten around to playing DDS then it's time to ramble about DDS.

I'll be reading some Quantum Devil Saga soon!
 

cj_iwakura

Member
You should do it if you're in the mood probably.

If you haven't gotten around to playing DDS then it's time to ramble about DDS.

I'll be reading some Quantum Devil Saga soon!

My delayed replay is Raidou 2. Just put it down and never got back to it for some reason, I was going after Lucy.
 
I put down Nocturne because my insight sucks. I could have better things to post about it in the anniversary thread but oh well.

IRL problems interfere with it too but I still don't have confidence in whatever I write about it.
 

randomkid

Member
SMT3 is tough to write about because it basically reduces you to the level of a gushing teenager. You want to write this soaring prose to meet the game at it's level but it's impossible to convey how masterfully everything works together without coming across as a hyperbolic idiot. Replaying the game for the first time in a decade, with the added perspective of finishing the rest of the series, is basically the most blissful gaming experience of the year. And this has been a great year!
 
SMT3 is tough to write about because it basically reduces you to the level of a gushing teenager. You want to write this soaring prose to meet the game at it's level but it's impossible to convey how masterfully everything works together without coming across as a hyperbolic idiot. Replaying the game for the first time in a decade, with the added perspective of finishing the rest of the series, is basically the most blissful gaming experience of the year. And this has been a great year!

Have tried many a time, can confirm.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
SMT3 is tough to write about because it basically reduces you to the level of a gushing teenager. You want to write this soaring prose to meet the game at it's level but it's impossible to convey how masterfully everything works together without coming across as a hyperbolic idiot. Replaying the game for the first time in a decade, with the added perspective of finishing the rest of the series, is basically the most blissful gaming experience of the year. And this has been a great year!

The day I got to start up Nocturne was the most religious experience of my life.
 

Lynx_7

Member
You should do it if you're in the mood probably.

If you haven't gotten around to playing DDS then it's time to ramble about DDS.

I'll be reading some Quantum Devil Saga soon!

I don't deserve to replay Nocturne until I get around to DDS and Strange Journey. It's seppuku-worthy how I still haven't beaten the other top dogs in the franchise.
 

Opa-Pa

Member
I don't deserve to replay Nocturne until I get around to DDS and Strange Journey. It's seppuku-worthy how I still haven't beaten the other top dogs in the franchise.

I feel you, I think I only have DDS2 and Raidou 2 left, but I'm saving that replay for after those even though I constantly get the urge to start it right away. I feel like replaying it as an adult will add a lot to the experience too, can't wait!
 
I totally overlooked the visual motif of vortexes in Nocturne the first time around. It's called the Vortex World! There are the spinning terminals, the coiled Magatama, the zen garden ripples on the sand, the spiral painting in the hospital lobby, the triskele in the sky, the elder Manikin's spiral-patterned swastika rug (the swastika already being a vortical symbol on its own), the spiral structures such as the kila descent in the Assembly of Nihilo and ascent at the end of the Tower of Kagutsuchi, etc.
 
It's a shame to see that there's nothing that has been done about the PS3 PAL Nocturne (Lucifer's Call). I went through it recently and it still crashes after defeating the Kagatsuchi. It sort of had a similar problem on PS2 but changing up the setting (mostly the Hz setting) you could get lucky and still get to the true final boss, but on PS3 it has been impossible.
 
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