Nyarly's Introduction to Megami Tensei

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Shin Megami Tensei is an amazing JRPG franchise by Atlus, with it having some of the best story, music, and gameplay of the genre. Since it started in 1987, it has evolved into several spinoff series, making for dozens of options to play. Because of this, new fans looking to get into the series might be confused, and have no idea where to start with the franchise.
With Persona 5 bringing in more fans into Megami Tensei series than ever before, and Pokemon fans looking for new games to get into after the controversy of Sword and Shield, I decided to make my own video intended to introduce new fans into the Megami Tensei series. In this video, I look at the history, games, and gameplay of the series, what makes it great, and which games new players should start with.
Source for the picture of Jack Frost and Pikachu: www.pokecommun...

[@RandyClyne]

Persona 3: Makes you cry Persona 4: Makes you wanna go to school

[@todd3143]

persona 5: makes you go to sleep

[@spiritninja5757]

Persona 5: makes you want to live in a society

[@faidou9954]

P2 makes you want to punch a Furher.

[@wannepricila3108]

Persona 2: makes you wanna make motorcicle noises

[@JingMitsuyamaCH]

@@wannepricila3108 I laughed way too hard at this

[@marceledel8619]

I learned about both SMT and Persona separately, until I started to get into SMT that I found out the two were connected.

[@makotoyuki345]

Marcel Edel Same here

[@TheKewlPerson]

I just didn’t know SMT existed until I got Persona 4 and it said Shin Megami Tensei on the top.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

i played SMT IV first and then ran back to persona 5 then 4 golden and then burned out on 3 P and then the lost child to tokyo mirage sesions back to the lost child to Iv apocalypse my descent to hell has been a gradual one.

[@amuro9624]

@@haruhisuzumiya6650 guess ur heading to personal q then in a few months you'll end in dancing all night or whatever that thing is called

[@ghostboy2133]

I kind of knew it was connected when ...if came out

[@Stoltzy92]

The best description for SMT that I have ever heard is as follows. (I do not remember the source off the top of my head so forgive me for that. ) "Shin Megami Tensei is everything that the fundamentalists were afraid POKEMON was."

[@n-extrafries-surprise]

I was that fundamentalist once because I’m a just a lil child back then I’m really afraid of demons (because superstition) but then I grew older, I got into SMT after Persona introduced me to this franchise!

[@bigcheese2650]

@@n-extrafries-surprise same

[@gastroacid1971]

They were right about Pokemon though, it does have sanatic symbolism and playing it gives the subliminal effect of having an urge to start worshiping satan.

[@NIHIL_EGO]

@@gastroacid1971 What satanic symbols ? If the "satanic" symbols are actually just Buddhist or Shintoist symbols I'll laugh.

[@gastroacid1971]

@@NIHIL_EGO Kadavra has a pentagram on his forehead, Pokemon evolve which contradicts creationism and the card game colorless energy has a kabbala symbol.

[@Igorcastrochucre]

Nyarly: The best game to start with is... Me: Obviously IV, it's readily available on a easily accessible platform, it also has... N: Nocturne because it has a camera. Me: But IV is great at explaining the press-turn sys... N: Nocturn has a camera. Me: It being easy is great to avoid frustration. N: Nocturne. Has. A Camera.

[@rinpls2451]

CD IEE nog if it’s your first smt game, it will be difficult

[@afro4640]

DevilBuster Kaz I agree heavily with Strange Journey, potentially DDS too.

[@dragonsdogma2062]

He just wants them to understand all the Fiends and beast eye memes.

[@bearandthebull2372]

@DevilBuster Kaz SJ?I wouldn't recommend it unless they have prior demon knowledge or an understanding of dungeon crawlers.

[@autobotstarscream765]

As I understand the video, he specifically recommends it as a jumping-on point *for Persona fans,* who by virtue of having beaten some Persona games are seasoned players who he feels are ready for the challenge of Nocturne instead of needing an easier game to ease them in directly from some other JRPG series or even from having never played a JRPG before.

[@mujimujimuji9111]

As a veteran Megaten fan I don't know why I still watch these introduction videos to the franchise. Good job tho!

[@amuro9624]

I'll take any mainline smt content I can find

[@Supermurm9000]

we’re starved for content. I’ve been here for almost a decade and the amount of fan megaten content in the KZbin space is nonexistent

[@lucymorrison]

@aichakushi well megaten in general isn’t nonexistent on KZbin but Oops! All Persona! the amount of mainline smt content would make you think *it’s* the sub series

[@definitelynotshanque]

Video: starts with P3 music Me: dis good video

[@PandaWilliams-ol5vt]

Definitely Not Shanque thought the same thing i love p3 music

[@n-extrafries-surprise]

Persona 3 was my first Megaten game!

[@biglion3816]

I thought 3,4,5 arent smt and just spinoffs

[@DMCK2000]

Hex Maniac nah they are mega ten, but not shin Megami tensei.

[@amuro9624]

@@biglion3816 they are spin-off of the mainline games but still smt

[@instantramen122]

“Devil Survivor Overclocked is just $15” About that

[@Sammmmmmmm617]

What happened man? Lmao

[@zEr-ne5ri]

@Sam idk but it makes me extremely salty.

[@jeffjordan4749]

Unss you want the case just order it from gamestop it will save money but me I like having my cases for games and I just found out the other day its a hefty price for a CIB copy.

[@justanotherweirdo11]

80 goddamn dollars. What the hell.

[@Sammmmmmmm617]

@@justanotherweirdo11 people take advantage of the pandemic

[@baddragonite]

Wait so Pokemon was just a simpler more kid-friendly MT? SO POKEMON WAS THE DEVIL *TAKE THAT ATHEISTS*

[@CrashfHackergames]

@William E what the fuck does Jojo have to do with MT ? At the time there weren't even stands, Stardust Crusaders is from 89, DDS: MT is from 87.

[@sirwolfy9372]

William E almost but the novel was made before

[@ActionGamerAaron]

But Satan has good taste in video games.

[@totalpartykill999]

and MegaTen was first

[@linebeckthejohoe4876]

Bad Dragonite Impossible.

[@sethlaufy]

Me: Nocturne it's really friendly, i mastered the game already Matador: No, you don't

[@si-level]

I actually beat him in the first time but the reason i play nocturne because matador lmao

[@cruschishere9939]

cory sakti Same except i played the game to fight thor

[@FDReiter]

Mot : cute

[@lambchop58]

Death flies... death flies Everytime

[@Benjamin-ml7sv]

Nonono, I reversed that thing, no I am hunting Matador and not otherwise.

[@WolfestoneManor]

I like how you picked the hardest games in the series and just went "idk why people think they're hard or anything". As someone who's only been into MegaTen for about over a year I never would have continued if I started with SJ. The additions in SJR don't make it too easy, take it from a noob.

[@promisnwekenta9703]

Nocturne is actually not that hard. Coming from a guy who's first game was persona 3 psp version, on easy mode and went then into nocturne. It was a long playthrough, but i never felt like "this is impossible".

[@conradcooper2710]

The number one thing I've taken away from these sort of "guides to get into a certain rpg series" videos is that if the person says "this game is a lil too easy", do not listen to them. Play the game and decide if it is too easy. Veterans' vision of difficulty gets shrouded with enough experience, and eventually they can't accurately tell newcomers shit.

[@JustAnotherPrimalAspid]

@Neos Antrax as someone who is currently playing SJ (my first mainline game btw), I can say that Eridanus wasn't THAT bad

[@taigaaisaka6305]

Yeah, as much as I like Nyarly's content, his opinion on what's hard or not is... honestly, really detached from reality. Unlike Pros in other games that can separate their own skill making the games easy and give more of a neutral take, Nyarly seems either incapable of or doesn't really care. SMTIV for example, everyone out there will tell you to play it on easy if you are new because Normal is akin to Hard or Really Hard modes in other JRPG's. Game's even infamous for making new comers quite because of the difficulty. What does Nyarly says? "It's too forgiving and easy". Dude really needs to realize that 99.9% of the playerbase isn't a Pro Challenge runs SMT/Persona player.

[@Multienderguy37]

As my only Mega10 experience, I have to say SJ isn’t that hard, apart from a few bosses and the eridanus teleport maze. It does drag on tho.

[@KamenKami]

Yes, welcome to the world of MegaTen...Now give me 1000 macca or get mudo.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Goddess Suzumiya-sama: jokes on you, im immune to hama and mudo now hold still while i mamudoon your party

[@ualarga]

not that related but but once i had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom while i was playing p3 fes so i turned off the TV (not the playstation) while i was at tartarus and without pausing the game; When i come back and turn on the TV i find myself and all the party members engaged in a battle with death and everyone but MC was dead. I was terrified (at that time i was an early player of smt's games)

[@retropichu3028]

Okay maybe its the time for me to use makarakarn~

[@amuro9624]

Don't be scared this guy comes from smt where mudo only do damage

[@farhanaahmed326]

Mudo only does direct damage in smt4 In nocturne and previous, Mudo was still the same old potential instakill move.

[@gab_v250]

Since the official reveal and release year of Nocturne HD and SMT V, better be prepared.

[@DigitalDiscDreamer]

As a disappointed Pokémon fan, this series seems awesome as hell!

[@beanboi3178]

Im just going to start with nocturne as my first shin megami game

[@jovif.spemudaindonesia1841]

@@beanboi3178 Good luck with that, and prepare yourself to fight Matador and Mot

[@KreuzDrache]

Now if only we can get some rereleases of Devil Survivor and Strange Journey again. (And some more PC love too, after getting Persona 4 Golden on pc.)

[@beanboi3178]

Jovi F.S Pemuda indonesia ok joe

[@jazzminrice]

As someone who’s disappointed with Pokémon’s current direction I can’t believe I never looked into this series sooner I’m definitely going to play IV to hold me off until the remaster of III is released

[@emptilion]

It's fantastic. As someone who doesn't care about the competitive aspect in Pokemon this is absolutely my favorite monster catching series. Recent Digimon has also been really good, and the dragon quest monsters games are a lot of fun. But SMT is just the definitive monster catching series to me. Pokemon has gone all the way to the bottom for me at this point sadly.

[@oliverpease6719]

@@emptilion digimon cyber sleuth was good

[@guardian4452]

Smt4 cost around $80 on THE LOW END

[@Jrpg_guy]

@@guardian4452 20€ bro on e shop

[@gabrielfarkas257]

That's actually what happened to me as well. I've been a Pokémon fan since 2014 but soon it got old for me. This is why I started Megaten, precisely with Persona 4 Golden as I found out it got released on Steam. I'm playing it at the same time as P3FES, on a PS2 emulator. I also found out that the games are a part of Shin Megami Tensei as they have it in their titles. Both are very good and enjoyable games with colorful casts of characters, complex battle system and lots of things to do besides just catching monsters.

[@javiercortes1057]

Great video, I started with Persona 4 the Golden, then p3, then p5 and now I'm going through P2 IS, Nocturne and IV. It took me a looooong time to get into the series but I'm loving it.

[@roleemack1535]

Started off with p4 golden once i save up for a 3ds new 3ds going to get devil survivor overclock perfect way to start off smt games and the rest same with persona on ps3 vita and ps4

[@lemonov3031]

Finally, a man of culture using Japanese names.

[@ChiakiHatori]

Actually same! Although I played P5 before getting into P3.

[@cooldudeachyut]

Same, started with P4G, now have completed P5, P3FES and Nocturne. Gonna play Devil Survivor next.

[@faidou9954]

>Shin Megami Tensei: A place where there is no right or wrong reason/alignment >Entire fanbase demonizes and dehumanizes the law route without looking at the bigger picture I'm starting to think there's a bit of a bias here...

[@alexlee4154]

Heres your chance now, sell us on taking up the ass from YHVH

[@niquel5831]

YHVH starts a conflict and plans a genocide, then asks for submission to stop it, fuck that guy.

[@tovi3280]

I haven’t played a single megaten game (save for P5) but it already looks like law sucks ass and is the closest to a bad ending

[@Drdirtydee]

@@tovi3280 chaos and law are bad endings with the middle path being the safe route that only prolongs the demise.

[@ceasendesist8476]

@@Drdirtydee In other words, Chaos = The Weak become slaves to the Powerful Law = Everyone becomes slaves to Daddy YHVH Neutral = You're still fucked, but just not for now

[@xavierwashington7848]

Started with devil survivor overclocked, still love it the most

[@Tea-Spin]

Same

[@bemersonbakebarmen]

Its the best persona game. But to be honest Its what Shin Megami Tensei 1 should have been. It polishes the story a lot. A SMT1 remake would be awsome

[@naylisyazwina6836]

My first SMT that isn't persona is Devil Survivor Overclocked and boy that game has a LOT of grinding. I chose the Haru ending and I gave up near after I chose it because the amount of grinding was too much. Fighting the same demons over and over again to get to an alright level to go to the final part of the game. I'll be trying SMT IV and then maybe Apocalypse. I usually don't mind grinding but the grinding in Devil Survivor Overclocked was terrible for me. My favourite series so far is Fire Emblem, Yokai Watch, and Persona but I hope to fall in love with SMT as well

[@gamingwinnerman]

My favorite thing that happened in SMT nocturne was when I grinded for an hour and got hit by a single one hit ko move

[@AquilaPainWhy]

Ah yes the classic

[@TheXBladeist]

As one who started with Persona 3, then went to SMT Nocturne; it was a mildly rocky but fun transition. I will say that Devil Survivor's first boss made me furious, and had me drop the game due to not farming properly. As for Strange Journey, its a grand point to start, as the curve is very smooth, but quite impactful and game is still hard.

[@gameuniverse5973]

Fuck that wendigo tho like it one of my most frustrating bosses ever

[@etheldread7646]

@@gameuniverse5973 idk man, i would say that wendigo was kinda easy, you know just compare him to Beldr, Belial or Babel, those were WAY too unfair

[@gameuniverse5973]

@@etheldread7646 Funny enough I beat those first try the wendigo tho smack me five times before I grinded hell he one of my most though bosses whenever someone mentions mts I just think wendigo

[@gameuniverse5973]

@@etheldread7646 Strange journey was much easier than that oversized dog

[@etheldread7646]

@@gameuniverse5973 How did you beat Beldr and Belial in your first try man? Literally those assholes were the reason i had to restart TWICE hahaha

[@r.d.drowned9332]

Devil Survivor got me into an existential crisis for a month

[@eLFaHaD888]

Lol😂

[@sydnyman1220]

1992 I 1994 II if 2002 NINE 2003 Nocturne 2004 Maniax 2009 Strange Journey 2013 IV 2016 Final 2017 Deep Strange Journey 25th Anniversary NEXT?

[@alexanderfailoni1716]

Devil Survivor was my introduction to SMT and I've never looked back. Such an amazing series.

[@DiabloDaimao]

ah the p3 music at the beginning soothes my soul gg big sexy

[@HPLov3craft]

I feel like one of the most important aspect you left out: pay close attention to your compendium, always registering and upgrading demons in case it gets stronger.

[@MapleMilk]

In another universe "DemiKids Dark Version" is the most hardcore horror game of all time. ...or a doom clone, whatever.

[@StarShade0]

Something that surprised me about this series is the fact that the demons/personas look the same game to game for the most part. I played Persona 5 first knowing full well it was a sister franchise to SMT and one thought I had was “I wonder how many redesigns these personas had over the years”. Then I played Noctern and immediately was I surprised that everyone like Daesoujou and Matador and even Pixie were all the same. I figured that they all go through iterations in design.

[@legendofsonic3979]

SMT IV/Apocalypse redesigned a lot of demons, but for whatever reason Persona doesn't have any of the IV redesigns. Guess the Persona team must really love Kaneko...can't blame em, Kaneko is great.

[@Tea-Spin]

Just think of it as national pokedex on pokemon franchise

[@bemersonbakebarmen]

Think about It. How many Pikachus designs have you seen?

[@asprinjuice8877]

@@bemersonbakebarmen technically pokemon keeps making new pikachu clones for every game so there are like 10 of them

[@cynicalducky1041]

@@legendofsonic3979 Tbh some of the designs in SMT IV Apocalypse are really good, like Medusa has a fucking upgrade and is actually beautiful and demons like Mermaid and Danu look amazing. I'd say SMT IV Apocalypse had some of the best art of demons that were even carried over in SMT V.

[@megalcro]

4:32 Interesting that THAT'S the image you decided to use to describe the Persona dancing games.

[@cigman777]

"You can get Overclocked for around $15 easily" That didn't age well, Overclocked is going for $70-$80 nowadays

[@aidankhaos7687]

Ciglossonjr I found it for 20$

[@assmunch8633]

Aidan Khaos bitch where

[@123christianac]

@@assmunch8633 I got off the eshop for $20. I don't know about hard copies.

[@Sammmmmmmm617]

Why are all SMT games going so crazy!?

[@cigman777]

Sam it’s going for $120 now

[@bradyp634]

It’s weird knowing that just one year ago, the only RPG I’d beaten was Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Now I’ve played the entire persona series including most of their spin-off games, and SMT III and IV. Despite this I’m not even close to playing them all, which is pretty exciting in itself

[@Ben-ehana]

Missed a golden opportunity to title this "IntroducSHIN to Megami Tensei

[@fakegrant]

NOOOOOOO

[@AlphaC0re]

might play smt 5 as my first smt when it comes out

[@AverageRomanceEnjoyer]

Started with Strange Journey... hoo boy it was an experience. I loved the hellish atmosphere, eerie music and bosses of the game even if Sector E still gives me ptsd even with the Redux changes (also F the Empyrean Ascent, Tele-gates can suc it!).

[@mrnukes797]

Was it cold?

[@sofaris576]

Honestly the helish Atmosphäre made me drop the game pretty fast. Thats no knock against the game but its just not my cup of tea. I think the brighter more lighthearted Persona games suit me better. I am not sure if I got the time to give the non Persona parts of SMT another chance. Its wired. I have the feel that SMT in general is not my thing while I happy with the Persona games (played P5,PQ, and PQ2, loved them all) but part of me is still interested in SMT. I rented this overclock game although I not sure if I am gonna dive in.

[@lynyrd47]

@@sofaris576 I love the mainline SMT series but I get your point. SMT games in general have a very dark atmosphere that isn't for the faint of heart. They constantly revolve around very depressing themes and I actually advice people not to play these games if they're suffering from depression as the game might reinforce it. And if by Overclock you mean Devil Survivor, then I advice that you give it a shot. Devil Survivor is my favorite MegaTen game ever. It's also kind of like Persona in a way because the protagonists are also teenagers who control demons. The atmosphere is 10x darker though.

[@tylerallen6435]

strange journey is painful but I like it

[@Demi-kid]

Still waiting for SMT V. Nintendo where is it?!?!

[@mrnukes797]

No ask both Nintendo and Atlus but looks like ODIN IS OUT FOR BLOOD.

[@Demi-kid]

@@mrnukes797 if we gonna be honest with ourselves. Atlus is too busy milking p5. Oh well time to play strange journey.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

atlus is milking persona and it is particularly annoying

[@NIHIL_EGO]

@@haruhisuzumiya6650 Atlus apparently got a bad habits of announcing gamrs too early though.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

@@NIHIL_EGO at least persona 5 scramble is a worthy sequel to persona 5. I played the switch version demo it's amazing Atlus doesn't even pay me to shill so I'm genuinely excited for scramble Also one piece pirate warriors 4

[@TLOWNSU]

"I don't recommend SMTIV because after you get to tokyo the game is a breeze" I dropped SMTIV because I was getting crushed in Tokyo. Oof!

[@SmileyGamer13]

TLOWNSU and the map is just AWFUL

[@yosha2467]

@@SmileyGamer13 Map being trash means you'll end up grinding a lot to figure it out.

[@SmileyGamer13]

@@yosha2467 tbh that makes it worse. Not only do you end up overleveled, you also end up being exhausted. You're lost and can't go like three steps without an enemy spawn

[@_help1140]

yeah the map is garbo but once you get to shibuya you get used to it. I 100% recommend smt iv as its not easy. As soon as the enemy gets a smirk your dead. also It teaches you how press turns work and how to deal with bosses and how to build your team against the bosses.

[@ikhwananimationsbeyondweeb4528]

9:29 Imagine that actually happening in March 2020

[@IceLizardsUnited]

I just discovered a Persona/SMT channel that's named after my favorite Persona Character, Subscribing!

[@manaowls]

"5 bucks for Devil Survivor Overclocked" *Laughs in 2021

[@ShadowArmyDes]

14:52 In Persona 2 you can still fight if the protagonist dies.

[@elechain2441]

Hashino persona fans are quaking rn

[@joaquinriosrodriguez7316]

Both in Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment the whole party has to die to lose the fight.

[@themojogamer75]

This is also the case in Digital Devil Saga, I believe.

[@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas]

Yeah OK there are some exceptions to the dead protag = game over rule, specifically Persona 1, 2, Q, Q2, 5S, SMTIV(A), and DDS

[@drehawk9634]

Sub tip: holy dance in Devil Survivor is bae.

[@Jo__Ko]

Nocturne 👏 needs👏 a 👏 switch👏 port

[@1wantu2bmine]

Wish Granted.

[@felickscarljohnson4572]

Jimbo Bondall you here?

[@1wantu2bmine]

@@felickscarljohnson4572 You bet mate

[@asap.6283]

@@1wantu2bmine And it’s a solid port

[@antontaun]

"You can get Overclocked for $15" Lol good one

[@nr2676]

In Europe SMT games are for 100 Euro + :D So nice joke.

[@traigon1749]

@@nr2676 at least you can find It in Italy they never exist...

[@ODUBlue]

Oh my god. Thank you for this. So much. 🤣 I’ve been playing RPGs since ‘99, so I’m not new to the genre, but entirely new to this series. The number of spin-offs and such gives me a migraine. My plan is to stick to the basics and play the mainline series, see how I like it, and then branch out if I want. This helps straighten out pretty much all of my questions 🤘🏻👍🏻

[@impalacrush2439]

I do have some other tips for other new smt fan: 1 in some cases, some demons are worth to keep for a long time, especially the one who doesnt have weakness or have several elemental strength (exp: black frost) and if you do want to do this, learn how to level down fusion and maximize the inherit skill benefit 2. For all the physical MC out there, DO YOUR MATH, Physical skill takes hp, some use a set of math to determine the skill cost, always assume the damage of your enemy is critical attack so when you do phys attack at least you can survive even if you miss the attack 3. High critical and multiple damage small attack (with the right buffs) going to be a game changer 4. For some reason a single hitting elemental spell can be a good thing to keep, and if you master the demon fusion you can make a demon with 4 different elemental attack (this might be hard early game, but can be attainable at mid game with quite a cost) 5. Have 1 demon who learn/know patra in any kind of party

[@someguyparagon5273]

My first SMT was smt 4... Now I remember hearing and watching it and thought maybe one day I could buy this game... and the rest is history. (Smt 4, Apocalypse, and currently Strange Journey Redux)

[@Plotpurotto]

Some Guy Paragon I strongly recommend nocturne and digital devil saga 1/2

[@jamesross355]

Hey, Nyarly. I just wanted to say thanks for getting me into Shin Megami Tensei. I've gotten a hold of $ and Nocturne, as well as Persona 3 Fez and portable, along with and 4 Golden. I plan on getting my hands on other SMT games that you recommended. Again, thank you for getting me into the games!

[@ThunderTurtle7]

Nyarly: "SMT 4 is too easy" SMT 4: *eats my ass repeatedly on the tutorial dungeon with 1-2 hit kill enemies that spawn everywhere and are nearly impossible to avoid* *Minotaur*

[@Charagodslayer666]

I'm literally playing it now and have to go back to the barracks for the 4 time, and I haven't been to floor 3 yet. Died once also. Seriously, how in gods name is 4 at all easy?

[@dewo277e9]

the minotaur is not difficult, but it makes you think and rethink what you are doing wrong am I using the right demons? which magic is more effective? am I at the right level? is a boss "final test"

[@Charagodslayer666]

@@dewo277e9 actually yeah. I beat him no problem. Before him was the issue.

[@sharkhammr]

Also if you get assigned Walter for the fight, that Minotaur attempt is pretty much doomed.

[@Charagodslayer666]

@@sharkhammr funny and I'm not even lieing, I got Walter and he didn't use agi once. Just missed critical wave a bunch

[@jairodominguez04]

SMT 4 was my first and the intro dungeon was straight stress.

[@andr0zzsenpai]

He says is easy, but for a newcomer is really hard lol

[@cynicalducky1041]

@@andr0zzsenpai Agreed. Even as someone who has played SMT Nocturne, I was stunned by how many times I had to head over to barracks to heal my team. This is not a game I would recommend to new players to the franchise bceuase of the really hard start. Which will most likely piss off potential players who want to play a fun game. I would actually recommend SMT IV Apocalypse because gameplay wise it's more player friendly then ask them to play SMT IV After SMT V release, I would recommend SMT V over SMT IV Apocalypse and IV.

[@sebastianbarrios2177]

If you play SMT IV and Apocalypse Shibaboo and Fundraise are your best friends that will give you a lot of that precious Macca

[@seth7726]

It's hilarious to see Metatron being robbed

[@Zeon081]

or you can use the dlc quest that gives you more money than you can spend

[@Arcxzal]

Metatron is an absolute pushover smh

[@carlcouture1023]

Another thing about covering your weaknesses is that it costs the enemy additional turns. This can be really important if you're up against a group of enemies that hammers you with an elemental spell since not only will the enemy's attack be wasted, but one of the other enemies will lose their turn as well. On top of that, there are bosses who have multiple turns and nothing is as awesome as watching them cast a spell you're strong against and waste all their turns. This strategy can turn an Atlus Boss *cough*Matador*cough* into a breeze.

[@Sutchii_]

I started with Devil Survivor. It was really hard at the beggining but, when you get the hang of it is one of the best games for the ds

[@nintenx1235]

Remember now that you’ve clicked this video there is no turning back There is no ignoring fate Grasp destiny (and the demons) by the horns,pick your side, and enjoy the ride -Peaceful days die, let’s survive-

[@nintenx1235]

Damn that was cringe

[@grapedrink5641]

@@nintenx1235 Nah it wasn't that bad

[@l.j.nguyen2586]

nintenx123 Cringe? Nah. Not to me it isn’t, I thought it was poetic in a good way.

[@claraclenky9843]

@@nintenx1235 yeah it was pretty cringe

[@colebadguy]

I've never heard of this series until Persona 5 last year, and since playing that last year I've been on a journey to play as many entries as I can. I played every Persona, the SNES mainline games and Nocturne but don't know what to move on to next.

[@ephemeralbro]

If you just played Nocturne I'd recommend playing Digital Devil Saga next since it plays mostly the same. That or Strange Journey for the DS(or 3ds if you want to buy Redux)

[@mrnukes797]

I say play if on gba then strange journey, iv and iv apocalypse

[@Messiah_Abel]

You should try Raidou Kuzunoha VS. The Soulless Arny

[@carlyl2032]

Play the Devil Survivor games.

[@crucifixmegabuster95]

This series is my dream. Being a fan of the occult and mytical creatures and RPGs. This is my wheel house.

[@errdaykam4662]

I wish I had a guide like this. Legit my first SMT was when I was still in school and I bought a game called Digital Devil Saga on offer. Liking JRPGs and wanting to make the most out of each game purchase, as my family never gave me money for games, I picked it up and was just overwhelmed. I never had internet until college so I couldn’t just look up a walkthrough. Now I’m a big SMT fan and honestly I reckon it would have happened sooner had I not been put off for a good few years after getting confused by SMT: DDS Great vid and agree with the choices (except I’d say persona 4 is probably the easiest to start with instead of 3 for those with no experience)

[@Singoys]

Yeah i actually never finished persona 3 and can't find a save who leads to the beginning of the last dungeon. I really liked it but man, it was anxious as hell most of the time. Death was a big nope for me. I kinda hope they make a remake so i can try it.

[@destinwilcoxson828]

Another point for SJ, if you tried SMT and hate how its tutorials take forever (this is mainly Persona), Strange Journey justs makes it all a reading list to make it available at your pace. EDIT: I have been informed that SJ is actually very tough as a first game, so venture in at your own risk

[@ryanleatigaga7596]

Hello, Nyarly! I hail the future! And because of this, I can simply say that, -The backlash for Pokémon SwSh was WAY crazier due to the National Dex removal -I have played SMT IV [it had the cover from Apocalypse and I was heavily disappointed :(], but it was thoroughly entertaining and I'm eagerly waiting for SMT V to come out! Also, weird fact, this video was released on my birthday, so.... Thanks a bunch! I watched a bunch of videos of yours and I'm thinking of subscribing. Watching playthroughs of Nocturne, SMT IV, and SMT IV Apocalypse and reading the wiki really got me intrigued in the series. So, yeah, overall, you're a cool guy and I wish you luck in your future endeavors! -Southpaw

[@doctorfate6414]

11:57. When he said that and I saw Mitsuru Senpai I died.

[@BasementDweller_]

The only reason why I haven’t touched SMT is because people get extremely toxic to me when they found out I enjoyed the Persona games...

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

Basement Dweller Eh, screw those people. Like what games you like, don’t worry what others think. That said SMT main series is still very worth checking out in its own right.

[@fakegrant]

Enjoy what you enjoy. If you’re interested in smt, go for it.

[@monkeymaann]

Mate... You can enjoy any games whatever you wanted.. don't listen to them...

[@cumekira70]

it's true, they are assholes but still they're worth checking out

[@invisibleair2156]

Just play both

[@CJojo_13_]

Based on your introduction, I'm legit tempted to make a video comparing Nocturne's animation quality to Sword and Shield's

[@TheXBladeist]

Spoilers: Nocturne's is better

[@TheXBladeist]

@UCIfpVp7B-8ORIRo0Svd9oDw I'm serious! They have animations for every single demon, and each one has spell, physical and buff/debuff animations! Also, unique idle animations for every single one. I'd love to watch ya compare those!

[@CJojo_13_]

@@TheXBladeist well, I'm cooking something up now, I'll see if I have the motivation to finish it!

[@seth7726]

@@CJojo_13_ if you somehow do the comparison, send me a reminder pls

[@CJojo_13_]

@@seth7726 check the link in one of my previous comments :)

[@julien2983]

I started playing SMT IV about a week ago and I'm hooked, this game is amazing and I'm excited to explore the rest of the series!

[@BlastingBigLoads2]

Started Nocturne as my first SMT and enjoying it so far! I LOVE the setting of the hospital so far and cant wait to explore more

[@raidou_yagami]

How you are doing in Nocturne 3 months later?

[@vandaitran7341]

I thought you gonna put persona 4 in the list, since it actually my favorite persona game that introduced me into the series in the first place.

[@HybridAngelZero]

Despite absolutely loving Sword and Shield, I've been on a pretty big kick to get into mainline SMT because of the hype around SMTV. I, as I'm sure is not surprising, really liked Persona 3, adored Persona 4, and really wanted to check out the rest of the series. I ended up snagging Devil Survivor on DS and really liking it, but I've never been super sure of where to start with the numbered main entries, but I went ahead and grabbed Nocturne for $9.99 on PS3 digitally, and I really want to dive into that soon :D

[@HybridAngelZero]

@AtomowyMudkip96 I politely disagree with you on most of those points (I really would have liked more post game, too.) I'm sorry you couldn't enjoy it as much as I did, I hope the next entry is better for ya

[@Minastir1]

One addition to the conserving resources thing. In some games such as Persona 4/5 conserving your mp is more important for progressing fast than conserving your money. Also the games give you a ton of spells as items that eventually fall off like single use maragis as items, if you don't have a weakness abusing move on your character you might as well use those instead. They are very useful in games where you have limited set of skills on your main character like nocturne and strange journey.

[@narindersingh9802]

1:37 best intro to the SMT on whole KZbin.

[@ltb1345]

I recently got Strange Journey Redux. It's so addictive! I put almost 20 hours into it before playing my other 3DS games.

[@rudyramadhana4127]

0:01 'Sup dude? Where have you been? Oh, hey! Welcome back. Hi, how was your day? Oh, hello! Greetings *woof woof* I forgot what Shinji said

[@Vesuvius500]

After watching the video, I decided to take a dive and jump into the series. Having only played P3 FES and P4 up until now using my old roomate’s PS2, I had always been curious. So I’ve just bought SMT IV and Strange Journey Redux, as the 3DS is what I have to work with right now. I’m looking forward to them immensely. This comment is 8 months late, but hopefully you see it and know you got someone to try the series.

[@DarknessDpa]

I only clicked on this video since I started these games about a year or two ago with Persona 3. Second game was Strange Journey which I beat on Chaos.

[@MRDestructionmd]

Funny, Devil Survivor 2 was my first SMT

[@siegfried7988]

An SMT exclusive channel where have you've been my entire life

[@KickedBackL]

Just bought strange journey as my first SMT game because of this video. Pretty excited🤠

[@simiuciacia]

13:30 "time to leave the weak ones behind" *show's pixie, someone lost a great ally ;)

[@scottyawesomesauce467]

Me as a kid "why can't digimon have cool games that pokemon but darker?!" 20 years later "why did it take 20 years to find these games?!"

[@dariovargas9477]

This dude keep saying SMT IV is so easy and I can't pass the tutorial :(

[@cumekira70]

the tutorial is the hardest part of the game lmao

[@paddlesawtactic9788]

Once you get past the tutorial, the rest of the game is smooth sailing, with only about 2 bosses after that taking me more than 2 or 3 attempts.

[@charxeleon6313]

I played P3, 4 and 5 all through but never played smt other than persona so I really want to play an smt game... thanks for this dude, great vid!

[@trslim6032]

I'm really fascinated by the early Megami Tensei games. Seeing features that were present in the first also in the most recent Persona game makes me nostalgic for some reason.

[@gilroyscopa]

"Motivate" in Trails of cold steel is actually a great move. ToCS is a bad example for useless moves anyways from my experience.

[@trapscancreate5760]

I've always gone the release order experience when it comes to games like this mostly because the more modern games I play the harder it is to go to older games.

[@miguelbarraza8739]

I don't know a lot English, but thanks for the video helps me to learn more this lenguage and about SMT

[@blackphoenix77]

I hope that Atlus eventually does a SMT collection similar to how Square/Disney did that Kingdom Hearts Collection. Ditto for a collection of the early Persona games.

[@Conflictproject69]

Nocturne my all time favourite just a ever ending and enjoyed it start to finish really hope for more like it

[@snuffaluffagus1000]

That intro transition at 1:37 was amazing !

[@openbasher7658]

Song?

[@viscovolt]

Does anyone know the song?

[@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas]

Main Theme - Shin Megami Tensei IV

[@OmniMon94]

As a person who knows megami tensei and played pokemon and monster hunter anyways as well I see this introduction as an absolute win

[@jamez62982]

Thank you for these amazing videos! I bought P5R as my first game, but after seeing your videos I decided to try SMT4 on my 3ds first! I love it so far, the setting is so intriguing and I have played almost 30 hours in 4 days!!! Your videos made me a huge fan of the series and now SMT5 is one of my most anticipated games! 🙂

[@TerravancerYoh]

well your Nocturne recommendation as a first SMT suddenly becomes way more relevant

[@fabiangomez7853]

I bought 4 apocalypse because the box looked cool and LOVED IT! Hoping 5 on the switch will be out this year. PS. I SPIT on Pokemon Sword and Shield.

[@anonymoose6903]

I wish this video existed a few months ago. I've only just gotten into the series starting with SMT1 fan translated and Devil Survivor and I'm loving them both. SMT1 was my first experience with anything even remotely related to Megaten, and as a fan of classic dungeon crawls like Legend of Grimrock and Elder Scrolls 2 I can honestly say this series is already one of my favorites.

[@chazzwozzio]

"some bosses require you to build a team around a single strategy" *shows smt:sj ouroboros* me (screams in PTSD)

[@seemoore9175]

Strange Journey? more like Bizarre Adventure.

[@MangoghTV]

This is way too accurate!

[@SuperCloudBoy64]

Lmao I'm just now getting into the series now (its great and I'm loving it) I came from another video saying never play strange journey first as it will kill you inside and then you tell me to start with it first 😂. Just thought it was funny was all

[@disguisedclone6722]

For protip 2 yeah acceptable as long as you keep pixie in nocturne cause omg you'll know what I mean

[@eizqarqash1991]

I've started with SMT Apocolypse. I'm kinda addicted to the series. I've played SMT 4 but it was super difficult though the story was out of this world. I'm playing SMT Strange Journey which which I'm enjoying to the fullest. One thing though about it is the camera

[@seth7726]

Kinda unrelated but once I went full Atlus, I've not been able to go back/play other RPGs. Started at P3, then SMT IV, Nocturne, I, DDS1, P2, IV Apocalypse, SH, DeSu2, P5, Strange Journey, and then did the jump on Etrian Odyssey, Radiant Historia and some more. I can't believe people is always complaining about their favorite games (FF, Pokemon, Fire Emblem and a few others) being on a constant downfall but are still unaware of the amazingness of Atlus games!

[@imjustagirlnotathreat2289]

Yeah! Same with the Digimon and Level-5 games.

[@bionicmachine1296]

Same. Atlus makes the best games. It honestly makes it hard to play other games sometimes.

[@aliciadrigo3277]

(I know that this is a week late and I doubt anyone is gonna reply back.) i feel like what the SMT series truly needs is.. a 'bridge game'. What do i mean by that?SMT is the parent franchise of Persona and logically that should mean that people who play Persona would want to go back to play the other stuff Atlus has done. But most of the time, that's not the case. I feel like there are three reasons for this 1) When people go to SMT, the change in atmosphere and tone is far too much of a whiplash. 2)SMT in itself is a franchise that spans 3 decades. There's a lot of material and aren't any clear places to start. it doesn't help that most of the recent content happens to be on a handheld when the vast majority of people prefer consoles. 3)Even when you get past that, a lot of the games seems like they're very antiquated whether it be in terms of presentation,gameplay,etc. While turn based combat has it's place in the market,action RPGs are far more liked by the mainstream market. It's a shame that the Raidou games stopped after 2 since i feel like it could've easily filled this niche in the market,especially considering that it's setting would've made it stand out. I also feel like you could fix most of this by giving the earlier SMT/ pre P3 Persona games proper remakes to make it less jank and to make them more widely available.(There's a reason why SE constantly makes remakes/releases of most of their earliest FF titles) Aside from these 3 reasons i also feel like the bridge game needs to combine the best aspects of both Persona and SMT to make a game that both can enjoy. Devil survivor 2 did something similar to SLs except it was less complex and it only went up to lv 5. I remember one comment on a video mentioning that the Devil Summoner series could serve as a bridge series seeing as how DS takes place in the same timeline as Persona(more specifically IF) and I agree with that. Edit:I also feel like this list fails because these are games YOU want new fans to play, NOT the games that will help ease them into SMT. SMT IV and Apocalypse may be too easy and somewhat stray away from what SMT is,but the easy difficulty helps getting them to try others. I'm pretty certain if most new players tried Nocturne it'd scare them off,which is counterproductive in wanting to introduce potential SMT fans.

[@DbzFreak556]

My first experience was actually with the spinoff series Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2. I was drawn to the gameplay, lore, and dungeon crawling and wanted to take a peak for myself.

[@XxILikePie03]

1:36 the best hype

[@viscovolt]

Song?

[@G1assWater]

I never thought devil survivor was smt, damn. I thought my first smt was p4 but now i know devil survivor was smt it was my first 12 years ago lmaooo.

[@Shiro92224]

It's part of the megaten franchise just like persona, they are spin offs.

[@faidou9954]

I guess you could say, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS?! *Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Megami Tensei, and Digimon does an an all out attack on Pokemon*

[@mrnukes797]

You forgot final fantasy

[@midgarjrpgreviews4454]

What about Tales of? I guess Tales of can be the Navigator.

[@tatertot64]

At risk of rambling, this vid hit the nail on the head with my frustrations with Pokemon. I've been searching for more interesting monster collector/jrpg games to pick up lately, and until now Cyber Sleuth on Switch was able to sort of scratch that itch. It's not perfect, but it's enough of a positive change that I was able - if not exactly glad - to not need to rely on Pokemon for my fix. After watching this, your Devil Survivor vid, and basically binging the Wiki like you did, I'm extremely excited to check out SMT. I played 4 a long time ago and sort of liked it,, and I played about as much of P5 and felt the same, but something about the look and atmosphere of the previous mainline games really got me curious. I now have a copy of Strange Journey coming to my place soon, and I'll probably be grabbing Nocturne on Switch or PS2 (depending on how long the English release on Switch takes

[@Raycroissant]

A bit late but the fact that you picked Trails of Cold Steel to represent a JRPG with useless buffs was kinda funny, since the late-game/harder difficulties absolutely require a buff-based strategy for anything other than random battles. In fact, out of every at least relatively popular game series you could have picked (i.e Tales, FF, DQ), Trails is the one that worse matches the statement lol.