The ULTIMATE Recap of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (RECAPitation)

[@OniBlackMage]

The Patron Poll winner of June was Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, breaking new ground into the often requested Megami Tensei series in general. I'm still mainly focused on existing series, of course, but please look forward to this series as well. I will do the main MegaTen series down the line, but like I said, this one is due to the amount of requests going for it. If you are a modern Persona fan, please enjoy and observe the roots of many systems and conventions established by the first game. I find it interesting that Persona spinoff was released in the US before any other MegaTen game and perhaps that is partly why its become arguably more popular than its main series. Either way, I chose to use the updated port due to it being more complete and cleaner than the original Revelations release. Next RECAPitation will be: Valkyrie Profile

[@itsdanielvibing]

Finally persona!

[@wesleyharris1723]

YAAAASSS! I can't wait for Persona series getting the Recapitation treatment and more so for one the best underrated franchise ever imo, Valkyrie Profile. "To my side, my noble einherjar!" Let us embark on the journey beyond death.

[@lucinae8512]

Brilliant work! Most Persona fans agree that the Persona 2 duology has the best story, though I got to admit it a LOT to follow so best of luck if you choose to do that!

[@lianchalter]

Brown got the shaft in both routes. Haha

[@EverydayYounglife]

I very much know it is nitpicking but Persona is SMI, not SMT!

[@boohoo723]

Fun fact: In Persona 2, Igor reveals spending time in the Sea of Souls increases your Persona's power and implies Maki is the most powerful Persona user (of course, this was before Makoto from P3 gained his Wild Card).

[@coma70se]

Never would've figured

[@separateskink8172]

makoto being the most powerful is debateable considering he only sealed nyx with the world card which ended up killing himself in the process

[@urstoff6352]

​@@separateskink8172Makoto did the impossible though, having the universe arcana, the most powerful arcana, makoto is near omnipotent.

[@Mito383]

Persona 1’s story sounds like a fever dream.

[@Joulourde]

It is

[@battlinjoe2592]

it’s amazing. The PSP soundtrack sucks tho

[@iker-jk2096]

@@battlinjoe2592 i mean, it doesn't fit as much as the original. But the songs by themselves are better, well, music is subjective, but normaly most people listen more to the PSP one

[@saddboye1568]

TSGR I think certain songs fit in different situations, so i wish you could have changed between original and new

[@ne0space]

You're now just figuring that out?

[@arcuslux516]

Boy with earrings and company beat Nyx without becoming a door as a side quest. Damn.

[@Terumimi]

Actually youre wrong about the whole "persona being the first SMT game in america" thing! The first was Jack Bros, a Virtual Boy game of all things

[@Lakefront_Khan]

You're obscure SMT knowledge has earned you nothing of substance, but I will give you a thumbs up to show that it is appreciated.

[@OniBlackMage]

For sure, and as interesting of a mascot game as it is, just like Kid Dracula is to Castlevania, it is technically part of the series but also not really part of the series :)

[@Lakefront_Khan]

@@OniBlackMage How dare you insult Kid Dracula, I challenge you to whips at dawn. We well dress in the traditional dualing gear of tiaras and skin tight leotards, I'll provide the the body oil. Do not be late.

[@nekotorin]

Yes, the ultimate SMT game Jack Bros!

[@dantemustdie00]

What's also ironic is that Jack Bros. is problemly the best game on the Virtual Boy

[@pinkstarmona1695]

Tfw when almost half the video is a sidequest

[@techmark3665]

It makes sense since half the game is a side quest

[@DinoBunnyStudio]

But its still canon

[@runiqe]

Imagine not having a massive sidequest - Persona Gang

[@runiqe]

Imagine your shadow trying to kill you and not helping you. - Naoya Todou

[@jokingbanana1042]

Imagine not interacting with strangers and getting powers from them -Akira, Yu, and Minato

[@jage6344]

@@jokingbanana1042 you dont get powers from links in 3 and 4. only kinda in 3 but that's for the final boss.

[@chronica6457]

@@jage6344 You do in 4 for the Party members

[@kurier1595]

@@jage6344 also higher levels of Social Links make summoned personas of given arcanas stronger from the get go and allow you to summon them stronger already soo yeah you do get more powerful

[@MrPoloko123]

Thank for doing the plot summaries of the early persona games, I hope to see the RECAPitation of later games

[@ibilesfighter3.16]

These games can be very confusing so I'm happy to see this, he needs to do the others.

[@otakudoctor8423]

I double this sentiment

[@jage6344]

@@ibilesfighter3.16 the games arent that confusing. try playing them.

[@BlueRainbow101]

Reminder that the manga is worth reading and Naoya Todou is great

[@sirensong1794]

It seems like there's a lot of connections between this game and 3, especially from the Snow Queen quest. It's really cool to see the connections between Persona games since it helps connect the overall lore. Even if they're separate stories, you can see the similarities and through lines with characters like Igor and Philemon.

[@persona3rulez]

Yeah, but P3 is a parallel universe created in P2 ending...

[@phantomzack9842]

@@persona3rulez yup, but the only events that didn’t happen in that world are the Innocent Sin ones. P1 and Eternal Punishment still happen.

[@persona3rulez]

@@phantomzack9842 yeah, I forgot about P1 cast in EP.

[@moraeza]

Yeah but the thing is Igor serves Philemon and was created by Philemon so it would make sense that they would seem similar

[@alexsanders690]

Well I believe that P3 Nyx and the Snow Queen are different entities, because the way that they relate with the heroes and their methods are not the same

[@Ramsey276one]

8:41 Greek god of NON-VIOLENT DEATH, THANATOS?! I learn this after P3P and BBtag Elizabeth?! Wow...

[@Joulourde]

It was about time Megami Ibunroku Persona finally got the light spotlight it so desperately needed. Also this is my favorite in the series

[@iker-jk2096]

Same

[@Samm815]

I'd probably like it a lot more if the placement was such a drag in this game.

[@LatchinOn]

AYYYY Fellow P1 enjoyer

[@animeproblem1070]

in technicality this is the only game where the answer to wether it was all real or all a dream is yes

[@BitchChill]

Weeb

[@LongTran-kp3kz]

Ngl. I really like how you integrate the route exclusive content into a a singular narrative in each of your recaps! Great stuff!

[@sodagalaxy64]

3:23 Lone Prayer slapsss..

[@Joulourde]

Both hands

[@TsuraiZangetsu]

He finally did it! I’ve been wanting a Recapitation of the Persona series for so long. Thank you so much!

[@Stryder467]

I *love* that you talk trivia about the inspiration of each Persona that is manifested by the characters. When I first played Persona 3 a lifetime ago, I was also studying theology as a hobby. That enhanced my enjoyment of Persona (As it was my first experience with the series) because of my limited knowledge. I'm pleased it has been a series staple since the beginning, as you elegantly show. As is common for Persona games, the enemies you face here all have cautionary tales of dangerous escapism: Kumi, Yuriko, Kandori, and Maki are all the staples of this. I'm sensing a stronger sci-fi element in this installment compared to Personas 3, 4, and 5. I wonder if it wasn't received too well in this version (Botched PlayStation version aside). This was a pretty awesome RECAP, and I would love to play this myself someday. Be safe, and I'll meet you on the next battlefield. Reference I found: Unnecessary roughness.

[@hexenvexen]

Theology can be found in every Shin Megami Tensei game, I highly recommend checking the mainline games out as well.

[@bobgray6498]

Oh my word, I never expected this. Awesome video. I love the first two Persona games sooo much

[@Joulourde]

Only the first on most of my respect

[@philiphunt-bull5817]

Wow, nanjo is basically the protagonist.

[@BananaDangoGreyrat]

Yes, that is the only weak point in Persona 1. The main character is only there to perform self-insertion and accompany the characters on their journey. The real protagonist is Nanjo.

[@iker-jk2096]

@@BananaDangoGreyrat technically the real protagonists are Maki and Reiji in SEBEC and Yukino and Ayase in SQQ. They are the ones that carry the story. Nanjo is important, but taking in account that you can just do the SQQ without him nerf his protagonism

[@jeremyargha9086]

@@iker-jk2096 In the manga the protagonist gets a lot of depth.

[@iker-jk2096]

@@jeremyargha9086 yep. But even then, Maki is more of a protagonist in the story

[@edd4946]

How can Nanjo be the protagonist? It's obviously Maki

[@Ramsey276one]

Philemon's saga will not be forgotten...

[@simonduran515]

I can't wait for the Persona 2 RECAPitation. You better use Maya's theme through the video :)!

[@TempestDacine]

Nanjo is the 🐐

[@StuartLegomanLittle]

But how did he get guns I thought that the story was set in Japan

[@PersTG]

Time for the Persona fans who don't play Persona games to check this out.

[@Joulourde]

It'll be a real shock

[@2phonebabykeem913]

I’m sure a lot more fans would play the older personas if they were on current hardware

[@looney1023]

@@2phonebabykeem913 You can play Persona 1-4 on Vita. I get that it's not really "current" hardware, but they're pretty cheap these days. My Vita is essentially my PS1 classic + Persona machine lol

[@funnysillycat2355]

@@2phonebabykeem913 they would try, but you might need a brain to play fr fr. (I mean this as in Persona 3-5 combat isnt realy hard because you dont really need strategy, compared to P1 and P2 and other SMT games.)

[@ballaaaaaa]

You people are fucking toxic, let people enjoy what they want instead of insulting them because they dont wanna play a game that was created 20 years ago.

[@Kekorock1]

I remember playing like halfway thru this game but didn't remember almost anything about the story lol. I found this video pretty useful, thanks.

[@Yukito746]

fun fact: persona was inspired by shin megami tensei: if, as a groundwork and also for the highschool setting

[@DylJax]

And for another, the female protaganist from smt: if is a student at Hermelin High and can be found there

[@bobincognito]

We need an if port for the west

[@rossman8919]

@@DylJax she also appears again in persona 2

[@ci7210]

Imagine if they named it Shin Megami Tensei If: Persona 0

[@techmark3665]

Bob Barker there is an English fan translation patch for the super famicom version

[@Sarcopagusmonster]

Hopefully we can see a recap for Persona 2 IS & EP the best narratively written game in the series

[@SerifSansSerif]

I still have my copy of EP. It was my second game purchased after FF7 for the PS1

[@looney1023]

@@SerifSansSerif Out of curiousity, did the game make any sense to you when you played it back then without IS being localized?

[@SerifSansSerif]

@@looney1023 it's fairly self contained. There's talk of another version of themselves, and being friends, but it's not such apresenceyou can't enjoy the story and game.

[@InklingRacer456]

One of the best.

[@ulmxn]

Yeah, if you have never studied Buddhism, this all sounds insane, but I immediately recognized the butterfly story. There is a tale of a monk who, when he awoke from a dream that he was a butterfly, realized that he wasn’t sure if he was the man dreaming the butterfly or the other way around. Although the game is focused primarily on Jungian psychology, it also incorporates just as much Buddhist mythos

[@kanekikarma4696]

Is it just me, or are Kumi’s dream world motivations similar to the final boss of P5R? As in, reality is harsh and would never be as good as it is in a dream world/false reality.

[@nekotorin]

P5 was always an amalgation of P1 to P4. Which is why P5 managed to pull the P1-P2 crowd and P3-P4 crowd easily.

[@-zzz3838]

Yup! That's exactly what I thought too. Not to mention the obvious link between P1 and P3 (Kirijo Group formerly being a Nanjo subsidiary, Nyx returning)

[@valentinecure329]

her haircut and glasses were what tipped me off

[@boohoo723]

P5 borrows from all Persona games. It borrows the most from Persona 2, but it calls back to very game before it because it was Hashino's last Persona game.

[@looney1023]

Omg I thought Persona started at Persona 3??? Memes aside, very nice job. Can't wait for you to cover Persona 2, which has in my opinion the best story of the series!

[@AngelusKnight-r6z]

Excellent summary as always. I knew little to nothing about OG Persona. So that was a crazy journey, took a while to recognize the names, but half way to the video i understood easier what was going on. Lol

[@EntermateStar]

WRONG, everyone makes this mistake when talking about smt/persona, the first smt game released in America was Jack Bros

[@colinmacv]

“Finally, reiji would calm down” I just love that line.

[@brezzendorf]

I really can't get it why maki (both version) fall for naoya instead give masao a damn. Dude taking care of her that long when everyone else doesn't, even naoya himself

[@miaoumint5288]

Who else can't believe Mara was allowed to stay in the games when brought to North America

[@iker-jk2096]

I mean, not really in this one, because when the game first came out here it didn't have the Snow Queen Quest, so you didn't fight Toro and Mara. But you still fight Pandora in the end of the SEBEC route so we still had some interesting designs there.

[@kyokonightstorm5844]

Maybe it's just me, but I can't help but feel like Kumi, the master of the Hypnos tower, looks an awful lot like Maruki in Persona 5 Royal. Even the "Everyone is happiest in their dreams" and "the real world will never be as good" feels very similar.

[@CelestiaLily]

I thought I was going insane with the similar vibes!! It's wild to see just how much inspiration Royal took from P1 (Kandori & Kumi for Maruki, Maki & Manga-Naoya for Sumire) and gave it a spin inside P5's phantom-thief aesthetic. Also hilarious Maki goes onto work at a therapy clinic in P2 specifically _because_ of the lessons she learned. Way to get better coping mechanisms girl 10/10

[@SirusTheEyeless]

So I’m like 5 minutes in and this game feels more like Silent Hill 2 than what I had thought Persona 1 would be like lol.

[@iker-jk2096]

Wow, thanks for the video. It's always good to see content about my favorite Megaten game

[@Tessodan]

The Protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei: If... appears in Persona 1 and 2 so really is Persona 1 basically Persona 2? Since they share the same reality?

[@iker-jk2096]

I mean, with that logic we should also include all the Devil Summoner games, because they also happen in the same timeline

[@stale_cheeto]

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner is Persona 3

[@TheEmperorRaidou]

@@iker-jk2096 ....yes u can use that logic tf? lol

[@vehn9111]

Been waiting for this one for forever! Love your stuff, gonna be happy to watch this series!

[@RudeXII]

man there was a lot of Dick Demons in the earlier personas... P3 recap when??

[@iker-jk2096]

You would be surprised about how much more there are in Megaten as a whole

[@krastyantheparamount]

You should check out stuff like Cthulhu and Diana LOL

[@MrJigglypuff2000]

So p3 is just one big reference to the cut content in the original western version of p1

[@erylaria398]

NICE! I had started playing this but it's just too clunky for me and i can only play an emulated version. So now i finally know what happened and boy. I totally missed the whole ice queen thing oO

[@Z3DT]

Yeah me too. I was hella confused. The entire questline must be optional.

[@Kekorock1]

@@Z3DT I played until a bit past the part where maki joins the party. And watching this video I was like wtf, when the hell did all that ice queen stuff happen?? Seemed like a huge part of the game how could I've missed that?

[@itslikeameatyexplosion]

@@Z3DT it is optional. its an alternate story route

[@itslikeameatyexplosion]

@@Kekorock1 you missed it because you have to go through about 5-8 steps to activate it. its understandable

[@TRMGibby888]

The Persona 5 review will be surprising. We'll never see it coming

[@Lakefront_Khan]

No, no, bad frog, go back to your doujinshi.

[@luminocuratoria1335]

How dare you Persona 5ag! That entry of the spin-off series is nothing more of than a false messiah.

[@arcuslux516]

Any SMT RECAPitation would be great just to hear this man's beautiful voice from my favorite franchise.

[@acidlay]

Can't wait for you to cover more SMT and Persona recaps, esp P2 since it has a great story.

[@Anon_wulf]

I really hope you do all of the Persona series including the ones with the second releases and extra content like P4G and P5R

[@M_A_L-ve6zd]

Don't forget about Persona 3 FES with The Answer

[@Anon_wulf]

@@M_A_L-ve6zd oh but of course

[@DavidAnthonyH]

Always look forward to your summaries! Keep doing such great work

[@MadWritter]

I guess you say that game gives new meaning to the Butterfly Effect.

[@DrayLoco]

Nice gonna watch this before I play Innocent Sin

[@Arexion5293]

The actual title is Megami Ibunroku Persona, not SMT despite being part of the franchise. The SMT label was put on the international releases, probably for the sake of brand recognition.

[@OniBlackMage]

Yeah, it was a very "Final Fantasy Adventure vs Mystic Quest vs Seiken Densetsu" situation again

[@ShadowBaofu]

Hey nice work on the recap.

[@DeathRobotKailozo]

Great work once again. Love your vids!

[@Pies_wCzapce]

My God why did I miss it! Thank you so much for this vid man!

[@cebapplejak5997]

So glad for this channel

[@fresaenelshortcake]

I’m going to be patiently waiting for Devil Survivor 1 and 2 to be covered on RECAPitation. Mainly because their my favorite SMT games and Persona has a very “unique” fanbase that constantly forgets Persona is part of Megaten.

[@funkmastaC]

A surprising amount of foreshadowing to other games or commitment to one off comments, you decide.

[@shadowknight109]

Thanks for this well informed video. I enjoyed watching it. Person for me really hits home with all it's meaning and world views. Thanks.

[@Akiraisbored]

hmmm…. Nyx/night queen really made well on her promise in a future installment XD

[@clarksellary9002]

Thanks for the video, I always wanted the learn story of this game.

[@NerdyGamerReacts]

Was looking for a summary of each game before playing Persona 5: Striker's, thank u for making these videos, u rock, just subbed! 🙌😃

[@neroultimate1]

DUDE! I’m in the middle of playing this game & the grind is real af. I was just thinking about how it’d be so much better to experience the story through your words & here it is! Thanks a bunch

[@neroultimate1]

I’m 20hrs in the game & with this you saved me about another 40. I seriously can’t thank you enough

[@lordtaku]

Thanks for the video!

[@shaggy1628]

Persona 1 is very fucking bizarre

[@omegashinra7672]

Thank you! Persona 5 is hands down my favourite game I've ever played, just got finished with the platinum trophy on Royal and the original and bought a PC to play P4G now that it's on Steam and I've been looking for videos on what happens in 1-3 and how the series came about. I know a little of SMT but wasn't sure exactly how it branched out into Persona, and bam here's your video to get me up to date.

[@seraph_dalgon_9216]

We’ve done it, we now get quality content with one of the best JRPG franchises, 2020 just got a little better, at least for me.

[@goatsplitter]

long time shin megami fan, only got into persona at 5 (and recently back to 3 and 4 with the recent release). I didn't have the opportunity to play 1 and 2, and I don't even know at this point in time if i'll be able to. So, thank you for the recaps :)

[@Kaiaxe-yh7jo]

Anyone else hear nacho when he says Nanjo.

[@kevinbaumhoer7359]

I really hate it that they didn't keep philemon in the future games

[@mushymcmushington7176]

I played halfway through it and realized just how little I was enjoying it. So here I am.

[@adamreddick1349]

Didn't expect to see Mara go full chestburster, but okay

[@ziggysunshine]

im enjoying the idea that 3, 4, and 5 fans are excited that there would only be one more entry till they get to the modern personas... foolish mortals :P

[@pmintertek]

It still may be one big video since stories are very connected

[@Anna_Leviant]

@@pmintertek I dunno, both IS and EP are HUGE and discussing the differences(and the failure to port the PSP ver of EP) could take too long for one video.

[@therpglordrpglover2421]

he's he's doing he's doing Persona *he's doing Persona*

[@Catzillator]

Wow I played it... and not remember much. This is a joy.

[@powergannon]

"It would be the first entry released in the US" What about Jack Bros. for the Virtual Boy?

[@whiterabbits22]

Awesome, one of my favorite PS1 games

[@CodeAndGin]

Oooh thanks for this, this game smacks of old game design and I lost my save file so don't wanna start from scratch

[@ENZEED]

Thanks for the smt recaps sir.

[@masterspoiler2367]

Is it just me, or does Nanjo have some Byakuya Togami vibes? I mean, slightly nicer Togami, but still the "will say stuff to test others and is kind of an arrogant jerk about it"

[@earthboundman5]

Interesting. I never played through the snow queen route

[@5Richyomega]

good show!

[@sugifendi6306]

Finally, Persona! Can't wait for the other Persona series

[@Ramsey276one]

14:25 Wait... P3 follows P1?!

[@Joulourde]

Yeah. It always has but Nyx from each game is the same entity

[@iker-jk2096]

Different Nyx similar situation

[@toyguismailov4199]

@@iker-jk2096 Wasn't that one of Nyx's avatars

[@iker-jk2096]

@@toyguismailov4199 nop. P1 Nyx is just a mythological god like the others, created thanks to the collective unconsciousness. P3 Nyx is the celestial Alien thing called "the planet eater", it just called Nyx because of similarities with the mythological goddess, but it's different

[@hommefataltaemin]

Wow I didn’t realize it came out the year I was born - 1996!

[@jbriones4144]

I emulated this game on my laptop until my laptop broke... i wasn't able to finish the story. Thanks man! Broody DISTINIIIII.

[@pelgervampireduck]

I love the Persona series!. from the "old style" ones I think Persona 2 "duology" Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment are the best. from the "modern" ones, I think 4 is the best, then 3, then 5.

[@isaacgraff8288]

Personally disagree with you as to the ranking, but I haven't gotten around to Persona 2's Duology.

[@nekotorin]

Agreed. Persona 2 is still imo the best in terms of story. Persona 5 though has the best gameplay.

[@steel5897]

Persona 5 is probably the best of them all... but nothing can beat the P2 games in story and setting.

[@SinfulOcelot]

Someone needs to make a fan translation patch for Megami Ibunroku Persona on ps1

[@Nextliar]

im really waiting for the SMT 1 and 2 recap!

[@joaocisne556]

if you do this for the rest of the serie, I recommend you do persona 3 FES, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal

[@jeanvalero1597]

And both p2 games! I know you were suggesting the complete versions of the newer ones

[@joaocisne556]

@@jeanvalero1597 It's just I don't think the updated version on the portable have to many differences, so I left open for he to chose the one he felt better

[@kevinjimenez5382]

Please complete these series of persona 2: revelation and eternal punishment , persona 3 , p3 answer , p4g , p5 and p5r

[@unnamedx2]

The name of the game is megami ibunroku persona

[@djzskee3582]

You've gotta do all the persona and shin megrim tense games your really good

[@Arexion5293]

... Did they turn Mark into a black guy in the PS1 localization of Persona 1 because his starting persona is a Nigerian god?

[@Lakefront_Khan]

I 'member watching a video awaile that said apparently they turned him black because they where worried that America audience wouldn't be able to connect to with a cast without any minorities. Or in layman's terms they didn't want to be called racist.

[@Kyoukichi]

I see. Nigerian God huh, that makes more sense than anything else.

[@Clouds12012]

No it was for racial diversity. They wanted to add someone black to not look racist in America with only white kids in the game. People didnt look at it as a considerate effort and was quick to say it was a race thing, before the creators got the chance to say why they put a black character in the game. Even tho its a color swap i dont think its a big deal and its not racist in my opinion. People exaggerate too much i dont think it was a big agenda against black people, it was to include black people. Mark is not even a bad character so its not like any bad representation happend

[@Lakefront_Khan]

@@Clouds12012 Mark isn't a bad character but he is the stereotypical "Hoodlum with a heart of gold" trope. So if anyone had a problem with it then that might be it or it could that it's just digital blackface, but I love Tropic Thunder so I can't complain. The only racist thing about it is that they thought thry needed to do it in the first place.

[@ggez3109]

Would be really cool if you jumped right into shin megami tensei as the next megaten RECAPITULATION

[@1ro868]

The enemy is silent hill level shit. I like the scary weird monster rather than new persona monsters

[@tenkin5105]

Seeing this just shows how much the 1996 USA version is incomplete, it's quite astonishing.

[@kennethjose7159]

Thanks! I started at Persona 3 Portable so it’s nice to know its predecessor

[@fabrizionaruto]

I beat the game without knowing about the snow queen lmao here we go again

[@patrickchargualaf4375]

NOCTURNE! NOCTURNE! NOCTURNE!

[@jurassicporksoup9653]

Something is............ Awfully suspicious!! 😂 Love it!!

[@aerth6946]

Hyped for the Other Persona games