The Megami Tensei Gaiden: Shinyaku Last Bible Experience

[@MarshSMT]

Check the description for chapters/timestamps - they don't appear to be displaying on the video at the moment. Hope you guys like this one. This was a unique learning opportunity for me, as it's the first game I've ever played untranslated without any script or something to help out. Thanks to everyone who helped out with making it, also check the description for credits and the sources for music used. Loved making this video, might be one of my favorites.

[@WindHashira]

You're a legend brother

[@RiderWithTheScarf]

Welcome aboard to the average oldschool importer experience Marsh; diving in, with barely anything but maybe one weird japanese guy keeping some tabs on the game, but then you remember that what you have is so niche even for japan that you need to go fully blind. It's one hell of a trip, for sure.

[@100Servings]

We don't deserve you, Marsh. Thank you for the years of entertainment. You're a cool dude.

[@CyberBinary]

Thanks for continually making and putting in so much work into your videos.

[@bernard12324]

Very Prada you Mane

[@ProducerX21]

Marsh could totally be making this entire story and all of the dialog up and 90% of us would have no idea

[@akiradkcn]

There is only one way of knowing Time to start your JP lessons pal

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

From what I can tell, it's all true.

[@RedSpade37]

​@@akiradkcn I can read all Hiragana and almost all Katakana, but those Kanji... I know like 20 Kanji haha

[@sebastianalvarez8438]

And even if that were the case, fucking Nakajima being the final boss would still be an unshakeable truth. Truly the wildest plot twist in SMT lore

[@gehrmanfirsthunter8646]

That part where Harry said fuck word after fuck word was pretty weird.

[@foxboxtrot9436]

Nakajima appearing is like seeing Red on Mt Silver. They say nothing then proceed to kick your ass.

[@ShadowKnux372]

It really is. Now we just need to imply that Red is really Arceus and it'd be almost the same kind of scenario.

[@TatsubeiYagyu]

​@@ShadowKnux372 Damn, we're goosed then cause we are at the point of the Pokemon franchise where GOD HAS ACTUALLY COMMUNICATED WITH US ...and Red still hasnt.

[@DarkeLourd]

@@ShadowKnux372 Maybe that's the real reason Gamefreak never distributed the Azure Flute in Gen 4. They decided to save the twist for the GSC re-remakes in 2047.

[@theonlybilge]

​@@DarkeLourd A Crystal remake would never happen, it would be too convenient. But the re-remakes of Gold and Silver will be 3D, run at 12 fps, have 5 polygon tree, and have less pokémon than the original GBC games. The Pokémon Company is a very small indie company, please understand.

[@LucasRCD]

@@TatsubeiYagyu The only time he's ever spoken was in one of the mobile games.

[@cloritic]

Akemi Nakajima and his antics will always haunt Marsh in any kind of form.

[@lionofash7700]

The moment the clips happened I began to howl like a hyena for a good 3 minutes.

[@alcatrazvongola]

He's the mascot of this channel for sure.

[@Kira22558]

​@@alcatrazvongolaand the first guy.

[@sarafontanini7051]

Nakajima: you will neve be free of me! also way betteer final fate for him than the fucking novels which seem to jsut meander and not have a good conclusion.

[@alexanderfate8447]

@@sarafontanini7051 didnt the sequel novels have a happy ending?

[@Cype9k]

Gotta love how Marsh has bumped into Minotaur so many times he's now officially "this asshole, again"

[@jouheikisaragi6075]

Watching Marsh made me realize SMT4's start is legit just a massive reference to the series' roots.

[@jrickducking6685]

Second place would be rags It's almost like rags only exist is to torment marsh

[@theonlybilge]

​@@jrickducking6685 I think his name is just Rag.

[@levifm5849]

All of this to culminate in yet another Nakajima Moment fucking insane

[@Sheepy007]

Imagine the shock those Megaten fans must’ve had over the twist ending, standing in an overcrowded subway train while playing this game on a 1 inch screen

[@saucind6424]

It’s a shame that Rag never appeared in the game. We could’ve had the unholy trinity between him, the Minotaur, and Nakajima.

[@alessioscoppa1745]

A plot with a final twist about someone with godlike powers from an other forgone era who changed the world bringing it back to a fantasy medieval state, a horrifying lovecraftian postgame dungeon with an insanely difficult true final boss. Yep, this is basically an Etrian Odyssey game with Shin Megami Tensei stuff in it.

[@jrickducking6685]

I had a theory that etrain odyssey was secretly part of the smt multi verse

[@WoobertAIO]

Basically a 2D Xenoblade game with demon summoning but no waifus

[@GmodPlusWoW]

Fitting, considering that both serieses are under the Atlus umbrella.

[@DeepWeeb]

Gotta love how Nakajima's appearance in the thumbnail could be easily dismissed as a certified Marsh dank meme, but it's actually 100% relevant to the actual game

[@DieJG]

For real, when he started talking about him i was like "No fucking way!"

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

I'd dozed off listening to the video and when he started in on the whole "Nakajima is God" section I genuinely thought I dreamt it. Everywhere Marsh goes, he sees his face.

[@wesleyruff4997]

whats even more unexpected is the over 9000 reference

[@chibify5861]

As was foretold, after making 3 different last bible videos Akemi Nakajima himself was resurrected. I literally started choking when I saw him appear. Last Bible is insane.

[@Sigismund697]

Imagine if Atlus had the balls to introduce him to the series again Would buy it day one, no questions asked just gimme more Nakajima juice straight into my veins

[@StationSquareW]

Nakajima is God... the nerdy guy who gave demon man (Loki) girls for secks is mother F God. PRAY to freaking Nakajima, unfaithful lot 😂😂😂

[@yesiam6013]

@@Sigismund697I will sacrifice my firstborn child just to make nakajima appear again

[@alwaysangry2232]

@@Sigismund697 ok hear me out, what if god was instead Yumiko post book 3

[@joaomotta7791]

I think it's safe to say he is the official Megami Tensei authority in the West, he's become too powerful

[@godonomas]

I swear the five people marsh sees after death are all megaten characters. He will revive if one of them is the minotaur. He will commit murder if one of them is rag

[@jrickducking6685]

Wouldn't be surprised if he got isekai and become a celestial god or something but...... Have to go to a shetty ass dungeon to retrieve a stupid ass stone and give it to rag of all people

[@LucasRCD]

Rag, Nakajima, Charlie, Rei, and the Minotaur. All five of them are gonna be waiting for Marsh.

[@krullachief669]

@@LucasRCD Which Charlie and which Rei tho, that is the question.

[@tristen9736]

​@@krullachief669definitely nut grab charlie

[@dottalks8156]

Charlie that scratches his balls

[@fafaaf61]

Unless he somehow shows up in a future entry, This game is officially the last appearance of Akemi Nakajima. That's right, there are no more games for Marsh to cover that involve him so unless Marsh starts revisiting old material, we can now finally put our boy Nakajima to rest.

[@Ziko577]

That's correct. He can finally rest now.

[@superblanco444]

A fitting last entry

[@lenatama]

Unfortunately or fortunately, you're wrong. Last Bible: New Testament has two sequels featuring the cute sociopath highschool kid again. We're never free of Nakajima, he haunts us for life the moment we touched Digital Devil Story Megami Tensei even without playing the actual games

[@fafaaf61]

@@lenatama He’s mentioned sometimes in those games but he never makes an appearance.

[@Ziko577]

@@lenatama Oh really? I don't know much about the later games at all. The devs are really fans of him huh?

[@ra_0374]

The reveal of Akemi Nakajima makes me wish you recorded yourself playing this or livestreamed it because the reaction wouldve been absolutely priceless

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

Marsh’s neighbors be like “WTF IS A NAKAJIMA AND WHY IS THAT GUY SCREAMING IT AT 2AM?!”

[@jolitero]

sadly I'm pretty sure he already knew about the twist.

[@LucasRCD]

@@jolitero Yeah, some of the only footage available online that was any popular prior to this was of the final battle. In researching for the video, he inevitably didn't go in blind, at least not for that twist.

[@jariu9612]

The wild descent into the reveal of "Nakajima" from the last part really helps sells the "Discord conversation that somehow continues until 4AM" aura these videos have.

[@Adoochi]

So, personally speaking, I don't think this is literally the same Nakajima found in any prior works (games or books). He's still the same person at his core, but demons and the like don't exist, so his Demon Summoning Program ends up going nowhere and thus DDS1 can never occur. His strong desire to change how the world works ends up calling the goddess who ascends him to godhood. Nakajima, being who he is prior to DDS1, creates a world in which people don't have the full capacity to be evil. In other words, he makes a world in which his bullies can't exist. He also makes his Demon Summoning Program actually functional by creating demons it could be used on. Wouldn't want all that work to go to waste, after all. In other words, Last Bible New Testament is a what-if story of what would happen if Nakajima was Isekai'd away into godhood instead of going through the events of DDS1. Also, I could be mistaken, but didn't Nakajima not have his father in his life? If so, that might be why the party shares a connection through their poor parental relationships.

[@zero123alpha6]

So the whole world is Nakajima's personal fanfiction?

[@MarshSMT]

I like this interpretation, that's a good idea

[@randomboys1000]

nakajima's father did play a role in the books

[@jrickducking6685]

The more i read the comments section and seeing everyone interpretation We might seen true peak fiction in the smt series and the more insane implications of a almost connected universe Like it make gundam and fate all universe is connected look pale to comparison

[@rickychappell7179]

A Turn Gundam is insane just like this game.

[@JalarenZarrus]

The final boss being who he is makes a ton of sense in a weird meta way-after all without him the *entire franchise* wouldn't exist!

[@chibify5861]

Only Marsh can consistently get me to sit down and watch hour long videos about obscure Japanese RPGs. It’s definitely a talent.

[@sharkattack153]

Very true, Phi

[@YudaHnK]

Only Marsh ❤

[@gerardomelgarejo5007]

Absolutely enthralling.

[@moogleking]

Fax

[@sokumotanaka9271]

I'm laughing my ass off imaging a villager seeing you walk up to phoenix and throwing water into it's face and starting a fight. XD

[@junkolover9518]

Imagine choosing a freaking Akemi Nakajima as the great will, the lord of all creation? I'll be honest, the goddess truly got what she deserved for that.

[@andrewmanchiraju8005]

Finally, I can witness Marsh behold the greatest lore reveal in all of Megami Tensei. For him to see why I became a Last Bible Enthusiast.

[@SeelkadoomandJokic00]

Louis is officially the MOST POWERFUL SMT PROTAG EVER. HE BEAT GOD NAKAJIMA.

[@jrickducking6685]

You can bet your ass you'll be label as a heretic if you try to say that in smt/persona subreddit

[@SeelkadoomandJokic00]

@@jrickducking6685 They already been saying the Last Bible protag was the strongest. Last Bible is just the franchise of Powerful Protags. If I'm a heretic, than crucify me.

[@jrickducking6685]

@@SeelkadoomandJokic00 Mad respect to you then

[@Rageouz]

​@@SeelkadoomandJokic00how? Last Bible is just a universe made by nakajima

[@snailthelostcow63]

@@Rageouz And Nakajima is a God and the said protagonist beat the shit outta him and turned into one himself

[@aboveaveragegaming5503]

Nakajima being the deadass great will would mean he is Steven's boss and that just makes way WAY too much sense

[@jrickducking6685]

Or they're the only two being from our plane existence to achieve celestial god hood to become the yin yang

[@aboveaveragegaming5503]

@@jrickducking6685 i was referring to the messiahs in the diamond realm dlc where Stephan says he is testing us on behalf of "the great will"

[@brotbrotsen1100]

Imagine if he shows up in SMT 6 would like to see him in HD. Or a megami tensei remake, doesn't even have to be super high budget.

[@sharkattack153]

When Alice said: "What are you, some kind of Megami Tensei?" I lost my shit, truly the best last bible game.

[@Xman34washere]

I love how this is barely even sarcastic anymore

[@Just.Kidding]

this reads like one of those "my favorite part was when John Lastbible Lasted his Bible all over everyone" comments, except it's real

[@StationSquareW]

Nakajima as the final God boss is almost meant to be Marsh's last and greatest bout, not Louis'

[@ollie__reid]

My god i literally howled when you showed that damn nakajima sprite. Like, i was actually outloud yelling "no, no, holy shit, oh my god, how"

[@halowaffle25]

I'm kind of impressed that the party members continue to talk throughout the game, most oldschool rpgs like this don't really bother characterizing your party members after you recruit them.

[@robertwyatt3912]

Weirdly, this game has the vibes that a lot of modern rpg maker games have.

[@Just.Kidding]

old school? dog this came out in 2007. the PS3 and Xbox 360 were out by then. that's only really becomes true when you get as far back as the 3rd console gen. like, even by the time of early SNES/SFC people were starting to expect more out of the characters in jrpgs

[@gandhitheholeresizer8329]

@@Just.Kidding sorry buddy, you’re old. 2007 was almost 20 years ago

[@thepit7868]

Another connection to DDS has to be the COMP you get from the goddess, the only modern day thing in the game. Willing to bet that's Nakajimas COMP that megami tensei somehow snatched from him.

[@metrothered]

Last Bible is bonkers holy shit. Nakajima being the Great Will has implications for other characters like Stephen and other games.

[@joeljames2683]

I know right. There are too many to get into. What are some that you were thinking of?

[@LucasRCD]

Now the question is... can Rui beat El? Which Universal Will killer is the more powerful of the two?

[@joeljames2683]

@@LucasRCD Well Marsh had the theory about Last Bible New Testament being the prequel to the original Last Bible. If he’s right, then Rui became the Universal Will that El defeated in the first game.

[@zetazephyrVT]

To think a random one off cell phone RPG could have possibly the greatest twist in the history of the franchise.

[@toagradius8856]

This is legitimately one of my favorite Megami Tensei plots. Even without _the_ _reveal_ , I love how it plays on the repetitive basic prophecy plot as the result of a half-baked measure of balancing the world out with good and evil. The mystery and how it’s worked through is great, even as a summary in this video.

[@sinklar7946]

2 more hours of Marsh, this truly is a blessed day.

[@franks3876]

You know. I was thinking the ending would be similar to Last Bible 1 and was slightly disappointed when the battle with YHVH went that way. And then Akemi Nakajima appears and I honestly don't think I would have ever guessed that.

[@kuroyuuko1421]

Just in time to see Marsh killing yet another minotaur in the end of a tower in some obscure japanese only game

[@sammysamlovescats]

Bonus info for people Eibon is also a lovecraft character actually, in lovecraftian lore he does have a contract with Tsathoggua which he can use to traverse space and time Also I actually have gotten the under 10 turns fight. It took about 12 tries with some lucky status effects and a fuckload of minmaxing

[@yorhaalm]

YOU MAD MAN, I haven't played it myself but I genuinely believe the stuff Marsh said about it. Congrats btw.

[@superblanco444]

So what happens?

[@sammysamlovescats]

@@superblanco444 All you really get is some extra dialogue where you get Eibon's book that he uses to travel through space and time. Partially based on the Lovecraft Book of Eibon but also somewhat implied to be "The Last Bible" which records the world's history

[@jrickducking6685]

​@@sammysamlovescats Lolz we all saw that coming but we've waited and then probably forgot about it poor marsh didn't have enough will power to do the 10 turn limits challenge to recall and make a joke about how he was right

[@DaCrazyHand]

When's the wedding?

[@Gatherway]

That ending... my God. I don't think I've ever been taken more off guard by a Megaten game than I was seeing THAT appear as the final boss. It's such a shame that this event is buried in a Japanese exclusive mobile phone game... hopefully this video will blow up and allow more people to become exposed to it. I myself am not convinced that the creator was definitively meant to be Nakajima himself, but even if it's not, having the Creator of this fantasy universe step out from the shadows, and be revealed to be a frigging Japanese high school student, when one takes into consideration all the lore and themes of the Megaten franchise as a whole, it's just such an insanely perfect and poignant twist. It raises so many questions and implications... does the entire Last Bible universe take place inside a computer? Is anything real, or is it literally just a fantasy that some teenager dreamed up and became lost in? And of that's the case, the protagonists final ability being "I think therefore I am", asserting his existence as being truly alive rather than just some computer program... man, crazy stuff. What a cool game!

[@TatsubeiYagyu]

It gives me the vibe of Red on Mt. Silver in Pokemon Gold and Silver. It's the same "avatar," and we are meant to project onto it what we we experienced. A sort of "fighting your old self" rpg staple, but done to make us wig out. Since he has that sword, it makes him seem endgame. This was amazing.

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

It’s weirdly similar to the ending of Star Ocean Till the End of Time, only done WAY better

[@ju2tunknown]

i'm glad G-Mode exists so we get more flip phone games preserved, Megami Ibunroku Persona: Ikuu no Tou Hen being re-released is one of the best things I've heard recently, I didn’t even know it existed until the G-Mode release was announced

[@NmyLogan]

the sprite art in this game is incredible

[@fresh9530]

SMT is the only franchise where the “x game on the gameboy advance!” meme actually makes me think twice before realizing it’s a joke

[@jouheikisaragi6075]

The best part is that the GBA has four SMT games. Demikids Light and Dark and SMT 1&2. SMT is a giant meme of a series

[@LucasRCD]

@@jouheikisaragi6075 There's a WHOLE lot more Demikids that never came to the west, including a puzzle game AND a real time strategy game alongside a pair of sequels to Light and Dark.

[@jouheikisaragi6075]

@@LucasRCD heck the prequels didn't come out either.

[@LucasRCD]

@@jouheikisaragi6075 Those were on the Game Boy Color and PS1, not the GBA.

[@ShadowKnux372]

SMT, the game franchise where even the unassuming little phone games you'd easily write off will have a quaint, compelling little plot and a self-referential plot twist that blows the whole thing into the best kind of insanity when you think about it. Man, I've played like, 1 SMT game from the whole franchise to completion. This whole franchise is bonkers.

[@turtle_soda]

At 1:13:15 the reason he gets mad for Alice calling him uncle is because in Japanese ojii-san means both uncle and old man. So Alice was calling him old man

[@justapickedminfan]

I like how the ending somewhat make you question if what you did was really the right thing. Like, even a cell phone spin off of a spin off managed to keep that feeling from the main series, and I think that is very cool.

[@chrisavenell3172]

The reveal the goddess gives about the nature of the universe and how the great will is chosen is pretty fascinating especially if you think about it in relation to main line and what smt 5 showed us at the end and the whole mandala system

[@misuvittupaa8068]

Now you know why there is always a minotaur. Nakajima has no imagination

[@paperluigi6132]

The only way the Marsh x Akemi Nakajima arc will finally come full circle is if the OVA gets a dub or the MT duology gets remade, and Marsh is brought in to voice Nakajima himself, maybe giving him some time to hone his voice.

[@MysteryEzekude]

Well, if the Megami Tensei OVA were to be redubbed, the sound effects would have to be recreated from scratch unless the master audio tracks are somehow intact. It’s common for audio master tracks for old anime shows and movies to be lost decades later. =( This has happened to the original Fist of the North Star, Aim for the Top: Gunbuster and even Umineko: When They Cry.

[@cantbehelped]

I love these mythical japan only flip phone games. Its like a further extension of the SNES era all the way into the late 2000s that unfortunately is way harder to experience as a westerner. Love the deep dives, Marsh.

[@jebibones4282]

I was expecting a lame throwaway cellphone game, but I was surprise how the story flips everything on it's head. Not to mention Nakajima's awesome battle Sprite. Now that I have witness this, I feel like I learned some forbidden lore of this franchise. Who knows if this is actually the last we see of Nakajima...

[@sebc255]

You mentioned that there are some people doubting that the Creator of the World is actually Nakajima. Sure, I laughed at the fact that we just cannot escape him, but from what you narrated, I can now see why people would think that way. The way I could interpret "Nakajima"'s backstory is that it comes from a generic high school boy that wishes he had a more important role in life, as anyone does, and all that we know about him has barely anything in common with the real Nakajima. Even his appearance could be excused as just the typical way a teenager would imagine himself looking all cool and powerful.

[@MarshSMT]

It's interesting to think about, because the twist is still absolutely strange, maybe even more, if it's just a random kid. Maybe that's why Vayne was so tore up about it. I do think the sword and COMP are clear callbacks but I like that it isn't certain

[@finalsurvivor1]

I think part of the reason they don't name him is because they can't. Atlus, as far as I'm aware, does not own any rights to Akemi Nakajima or Digital Devil Story. It's the reason Megami Tensei was rebooted to Shin Megami Tensei. They've dropped the name Nakajima on occasion, but having a guy who's obviously at least based on Nakajima actually be called that would open them up to a copyright lawsuit.

[@sebc255]

@@finalsurvivor1 I was thinking about that as an argument in favor of those who do believe it's Nakajima. There's a difference between just a passing mention and actually showing him off in ways the original creator didn't intend, so I can see the logic of being afraid of making any direct references in case they end up changing people's perception of the character.

[@GameTimeNLL]

It just much more fun to think it actually is nakajima. Hell a lot of smt is abstract and up to interpretation.

[@halowaffle25]

​@@sebc255Kind of ironic, isn't it? This is a series that is basically a melting pot of thousands of fictional characters from all different myths and stories all over the world, you've got Alice in Wonderland, the Terminator, Little Shop of Horrors, hell you've even got real people like Stephen Hawking and Michael Jackson showing up every once in a while. But name dropping a character from your own pilot story? No can do.

[@Merik2013]

Its wild to me that lore like "Nakajima is the god of the Last Bible timeline" was hidden in an old cell phone game.

[@fernandodamas8533]

The moment I saw the main character was called Louis, and knowing what other Louis has been Megaten-relevant, I immediately thought "OH NO YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ME TWICE DAMN YOU" so imagine my surprise when, being so focused on that, I get to the Nakajima jumpscare.

[@NEETKitten]

Gotta love how Marsh decided to drop this video on us the literal day after I bought New Testament on steam. Talk about coincidental timing.

[@NEETKitten]

Oh yeah, and I'm taking that "win Marsh as a husband" challenge seriously. See me in 5 years when I beat that secret boss in 10 turns because you won't see me before that.

[@maxmetropolis8518]

You are one of the few guys to talk about Megami Tensei games the way I like. You truly are one of a kind. Megami Tensei for life.

[@psycholuigiman]

Fuck dude. I was just relaxing with my feet up, sipping my drink, and then you drop the Nakajima bomb on me, causing me to start choking. Freaking wild if they actually did intend for that guy to be Nakajima. I mean, I can't think of a single game with a crazier reveal for something so important.

[@lenatama]

This game is the ultimate jumpscare in the entire series. The audacity of the developers to weaponize our nostalgia in so many ways just to traumatize us for years to come. We love you, Marsh

[@Gridiron992]

When Marsh goes into SMT, he goes in deep. Thanks for your hard work, man!

[@ShyerFox]

This game is INSANE. I was not expecting the Nakajima reveal, man. It makes me wonder what the other two titles will be like...

[@ellachino4799]

Like how can it go up from here?

[@Absoluun]

I'm going to be honest, despite the warnings about how crazy the ending would be I was not prepared and legitimately choked on my food at the reveal. Wild shit.

[@lamedrawings]

Finally, my addiction for old obscure JRPG can be quenced for a little longer

[@Silverman160Zero]

That use of Armored Core music into Hotline Miami for the last battle absolutely made a high moment even better. Fcking... Amazing!

[@NeoZ45]

Indeed Marsh is a true raven

[@gtdfg4594]

I can't believe this game has interesting Lovecraftian ties, actually works in reincarnation in a meta way, sneaks in a reference like THAT at the end and actually makes it work, while being a good CELLPHONE game. I'm getting this now, even if I'm only 2 years into studying Japanese. Thank you for making this content acessible, Marsh! Your work is as entertaining as enlightening, and it's really well made.

[@DieJG]

So in retrospective, there is a Last Bible in this game, a Megami Tensei and probably a Shinyaku. What a game!

[@infernaldisdain8051]

I'd like to think that Nakajima in this game became god of the new world before any of the hijinks of the original Megami Tensei. His monologue doesn't talk anything about the world being destroyed or any of his many mistakes, just about being a victim of society and gaining his power after that. If MT Nakajima had gotten this power he would have known about angels and demons and not say that he got the ideas from the Bible.

[@AntiNihilist]

Think about THIS. Major games like FFX and Silent Hill lost their code only a few years after their releases...yet somehow megami tensei phone games from the 90s still survive. Wtf

[@qnr3377]

Well, in the case of FFX and Silent Hill, the source code (and probably source files) was lost, which meant they couldn't rebuild and port the games from those and had to remake parts of the game. This "Last Bible" game isn't ported, but emulated instead, which doesn't require the source code, only a copy of their original released build and an emulator to run the build. However, I do think your point still stands.

[@jrickducking6685]

Same thing happened to the first kingdom hearts game it got so bad that they had to remake the game from scratch by using a retail store disc

[@musicology3552]

Some game companies had this fear of their source code getting leaked decades ago, they never imagined that ports of older games would be so popular, and would regularly delete absolutely everything after finishing a project, I know that Sega did this multiple times during the original Xbox era. I'm pretty sure that's why there's no jetset radio future port on anything.

[@emperortoho]

@@musicology3552 it’s also why heroes and shadow the hedgehog will likely never get ports

[@Nougatbars]

Ok. I think the story paralleling Last Bible one for a while is both intentional, and genius, really hammering in to *the player* that this cycle has done nothing but maintain the status quo and lock people into their roles by making you act out the same thing you did in another game, really making my the player feel like..well things are just repeating. At least up until the game pull the carpet out from under you, dropping the big twist.

[@prof_kolorado]

Whoa. First of all, great retrospective, Marsh. This is such a fascinating bit of Megaten history really found in the most unlikely of places, and you did an amazing job at bringing it to life. One thing that I couldn't get out of my head near the end of the Demon King arc was how strangely reference-heavy it was - not to other Megaten games, but to other classic RPGs in general. The (seemingly) final dungeon is a crystal palace on the Moon - just like in Final Fantasy IV. (I mean, the tileset looks just straight-up copied from the Lunar Subterrane.) The Demon Lord resummons his most faithful minion as a zombie as a last line of defense - just like Baramos in Dragon Quest III. But then, the Nakajima twist suddenly makes these things slot into place. Nakajima was given the chance to reshape the world in his own image - and he chose to turn into a JRPG world filled with monsters, swords & sorcery, an evil Demon Lord and brave Chosen Ones who keep opposing him. OF COURSE a world like that would be filled with references to other JRPGs - ones that Nakajima himself probably played and that influenced him to create a world just like in those games. Even if we're wrong and God isn't actually Nakajima after all, it really doesn't change anything: we know that God was originally a high-schooler in late-20th century Japan, the prime audience for those games. ...either that or Atlus really just shamelessly cribbed ideas from other classic RPGs. Hell, maybe it's a case of both, where they took those ideas and wrote the Nakajima twist to justify all those obvious references being in this world.

[@arlinnkord6852]

Damn it Marsh, I was just about to do something boring, and here you come, droping high quality content that demands my entire attention. Good shit dude, can't wait to enjoy this.

[@CultoradoLsp]

wow, what a wild story, has to be one of my favorite storys so far. crazy to think this was almost lost media and was only released for flip phones in japan.

[@RoyalCrustle]

That final boss reveal was some of the craziest shit I've seen. I was drinking water at that point and almost choked on it. Like damn!

[@darkmetaldragon1833]

Now after seeing the big reveal at the end of the game, I think the name of the planet "Legaia" is actually meant to be "Regaia", "Re-" meaning "to do it again".

[@chrisnatale5901]

I'm amazed by how good this game looks and animates for an old school phone game.

[@T-Jex]

The Main Man Nakajima being the god and last boss of the last bible retrospective is so perfect for this channel

[@dipstick2268]

1:48:10 The reveal is honestly really great, favorite part of the video.

[@skalliedA]

man, Marsh, I love that you are not only that mad lad who plays all this obscure shit no one could reasonably be asked to seek out, but that you also let us all in on that juicy lore. MegaTen truly is the wildest, most far out, self-referential multiverse in existence.

[@PatchtheReaper99]

This may have the biggest twist reveal I've never seen coming

[@NatchBox]

Holy shit that was wild. I never would have guessed THAT reveal. Genius. I feel so alone now that I have this knowledge and no one around me will understand how insane it is

[@Slenderquil]

I don't think I've ever been invested in the story in one of these videos quite like this one. The whole mystery is so weirdly intriguing. And the Nakajima thumbnail ending up being relevant was such an insane twist. One of the craziest megaten games, and it's been stuck on flip phones for years.

[@mariusamber3237]

Shame, but that's how it is sometimes. There are a lot of games like that, either stuck on unpopular/unavailable (in the West) platforms, or stuck behind the language barrier - which in the case of East Asian languages is unfortunately significant.

[@nerkskerk8774]

Leave it to MegaTen to make a game with one of the craziest plots in the franchise and having it so you can only play it on something like a Sharp Softbank Garakae from 2008. One of your best videos, Marsh. Glad you had so much fun with it, and I look forward to you covering the two sequels. In regards to the plot; I remember the plot before people had easier access to this trilogy being assumed to be that THESE Last Bible games were simply games created by Nakajima, much like Devil Busters was a game he made after Megami Tensei, and him appearing in this game as the final boss was the equivalent of J.R.R. Tolkien being the final obstacle Frodo had to deal with. The author facing their creation, that sort of thing. Obviously that's no longer the accurate explanation, especially now that you've provided a whole English video walkthrough; but it was fascinating regardless. I personally think it's entirely possible that Last Bible as a whole is from a different timeline, the same way Persona is a different timeline from SMT. If Nakajima exists in the SMT 1 timeline according to one of the vision items in SMT 1 on GBA, then it only makes sense he would exist in the Persona one as well, and therefore make further sense that he would end up in a timeline like Last Bible New Testament's. That all being said, it's poetic how Last Bible as a whole can be summarized as a Nakajima Moment™. Truly, we were the Megami Tensei (Reincarnation of the Goddess) all along.

[@Dinker27]

Marsh really just let us sit on that thumbnail, cackled to himself like some Looney Tunes-ass villain twirling a mustache, and let that bomb explode on us. The absolute cheek! The unmitigated gall! You're a dingaling with the raw nerve of a bad Minotaur tooth for that one, Marsh. That's a Halloween trick if I've ever seen one. 🤣🤣

[@gr4ndsoulfreak]

Slowly coming to the realization of who the final boss was is the fucking wildest thing I've ever experience in megami tensei. This game is a TRIP.

[@jphanta9453]

Marsh got me watching a 2 hour documentary of a 15 year old mobile game that approximately 11 people in the world have played. And it’s entertaining

[@TevorTheThird]

I definitely popped for the last boss reveal. It's wild how such a squashy little pixel man map sprite can engender such a strong reaction. It's like... yup. That's him. Instantly you know, it's him. Speaking of art the enemy battle sprites are fantastic. Some really cool designs showcased here. I don't remember the other LB games having such cool enemy designs.

[@LucasRCD]

Only the first and third games really have any standout enemy designs. The Game Gear exclusive bosses have some nice designs. Gilgurk in III is not only the only enemy with any animation akin to mainline SMT, but also a very nice parallel to Hazama's true final boss in SMT:If in design, which I found neat.

[@blueythedragonknight3949]

The lore and worldbuilding of The Last Bible series of games must sound like an absurd fever with how out there the games can be, And i'm loving every single second of it.

[@venomoussocks1017]

I like how Alice is a Monk, rather than a typical magic user love interest girl party member. Given how so much of the early game reminds the player of JRPG tropes, it makes sense that these few deviations from that formula make the twists hit that much harder. It takes the tropes we know and twists them and it'll do it over and over again before the game's done.

[@ultimatthias]

1:48:10 I could already tell who it was before you put it into words, but couldn't stop from feeling as though my understanding of the world had significantly changed. I'll never forgive you Marsh, from today I on I swear revenge for making me swallow this bitter pill

[@TitaRussellTrails]

“Finally in free of Nakajima” Shinyaku Last Bible: “Are you sure about that Marsh?”

[@HitsujiMamoru]

Pretty crazy a simple little sprite got me like "WHY IS HE HERE?" before even seeing the montage xD I understand why you said we weren't ready for this

[@SnakeTheHat]

I want to mention that your Japanese translation skills are quite good. I like how you'd explain a story point then show the corresponding text even if it's in Japanese. And everything I looked at checks out! As a fellow American who studied Japanese in college and still uses it now I feel a sense of kinship.

[@cheeseboy2251]

Recently gotta hooked on long SMT plot summaries but avoiding 3DS games because I want to play those at some point. There simply isn’t enough on KZbin so you and Firescale20 are really doing me a huge favour thank you.

[@ZegZegZegZeg]

This is extremely neat! Hopefully all of these eventually get ported to steam! You’d be surprised how many JRPG series have Japanese phone games from the mid to late 2000s, Xenosaga Pied Piper is like my personal dream port that’ll never happen I want that game to be playable so badly lmao

[@Boom2ickle]

Such an innocuous niche forgotten game but it feels like the climax of the Marsh cinematic universe

[@hoshi314]

Imagine Nakajima as a superboss in a megaten game

[@finalsurvivor1]

When you asked what traditional Megaten dungeon we haven't seen yet at the end, my first thought was colonoscopy. As I already knew who the final boss was, I thought for a few seconds HE would also be the final dungeon as well as the final boss.

[@Hailmarycustom9]

Sure didn't expect the ACfA title theme here, but man am I always glad to hear it. Another stellar video.

[@GambeTama]

I was glad to see this video when it showed up. - A quarter of the way through I was entertained. - Halfway through, I was hooked. - Three quarters in, I was enthralled by how hard it was going in on the concept. - By the end, my jaw was nailed to the floor, as this game just beat my brain in with it audacity! In short, I loved it. Thanks for the ride, Marsh!!!

[@HeyYoMurphy]

Great stuff. You joke about nobody liking the Last Bible games in your videos, but I am honestly a big fan of them. Since I don't understand a lick of Japanese, this video is currently the only way i can experience this entry. So thank you kindly, sir. Hope this one can get a fan translation or something eventually.

[@CL-gi4bn]

Just when we thought the Last Bible series was about done another bible rears its head. (Wait no he already did Another Bible)

[@kyburn6195]

did not expect the twist at the end. thank you for doing this playthrough on a game I doubt would have ever known about. sucks how so many games on those flip phones are now lost media, like the silent hill visual novel with extra content.

[@michaelstove8157]

My man Marsh hitting me with the 2 hour Last Bible spinoff video before bedtime 👍 Looking forward to watching this crazy shit

[@VictorLuisAngelical]

Last week I bought my first 65 inch tv bcause I had for 20 years the really old tv that you used to play nes, yesterday I installed it and today Marsh greeted me with a 2 hour video about a Japanese hidden gem rpg. Guess what will be the first media I am going to watch. Love your content bro, thanks PS. also love the vibe and the positivity of the comment section