More accurate to say Pokemon is SMT without demons I'd say. Shin Megamin Tensei predates Pokemon by 4 years, and Megami Tensei as a whole beyond that, otherwise great video.
America when Pokemon comes out: this is about summoning demons to wage a war with god and take over the world. Americans when a game about summoning demons to wage a war with god and take over the world comes out: *miss*
One game makes monsters/demons look cute though. That means it's a greater threat because it's aimed at children. I think if nintendo gave us a R rated pokemon that would be kinda cool. Take the people behind the resident evil franchise and design all the monsters. Way better than the cute ones from Pokemon.
@@UToobUsername01 The funny part is that we still got DemiKids in the US, which had cutified versions of the SMT demons. Yes, including Succubus and Incubus, and even Lucifer. You can have Lucifer in your party, in a cutesy game that is supposed to compete with Pokemon.
@@rfmerrill Nintendo should reboot Metroid with alien demons and make them R rated games.(science fiction horror) Rather than be a bounty hunter you are actually a monster hunter similar to Geralt in The Witcher universe. It's time for nintendo to reimagine its franchises for older audience now that they stopped the crazy censorship of the 1990s days.
SMT is interesting, because rather than it being a consistent franchise, I'd probably best describe it as a family of games that have some consistent elements, but often wildly different themes, ideas and mechanics.
Fun fact: SMT was basically pokemon, before Pokemon's existence. So one could say Pokemon aped from SMT and became the popular younger brother to the series' "Catch Em All" concept in some way. Then Persona became the popular younger brother to SMT...who SMT probably abuses a lot...I should PROBABLY stop there before I go into some sort of tangent. Also: Damn it Narly! Get in that party with my three-headed demon waifu! Hecate is good people and you will like it!
@@KeyleeTamirianof course, there's absolutely no way that the progenitor of the monster taming and battling genre made 10 years before pokemon had any sort of influence on pokemon, that's just impossible right?
@@KeyleeTamirian you do realize things can have multiple inspirations, right? there are so many things you could point to that influenced pokemon in some way, and they're all valid. just because gachapon inspired pokemon doesn't mean smt can't possibly have inspired it too. and don't even get me started on the capsule kaijus from ultraseven or childhood bug catching also being major influences...
SMT if is a good game and I'm glad to see somebody else say that it's a good starting point. On unique convos with demons, my favorite one was when I got to skip an entire miniboss (Angra Mainyu in the final dungeon) by threatening it and forcing IT to run away. I was done with teleportation and I was completely bluffing.
Oh shit, I didn't even try talking with Angra Mainyu. Not sure if you played Soul Hackers, but there is actually some good story-based dialogue when you talk to demons on the spirit quests that I was really surprised about. Some of the demons recognize Urabe/Judah by reputation.
@@SwanCC It's funny you say that because Soul Hackers is my favorite game in the entire franchise! All of the Devil Summoner games have super rich and in depth worlds (which is why it kills me that we have to play the version of Devil Summoner 1 with no minor NPC convos T_T). It's not even just the demons in those games, but everyone has something new to say once you complete something in the story, and the same goes for the Raidou games on the PS2 as a continuation of that idea. I was just so floored by someone talking positively about if... for a change that I wanted to focus on that one, haha.
@@smergthedargon8974 Okay? My dude, I made this comment a year ago, but I'll still answer. Of course 4 is the best starting point, it's where I started. I just think SMT if... is a better game than people give it credit for (said as someone who actually played the game front to back without savestates). It absolutely has the best gameplay out of the SNES Megatens I've played (all of them except for KMT), and I appreciated the actual challenge that came with the game when I couldn't cheese it with Elec or ailment bullets like in 1, and wasn't constantly running into integer overflow errors like in 2.
"None of the competitors were a thing when you were a kid,none of them had an anime or card game" Digimon,Fighting Foodons and Monster Rancher: Are we a joke to you?
I love these videos about people discovering the MegaTen series who also understand it well. This video and Foul Energy's on Nocturne have such a fresh perspective on the series
Man, your start on the franchise was wild. I started with P3 and 4 for the PS2 on recommendation of a friend in high school. You really went back to SMT If
Megami Tensei's inspiration; Wizardry IV technically did it before both (S)MT and Pokemon (tho it didn't have recruiting/capturing, instead working more like the Demon Compendium in later SMT games). Wizardry IV is also a hell-game that wants nothing more than to permadeath kill you over and over.
Marsh and Soul Hackers love, plus a video title that draws out the pedantic "WELL ACKSHUALLY POKEMON IS LIKE SMT" comments from people who were enlightened by a Wizardry clone? Excellent.
I honestly can't wait for a Devil Summoner translation patch! The setting of the game is something I really enjoy, and I want to see Atlus return to that space of urban fantasy with cool, chill, jazzy/bluesy vibes yet with an undercurrent of dark mysticism and supernatural elements. The P2 duology were the last games they made that had those vibes, though Soul Hackers got pretty close (just a bit too sci fi for my tastes).
I appreciate that you actually choosed far more obscure games to first start the series, and I am also surprised that you ended up liking them! Most of the time the older Megaten titles are dismissed more often than not as "Too old/dated". Oh yeah, I actually remember the moral panic with Pokemon. Its kind of a blessing that the SNES games were not released overseas back when that crap was at its peak. I really hope you end up making more Megaten videos covering more non-mainline/Persona stuff!
After i got it recommended I send this video immidiatly to some friends that really like pokémon i hope they look at this amazing series and might get interested :)
Good to see another Video about SMT .I got into SMT last year when Persona 4 launched on Steam , I played it only because i thought that game looked cool , Finnished P3 at the end of summer . I bought 3DS recently (these games just look wrong on single HD Monitor) , and Im about to finnish Strange Journey . Im weirdly addicted to watching videos about videogames than playing them .
played persona 3 and 1 and in the middle of playing p4 right now. recently bought SMT V as well and i cant wait to play it. the character designs, stories, themes, and the music throughout all these games is just amazing. im really glad i finally found this franchise, its definitely one of a kind and cant wait to go through the many other games in the franchise also marsh is the goat, love all his vids
"I basically just sunk all my eggs into one demon, Yoshitsune". Yoshitsune is just so damn OP in EVERY game he's in, including the first games he debuted.
This whole 'Pokemon is the only game of it's kind and anything like it is just copying it' is a mentality I really want just crushed all together. Monster Collection is a genre like any other, and to see it reduced to waves upon waves of people shouting 'POKEMON CLONE' without understanding what a genre even is is a source of endless frustration. As many other commenters have stated, SMT came before Pokemon. But not only that, but the original Dragon Quest V on the Super Famicom also predates Pokemon by a few years and also features a monster recruitment system. Dragon Quest later came out with a spinoff, Dragon Quest Monsters, which came out after Pokemon and got lambasted as a 'Pokemon clone' despite it already having roots in the series as well as gameplay-wise having MUCH more in common with SMT than it does with Pokemon. And that's the main thing I want to highlight with this whole tangent. Monster Collection does not equal 'Pokemon Clone.' It all comes down to the design and gameplay. Nexomon and TemTem? Both absolutely trying to capture the exact feel of Pokemon. Shin Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest Monsters, Yo-Kai Watch, Digimon, Ni No Kuni, Fossil Fighters, Monster Rancher, World of Final Fantasy, and many, many more are all in the Monster Collection genre, but all of them play and feel so different from Pokemon that comparing them to Pokemon in pretty much any way is pretty disingenuous and comes off as someone who doesn't know how video games work. Might as well call every platformer a Mario clone at that point. Ultimately I just hope more Pokemon fans can come around, do some research, and experiment more with the games they play and be more open-minded. Monster Collection shouldn't be 'The Pokemon Genre' and games have already made the effort to do just that. Now it's on the part of the players to recognize that effort and see games for what they are, not for what they aren't.
Ey nice I'm glad you're enjoying Megaten, gotta say starting with if..., devil summoner and soul hackers is a pretty insane way to get into the series so mad props to you for that I started with soul hackers (discounting persona games) and thats games whole aesthetic holds a special place in my heart (need to go back and throw myself at all those super bosses properly)
SMT and the Megaten-francise as a whole started before Pokemon. Atlus made a game that was based on a book (Digital Devil Story Megami Tensei) before taking the SMT-spin for the SuperFamicom in the 90's. Otherwise, a real solid video on how you got into SMT. The first game I played in the SMT as a whole was the DS-version of Devil Survivor on my 2DS before knowing it had a 3DS-version and since it's regionfree for the DS-games, I had no issue with playing it and then I stopped due to a hard boss-fight. The game that dragged me into the SMT-rabbithole as such was when I found out about the whole Shin Megami Tensei-franchise and I watched a couple of Let's Plays and the one that peaked my interest was SMT 3 Nocturne (which was called Luficer's Call here in the EU). Last year I streamed it's HD Remaster on my Twitch-channel and the VODs are there for people to see with their own eyes and I'm currently streaming SMT V, so feel free to drop by whenever I'm live.
@@el_primer_y_el_ultimo_caiman I know. I just found it interesting that school shootings are way too common in the US, but rarer than summoning actual demons in Japan.
Predates Pokémon by about a decade actually. There’s even a sub-series for kids that has paired versions like Pokémon. Except the different versions have entirely different storylines.
Megami Tensei is the franchise as a whole. Shin Megami Tensei is one of its sub-series and there is like 10 subseries stretching from the Famicom to today. Megami Tensei Last Bible Majin Tensei Shin Megami Tensei Giten Megami Tensei Devil Summoner Digital Devil Saga Devil Survivor Persona Devil Children aka MegaTen Pokemon (which also had an anime and where most Jack Frost Cartoon memes come from)
i think the Press Turn System is one of the coolest turn-based combat systems in JRPGs. You really have to be careful what skills you are using to not waste turns. On the other hand boss, fights can be trial and error when the bosses use attacks that you are weak against and kill you in 3 turns
Smt Nocturne, iv, Apocalypse and 5 has more move variety, Same goes for the persona franchise and the Raidou games in a way, Since in raidou you basically play as a devil summoner with kingdom hearts combat style, But if you only had a blade and a gun and combination attacks with your demons, But your demons have a crap ton of skills available to them, And combination moves that can be done with raidou if they have built up enough trust and loyalty to you
I'm actually really excited to start the Raidou games, as the setting also looks like something I fuck with super hard. I've seen terminator Rasputin, and I need to know how we get there.
@@SwanCC Raidou 1 is fun, Great story, A little lacking on some combos for raidou, And then 2 rolls up, Slams down on the table and goes "No more playing, I'm about to blow you the hell away"
I actually started with Devil Survivor. After that I played the old games, including the MT games, (not to be confused with SMT) and read the books that spawned the franchise. Still barely scratching the surface on the franchise in its entirety.
@@909crime Well... I’ll be honest with you I give them 3 out of 5 stars. I only read the first three books though so I don’t know if the sequel series is any better.
@@calebgoodman2076 ah i see. iv watched marsh's rundown pf these books and i can see why you ranked them that way based on what he said. have u seen the mangas for them too?
Great video Sean, it's great seeing other viewpoints on SMT games. I'd disagree, SMT1 and 2 are very easy to break and If has some weird mechanics that don't appear in other SMTs, SMT If is really like the "Thracia 776 of SMT" if you get what I mean - Thracia 776 itself being the weirdest Fire Emblem game. There's one TH-camr named IceRaptor who was fixing the SMT If Wikia because it has incorrect information, even though the game has been out so long there are so many obscurities and misconceptions, and it was for basic stuff too like the first boss in If will depend on your character's gender, not your character's level which was a misconception for the longest time. At the same time, I get what you mean because in SMT If you can never die and you're given more opportunities. You know, Devil Summoner was a step to make SMT more approachable to newcomers, though they still had a few missteps like that horrid Chinatown maze - it was so bad that they actually put a map of that dungeon (and only that dungeon) into the game manual for later versions of the game (it's because you need to randomly try teleporters, you might get lucky but you probably won't).
Kyūyaku Megami Tensei Shin Megami Tensei Shin Megami Tensei II Shin Megami Tensei if... Shin Megami Tensei Nine Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Redux Shin Megami Tensei IV Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse Shin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner Devil Summoner Soul Hackers DS Kuzunoha Raidō vs The Soulless Army DS Kuzunoha Raidō vs King Abaddon Soul Hackers 2 Majin Tensei Majin Tensei II Spiral Nemesis Devil Survivor Overclocked Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible Last Bible II Last Bible Special Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner 2 Megami Ibunroku Persona Persona 2 Innocent Sin Persona 2 Eternal Punishment Persona 3 Portable/Fes Persona 4 Golden Persona 5 Royal I love them all!
By the way that black angel looking demon you fight in Devil Summoner is literally the God of Gnosticism. Just casually existing and getting his ass beat in a detective story.
Unironically for me Devil summoner give me occult vibes the most Nocturne might be one of my favorite in term of Aesthetic and Artstyle but there just something about Devil summoner vibes that just hard to find for me now day I always hoping raidou game could get a same love one day tho
Probably because Devil Summoner is more realistic due to not being in the middle of an apocalypse. All the occult shit was done 20 mins in during Nocturne so the rest of the game was just about the consequences.
@@EternallyBlu Probably is but in my oppinion it's also the way how the game look that contributed to the occult feeling But also the way how they tackle mythology driffent from mainline
I prefer sci-fi technology + occultism from stories like SMT I, Strange Journey or SMT IV. Than aesthetics and setting like Nocturne's. That's why I'm a little dissapointed with V
@@puzzle_boy Atleast nocturne trying to have a variety in it Aesthetic and architecture feel I also love the techno feel I just felt that Kazuma kaneko art was at his strongest when he make nocturne While smt v try to be nocturne but failed to do so in term of story telling and other things except gameplay
Apparently all it took to get me to jump ship was to not include the mons' I vigorously shiny hunted for into the next game. That and all the other things wrong with that new generation.
I got bored from playing competitive for about 5 years and then swsh just ruined it entirely lmao. But yeah best part about smt is the amount of games there are to go through
@@kuzunohaxcix1573 I somehow skated all the way around SMT 4, only to realize that is the game a lot of people recommend/started with. I got a bunch of homework to do still.
You never heard of Digimon? I mean obviously it's not on the level of SMT in terms of complexity & difficulty. But Digimon started right around the same time as Digimon, also had an anime, video games, & cards game, at the same time as Pokemon. Though the original card game never really took off outside Japan, the current one is doing super well worldwide. On another note the character designer for the SMT Devil Survivor games also worked on Digimon Re:Digitize & the Cyber Sleuth games. Also if you didn't know yet SMT also has it's own Pokemon inspired spinoff the Devil Children series, & though the monsters are more cutesy, the stories seem to be almost as dark as the other SMT games.
I just started SMT I and it is cool so far! Very old school and I'm using a guide but it's great SNES vibes. I'm completely obsessed with the world of SMT and just bought the rest of the 3DS releases I didn't have yet in the ATLUS sale. Got like 6 games for under $100CAD. Not too shabby. I'm playing SMT Strange Journey which is basically SMT 3.5 since it was supposed to be a mainline game. I really hope they release sequels to the spinoffs. A Devil Survivor 3 would be mighty cool. A Demon Summoner, Strange Journey, Soul Hackers, etc sequel would also be cool.
@@mikeydubbs8565 I always forget about Majin Tensei! I'll have to check it out. I'm assuming it got a rom hack translation via Aeon Genesis or someone?
MORE CONTENT!!! I really enjoyed this breakdown!!! And the fact you didn't cry about the difficulty or grinding like many people seems to do. Maybe take a look at Persona? or Review SMT5? Anyway great work :D
You should get around to smt devil survivor 1 & 2 remakes on the 3ds they mix strategy and traditional rpgs in a great way. They were my first smt games and still some of my favorites.
This is the franchise that replaced FF and other JRPG in my case, at the time I was obsessed with Devil May Cry and hard games, when I found this franchise my expectations where very high and the first entry I played was SMT nocturne and this game matched my expectations. Since then I really appreciate this franchise because it takes risks and has creative ideas alongside bringing an interaction of different deities from different cultures. It's just incredible. Great video and greetings from Venezuela
Dude i clicked your video to know about ur opinion on smt, and you give me a big present the name of the game shadowrun, whitch one i been searching for like 10 years without knowing the name. I already love you. big kisses
This man honest to god recommends that first time SMT players play through the World of Sloth for their first game. Alternatively you can play SMT 4 as your intro to the series and save yourself from suicidal ideation.
I've played SMT 3, 4, SJ, Soul Havkers, Devil Survivor. I don't know why I never considered an emulator to play If. Maybe I should look interesting that.
Have you played Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey(Well I played the REDUX one tho, srry for not playing the original first ig..)? That's my starting SMT game btw, and damn that game made my standards to SMT games and even to the general jrpgs higher by a notch just from the story alone and ofc gameplay is great too!!!
Nah. You don’t really lose an appreciation for the franchise’s roots with the later games. Just don’t be an idiot that writes off the games because they’re not as improved as the newer ones.
My first SMT was SMT4. I feel that was quite the perfect place to get into he series. It's not the hardest, but's not easy either. The press turn system is engaging, too. I would only recommend someone start with new oldest SMT games if they were dead set on playing many of the others and wanted to begin at a place where they had nowhere to go but up; otherwise, I'm pretty sure they'd give up. I can understand wanting other gamers to appreciate humble origins-I lament how many gamers will never understand how amazing 3D graphics were on N64/PS1, or how they went from blocky to smooth characters with actual fingers on GCN/PS2-but it's probably more important minimize QoL barriers. For comparison, I wouldn't recommend someone try to get into Resident Evil series with one of the "tank control" classics.
More accurately, Pokémon is SMT with fluffier demons Looking back, Pokémon's only merit is their marketing, somehow they managed to implant the idea that every monster collector was their clone
Marsh rules. You have excellent taste. 😃👍 If you played Devil Summoner, you have to watch the TV show, especially if you're into feet and CBT, and let's be honest, what kind of sick weirdo isn't? I don't think I could trust a person who wasn't.
More accurate to say Pokemon is SMT without demons I'd say. Shin Megamin Tensei predates Pokemon by 4 years, and Megami Tensei as a whole beyond that, otherwise great video.
Fair enough
10* years if counting the Megami Tensei NES games
This right here^^
Nobody asked, cry more fanboy
@@ye9945 don't be that guy. There's no need for toxicity anywhere. Let's try to be positive.
"I put all of my resources into Yoshitsune"
Ah yes, the correct way to play any game he is in
America when Pokemon comes out: this is about summoning demons to wage a war with god and take over the world.
Americans when a game about summoning demons to wage a war with god and take over the world comes out: *miss*
One game makes monsters/demons look cute though. That means it's a greater threat because it's aimed at children. I think if nintendo gave us a R rated pokemon that would be kinda cool. Take the people behind the resident evil franchise and design all the monsters. Way better than the cute ones from Pokemon.
They missed? they lost their press turns then, only explanation to why they didnt do anything about it.
Lmao this is too funny
@@UToobUsername01 The funny part is that we still got DemiKids in the US, which had cutified versions of the SMT demons. Yes, including Succubus and Incubus, and even Lucifer. You can have Lucifer in your party, in a cutesy game that is supposed to compete with Pokemon.
@@rfmerrill Nintendo should reboot Metroid with alien demons and make them R rated games.(science fiction horror) Rather than be a bounty hunter you are actually a monster hunter similar to Geralt in The Witcher universe. It's time for nintendo to reimagine its franchises for older audience now that they stopped the crazy censorship of the 1990s days.
I'm glad Marsh was the one to peak your interest with his video.
Dude's a legend.
Complete legend
Marsh rocks 🤙
He's one of the most underrated mt content creators
It was the same for me, obsessed now thanks to Marsh!
Nah his real name is Akemi Nakajima Marsh who currently resides in the top floor of deadulus tower
SMT is interesting, because rather than it being a consistent franchise, I'd probably best describe it as a family of games that have some consistent elements, but often wildly different themes, ideas and mechanics.
Fun fact: SMT was basically pokemon, before Pokemon's existence. So one could say Pokemon aped from SMT and became the popular younger brother to the series' "Catch Em All" concept in some way. Then Persona became the popular younger brother to SMT...who SMT probably abuses a lot...I should PROBABLY stop there before I go into some sort of tangent.
Also: Damn it Narly! Get in that party with my three-headed demon waifu! Hecate is good people and you will like it!
Pokemon was inspired by gachapon machines...
@@KeyleeTamirianof course, there's absolutely no way that the progenitor of the monster taming and battling genre made 10 years before pokemon had any sort of influence on pokemon, that's just impossible right?
@@KeyleeTamirian you do realize things can have multiple inspirations, right? there are so many things you could point to that influenced pokemon in some way, and they're all valid. just because gachapon inspired pokemon doesn't mean smt can't possibly have inspired it too. and don't even get me started on the capsule kaijus from ultraseven or childhood bug catching also being major influences...
Marsh is the GOAT
and you are too, rare case of someone getting into the series because of IF
RARE? RAAARE YOU SAID?! HE IS PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON
I know, right? Fucking hell, even Nam regretted getting into that game lmao.
SMT if is a good game and I'm glad to see somebody else say that it's a good starting point. On unique convos with demons, my favorite one was when I got to skip an entire miniboss (Angra Mainyu in the final dungeon) by threatening it and forcing IT to run away. I was done with teleportation and I was completely bluffing.
Oh shit, I didn't even try talking with Angra Mainyu. Not sure if you played Soul Hackers, but there is actually some good story-based dialogue when you talk to demons on the spirit quests that I was really surprised about. Some of the demons recognize Urabe/Judah by reputation.
@@SwanCC It's funny you say that because Soul Hackers is my favorite game in the entire franchise! All of the Devil Summoner games have super rich and in depth worlds (which is why it kills me that we have to play the version of Devil Summoner 1 with no minor NPC convos T_T). It's not even just the demons in those games, but everyone has something new to say once you complete something in the story, and the same goes for the Raidou games on the PS2 as a continuation of that idea. I was just so floored by someone talking positively about if... for a change that I wanted to focus on that one, haha.
@@SwanCC Talking to Bilwis during the first spirit quest and it warning "Mr. Urabe" to be careful was the coolest shit
"If" is an absolutely NIGHTMARE, what are you on about? 4 is by far the best starting point.
@@smergthedargon8974 Okay? My dude, I made this comment a year ago, but I'll still answer. Of course 4 is the best starting point, it's where I started. I just think SMT if... is a better game than people give it credit for (said as someone who actually played the game front to back without savestates). It absolutely has the best gameplay out of the SNES Megatens I've played (all of them except for KMT), and I appreciated the actual challenge that came with the game when I couldn't cheese it with Elec or ailment bullets like in 1, and wasn't constantly running into integer overflow errors like in 2.
"None of the competitors were a thing when you were a kid,none of them had an anime or card game"
Digimon,Fighting Foodons and Monster Rancher: Are we a joke to you?
SMT is what protestant pastors told us Pokémon was. They had no fucking idea of what was really going on
I love these videos about people discovering the MegaTen series who also understand it well. This video and Foul Energy's on Nocturne have such a fresh perspective on the series
Greg from Atlas here. Glad you enjoyed SMT V, Sean, but where is Jack Frost? We spent a lot of time on that design. Just a thought. Bye bye!
This is an extremely funny comment? Wtf?
Man, your start on the franchise was wild. I started with P3 and 4 for the PS2 on recommendation of a friend in high school. You really went back to SMT If
Megami Tensei's inspiration; Wizardry IV technically did it before both (S)MT and Pokemon (tho it didn't have recruiting/capturing, instead working more like the Demon Compendium in later SMT games).
Wizardry IV is also a hell-game that wants nothing more than to permadeath kill you over and over.
Marsh and Soul Hackers love, plus a video title that draws out the pedantic "WELL ACKSHUALLY POKEMON IS LIKE SMT" comments from people who were enlightened by a Wizardry clone? Excellent.
You keep pumpin out SMT videos from now on then, Ill be watching
I honestly can't wait for a Devil Summoner translation patch! The setting of the game is something I really enjoy, and I want to see Atlus return to that space of urban fantasy with cool, chill, jazzy/bluesy vibes yet with an undercurrent of dark mysticism and supernatural elements. The P2 duology were the last games they made that had those vibes, though Soul Hackers got pretty close (just a bit too sci fi for my tastes).
Yeh, lack of translation for Devil Summoner is a crime to culture.
You deserve a much bigger viewer base, your content is so good. I will definitely stay tuned to see what you do next
I appreciate that you actually choosed far more obscure games to first start the series, and I am also surprised that you ended up liking them! Most of the time the older Megaten titles are dismissed more often than not as "Too old/dated".
Oh yeah, I actually remember the moral panic with Pokemon. Its kind of a blessing that the SNES games were not released overseas back when that crap was at its peak.
I really hope you end up making more Megaten videos covering more non-mainline/Persona stuff!
After i got it recommended I send this video immidiatly to some friends that really like pokémon i hope they look at this amazing series and might get interested :)
Great video. There's a lot to go through in the Megami Tensei franchise so it's a series with a lot of guaranteed hours of enjoyment.
As a smt fan, thank u for taking the time to do the video 🙏 no one will watch this, but those of us that do appreciate ur service ✊
I'm glad you enjoy your journey so far, Hope to see more of it in the near future
Welcome to the Franchise where Normal dudes Beat gods with Punches, Blades and Bullets in the face
Don't forget about their team of random pokemon they found too.
Someone's gotta have the buffs and debuffs.
Nah son, Megaten been out here since 87. Glad to see more folks get into it!
Good to see another Video about SMT .I got into SMT last year when Persona 4 launched on Steam , I played it only because i thought that game looked cool , Finnished P3 at the end of summer . I bought 3DS recently (these games just look wrong on single HD Monitor) , and Im about to finnish Strange Journey . Im weirdly addicted to watching videos about videogames than playing them .
Shin Megami Tensei came before Pokémon. So technically, Pokémon is the SMT of games.
played persona 3 and 1 and in the middle of playing p4 right now. recently bought SMT V as well and i cant wait to play it. the character designs, stories, themes, and the music throughout all these games is just amazing. im really glad i finally found this franchise, its definitely one of a kind and cant wait to go through the many other games in the franchise
also marsh is the goat, love all his vids
I have always described SMT as Pokemon for adults. I don't even play Pokemon anymore.
"I basically just sunk all my eggs into one demon, Yoshitsune".
Yoshitsune is just so damn OP in EVERY game he's in, including the first games he debuted.
It's time to jump on them boats baby, "HASSOU TOBI"
Soul Hackers made me an SMT fan. IT IS SO FUCKING COMFY HOLY SHIT!!!
Most people nowadays know SH because of Nemisa, I'm just saying
This whole 'Pokemon is the only game of it's kind and anything like it is just copying it' is a mentality I really want just crushed all together. Monster Collection is a genre like any other, and to see it reduced to waves upon waves of people shouting 'POKEMON CLONE' without understanding what a genre even is is a source of endless frustration.
As many other commenters have stated, SMT came before Pokemon. But not only that, but the original Dragon Quest V on the Super Famicom also predates Pokemon by a few years and also features a monster recruitment system. Dragon Quest later came out with a spinoff, Dragon Quest Monsters, which came out after Pokemon and got lambasted as a 'Pokemon clone' despite it already having roots in the series as well as gameplay-wise having MUCH more in common with SMT than it does with Pokemon.
And that's the main thing I want to highlight with this whole tangent. Monster Collection does not equal 'Pokemon Clone.' It all comes down to the design and gameplay.
Nexomon and TemTem? Both absolutely trying to capture the exact feel of Pokemon.
Shin Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest Monsters, Yo-Kai Watch, Digimon, Ni No Kuni, Fossil Fighters, Monster Rancher, World of Final Fantasy, and many, many more are all in the Monster Collection genre, but all of them play and feel so different from Pokemon that comparing them to Pokemon in pretty much any way is pretty disingenuous and comes off as someone who doesn't know how video games work. Might as well call every platformer a Mario clone at that point.
Ultimately I just hope more Pokemon fans can come around, do some research, and experiment more with the games they play and be more open-minded. Monster Collection shouldn't be 'The Pokemon Genre' and games have already made the effort to do just that. Now it's on the part of the players to recognize that effort and see games for what they are, not for what they aren't.
Ey nice I'm glad you're enjoying Megaten, gotta say starting with if..., devil summoner and soul hackers is a pretty insane way to get into the series so mad props to you for that
I started with soul hackers (discounting persona games) and thats games whole aesthetic holds a special place in my heart (need to go back and throw myself at all those super bosses properly)
SMT and the Megaten-francise as a whole started before Pokemon.
Atlus made a game that was based on a book (Digital Devil Story Megami Tensei) before taking the SMT-spin for the SuperFamicom in the 90's.
Otherwise, a real solid video on how you got into SMT.
The first game I played in the SMT as a whole was the DS-version of Devil Survivor on my 2DS before knowing it had a 3DS-version and since it's regionfree for the DS-games, I had no issue with playing it and then I stopped due to a hard boss-fight.
The game that dragged me into the SMT-rabbithole as such was when I found out about the whole Shin Megami Tensei-franchise and I watched a couple of Let's Plays and the one that peaked my interest was SMT 3 Nocturne (which was called Luficer's Call here in the EU).
Last year I streamed it's HD Remaster on my Twitch-channel and the VODs are there for people to see with their own eyes and I'm currently streaming SMT V, so feel free to drop by whenever I'm live.
"Bringing a gun to school like a normal weirdo"
You're forgetting that this is Japan. NO ONE has a gun.
it was a joke dawg
@@el_primer_y_el_ultimo_caiman I know. I just found it interesting that school shootings are way too common in the US, but rarer than summoning actual demons in Japan.
SMT is older than Pokémon
Trust me Yoshitune is op in a lot of the games. Like seriously op.
hassou tobi my beloved
@@Liezuli jumping them boats like a badass as always
Predates Pokémon by about a decade actually. There’s even a sub-series for kids that has paired versions like Pokémon. Except the different versions have entirely different storylines.
Megami Tensei is the franchise as a whole. Shin Megami Tensei is one of its sub-series and there is like 10 subseries stretching from the Famicom to today.
Megami Tensei
Last Bible
Majin Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
Giten Megami Tensei
Devil Summoner
Digital Devil Saga
Devil Survivor
Persona
Devil Children aka MegaTen Pokemon (which also had an anime and where most Jack Frost Cartoon memes come from)
As a persona 2 fan, your comments about nyarly literally teared me up xD
But back to the topic - I'm glad to see a new smt fan
i think the Press Turn System is one of the coolest turn-based combat systems in JRPGs. You really have to be careful what skills you are using to not waste turns. On the other hand boss, fights can be trial and error when the bosses use attacks that you are weak against and kill you in 3 turns
Smt Nocturne, iv, Apocalypse and 5 has more move variety, Same goes for the persona franchise and the Raidou games in a way, Since in raidou you basically play as a devil summoner with kingdom hearts combat style, But if you only had a blade and a gun and combination attacks with your demons, But your demons have a crap ton of skills available to them, And combination moves that can be done with raidou if they have built up enough trust and loyalty to you
I'm actually really excited to start the Raidou games, as the setting also looks like something I fuck with super hard. I've seen terminator Rasputin, and I need to know how we get there.
@@SwanCC Raidou 1 is fun, Great story, A little lacking on some combos for raidou, And then 2 rolls up, Slams down on the table and goes "No more playing, I'm about to blow you the hell away"
I actually started with Devil Survivor. After that I played the old games, including the MT games, (not to be confused with SMT) and read the books that spawned the franchise. Still barely scratching the surface on the franchise in its entirety.
do u reccomend the books? I been wanting to read em myself
@@909crime Well... I’ll be honest with you I give them 3 out of 5 stars. I only read the first three books though so I don’t know if the sequel series is any better.
@@calebgoodman2076 ah i see. iv watched marsh's rundown pf these books and i can see why you ranked them that way based on what he said. have u seen the mangas for them too?
Mans was introduced by a Marsh video, great taste
Great video Sean, it's great seeing other viewpoints on SMT games. I'd disagree, SMT1 and 2 are very easy to break and If has some weird mechanics that don't appear in other SMTs, SMT If is really like the "Thracia 776 of SMT" if you get what I mean - Thracia 776 itself being the weirdest Fire Emblem game.
There's one TH-camr named IceRaptor who was fixing the SMT If Wikia because it has incorrect information, even though the game has been out so long there are so many obscurities and misconceptions, and it was for basic stuff too like the first boss in If will depend on your character's gender, not your character's level which was a misconception for the longest time.
At the same time, I get what you mean because in SMT If you can never die and you're given more opportunities. You know, Devil Summoner was a step to make SMT more approachable to newcomers, though they still had a few missteps like that horrid Chinatown maze - it was so bad that they actually put a map of that dungeon (and only that dungeon) into the game manual for later versions of the game (it's because you need to randomly try teleporters, you might get lucky but you probably won't).
Talks about the music being memorable then plays Gustavs shop theme, you are a man of culture
Kyūyaku Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei II
Shin Megami Tensei if...
Shin Megami Tensei Nine
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Redux
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
Shin Megami Tensei V
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner
Devil Summoner Soul Hackers
DS Kuzunoha Raidō vs The Soulless Army
DS Kuzunoha Raidō vs King Abaddon
Soul Hackers 2
Majin Tensei
Majin Tensei II Spiral Nemesis
Devil Survivor Overclocked
Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible
Last Bible II
Last Bible Special
Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner
Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner 2
Megami Ibunroku Persona
Persona 2 Innocent Sin
Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
Persona 3 Portable/Fes
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 5 Royal
I love them all!
I know this is a year old video, but I’m so glad SMT is getting more players and it’s becoming a staple for everyone.
By the way that black angel looking demon you fight in Devil Summoner is literally the God of Gnosticism. Just casually existing and getting his ass beat in a detective story.
Unironically for me Devil summoner give me occult vibes the most
Nocturne might be one of my favorite in term of Aesthetic and Artstyle but there just something about Devil summoner vibes that just hard to find for me now day
I always hoping raidou game could get a same love one day tho
Probably because Devil Summoner is more realistic due to not being in the middle of an apocalypse. All the occult shit was done 20 mins in during Nocturne so the rest of the game was just about the consequences.
@@EternallyBlu
Probably is but in my oppinion it's also the way how the game look that contributed to the occult feeling
But also the way how they tackle mythology driffent from mainline
I prefer sci-fi technology + occultism from stories like SMT I, Strange Journey or SMT IV. Than aesthetics and setting like Nocturne's. That's why I'm a little dissapointed with V
@@puzzle_boy
Atleast nocturne trying to have a variety in it Aesthetic and architecture feel
I also love the techno feel I just felt that Kazuma kaneko art was at his strongest when he make nocturne
While smt v try to be nocturne but failed to do so in term of story telling and other things except gameplay
Good video imo. I also just got into smt recently coming from Pokémon snd man it makes me sad seeing the state it’s in now
Apparently all it took to get me to jump ship was to not include the mons' I vigorously shiny hunted for into the next game. That and all the other things wrong with that new generation.
I got bored from playing competitive for about 5 years and then swsh just ruined it entirely lmao. But yeah best part about smt is the amount of games there are to go through
@@kuzunohaxcix1573 I somehow skated all the way around SMT 4, only to realize that is the game a lot of people recommend/started with. I got a bunch of homework to do still.
You never heard of Digimon? I mean obviously it's not on the level of SMT in terms of complexity & difficulty. But Digimon started right around the same time as Digimon, also had an anime, video games, & cards game, at the same time as Pokemon. Though the original card game never really took off outside Japan, the current one is doing super well worldwide.
On another note the character designer for the SMT Devil Survivor games also worked on Digimon Re:Digitize & the Cyber Sleuth games. Also if you didn't know yet SMT also has it's own Pokemon inspired spinoff the Devil Children series, & though the monsters are more cutesy, the stories seem to be almost as dark as the other SMT games.
i thought that Shin megami tensei was persona but without the heart
It might also be Persona's edgier, younger brother.
Lol
Thanks a ton to Aeon Genesis for translating these games!! It's amazing to be able to play them in English.
Ah shit I shoulda mentioned him in the video. Going to add it to the description real quick.
*New people coming into SMT by recommendation, facing Mara for the first time*
SMT fans: "You get used to it..."
My top 3 SMTs are
Nocturne, Soul Hackers and 4 Apocalypse
You should play SMT Strange Journey and SMT IV A (you going to love what quick fusion app does)
Pokémon is SMT without demons, still this video is a banger
I just started SMT I and it is cool so far! Very old school and I'm using a guide but it's great SNES vibes.
I'm completely obsessed with the world of SMT and just bought the rest of the 3DS releases I didn't have yet in the ATLUS sale. Got like 6 games for under $100CAD. Not too shabby. I'm playing SMT Strange Journey which is basically SMT 3.5 since it was supposed to be a mainline game. I really hope they release sequels to the spinoffs. A Devil Survivor 3 would be mighty cool. A Demon Summoner, Strange Journey, Soul Hackers, etc sequel would also be cool.
Strange Journey and Soul Hackers are tied for my favorite MegaTen games. Majin Tensei is also a lot of fun if you enjoyed Devil Survivor
Someone knows if the gba release of I is translated?
@@mikeydubbs8565 I always forget about Majin Tensei! I'll have to check it out. I'm assuming it got a rom hack translation via Aeon Genesis or someone?
@@Fermin-hw5pd it appears to be!
18:00 speaking of if the client here is clearly the bad guy from IF, trowback reference
MORE CONTENT!!! I really enjoyed this breakdown!!! And the fact you didn't cry about the difficulty or grinding like many people seems to do. Maybe take a look at Persona? or Review SMT5? Anyway great work :D
Glad you gave Soul Hackers its due respect. Fav game of all time, as well as the game that pushed me to start developing my own indie games
11:40 I was paused here wondering what was so funny about "Ya Roro Ya Roro" but then I turned off my japanese learner brain and it hit me
You should get around to smt devil survivor 1 & 2 remakes on the 3ds they mix strategy and traditional rpgs in a great way. They were my first smt games and still some of my favorites.
Amazing video, I hope your channel blows up
I love Smt Nocturne
This is the franchise that replaced FF and other JRPG in my case, at the time I was obsessed with Devil May Cry and hard games, when I found this franchise my expectations where very high and the first entry I played was SMT nocturne and this game matched my expectations. Since then I really appreciate this franchise because it takes risks and has creative ideas alongside bringing an interaction of different deities from different cultures. It's just incredible. Great video and greetings from Venezuela
Ah yes, the three Devil Summoner protagonists: Kyouji Kuzunoha, Keiji Minegishi, and Deity Emperor
Dude i clicked your video to know about ur opinion on smt, and you give me a big present the name of the game shadowrun, whitch one i been searching for like 10 years without knowing the name. I already love you. big kisses
15:16 Tbf, Yoshitsune is Yoshitsune. In modern games at least, he's a crit machine.
This man honest to god recommends that first time SMT players play through the World of Sloth for their first game.
Alternatively you can play SMT 4 as your intro to the series and save yourself from suicidal ideation.
Just subbed, keep up the good work.👍
now I'm curious how to explain the mainline smt to people who's never knew them.
Brilliant video, keep up the good work.
I feel you're gonna like the Devil Survivor series for the Ds and 3Ds, you should try them up.
Super solid vid, liked and subbed boss 🤝🏿
I've played SMT 3, 4, SJ, Soul Havkers, Devil Survivor. I don't know why I never considered an emulator to play If. Maybe I should look interesting that.
Have you played Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey(Well I played the REDUX one tho, srry for not playing the original first ig..)? That's my starting SMT game btw, and damn that game made my standards to SMT games and even to the general jrpgs higher by a notch just from the story alone and ofc gameplay is great too!!!
Welcome to the family son.
Saying SMT is Pokémon with demons is a massive understatement bro
Check out Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. It's basically Shin Megami Tensei, but with Devimons and Angemons.
Watching this after palworld or Pokemon with war crimes comes out it's great to see that it actually came out
I want to know HOW someone violently disrobes...
Oh boy I don't.
You should checkout Digimon Story : Cyber Sleuth games if you want to play more turn-based monster collecting games.
Nah. You don’t really lose an appreciation for the franchise’s roots with the later games. Just don’t be an idiot that writes off the games because they’re not as improved as the newer ones.
Digimon digital monsters "Digimon Story" to the champions
Existed during the DS with an anime
I often consider Smt to be Pokemon's cooler older brother.
Man him just buffing yoshitsune is just prep work for persona.
My first SMT was SMT4. I feel that was quite the perfect place to get into he series. It's not the hardest, but's not easy either. The press turn system is engaging, too. I would only recommend someone start with new oldest SMT games if they were dead set on playing many of the others and wanted to begin at a place where they had nowhere to go but up; otherwise, I'm pretty sure they'd give up. I can understand wanting other gamers to appreciate humble origins-I lament how many gamers will never understand how amazing 3D graphics were on N64/PS1, or how they went from blocky to smooth characters with actual fingers on GCN/PS2-but it's probably more important minimize QoL barriers. For comparison, I wouldn't recommend someone try to get into Resident Evil series with one of the "tank control" classics.
Welcome to the crew.
Wonderfully produced video :)
Marsh just might be the best thing that happened to smt in the last decade.
More accurately, Pokémon is SMT with fluffier demons
Looking back, Pokémon's only merit is their marketing, somehow they managed to implant the idea that every monster collector was their clone
gonna be that SMT fan to hit you with Pokemon is actually just SMT with cute critters
Great video. I hope to see more soon.
I love Marsh's videos
Literally how I always describe SMT to people who dont know what it is.
It's how I'm still trying to sell it to my friends, who are now regretting the inability to turn off EXP share in the newest Pokemon game.
although SMT might be a bit outdated it is very fun still, and SMT 3, 4 and 5 are great games overall.
Marsh rules. You have excellent taste. 😃👍
If you played Devil Summoner, you have to watch the TV show, especially if you're into feet and CBT, and let's be honest, what kind of sick weirdo isn't? I don't think I could trust a person who wasn't.
Bringing up palworld (the Pokémon warcrimes game I think) was amazing. I’m so excited for palword. Also smt is foot too I guess