Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei

Lore & Background

The story follows Japanese high school students Akemi Nakajima and Yumiko Shirasagi as they combat the forces of Lucifer, unleashed by a demon summoning program created by Nakajima. The Famicom version features first-person dungeon crawling with turn-based battles and a demon negotiation system, while the PC version is an action role-playing game with real-time combat from a top-down perspective. Development began as part of a multimedia expansion of Nishitani's book series, with Nishitani deeply involved in design and scenario.

Reader's Guide

Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei is significant as the foundational entry in the long-running Megami Tensei franchise, which would later spawn numerous sequels and spin-offs. The Famicom version's demon negotiation system was considered revolutionary for its time, distinguishing it from the Wizardry series on which its gameplay was based. The game's popularity led to a 1990 Famicom sequel and an enhanced Super Famicom port in 1995. The PC version, while less known, demonstrated the willingness of both developers to play against platform genre expectations. The game's mature themes and religious elements were controversial, and its release was facilitated by Namco's involvement. The Cerberus demon, introduced here, became a recurring mascot in later Megami Tensei titles.

Did You Know?

• The Famicom version's demon negotiation system was considered revolutionary for its time.
• The two versions were developed simultaneously, with Telenet Japan's version completed first.
• The game was initially pitched to Nintendo but turned down due to mature elements.
• The Cerberus demon, introduced in this game, became a recurring feature in later Megami Tensei games.