Persona Compilation

states

Dictionary states that the word Persona itself means "mask" or "character".

Wait!! Do not freak out!! I'm not here to give some English vocabulary lecture. The Persona which I refer to is the Role-Playing Game Series from Japan being released in PS, PS2, PSP and so on.

Here's the Game Collection Notes ~~

Persona 1
A.K.A. Megami Ibunroku Persona (Japanese)
(= "Be Your True Mind")


Released on :
- 20-Sep-1996 in PS Console,
- 25-Mar-1999 in PC Window, and
- Tentatively 29-Apr-2009 in PSP




Synopsis : While playing a game called Persona - an urban myth that will apparently conjure spirits - they see an image of a small crying girl. They all pass out, and have the same dream of a butterfly. During this sleep, they dream of butterflies - a recurring image in the Persona games. Then their Personae are awakened by masked fellow named Philemon, who explains that there are multiple selves living within them, and these selves happen to be ass kicking monsters. Everyone awakens and are just mildly weirded out, but things get stranger when the gang visits their hospitalized friend, Mary. All of a sudden, demons start attacking, and it's up to you to save your town. This all somehow ties into an evil corporation named Sebec, the evil president named Guido, and Mary's mother, an employee of the Sebec company. (source)

The main chara as shown in JP & US Game Version respectively

Name : Hero
Manga Name : Naoya Toudou





Persona 2
Divided into 2 chapters: Innocent Sin (Tsumi) & Eternal Punishment (Batsu)

Release Date :

Innocent Sin - 24-Jun-1999 (PS)

Eternal Punishment - 29-Jun-2000 (PS)


Synopsis of Innocent Sin : Much like the first game, Persona 2: Innocent Sin focuses on a small group of Japanese high schoolers. Taking place a few years after the original, strange things have been going on, the most bizarre being that rumors are now becoming reality. The latest urban myth is that calling your own cell phone number will summon a demon called The Joker, who will grant you a wish. Unfortunately, a lot of people are being killed by this Joker fellow, but your gang decides to try it out anyway. Sure enough, the Joker appears - only he seems to bear a grudge towards Tatsuya, Eikichi and Lisa, taunting them about a sin they can't remember. They meet Philemon and are granted Personae, much like the original, and begin their journey to discover the meaning behind the Joker curse. It's a journey back into the same strange world, with demented principals who seek to punish slacking students with death, and neo Nazis looking to resurrect Hitler (largely pointed out to be the reason it never came to America - if Bionic Commando could do it in the NES era in 1989, albeit with altered names, why wasn't it okay in 1998?) (source)

Synopsis of Eternal Punishment : Things did not end well for our heroes at the finale of Innocent Sin. So, Eternal Punishment takes place in a parallel world where the events from the previous game never happened. While the locale is the same, none of the characters know each other. The heroine this time is Maya, who comes across a boy who seems to remember, but can't - she calls this her "Deja Vu Boy". This lad is Tatsuya, the only person that seems to remember the events from Innocent Sin. If this wasn't weird enough, the Joker is back, making mad proclamations of the "Other Side", and is determined to murder Maya, a punishment for something she doesn't understand. So it's up to our Persona wielding heros and heroines to uncover the meaning behind the joker, and how it ties to the world from Innocent Sin. (source)


Protagonist in Innocent Sin
(Appearance getting slighly better)
Name : Tatsuya




Protagonist in Eternal Punishment
Name : Maya









Persona 3
A.K.A. Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3 (Japanese)
Expanded (Extra) : P3 FES (="festival")


Release Date :

P3 - 13-Jul-2006 (PS2)

P3 FES - 19-Apr-2007 (PS3)





Synopsis : Persona 3 is a drastic departure from the rest of the Megami Tensei series. Although it still focuses on demon-fighting high schoolers in modern day Japan, the game is a hybrid of a dungeon crawling RPG (think Diablo) and a life/dating sim.

Every night at midnight, time stops, and a mysterious phenomenon known as "Shadow Hour" occurs. During this time, strange things begin happening around town, including the appearance of a mysterious tower called Tartarus that erupts from beneath the school. The only humans conscious of this event are a group of students who fight through the tower and try to prevent the end of the world. Naturally, you're one of those kids. (source)

Protagonist
(Game graphic looks way better !)

Name : Hero


Online Manga Available !

Related Merchandise 1
Related Merchandise 2
Related Merchandise 3
Related Merchandise 4 (This one looks great! I almost buy it ...)
Related Merchandise 5





Persona 4
A.K.A. Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4 (Japanese)


Release Date :
10-Jul-2008 (PS2)









Synopsis : Things begin with the main character moving to a small town from the city. Shortly after starting school, you begin to hear rumors of a TV program that tells who your soul mate is. It is revealed later that everyone that appears on the program ends up kidnapped, and later, dead. The main character discovers that he has the ability to go inside of TVs and save the people who appear on the TV. The main storyline follows this mystery of the kidnappings. (source)



Protagonist
(The main chara getting more charming!)

Manga Name : Seta Souji


Online Manga Available !
P4 OST Album Online Download

Related Merchandise 1
Related Merchandise 2
Related Merchandise 3
Related Merchandise 4




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Besides the above main Persona Series, there are also few other series at very early years and other extended new age series.

Shin Megami Tensei : Devil Summor : Raidou Kuzunoha VS the Souless Army
Shin Megami Tensei : Devil Summor : Raidou Kuzunoha VS King Abaddon
Shin Megami Tensei : Digital Devil Saga
Shin Megami Tensei : Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei III : Nocturne / Shin Megami Tensei III : Nocturne "Maniax"
Shin Megami Tensei Online : IMAGINE
etc ...

All these extra can be reviewed at Hardcore Gaming 101 - Persona and Digital Devil Database.

Other Link
Moby Games - Persona Series

Related Post in LookyLoop Blogspot
Post # 1
Post # 2


I just started playing P4 but not the P1 or P2. Reason? Gamestory-wise interest me a lot but unfortunately not their graphic.

Anyhow, Persona Rocks!


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