Bear-sona! Japan’s Famitsu magazine has plenty to reveal in the Shin Megami Tensei Persona series, some expected and some “WTF, I guess that’s cool, but really?”
First is Persona 4 The Golden, a Spring 2012 PS Vita remake of the genre-defining Persona 4 on PS2, which will bring a new character named Mary, new animations, and “wireless support for calling on others to help you when you’re about to die in a dungeon”. I’m not sure what that means, but I imagine that if you’re playing with someone else who’s playing Persona 5 nearby, The Protagonist can be revived by your friend when he’s down for the count (probably by some annoying instant-kill Hama or Mudo spell)
Persona 5 also seems well on its way with all the staff members in place with director Katsura Hasino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shouji Meguro.
On the strange side, Arc System Works, known for their furious BlazBlue series, will be turning Persona 4 into a 2D fighter for Xbox 360 and PS3 called Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena. Also releasing in arcades in Spring 2012 and then for consoles in Summer 2012, it takes place two years after the who-dun-it mystery in Inaba and already features Protagonist, Chie, Yosuke, and Aigis (with their default Persona forms). I expect some along the lines of a cel-shaded Bloody Roar. (Yep, I totally referenced that.)
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. announced that there will in fact be no enhanced or expanded version of Persona 4 released, as was the case with the game’s predecessor, Persona 3.
“We are today able to announce that at no point in the future will we announce the release of a “FES” version of Persona 4,” said Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The very finest, most definitive version of Persona 4 will be the one released on December 9, 2008.”
This groundbreaking preemptive anti-announcement puts to rest concerns among many Atlus devotees that an improved version would be announced and released shortly following the release of Persona 4.
Persona 4 released for the PS2 on December 9, 2008. Each and every copy of the game will include Side A of the Persona 4 soundtrack for free, which features the work of famed composer Shoji Meguro. Fans who pre-order from select retailers will also receive Persona 4: Visual Data, a 100-page, full-color art book loaded with designs from master artist Shigenori Soejima (at GameStop, Amazon.com, EB Games (Canada), Game Crazy, and other fine retailers, while supplies last).
In addition, hardcore fans can pick up the Persona 4 Social Link Expansion Pack (exclusively at Amazon.com), a bundle of rare North American-exclusive goodies unavailable anywhere else, like the Teddie plushie, 2009 Calendar, Side B disc of the P4 soundtrack, and more!
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