"Finally! A real Japanese RPG on the Xbox!"

DISCLAIMER: I only have about 5 hours or so logged on with this game so far. I made sure to at least experiment with each of the game's features (exploration, combat, demon combining, hacking, etc...) before attempting a review, but, even by my own admission, it is still too early to judge completely. I'll update this later...

Shin Megami Tensei NINE is the long awaited newest installment in the cult favorite Shin Megami Tensei series, which has graced virtually every major console to date (Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, Playstation) and will show up on the PS2 shortly in the form of Shin Megami Tensei III (everything else, including NINE, Devil Summoner, Persona, and the like, have been more or less gaiden - side stories - to the series). Atlus even offers a downloadable dungeon crawler for cell phones.

STORY: 10
In the early 21st century, Tokyo is decimated in a nuclear war. Decades later, 1990's Tokyo is recreated digitally for the entertainment of it's denizens who now live in tiny post apocalyptic apartments and have nowhere to go to get hookers, eat udon, and enjoy simulated frivolous shopping. For those who explore this virtual world, NAVIs are provided in the form of friendly computer programs who, for one reason or another, take on the forms of demons, sexy women, and tiny snowmen (yes, series mainstay Jack Frost is along for the ride on the Xbox too). Unfortunately all is not right in this digital realm, as rogue programs begin to go amok (these ''bad'' programs are called ''noise'') and an agency is set up to keep them in check. This is where the main character, Kei. comes in. Kei (who can be either a guy or a girl, according to your choice when you start a new file) finds him/herself recruited by the patrol agency after a J-pop concert is disrupted by what appears to be an anus covered in screaming and contorted faces. The fun begins from there.

GAMEPLAY: 9
Aside from simply exploring the streets of virtual Tokyo (modeled quite accurately on actual sites), you can engage in traditional dungeon crawling in underground tunnels and occasionally must face off against another human opponent in a furious round of computer hacking. The dungeon exploration seems like a nuisance at first as there isn't a map to aid you (a Shin Megami Tensei series first, as far as I know), and the perspective switches can be disorienting. Soon, however, you'll find that the dungeons are relatively simple in their layout and forgivingly short. When you meet an enemy underground, you are given the option to fight or to talk with them. Fighting is usually best avoided (if possible), as experience is not awarded (you level up by equipping crystals), and the money earned is usually paltry. Talking to the ''noise'' is by far the game's most interesting aspect for me. Usually, if you are very careful about what you say (chosen from about 4 or 5 options on a timed menu), you can convince them to give you some money, a rare item, or even to join your group (you can have multiple parties at once - each eventually holding up to eight characters! Also, these monsters in your employ can be combined at a chapel to form new and more powerful ones). What is interesting and original about these exchanges is the ridiculous nonsequiters and surreal conversational topics offered up by the enemies. Here are some examples:

(from a fishman):
''I'm a fashion model.''
''My dream is to become a DJ and get my own harem.''

(from a harpy):
''Hip Hop is the greatest!''
''I have to dash to the airport now - I'm headed to Saipan on vacation.''

Your Japanese has to be pretty advanced to catch all this within the time limit, so experienced learners only need apply. Hopefully an American release (unfortunately unlikely) would be accurately translated (also unlikely).

The Hacking scenes resemble a sort of strategy board game, with a map of interlocking lines on a grid that must be traversed by your parties and gradually taken over while fighting other hackers. This aspect of the game is quite complicated, and I'd be lying if I didn't say the absence of an auto mode here is both conspicuous and infuriating. Every other part of the game (combat, demon combination) has an auto mode, but the most difficult system to learn leaves you on your own to grope about in the dark and make lots of mistakes. When you finally do find yourself accustomed to the system, however, you find that it's quite involved and interesting.

CONTROL: 8
The menus aren't as user friendly as most other RPGs I've played. Considering the complexity of managing dozens of characters while worrying about all manner of AI adjustments, item equipment, and party composition, though, this is probably a necessary evil. My only complaint with the character control scheme is that, Devil May Cry style, when the angle changes, the direction you are pushing on the stick (for instance ''up'' to go toward the back of the screen) reverses (''up'' will now move the character toward the screen, as the camera placement has reversed) until you release and repress the stick. For people that are used to this, it probably won't be an issue, but I found that by the time I got myself straightened out and figured out where I was going in a dungeon, the angle would change again or I would fall victim to a random encounter.

GRAPHICS: 8
Cityscapes are handled FFX style, with changing camera angles on a polygonal background. The textures here are quite impressive. Battles also look nice, but there is something about the graphical package as a whole that manages to be quite satisfying without being amazing.

SOUND: 10
The atmospheric tunes (of which there are plenty) take full advantage of the Xbox's Surround Sound capabilities and the sound effects are spot on. Aside from Tekki, I would say this game has the best sound of all the Xbox games I've played.

OVERALL: 9
Fans who have been clamoring for a real RPG on the Xbox can take heart. Atlus has smiled upon us.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/09/02, Updated 12/09/02