Shin Megami Tensei: Persona released

Atlus U.S.A. announced that Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for PSP, the remake of the first chapter in the Persona role-playing game series, is now available at retailers across North America. The UMD version of the game is a Collector’s Edition boxed set that includes the game’s full 2-disc musical score at participating retailers. A digital PlayStation Network version of the game is also planned, currently scheduled for release on October 1st.

More than the same old JRPG, Persona is dark, philosophical, and complex. Persona is set in a modern day Japan that has gone into chaos. Demons run free, and you and your team must navigate an alternate version of your world to bring your reality back into order.
The remake boasts a fully relocalized script, revamped user interface, faster battles, expanded soundtrack, new in-game movies with voice work added just for the North American release and the familiar gameplay of the original.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona to be relased on UMD, PSN

Atlus U.S.A.’s Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for PSP, the remake of the first chapter in the Persona RPG series, will launch simultaneously at retail and via PlayStation Network on September 22. Retail customers have an added incentive to pre-order; the UMD release of SMT: Persona is a Collector’s Edition boxed set, with every launch copy containing the game’s full 2-disc musical score created by composer Shoji Meguro.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is currently scheduled to release in stores and via PlayStation Network on September 22, 2009. Both versions have an MSRP of $39.99, but only the physical launch copies will include the game’s soundtrack on 2 discs, all packaged in a premium oversized outer box.

Atlus reveals Trauma Team, E3 plans

Atlus U.S.A. has announced Trauma Team for Wii, an entirely new emergency room simulation game from the developers of the Trauma Center series. Atlus U.S.A. promises challenges cross six distinct fields of medicine: general surgeon, diagnostician, E.M.T., orthopedic surgeon, endoscope technician, and medical examiner. The game will feature dynamic story driven sequences inspired by Japanese animation and comics, with each chapter featuring a distinct style through hand-drawn art, animation, and voice acting.

Trauma Team is currently scheduled for release in spring 2010. We expect more details this week as Atlus U.S.A. rolls out its line-up at E3.

Speaking of E3, Atlus U.S.A. also revealed some of the games it plans to show this week in Los Angeles. Games on display include Devil Survivor for DS, Class of Heroes for PSP, Demon’s Souls for PS3, Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!, the new Persona game, Droplitz for XBLA/PSN/Windows, Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament, Knights in the Nightmare and its first MMO Neo Steam.

SMT: Persona Reborn

Atlus U.S.A. is doing North American Persona fans a solid this fall with a full restoration of the original Revelations: Persona. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, the very first game in the popular JRPG series, will be fully remastered for the PSP. The game has a tentative release date of Fall 2009.

While Atlus U.S.A. is playing this one close to the vest for the time being, it promises that this remake for the PSP will offer a completely new localization, new content never before seen in North America, undisclosed gameplay enhancements and rebalancing and a complete and total graphics rehaul that works well with the PSP.

We’ll have more on this game as it becomes available but if you want to talk it up with other Persona fans, then there’s probably no better place than the Atlus forums.