Shin Megami Tensei on GBA, portable version of Atlus's cult RPG. Oppressive post-apocalyptic universe, Law-Chaos-Neutral alignments. Difficult and demanding but fascinating for genre fans.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
GBA port of the cult RPG Shin Megami Tensei developed and published by Atlus in Japan in September 2002. A Tokyo high school student is thrown into an urban apocalypse populated by recruitable and fuseable demons forming new entities. Unique demon fusion system, post-apocalyptic urban exploration, Law-Neutral-Chaos moral alignment influencing the storyline and legendary difficulty. Faithful GBA version of the 1992 SNES classic.
Shin Megami Tensei review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Surviving SMT's post-apocalyptic Tokyo means exploring labyrinthine dungeons and patiently recruiting demons to fuse, a system that invites endless experimentation to build the ideal party. The legendary difficulty forces grinding and restarts, while the Law-Neutral-Chaos alignment opens several paths and rewards replays. That intact demand explains why Atlus's classic keeps its reputation as a long, formative epic.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
Japan-only GBA port of the very first Shin Megami Tensei, foundation of the Atlus mega-franchise that stayed off Western shelves until the 2010s. This 1992 SNES original never received an official localization, drawing Western RPG enthusiasts as much for its language barrier as for its cornerstone status. Complete-in-box value rests on steady demand for the SMT mythos, underserved on handhelds at the time. A reference edition for series purists.
An underrated gem
Bringing Atlus's foundational RPG to the GBA let players rediscover an urban apocalypse teeming with demons to recruit and fuse. This austere port, never translated, remained the preserve of the initiated. Despite its age and harshness, its singular atmosphere and strategic depth make it a cult landmark for fans of dark RPGs.
A questionable morality
The big business here is negotiation: you chat with the demons you meet, flatter or bribe them into joining, then fuse these allies without a second thought into new, more formidable entities. The grown-up tone fully embraces the idea that your companions are also interchangeable resources, which makes it as queasy as it is fascinating.
