October 23rd has been set as the Japanese release date for Devil Summoner Kuzunoha Raidou vs. King Abaddon, the new installment in the Devil Summoner series. A limited release version subtitled “Plus,” will also be available and features an extra disc: “Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne Maniacs Chronicle Edition,” a new edition of Maniacs rumored to have Dante’s character replaced by Raidou. The regular edition contains a bonus soundtrack CD.

King Abaddon throws you back into the role of Raidou some years after the events in the previous game. This time around there’s over twice the amount of recruitable demons and up to two can be summoned at once. Demon negotiation has been brought back from previous titles and your demon companions are able to help you out in the process. You are even able to forge your demon partners into new types of weapons.

As of yet Atlus USA has made no announcement on a possible North American release of the ‘Plus’ edition of King Abaddon or of ‘Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne Maniacs Chronicle Edition.’

Retro-posted October 6th, 2008

Persona 4 has been released in Japan. The new addition to the series takes place in the rural town of Inaba where unsolved murders have been taking place on the foggy days after heavy rains. Rumors circulate the community about a mysterious television station that airs only at midnight called “Mayonaka TV,” where one is supposedly able to see a broadcast of their shadow-self.

Persona 4 brings back many elements of the previous incarnation of the series, blending glossy anime sequences with slick, cartoonish graphics. There are some minor tweaks to the gameplay as well as other presentational changes. For instance, the suicidal Evokers from Persona 3 & FES have been replaced by the use Tarot cards and the Velvet Room is now located inside a limousine. Gameplay-wise there are 5 stats instead of the previous 3 and now other party members can take direct orders as well. By and large Persona 4 retains many of the features from 3 and FES, such as the Commu (Social) Links, “One More,” and “All-out Attack,” while offering plenty of new content for those still itching for more after Persona 3.

Atlus USA has announced that a North American release is planned for December 9th, 2008 and is slated to be packaged complete with a soundtrack CD and “Visual Data” art book companion.

Price: 7300¥

Retro-posted October 17th, 2008

A couple of weeks back, Famitsu unveiled the first information on a Persona 3 prequel for mobile phones. Entitled Aegis: The First Mission, the game stars Aigis and appears to deal with the specific events that led to the Shadow’s domination of the area years prior. The game is an action RPG; screen shot captions state that the game still utilizes SP and Personae summoning for attacks. It features characters both new and familiar to those who have played through both Persona 3 releases. The title was released for download on November 14th, 2007.

While it appears the game is available for all mobile phones (including Softbank 3G terminals), the title seems to be focused on Yahoo!’s mobile network. For those interested (and obviously living in Japan), Famitsu gives the following directions: enter the phone menu, pick RPG, then Megami Tensei and then “Aegis THE FIRST MISSION”. The game costs 525 yen (about $4.75 USD) , plus tax.

The following screens are from the Famitsu entry:

Thanks to QBasic for pointing out the original Siliconera entry about the game. You can view his original thread on the subject here, which includes some additional images thanks to Emilio.