Majin Tensei

Games

Majin Tensei was released on January 28, 1994 for the Super Famicom. It was re-released through the Nintendo Power flash memory service on December 1, 1997, and digitally through the Virtual Console service for Wii and Wii U on September 6, 2011 and July 15, 2015. The game is set in a Japanese city invaded by demons and focuses on gameplay rather than plot; the player controls the Hero, who joins forces with the Heroine. Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis followed on February 19, 1995 for the Super Famicom, with re-releases through Nintendo Power on December 1, 1997, and Virtual Console for Wii and Wii U on December 13, 2011 and June 1, 2016.

It places a larger emphasis on narrative and is set in Tokyo after a demon invasion. The protagonist Naoki Takauchi defends the city with friends, but must reunite them after their base is invaded, aided by a girl named Aya. Ronde was released on October 30, 1997 for the Sega Saturn, set in the near future and following Asuka, Satoshi, Keita, Sakurako, and Charlie as they attempt to rescue Asuka's younger brother from a living statue of Moloch in a demon museum.

Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker was released on July 11, 2007 for mobile phones, set in Neo Tokyo in the year 20XX during a project to develop new energy technology, and follows the Hero and a man who accompanies him. Majin Tensei: Blind Thinker II was released on March 24, 2008 for mobile phones, set in Tokyo and following Takeru and the artificially created demon Zora.

Development

The Majin Tensei series began with two games developed by Atlus, while the later title Ronde was created by Multimedia Intelligence Transfer, and the Blind Thinker entries were handled by Bbmf Corporation. Atlus published all games in Japan, and none received an official English release; however, the second game's interface is in English, and fan translations of the first two games appeared in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Hidehito Aoki composed the soundtracks for the first two games, stepping in for the usual Megami Tensei composer Tsukasa Masuko.

Aoki worked alone on the first game's music and teamed up with Misaki Okibe for the second. His style blends ambient music with funk, electronic distortion, and sound effects, and for the sequel he added a focus on synthesized piano. Pony Canyon released two music albums featuring original tracks and new arrangements: Majin Tensei Excellence Sound Collection on March 18, 1994, and Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis Excellence Sound Collection on May 19, 1995. A five-volume manga by Shinshū Ueda, titled Majin Tensei: The True Remembrance, was published by Enix.

Reception

The gameplay, which several publications compared to the Fire Emblem series, was well received, with multiple Famitsu reviewers noting the enjoyment of demon fusion. Kurt Kalata and Christopher J. Snelgrove of Hardcore Gaming 101 called Majin Tensei an interesting take on the genre and worth playing; they preferred the first game over the second but found the second decent, and liked the larger focus on narrative in Majin Tensei II. They were highly critical of Ronde, labeling it a kusoge, though they said it was not completely terrible but felt like a poor man's Shining Force III.

The field graphics of the first two games were criticized for being small and lacking animation, while the battle graphics were praised for their size, detail, and high-quality backgrounds, considered superior to other Super Famicom Megami Tensei games. However, they felt the battles in Majin Tensei II were a visual step down. Ronde's visuals were harshly criticized as among the worst from the 32-bit era, with characters resembling blobs of discolored pixels, jerky camera movements, and slow-loading, visually unpleasing battles, called a total affront to the senses.

RPGFans Patrick Gann thought the first game's music was weaker than Masuko's compositions and Aoki's later Persona work, but still well done; he called Majin Tensei II's music a pinnacle for the Super Famicom titles in the series, though he criticized its heavy synth use. Kalata and Snelgrove enjoyed the moody synth soundtrack and opening of Majin Tensei II, while calling Ronde's soundtrack mediocre. Chris Greening at VGMO called Majin Tensei one of the most individualistic and accomplished ambient scores on the Super Nintendo, praising the mix of conventional ambiance and funk.

He found Majin Tensei II's soundtrack pleasant but disappointing, noting several underdeveloped or repetitive compositions, while highlighting tracks like A.D. 1995 Story.