I remember before the fan translation came out in 2018 people thought this game was good only to find out it kinda sucked. There was a lot of hype leading up to the release of the translation
So, if you were wondering, this game is actually connected to the first SMT. It's really a "What if": in this timeline, Gotou was arrested and Thorman died from... Heart attack. Yep. Since Gotou was the one summoning demons in the first part of SMT I, after he died demons stopped wandering around Tokyo. And that's when SMT If happens. And after that (the Reiko route with the female protagonist in particular is canon) the Persona series starts.
Great review and I think this game is only meant for enthusiasts. 3:10 - You're supposed to play through it multiple times. Yumi is meant to be the tutorial as it's significantly easier. Most players skip Charlie. Charlie was intended as an alternative to Yumi. Reiko reveals the tougher part of the game and the """""canon""""" ending. Akira is challenge mode. This isn't a hard game, but if you don't enjoy the loop of SMT then it's not going to be enjoyable because it's focused on the gameplay of summoning, fighting, dying (gaining power from demons after death), then doing it all again to fight the final boss. I've played and beaten every Megami Tensei game in order up to Last Bible Special excluding the non-translated games. The game is for people who really really liked the gameplay loops and enjoy the atmosphere. I think the best part about if... is the setting and the basic message and theme. It's about bullying, divorce, and Akira's is about kicking ass.
Just wanted to point out that there is a proper connection to the main SMT games, it’s just really obtuse. For one, when you get the COMP, the computer club teacher mentions that he has the thing because he saw a guy with a pet husky (aka, Shin Megami Tensei’s The Hero) messing around with it and wanted to make his own armband terminal without realizing the significance. Also, Demon Emperor Hazama installed the demon summoning program into the school computers via a floppy disk. There’s a side quest where the floppy broke earlier so you gotta come back later to see what’s actually inside. Turns out it was Cerberus, and he’s pissed. There’s a bit more but that’s for Hazama’s prequel game (it was made into a mobile game instead of some kind of SNES add-on, for reasons) to expand on. The long and short of it is that the whole reason why Hazama got to play god in the first place was because he was one of the many, many randos Stephen mass emailed with the Demon Summoning program and, due to the nukes not dropping in SMT, actually got to use it. So he went full Nakajima once he got a handle on how it worked. The last relevant connection to mainline is the optional Fiend battles. Pass over a specific floor tile, and En no Ozuno will offer you a gift. And by gift, he means dumping an entity way too strong for their in-game level on your lap and making you fight them should you accept. Except for Pascal. He’s just wandering the dungeon and will run away from a potential fight unless you pass a speed check. As for the actual Fiends, you got Gatou, Law Hero, Chaos Hero, The Hero, and even En no Ozuno himself ready to rumble. Most of these guys also have Guardian counterparts that lock out their respective Fiend encounters. Rest of the criticisms with the game, valid.
I'm eventually gonna play SMT If solely for that reason. I kinda want to see what eventually leads to the Persona series. The only thing I'm dreading is World of Sloth
SMT if as someone who I enjoy the SMT series a lot and have played through SMT 1 and 2 multiple times I couldn't get into either unfortunately. The game lacks the story, world of SMT 1/2 and uses same music as SMT 2. For me the breaking point was when I got to the area with the digging. It was taking forever and it was very poorly designed since it's just walking back and forth fighting until hours of time pass. SMT 2 is one of my most liked SMT games and I like SMT 1 quite a lot as well and SMT If excited me and I just couldn't get into it like I did with SMT 1/2.
Speaking of SNES dungeon crawlers, are you going to do the Wizardry Trilogy? Apparently it’s one of the best versions of the first 3 games. You don’t even need to patch it in English because they give you the option to play it in English on the Japanese version.
@@OgreDLink If it’s any consolation, the PS1 version isn’t much better. It’s more of the same except the SMT 1/2 music gets expanded on, the World of Sloth is the tiniest bit easier and there’s some original music too. It really just graphically looks better and that’s about it.
For me, they very closely resemble Wizardry spell names. It being a dungeon crawler in that style, it may not be a coincidence in either case. Both series being inspired by wizardry spell naming conventions.
Please can someone give us tutorial on how to apply the English translation patch in emulator i try but it just show aeon genesis than just black screen I use bsnes emulator
If... is one of those bad games that manage to be frustrating and forgettable at the same time. At least the few good ideas that this game had would be better implemented in later Megaten games.
I played the first two Megaten games on NES and loved them. When I moved to SMT1 I was incredibly disappointed as it felt like a lesser MT2. SMT If was a major improvement in my opinion. I played all four routes which I wouldn't necessarily recommend but I believe it's at least worth playing one. I haven't played SMT2 yet so I can't comment on it in comparison.
SMT I is my favorite of the bunch, despite II improving on a lot of things it's still not quite as special as the first game. If... is the one I consider to be the worst mainline game in the entire franchise and a lot of people seem to share a similar opinion, so it's interesting that you liked it.
MT2 I’ve heard was fantastic, but most people won’t play NES RPGs unless it’s the first Final Fantasy. Not even Dragon Quest III or IV despite them being on par with SNES RPGs.
Smt if always kinda reminded me of FF mystic quest in the fact that its so basic yet so utterly forgettable you don't remember why you kinda hated it, but you know you did.
I still find mystic quest pleasing. I just don't get the hate. I am also a complete lunatic that thinks playing all the way through super ninja boy 2 player was quite fun.
@@dugonman8360 What other rpg came out in 92 that blew it out of the water in the United States that wasn't an action rpg? I would have preferred uncharted waters in hindsight, sure, and played battle of Olympus on nes more than it, but I just don't understand the fury, no.
@@KCUFyoufordoxingme well, I can't say anything about 92, but as a kid who had played and loved the hell out of breath of fire 2 and the lufia games, I remember getting mystic quest hoping for a similar experience and getting a really static basic rpg. I think thats the core reason, mostly a subjective bias from when you had high hopes and found them dashed. The name final fantasy back then still garnered a level of prestige and respect. Mystic quest, looking back isn't that horrible, just insanely simple and somewhat a waste of time and money compared to other rpgs. Its that subjective nature that garners the hatred Now thinking about it, if is a much worse bait and switch since it'll take you a few hours to understand what it is and feel cheated
@@dugonman8360 I was not aware of the legendary fame of the final fantasy series as a kid yet. I played more dragon warrior, wizardry and action rpgs on the nes. A friend's dad had final fantasy and I loved it. I did not even hear about or see Final fantasy 2 on the snes even advertised. I saw ff 3 for rent and fell in love, but I was not aware of the great legacy of the final fantasy series yet when I first played mystic quest. I went from 1, mystic quest played with friends, then 3. Not 1, American 2, then mystic quest so I was not let down by having played 2 first I guess. I was not a student of the series by that time.
I know this video is a year old but like, it's becoming less and less acceptable to butcher Japanese names so badly. Like, it kinda just makes you sound ignorant at this point. It takes a minute of your time to look up a video of someone pronouncing "Reiko" properly. I'm not saying you need to pronounce it _perfectly_ but you can at least try to be close...
The title was a localization error; it was supposed to be called Shin Megami Tensei Oof
I feel like I shouldn't have laughed at this, but congratulations for solving humor
*nods in solidarity*
fug that's clever
I remember before the fan translation came out in 2018 people thought this game was good only to find out it kinda sucked. There was a lot of hype leading up to the release of the translation
I love this game. Keep grinding that Mining Level bro hahaha
These videos about all these old school RPGs I haven’t played are lovely
Another banger video. Nice.❤
Well done on 2K im sure 10k’s not to far off great channel
So, if you were wondering, this game is actually connected to the first SMT.
It's really a "What if": in this timeline, Gotou was arrested and Thorman died from... Heart attack. Yep.
Since Gotou was the one summoning demons in the first part of SMT I, after he died demons stopped wandering around Tokyo.
And that's when SMT If happens. And after that (the Reiko route with the female protagonist in particular is canon) the Persona series starts.
Dude, you heard about the World of Sloth? How the hell would you ever think this is a good game?
Great review and I think this game is only meant for enthusiasts.
3:10 - You're supposed to play through it multiple times. Yumi is meant to be the tutorial as it's significantly easier. Most players skip Charlie. Charlie was intended as an alternative to Yumi. Reiko reveals the tougher part of the game and the """""canon""""" ending. Akira is challenge mode. This isn't a hard game, but if you don't enjoy the loop of SMT then it's not going to be enjoyable because it's focused on the gameplay of summoning, fighting, dying (gaining power from demons after death), then doing it all again to fight the final boss.
I've played and beaten every Megami Tensei game in order up to Last Bible Special excluding the non-translated games. The game is for people who really really liked the gameplay loops and enjoy the atmosphere. I think the best part about if... is the setting and the basic message and theme. It's about bullying, divorce, and Akira's is about kicking ass.
Just wanted to point out that there is a proper connection to the main SMT games, it’s just really obtuse. For one, when you get the COMP, the computer club teacher mentions that he has the thing because he saw a guy with a pet husky (aka, Shin Megami Tensei’s The Hero) messing around with it and wanted to make his own armband terminal without realizing the significance. Also, Demon Emperor Hazama installed the demon summoning program into the school computers via a floppy disk. There’s a side quest where the floppy broke earlier so you gotta come back later to see what’s actually inside. Turns out it was Cerberus, and he’s pissed.
There’s a bit more but that’s for Hazama’s prequel game (it was made into a mobile game instead of some kind of SNES add-on, for reasons) to expand on. The long and short of it is that the whole reason why Hazama got to play god in the first place was because he was one of the many, many randos Stephen mass emailed with the Demon Summoning program and, due to the nukes not dropping in SMT, actually got to use it. So he went full Nakajima once he got a handle on how it worked.
The last relevant connection to mainline is the optional Fiend battles. Pass over a specific floor tile, and En no Ozuno will offer you a gift. And by gift, he means dumping an entity way too strong for their in-game level on your lap and making you fight them should you accept. Except for Pascal. He’s just wandering the dungeon and will run away from a potential fight unless you pass a speed check. As for the actual Fiends, you got Gatou, Law Hero, Chaos Hero, The Hero, and even En no Ozuno himself ready to rumble. Most of these guys also have Guardian counterparts that lock out their respective Fiend encounters.
Rest of the criticisms with the game, valid.
Nice.
IF is 90s DLC for SMT 2.
Pretty sure the only reason people give a fuck about this game still is because they think it’s Persona 0
technically it is since it inspired Megami Ibunroku Persona (aka Persona 1)
I'm eventually gonna play SMT If solely for that reason. I kinda want to see what eventually leads to the Persona series. The only thing I'm dreading is World of Sloth
The MC is canonicaly in the Persona games, so its not really of they "think" lol.
the mc is in the 1st 2 persona games
my favorite SMT game
SMT if as someone who I enjoy the SMT series a lot and have played through SMT 1 and 2 multiple times I couldn't get into either unfortunately. The game lacks the story, world of SMT 1/2 and uses same music as SMT 2. For me the breaking point was when I got to the area with the digging. It was taking forever and it was very poorly designed since it's just walking back and forth fighting until hours of time pass. SMT 2 is one of my most liked SMT games and I like SMT 1 quite a lot as well and SMT If excited me and I just couldn't get into it like I did with SMT 1/2.
I wanted to stop there too. You can't overstate how huge a wall and a waste of time that part is
sounds like a you issue
Speaking of SNES dungeon crawlers, are you going to do the Wizardry Trilogy? Apparently it’s one of the best versions of the first 3 games. You don’t even need to patch it in English because they give you the option to play it in English on the Japanese version.
Moar like If we released an SMT II DLC/expansion pack as a full price SFC cartridge.
not really
The name if... comes from the movie of the same name.
It's in reference to the school setting.
played it after 1 and 2 and really enjoyed it
Awesome I love it
I've been curious about this one
Is there an English patch for the ps1 version??
Nope, only SMT I
@@Agostoic guess I'll stick with the snes
@@OgreDLink
If it’s any consolation, the PS1 version isn’t much better. It’s more of the same except the SMT 1/2 music gets expanded on, the World of Sloth is the tiniest bit easier and there’s some original music too. It really just graphically looks better and that’s about it.
Man, the spell system of *If* reminds me of Phantasy Star 2-4.
For me, they very closely resemble Wizardry spell names. It being a dungeon crawler in that style, it may not be a coincidence in either case. Both series being inspired by wizardry spell naming conventions.
@@KCUFyoufordoxingme Good call, I totally see it.
Please can someone give us tutorial on how to apply the English translation patch in emulator i try but it just show aeon genesis than just black screen
I use bsnes emulator
If... is one of those bad games that manage to be frustrating and forgettable at the same time. At least the few good ideas that this game had would be better implemented in later Megaten games.
Yeah, No if..., no Persona.
I played the first two Megaten games on NES and loved them. When I moved to SMT1 I was incredibly disappointed as it felt like a lesser MT2.
SMT If was a major improvement in my opinion. I played all four routes which I wouldn't necessarily recommend but I believe it's at least worth playing one.
I haven't played SMT2 yet so I can't comment on it in comparison.
SMT I is my favorite of the bunch, despite II improving on a lot of things it's still not quite as special as the first game. If... is the one I consider to be the worst mainline game in the entire franchise and a lot of people seem to share a similar opinion, so it's interesting that you liked it.
SMT 1 wasn't directed by Kouji Okada, so maybe that's why.
MT2 I’ve heard was fantastic, but most people won’t play NES RPGs unless it’s the first Final Fantasy. Not even Dragon Quest III or IV despite them being on par with SNES RPGs.
@@thomasffrench3639there's a SNES version tho, on Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei, and it's translated in English
@@1993StrangeBoy
Music for it can be hit or miss though. Some tracks sound great and a lot of others suck (looking at Omega and Deathmatch especially)
Haven’t we all seen the Marsh video ;)
"Too much old and not enough new"
almost like it's a game from 1994.
Compared to the games from 1992 and 93 that's kind of a problem
The game literally tells you what items and spells do
You missed the value and purpose of this one... especially for fans
Wtf do you mean lol
Smt if always kinda reminded me of FF mystic quest in the fact that its so basic yet so utterly forgettable you don't remember why you kinda hated it, but you know you did.
I still find mystic quest pleasing. I just don't get the hate. I am also a complete lunatic that thinks playing all the way through super ninja boy 2 player was quite fun.
@@KCUFyoufordoxingme kinda had to be there and spend the 50 bucks on the game to understand the hate.
@@dugonman8360 What other rpg came out in 92 that blew it out of the water in the United States that wasn't an action rpg? I would have preferred uncharted waters in hindsight, sure, and played battle of Olympus on nes more than it, but I just don't understand the fury, no.
@@KCUFyoufordoxingme well, I can't say anything about 92, but as a kid who had played and loved the hell out of breath of fire 2 and the lufia games, I remember getting mystic quest hoping for a similar experience and getting a really static basic rpg. I think thats the core reason, mostly a subjective bias from when you had high hopes and found them dashed. The name final fantasy back then still garnered a level of prestige and respect. Mystic quest, looking back isn't that horrible, just insanely simple and somewhat a waste of time and money compared to other rpgs. Its that subjective nature that garners the hatred
Now thinking about it, if is a much worse bait and switch since it'll take you a few hours to understand what it is and feel cheated
@@dugonman8360 I was not aware of the legendary fame of the final fantasy series as a kid yet. I played more dragon warrior, wizardry and action rpgs on the nes. A friend's dad had final fantasy and I loved it. I did not even hear about or see Final fantasy 2 on the snes even advertised. I saw ff 3 for rent and fell in love, but I was not aware of the great legacy of the final fantasy series yet when I first played mystic quest. I went from 1, mystic quest played with friends, then 3. Not 1, American 2, then mystic quest so I was not let down by having played 2 first I guess. I was not a student of the series by that time.
Try kyuakku whatever megami tensei lol
I was never interested in this one either, and I have played a lot of the other megatens. This game strikes me as proto-persona
Because it is really
@@Lonewulf321 just like live a live and smt 1 and 2, would have been great to get it in the us in the 90s. Thanks normies.
I know this video is a year old but like, it's becoming less and less acceptable to butcher Japanese names so badly. Like, it kinda just makes you sound ignorant at this point. It takes a minute of your time to look up a video of someone pronouncing "Reiko" properly. I'm not saying you need to pronounce it _perfectly_ but you can at least try to be close...