Megami Ibunroku Persona



Megami Ibunroku Persona (女神異聞録ペルソナ) is the first game in the Persona series, which is a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise developed by Atlus. In North America it was released as Revelations: Persona.

Release Dates

 * Japan: 20 September, 1996 for Playstation
 * North America: 1996 for Playstation
 * Japan: 27 July, 1997 for Playstation (The Best re-issue)
 * Japan: 25 March, 1999 for PC
 * Japan: 23 January, 2003 for Playstation (PSOne Books re-issue)

Plot
Megami Ibunroku Persona centers around the Boy with the Pierced Ear and his classmates at St. Hermelin High School in Mikage-cho. Hidehiko Uesugi talks all of his friends into playing a game called "Persona", which is played much like the ritual game "Bloody Mary". While playing, the students loose consciousness and meet Philemon, who gives them the ability to summon reflections of their personalities, which are known as Personae.

A short time later, the protagonist and several of his friends go to visit Maki Sonomura, who is ill and bed-ridden. During their visit, they discover that the town is changing and demons are roaming the streets.

Characters

 * Boy with the Pierced Ear: The nameless, silent protagonist.
 * Maki Sonomura: A frail bed ridden girl who has been sick most her life. Her name is Mary in the English release.
 * Masao Inaba: A loudmouth who has a crush on Maki. He was altered to be an African American named Mark in the English release.
 * Kei Nanjou: The arrogant heir to the Nanjou group's fortunes. His name is Nate Trinity in the English release.
 * Hidehiko Uesugi: A cocky student with red hair. His name is Brad in the English release.
 * Eriko Kirishima: Aspiring model and fashion designer. Her name is Ellen in the English release.
 * Yuka Ayase: A blonde, flirtatious girl. Her name is Alana in the English release.
 * Reiji Kido: A mysterious student with an X shaped scar on his head. His name is Chris in the English release
 * Yukino Mayuzumi: A reformed yanki who looks out for her classmates. Her name is Yuki in the English release

Localization
Revelations: Persona was heavily changed when localized for North American release. All characters other than Yuki were renamed and several of them had their appearance altered as well. Nearly all references to Japan or Japanese culture was cut, with the unusual exception being the Shinto Shrines in the game. Many of the Persona were renamed rather than translated, and the town's name was changed to "Lunarville". Yen was changed to dollars, and the overall difficulty of the game was reduced by lowering the enemy encounter rates and upping experience gained.

In addition to these changes, a large portion of the game was removed. This portion was known as The Snow Queen Quest and it featured an optional quest that altered many aspects of the story.

These changes, coupled with poor translation, are the most criticized aspect of the game.