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Shin megami tensei: strange journey, part 26: norris goes nuts..

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey/Characters

  • Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Table of Contents

  • Walkthrough
  • Demon passwords

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux logo

  • 1 Main Character
  • 2 Commander Gore

Main Character [ edit | edit source ]

The main character of this game is a soldier assigned to the Red Sprite. In the English language versions of Strange Journey, he is an American, while in the Japanese version, he is Japan's contribution to the Schwarzwelt mission. As with most Shin Megami Tensei protagonists, he is provided with a very minimal backstory, and his personality is shaped by the player through selectable dialogue options peppered throughout the game. His rank, or even what division of the U.S. military he is from are never mentioned in game; he is simply referred to as "Crewman". He is the only playable human character in the game; every other party member is a demon of some sort. As such, he can equip weapons and armor (one sword/knife, one gun, a helmet, body armor, and an accessory), but never learns any special skills, although some weapons (guns, mainly) can duplicate the special skills used by his demon allies.

Commander Gore [ edit | edit source ]

Commander Gore is in charge of the Schwarzwelt mission. His country of origin is never mentioned in-game; the manual simply refers to him as "a military officer from a large country". Crewing the Red Sprite, he is a no-nonsense soldier accustomed to being obeyed. He leads from the front, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty if the mission requires it.

Zelenin [ edit | edit source ]

Russia's contribution to the Schwarzwelt mission, Zelenin knows all of what little there is to know about it. She spearheads the Monitors team on the Elve, which disappears shortly after entering the Schwarzwelt.

Jimenez [ edit | edit source ]

A wise-cracking American soldier assigned to the Blue Jet. He has little respect for authority, but is an expert on the Demonica suits the investigation team will be wearing in the Schwarzelt. His fate, and that of the other crew of the Blue Jet, after the ship goes missing early in the mission is unknown.

Arthur [ edit | edit source ]

The A.I. unit in charge of the Red Sprite's operations. Arthur is an experimental prototype intended to test the viability of artificial intelligence as a commanding officer. It is as cold and logical as one would expect a machine to be, and makes decisions unfettered by petty emotion.

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

  • Edit source

An enhanced port to the Nintendo 3DS , Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux , was released on May 15, 2018. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, and three new endings. 350 demons are fusable in-game.

  • 2 Characters
  • 3.2 Demon Analysis
  • 3.3 Co-Op Attacks
  • 3.4 Demon Sources
  • 3.6 Password System
  • 3.7 Miscellaneous
  • 4 Reception
  • 7 References
  • 8 External links

A mysterious black hole has appeared on the region of the South Pole and is expanding day by day. Concerned about this event, the United Nations sent a collection of elites from around the world to investigate the area called Schwarzwelt (シュバルツバース, Shubarutsubāsu , Schwarz-verse ). Inside, the U.N. Schwarzwelt Investigational Team finds that the area has been infested with supernatural beings known as demons that threaten to cross into the human world. As the team delves further into the Schwarzwelt, they find strange and repulsive callbacks to human society.

The player assumes control of an unnamed soldier from America (or Japan in the Japanese version), who will be working with three other crew members assigned by the Joint Project. The crew dons Demonica suits , which enables access to special abilities as well as regulating the player to the conditions within the Schwarzwelt.

Characters [ ]

SMT Strange Journey Cast

From left to right: Zelenin, the protagonist, Commander Gore, Jimenez

The major characters of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey are:

  • The protagonist - A USMC officer who underwent intense combat and command training between tours of duty. He was transferred to the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team by U.N. request. As a member of the Strike Team, his duties include off-ship missions and providing security for the expedition. He is on the crew roster for ship one, the Red Sprite .
  • Commander Gore - The overall commander of the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team. He was originally a military officer serving a large country; the leadership abilities he displayed during his service earned him the top position on the team that now holds the fate of mankind. He commands the Red Sprite directly in addition to overseeing operations on the other three ships.
  • Jimenez - Another member of the expedition with an American military background, Jimenez began his career as an enlisted man and is now a private contractor, attracted to the expedition by the promise of a financial gain. He serves on ship two, the Blue Jet , as a member of the Strike Team.
  • Zelenin - A Russian scientist recognized for her research on the Schwarzwelt. Her position as the First Lieutenant of the Monitor Team was one of the first appointments made. Her chief duty is to research the Schwarzwelt's true nature along with her crewmates on ship three, the Elve .
  • Arthur - The command unit for the Red Sprite , installed with an administrative pseudopersonality. From his vantage point tied into all the ship's systems, he extrapolates and proposes missions for the team. He is named after real life writer Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey .
  • Bugaboo - Deep inside the Schwarzwelt, the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team finds Bugaboo, a demon that has undergone torture at the hands of other demons. Scanning Bugaboo shows that it is only 75% demon.
  • Mastema - A mysterious entity that appears before the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team, resembling an angel with black wings. He is skilled in mystical arts and has the power to break the demons' barriers, but his countenance is more sinister than divine. He claims to have come to the Schwarzwelt on God 's orders. In the Japanese release, he was called Mansemat .
  • Strange Girl - An enigmatic girl who speaks of demons and humans, but seems content to witness the proceedings rather than take an active hand. Her name is Louisa Ferre in the US version.
  • Alex : A new character introduced in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux . She is hunting down the protagonist for unspecified reasons.

Gameplay [ ]

Strange Journey returns to the original Shin Megami Tensei style of dungeon crawling with a first person perspective, and uses animated sprites instead of 3D models. Additionally, there is no world map; each major area is completely isolated and can only be accessed through a hub area.

The inclusion of the Demonica ( DEMO untable N ext I ntegrated C apability A rmor) allows the protagonist to upgrade his abilities through the use of "Apps". Apps include both combat and exploration abilities, such as the ability to unlock doors. The number of apps the player can have active is limited in the original Strange Journey , but not in the Redux rerelease.

Among other features, apps automate the effects of Estoma , Liftoma , and Riberama , so those skills are no longer present.

Demon Analysis [ ]

Unlike in other games, demons initially hide their appearance when first encountered, appearing as a sprite that looks like white noise, and all statistics for the demon will be displayed as "??". Attempting to negotiate with an unknown demon results in unintelligible text, and though the player can respond, the effects of the negotiation are completely random.

After defeating a demon once, the Demonica will advance its analysis level to 1, revealing the demon's name and appearance for all future encounters. Defeating demons, using them in your party, and including them in Co-Op attacks will advance their analysis level further. At level 2, the demon's elemental affinities will be revealed, and at level 3, all information about the demon will be revealed. Fusing or recruiting a demon will also immediately upgrade its analysis to level 2.

Co-Op Attacks [ ]

The Co-Op system replaces the Press Turn system from the previous game . If the protagonist or any of the player's demons hit an elemental weakness, all allies of the same alignment (Law, Chaos, or Neutral) will perform a Co-Op attack. Co-Op attacks will only ever manifest as a single hit, but they will be stronger if more allies contribute to the attack. Co-Op attacks are non-elemental and cannot be resisted or negated. Additionally, Co-Op attacks significantly increase the analyze rate of the participating demons.

Unlike the Press Turn system, this mechanic is exclusive to the player, and enemies cannot benefit from Co-Op attacks.

Demon Sources [ ]

When an allied demon's analysis level is maxed out, it will grant the player a Demon Source or D-Source, which can be added to any fusion to grant fused demons additional skills. D-Sources contain up to three fixed skills, as well as a bonus skill randomly selected from the demon's own learned skills. The player can only hold one of each D-Source at a time, and may rarely regain D-Sources from their respective demons as level-up gifts.

In addition to Macca, purchasing items now also consumes a resource known as Forma. Forma is obtained from demons (either by defeat or negotiation), with every demon having its own Forma, and from the overworld, with every Sector having its own Forma. Items are crafted through recipes requiring specific Forma.

Password System [ ]

By using an up to 32 digit code in the Demon Compendium, players can trade passwords to unlock demons from each other. Certain demons can only be obtained in this way, and Atlus revealed certain passwords to give players access. It was decided that this system was easier to use than connecting through Wi-Fi, as passwords can be posted anywhere and used at anytime.

Miscellaneous [ ]

Additional mechanics include:

  • Gun attacks have returned after their absence in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne .
  • Gun weapons now provide up to three skills when equipped by the protagonist. Each gun has a unique skill list. These skills often cost MP and mimic the effect of offensive spells.
  • Stats use the same scale as Digital Devil Saga : Stats go up to 99 and characters gain 3 stat points on level up.
  • Unlike in previous games, the player does not choose how to allocate the protagonist's stat points on level up; instead, the protagonist has one of several stat growth patterns based on the player's answer to a personality questionnaire at the start of the game.

Reception [ ]

Strange Journey was well received by critics. IGN gave it 4 stars (8.5 on a scale of 10), saying that "though the game's turn-based combat system is standard stuff, fusing demons, launching co-op attacks, and exploring the environments keeps things interesting." It received a score of 36/40 from Famitsu, which was the highest score given by the Japanese magazine to an Atlus game at the time.

Gallery [ ]

Japanese Logo

  • The American release was accompanied by a soundtrack CD as well as a collectible outer box with all launch copies of the game. Music is done by long-time composer Shoji Meguro .
  • A poster was available with the pre-order of the game from GameStop . It is located behind the box art.
  • In 2009, a forum thread claimed that the game was developed as Shin Megami Tensei IV according to an interview with Kazuma Kaneko , but since the game's setting does not take place in Tokyo, it is apparently not named as such. [1] However, a new interview with director Eiji Ishida contradicts this. Ishida says that Strange Journey was conceived as a spinoff from the very beginning, but the promotional staff and Kazuma Kaneko thought that its quality was high enough to be called Shin Megami Tensei IV . Ishida ultimately refused to market it as such. Ishida also makes no mention of its setting not being in Tokyo becoming a factor. [2]  
  • To date, Strange Journey has the fewest playable characters out of any Shin Megami Tensei game excluding fusible demons.
  • The vehicles used to explore the Schwarzwelt are based on the Landmasters from a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie called Damnation Alley .

Landmasters

References [ ]

  • ↑ Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is technically SMT4, says producer GoNintendo. (RawmeatCowboy; September 30, 2009)
  • ↑ Embarking on a Strange Journey, redux Retronauts (Parish, Jeremy; July 19, 2018)

External links [ ]

  • Official Japanese Site
  • Official North America Site
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Forum
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Demon Password Forum
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) PRODUCTION DIARY: "Use Your Allusion" by Lead Editor Nich Maragos
  • (Atlus U.S.A. YouTube Account) English Trailer / Gameplay Trailer
  • Shin Megami Tensei
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  • 2 Makoto Yuki
  • 3 Persona 5: The Phantom X
  • View all by JamesHillten JamesHillten
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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2

A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android

Strange Journey 2 is a fangame, "what if" sequel to original Strange Journey title.

This game is free, and for personal use only, not for sale or redistribution. All the rights for Megami Tensei trademarks belong to ATLUS company.

Game features:

- first person dungeon crawling

- six main dungeons with puzzles

- press-turn and demon co-op combat

- VR battles against famous bosses of Megaten series

Your playstyle is defined by smart combination of alignment bonuses, Demonica apps, demons fused,  explorational equipment, Moon phases and commander skills

Modern AI models were used to generate characters and demons in Kazuma Kaneko style and backgrounds in 90s japanese animation style with retro pixelated look.

Development log

  • Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2, new big update 2.0 62 days ago
  • Strange Journey 2 fangame updated 79 days ago
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2 is out. 92 days ago

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Bless you, absolute mad lad.

smt strange journey norris

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey – Game Mechanics/Demon Database

GameFAQs

Game Mechanics/Demon Database (DS) by Zeruel

Version: 1.83 | Updated: 04/28/2010

View in: Text Mode

COMMENTS

  1. Norris

    Norris is a minor character appearing in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Minor Character / Foul Race Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Crewman Norris is a member of the Red Sprite's Strike Team and was one of the members sent out to patrol Sector Bootes after their arrival. While out and about, Norris speaks of hearing someone laughing at him ...

  2. Norris Question (possible spoilers)

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey; Norris Question (possible spoilers) warserebii 14 years ago #1. The answer to this will probably be no, but with so many passwords in the game is there one to get Norris into your party? Drakulakun 14 years ago #2. no. warserebii (Topic Creator) 14 years ago #3.

  3. SMT: Strange Journey Redux

    No, Norris, the claws don't make you a threat.Restrictions of the challenge run:- This shall follow the New Chaos route in the game, and all battles particip...

  4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    The character is protected by Tetraja. The character has an empty status ailment box, and so is not afflicted by any status ailment currently. _____ Status Ailments ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ These are the status ailments in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Death ¯¯¯¯¯ Demon's HP reaches 0.

  5. Just if anyone cares, I got some info about Norris and ...

    For Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey on the DS, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Just if anyone cares, I got some info about Norris and Alignments *SPOILERS*". Menu. Home; Boards; ... I've discovered that simply watching Norris be experimented on make you more chaotic, as where you try to help will keep you neutral.

  6. Lost in Bootes and need help : r/Megaten

    Along the north side of the level, you should be able to find a hidden door that's only visible if you face the wall. That door leads into Mithras's palace. You will encounter Norris on the 4th floor of the palace. 1. Award. I got lost in Sector Bootes in Strange Journey while looking for Crewman Norris and need directions to find him.

  7. Missions 1 to 10

    E4: Battle with slime (外道スライム) and Knocker (地霊ノッカー) and rescue McCreary (マクリアリー). E5: Rescue Muccino (ムッチーノ). E6: Rescue Meiby (メイビー) Return to Red Sprite. Side note. In this mission, you can enjoy free recovery at the clinic. Knocker may also join your team, the conversation event is not ...

  8. List of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Bosses

    The List of Bosses in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is organized by Schwartzwelt Sector followed by demon lord and optional bosses. The demons are arranged in the order of the Sectors, from lowest to highest. Morax Orias Wu Kong - In Law or Neutral Paths. Lorelei Mitra Norris Macabre Fomorian Judge Zelenin - In Neutral Path. Yatagarasu - In Chaos Path. David Yggdrasil - Scripted fight ...

  9. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Part #26

    Also, a new gun can be made. 3 more strength, and random foes, 1 to two hits. Could be good, but saving for sub-apps. Let's see whatthis new main app enhancement does. It reveals the creepy owl doors. Oh well. Nothing too fancy. Ayup. Let's Play Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey by Luisfe - Part 26: Norris goes nuts.

  10. List of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Characters

    This is a list of characters from Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. Kato (カトー, Katou)? is a Japanese crew member who does Ops work. He has a strong loyalty to Commander Gore and, as a result, he has developed an animosity towards Jimenez for being ungrateful for Gore's sacrifice. He is noted to be a relatively innocent character. Alignment ...

  11. Can't find Norris!*SPoilers*

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. Can't find Norris!*SPoilers*. OmegaPowert 14 years ago #1. Anyone know where he went? Troika19 14 years ago #2. Just continue with the main quest (the distress signal or something like that) and you will eventually find him. Gamefaqs. Where people spend more time arguing about politics, than arguing about games.

  12. Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Info

    beginning data ds game home item journey list map megami mission nintendo scan shin smt stats strange tensei update walkthrough. Add a new page. edit this panel. Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Info Table of contents. Pre-sale information What is known Scans & images Famitsu Videos Release date.

  13. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and Lancarse for the Nintendo DS.The game is the sixth entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which forms the core of the Megami Tensei franchise. It was released in Japan in 2009, and in North America in 2010. An enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released in ...

  14. Norris Voice

    Shinobu Matsumoto is the Japanese voice of Norris in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. Video Game: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Franchise: Megami Tensei. Norris VOICE . Shinobu Matsumoto. Latest News. Paramount+ Super Bowl LVIII Spot SpongeBob Joins Live Telecast of Super Bowl LVIII Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Title Teaser ...

  15. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey/Characters

    In the English language versions of Strange Journey, he is an American, while in the Japanese version, he is Japan's contribution to the Schwarzwelt mission. As with most Shin Megami Tensei protagonists, he is provided with a very minimal backstory, and his personality is shaped by the player through selectable dialogue options peppered ...

  16. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    March 23, 2010. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a game for the Nintendo DS console. An enhanced port to the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released on May 15, 2018. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, and three new endings. 350 demons are fusable in-game.

  17. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2 by JamesHillten

    Strange Journey 2 is a fangame, "what if" sequel to original Strange Journey title. This game is free, and for personal use only, not for sale or redistribution. All the rights for Megami Tensei trademarks belong to ATLUS company. Game features: - first person dungeon crawling. - six main dungeons with puzzles. - press-turn and demon co-op combat.

  18. Norris *SPOILERS*

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS) Norris *SPOILERS* caveman7570 14 years ago #1. If I choose not to fight, can I help him? tatsuya1221 14 years ago #2. nope, but it might effect your alignment whatever choice you make (noone seems to really know, since there have been people who've had their alignment alter at that point).

  19. Megami Tensei Fusion Tools

    Fusion tool framework for Megami Tensei games. Fusion tool framework for Megami Tensei games. Game List (EN) ゲーム一覧 (日本語) 游戏一览 (简体中文) ... Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Fusion Calculator; Demon Stats Resistances; Race Lvl Name HP MP St Ma Vi Ag Lu . Demon Stats Resistances; Race Lvl Name HP MP St Ma Vi ...

  20. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Original Soundtrack

    The complete soundtrack collection of "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey". Addeddate 2022-10-02 05:24:02 Identifier smt-strange-journey-soundtrack Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.7.0 Year 2009 . plus-circle Add Review. comment. Reviews There are no reviews yet. Be ...

  21. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Want to Write Your Own Guide? You can write and submit your own guide for this game using either our full-featured online editor or our basic text editor. We also accept maps and charts as well. For Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey on the DS, GameFAQs has 45 guides and walkthroughs.

  22. How long is Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey?

    When focusing on the main objectives, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is about 51½ Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 118 Hours to obtain 100% completion. Platform: Nintendo DS. Genre s: First-Person, Turn-Based, Role-Playing.

  23. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    It's only fitting I start with the latest entry in the main Shin Megami Tensei series, Strange Journey. In this guide, I'm going to outline the game mechanics relating to demons, such as demon fusion and skill inheritance.