Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II
| Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II | |
| デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生IIDigital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II | |
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| Developer(s) | Atlus |
| Publisher(s) | Namcot |
| Genre | RPG |
| Platform(s) | Famicom MegaTen α Megami Tensei Atlus Web-EZ |
| Release | |
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II is a 1990 role-playing game for the Famicom, and the second installment in Atlus's Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei series. It was developed by Atlus, published by Namcot, and released on April 6, 1990.[1] It is a sequel to Atlus's 1987 Famicom game Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, which was loosely adapted from Aya Nishitani's novel of the same name. Although inspired by Nishitani's works, Megami Tensei II features an original story that is not an adaptation of any of his prior novels.
In 1995, a compilation and remaster of both Digital Devil Story games, titled Kyūyaku Megami Tensei, was released for the Super Famicom.
Atlus developed and BBMF published several mobile phone ports of the game for various mobile service websites, featuring redrawn graphics and the ability to save anywhere.[5] The first port was released on September 1, 2006, through the MegaTen α mobile website,[2] with versions for the Megami Tensei mobile website, which was available via Yahoo! Keitai on December 1, 2006 and EZweb on December 7, 2006.[3][4]
To date, Megami Tensei II has not received an official release outside Japan. A fan translation was released on December 30, 2021, by the group Stardust Crusaders, with the English script written by Translator Tom.[6][7]
Blurb
| 2036年。悪魔、TOKYOに集結す!!
最終戦争で荒廃した東京。人々は安全な地下シェルターへ逃れた。しかし、「デビルバスター」の封印の解かれた日から殺戮と恐怖が再び彼らを襲う。 |
Nisen sanjū roku nen. Akuma, TOKYO ni shūketsu su!!
Saishūsensō de kōhai shita tōkyō. Hitobito wa anzen na chika sherutā e nogareta. Shikashi, "debirubasutā" no fūin no tokareta hi kara satsuriku to kyōfu ga futatabi karera o osou. |
In the year of 2036. Demons, assemble in TOKYO!!
Tokyo is in ruins after the final battle. The people have fled into underground shelters. However, ever since the day that the seal containing "Devil Buster" was dissolved, the slaughter has resumed and now they live in fear once again. |
| 時は世紀末･･･。最終戦争により世界は崩壊し、東京も新型爆弾の投下により壊滅状態とな
った。奇跡的に生き残った者は、暗いシェルターの中で僅かな望みを持って生きていくしかな かった。しかし、その僅かな望みさえも打ち砕く存在が突如現れた。次元の裂け目から「悪 魔」が出現し、瞬く間に東京中を支配したのである。 時は経ち、ある少年が体感 RPG『デビルバスター』をプレイしていた。それが、世界を救う唯 一の希望であることは、まだ少年自身も気付いてはいなかった･･ |
— | — |
Synopsis
In the year 2036, after a nuclear war in 199X devastated the world, only a small number of humans survive in underground shelters.[8] In Keihin Shelter No. 3, a young man and his friend are playing a video game called Devil Busters. Upon completing the game, they inadvertently release a Demon named Pazuzu, who claims to be a servant of God. Pazuzu explains that an unspecified enemy appeared 35 years after the war and that a dimensional rift opened, allowing Demons to infest the Earth. He says he was sealed within the game by Tokyo's ruler, the demon Bael, and declares that the two are destined messiahs who will save humanity. Pazuzu grants the young man the Demon Summoning Program, while his friend receives the ability to use magic. He then assigns them their first mission: to defeat the demon Nebiros.
Gameplay
Exploration and resources
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II builds on its predecessor by adding new gameplay features while retaining its core mechanics. Unlike the first game, which was presented entirely from a first-person perspective, this installment uses two viewpoints for navigation: an overhead, top-down perspective for exploring the overworld map of post-apocalyptic Tokyo, and a first-person view for navigating dungeons and other interior locations. Hero’s party members can use the Mappara spell to display a 3x5 mini-map of the surrounding area in the bottom-left corner of the screen while exploring; however, it cannot be used in dark zones or during a new moon. As the player moves through these environments, random encounters with enemy Demons can occur. The game also incorporates a Moon Phase System that cycles through eight phases, from new moon to full moon, advancing with each step taken. During a new moon, shops are closed.
The Autopilot is an item that records the path traveled and automatically moves the party along it. It is accessed through the COMP menu in 3D dungeons. The item allows two locations, labeled A and B, to be stored and can automatically guide the party to either point or along the path between them. A counter limits stored movement to 500 steps, and the route can be extended from point B but not moved from point A. The Autopilot functions only within the same dungeon and is canceled if the party passes through certain transitions, such as doors or pits. Movement occurs in real time rather than by warping and can be stopped manually, and random encounters may still occur during travel.[a]
A central gameplay mechanic is the ability to interact with enemy Demons. Instead of always fighting, the player can choose to negotiate with a demon during battle to persuade it to join the party. Successful negotiation may require giving the demon Macca, the in-game currency; Magnetite (abbreviated as MAG), a resource required to maintain summoned Demons; or other items. Magnetite is consumed with each step taken in a dungeon at a rate determined by each demon’s Turn Points stat. If the player runs out of Magnetite, summoned Demons lose one HP per step. Defeating enemies rewards the party with experience points (abbreviated as EXP), Macca, Magnetite, and occasionally items.
Facilities
When exploring, the players may encounter various helpful facilities and NPCs. Those include:
| Japanese | English | Manual Description |
|---|---|---|
| 回復の泉 | Healing Spring | 魔貨を支払うと、ＨＰとＭＰを最大値まで回復してくれます。Translation: Restore HP and MP to their maximum values by spending Macca. |
| 邪教の館 | Manor of Heresy | 呪いを解いたり、死んだ者を生き返らせてくれる診療所です。また、仲魔の合体もここでやってくれます。Translation: A clinic that lifts curses causes the dead to come back to life. In addition, allied demon fusion is performed here. |
| ＢＡＲ | Bar | 体力回復剤や魔力回復剤を飲ませてくれるほか、お客さんから情報を聞くことができます。Translation: It serves health recovery drugs and magic recovery drugs, and information can be obtained from its customers. |
| 武器屋/防具屋 | Weapon Store/Armor Store | 武器屋は銃器類、防具屋は防具全般を売っています。なお防具屋は男性と女性の専門店に分かれています。Translation: Weapon stores sell firearms, and armor stores sell all types of armor. Furthermore, armor stores are split into specialty shops for men and women. |
| ジャンク屋 | Junk Shop | 各種アイテムを扱っているなんでも屋さん。Translation: A general store that deals in all kinds of items. |
| ラグの店 | Rag's Shop | アメジストやアクアマリンなどの宝石を、珍品と交換してくれます。Translation: Exchanges gems such as Amethyst and Aquamarine for rare items. |
| コンピュータルーム | Computer Room | ゲーム開始時の「デビルバスター」をプレイしている部屋。“こうどうをきろくする”でセーブができます。Translation: The room where "Devil Buster" is played at the start of the game. Saves the game by selecting "Record Your Actions". |
| チェックマン | Checkman | セーブをする場所です。また、一度来たことのあるチェックマンの間は、テレポート移動することもできます。Translation: A place where you save. Additionally, you can teleport to a Checkman you have been to once before. |
Party Members and Party Composition
The party consists of Hero, a human companion, and up to four summoned demons. The player can have up to four demons in their active party and seven in their stock, until the COMP is upgraded to hold ten demons. Only demons with a Neutral alignment can be recruited through negotiation. If the player attempts to negotiate with a demon of Evil alignment, it will either attack, call for reinforcements, or mock the player. The success of negotiation is influenced by the player's Wisdom stat, a hidden Charm stat, and the current moon phase. During a full moon, demons will not talk to the player, making recruitment impossible.
Demons do not level up; instead, they become stronger through Fusion. The party formation can be rearranged using the Order command, with positions ranging from one at the front to six at the back. Enemies are more likely to target those in the front rows.
Combat
Battles occur through random encounters and use a turn-based system. The number of enemies present is indicated by the number of icons displayed at the top of the battle screen. During each turn, players may choose from several main commands: FIGHT, RUN, TALK, or AUTO. Selecting FIGHT opens a sub-menu of actions for each character. Attack allows a character to strike with a melee weapon or gun. The COMP command, exclusive to Hero, contains the sub-commands Call, to summon a demon from the player's stock, and Order, to rearrange the party formation. Magic allows human companions and demons to cast spells. Item enables human characters to use consumable items; for demons, Item is replaced with Return, which sends them back to the player's stock. Defend increases a character’s defense and improves evasion. RUN attempts to flee the battle, while TALK initiates demon negotiation. AUTO repeatedly uses Attack until the player presses and holds the B button to interrupt it.
Two weapon types, Gun and Sword, can be selected during battle. Guns are effective against Oni, Human, and Machine-type enemies but weak against Spirits and ineffective against Slimes, while swords are highly effective against Beast, Spirit, and Demonic-type demons. Enemy normal attacks use the same types. These are not shown on the combat screen and are instead indicated by the message displayed when the enemy attacks:
| Message |
|---|
| 〇〇は きりかかったTranslation: 〇〇 slashed |
| Message |
|---|
| 〇〇の こうげきTranslation: 〇〇 attacked |
| 〇〇の ほうげきTranslation: 〇〇 fired shells |
| 〇〇の ガンが ひをふいたTranslation: 〇〇 fired their gun |
| 〇〇は ガンを うちまくったTranslation: 〇〇 fired a volley with their gun |
| 〇〇は おどりかかったTranslation: 〇〇 leapt |
| 〇〇の たいあたりTranslation: 〇〇 rammed |
| 〇〇の しっぽの いちげきTranslation: 〇〇 struck with their tail |
| 〇〇の ぶきみな こうげきTranslation: 〇〇 made a creepy attack |
A battle is lost if both Hero and his human companion are defeated or afflicted with the STONE status ailment, regardless of whether summoned demons are still active. Upon defeat, the player is returned to the last save point after giving half of their Macca to Charon in exchange for revival. Any demons that died in the battle must be revived before they can be used again.
Status Ailments
Both allies and enemies can inflict various status ailments through spells, each with a chance to fail. The following is a list of all status ailments in the game:
| Name | Manual Description | Effect | Cured by |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEAD | 死んでいます。Translation: Dead. | Character cannot act and remains dead after battle. Results in a game over if all human party members are dead. | Bell of Birth, Recarm, Samarecarm, Manor of Heresy |
| STONE | 石化していて、まったく動けません。Translation: Petrified, and unable to act at all. | Character cannot act. Persists after battle is over. Results in a game over if all living human party members are afflicted with STONE. | Petranon, Petradi, Manor of Heresy |
| PALSY | マヒして動けないうえ、歩くたびにダメージを受けてしまいます。Translation: Paralyzed and unable to act, also takes damage when walking. | Character cannot act. Persists after battle is over. Character takes damage when walking. | Paralanon, Diahan, Diarahan, Paraladi, Manor of Heresy |
| FREEZE | 凍りついて動けません。Translation: Frozen and unable to act. | Character cannot act. Wears off at the end of the current turn. Wears off when battle is over. | |
| SLEEP | 眠っています。Translation: Asleep. | Character cannot act. May wear off randomly at the end of a turn. Persists after battle is over. | Patra, Penpatra |
| BIND | 金縛りの状態です。Translation: A state of bondage. | Character cannot act. May wear off randomly at the end of a turn. Wears off when battle is over. | Patra, Penpatra |
| PANIC | 混乱していて何もできません。Translation: Confused and cannot do anything. | Character cannot act. May wear off randomly at the end of a turn. Wears off when battle is over. | Patra, Penpatra |
| HAPPY | 幸せに満ちあふれ、指示どおりに動けないことがあります。Translation: So filled with joy that they may not act as instructed. | Character may randomly refuse to act during battle. Wears off when battle is over. | Patra, Penpatra |
| CLOSE | 魔法が封じられて、使うことができません。Translation: Magic is sealed, and cannot be used. | Character cannot use skills. Wears off when battle is over. | |
| POISON | 毒に侵され、歩くとダメージを受けます。Translation: Afflicted with poison, and takes damage when walking. | Persists after battle is over. Character takes damage when walking. | Poisonon, Diahan, Diarahan, Posumudi, Manor of Heresy |
| CURSED | Can't take any actions, and damages you as you walk. Doesn't go away unless cured. | Manor of Heresy | |
| PIG | Can't take any actions, and damages you as you walk. Doesn't go away unless cured. | Manor of Heresy |
Stats
At the start of the game, after Hero, his friend, and a girl are named, 15 stat points are distributed among them. Hero also has a hidden Charm stat, which decreases when defeating Neutral-aligned demons or playing at the casino. Lower Charm reduces the success rate of demon negotiations and the price received when selling equipment. Charm can be increased through armor. Each demon also has a hidden Defense stat that is not displayed on the status screen.
| Japanese | English | Manual Descriptions |
|---|---|---|
| たいりょく | Vitality | 攻撃に耐える力や、最大ＨＰに関係。Translation: Affects the ability to resist attacks, and maximum HP. |
| ちりょく | Wisdom | 魔法の効きめや防ぐ力、魔物を仲魔にする力、また最大ＭＰなどに影響を与えます。Translation: Provides an impact on magical efficacy and defense, the ability to make demons into allies, maximum MP, etc. |
| こうげき | Attack | 敵を攻撃するときの力です。Translation: Strength used when attacking an enemy. |
| きびんさ | Agility | 戦闘時での攻撃の素早さに関わります。Translation: Affects the speed of attacks in battle. |
| うん | Luck | 敵から逃げるとき、先制攻撃など、ゲーム全般における運の強さです。Translation: The strength of luck throughout the game at large, such as when running away from an enemy, during preemptive strikes, etc. |
Version Differences
Mobile phone
The mobile phone version allows saving anywhere and adds auto-mapping functions, removes the autopilot feature, and includes redrawn graphics, the option to hide input commands during battles, and the use of Mappara in dark zones. The text was also revised to use a mix of kanji and kana, and over ten background music tracks were removed or replaced due to space limitations.
Listings
Characters
Bosses
Demons
Skills
Items
Equipment
Locations
Credits
Development
According to director Kōji Okada, the first Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei was a commercial success, which gave Atlus more flexibility to pursue a sequel. In developing Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II, the team modified the game’s perspective, using an overhead view for the overworld while keeping dungeons, interior locations, and battles in first-person. This adjustment was intended to reduce the disorientation and frequent sense of getting lost that players had reported in the first game.[9] As with its predecessor, development placed greater emphasis on programming and gameplay mechanics than on narrative elements.[10] Artist Kazuma Kaneko, who cited Fist of the North Star and Mad Max as major influences, directed the staff to model the setting and tone after those works, shaping both the world design and the overall story atmosphere.[11]
The soundtrack was composed by Tsukasa Masuko, who incorporated material from the first game. The addition of a dedicated memory map allowed for higher-quality sound output compared to its predecessor.[12]
Character and demon designs were created by Kazuma Kaneko, marking his first assignment in the series. Kaneko had played the original game before joining Atlus, unaware that it had been developed by the company.[13] During development, Nintendo frequently requested adjustments to his artwork, particularly concerning depictions of nudity. Kaneko later recalled having to modify designs by removing certain details, even when he felt they were more accurate in their original form.[14]
While the first game had adapted Aya Nishitani’s novels, Atlus chose to create an original story for Megami Tensei II. The scenario was written by Kazunari Suzuki, who had also contributed to the first game, with Ryūtarō Itō joining later at Suzuki’s father’s recommendation.[15] Itō wrote much of the character dialogue, including the apathetic greetings of shop owners.[16] As a final nod to Nishitani’s novels, he included the name of their protagonist in the closing sequence.[17]
Trivia
- Kazuma Kaneko claimed that ATLUS originally had no plans to develop a sequel to Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, but he pushed for it.[18]
Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese
|
デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生II Dejitaru Debiru Sutōrī Megami Tensei Tsū | Digital Devil Story: Goddess Reincarnation II |
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ Due to a programming bug, random encounters can be temporarily avoided by interrupting Autopilot movement. By setting point A, walking several steps away, selecting “Move to A”, and canceling movement just before arrival, encounters may fail to trigger. This effect can be performed in both dungeons and the overworld, although encounters are only suppressed in dungeons.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "1990年（平成2年）4月6日は、ファミリーコンピュータ用ソフト『デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生II』が発売された日。" 『デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生II』35周年。悪魔絵師・金子一馬氏が初参加したシリーズ作【今日は何の日？】. Published April 6, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2026. Famitsu.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2006年9月1日、ビービーエムエフのiモードサイト"メガテンα"で、『デジタル･デビル物語 女神転生II』が配信開始になった。" カルト的人気を博した名作『女神転生II』がiモードに光臨！. Published August 31, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2024. Famitsu.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "ビービーエムエフでは、2006年12月1日よりYahoo！ケータイ公式サイト"女神転生"にて、ゲームファンにおなじみの3つのアプリを一挙に配信する。『ステラデウス～漆黒の精霊～』、『女神異聞ペルソナ 異空の塔編』、『デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生II』だ。どのアプリから楽しんだらいいか、迷っちゃう？" 『女神転生II』や『ストラデウス』などの名作がYahoo！ケータイ向けに一挙に配信！. Published December 1st, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2026. Famitsu.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "2006.12.07 Ezwebゲームサイト「女神転生」、『デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生Ⅱ』配信のご案内" モバイル ゲーム 開発 販売. Published December 13, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2026. BBMF.
- ↑ "今回配信されたのはオリジナルのテイストを残しつつも、すべてのグラフィックをリニューアルした新バージョン。どこでもセーブできる機能が追加されているので、ちょっとした空き時間に遊ぶのにも適している。" カルト的人気を博した名作『女神転生II』がiモードに光臨！. Published August 31, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2026. Famitsu.
- ↑ "The American English patch for Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II (Famicom) is available here:https://yojimbo.eludevisibility.org/Stardust_Crusaders_Files/complete/NES/mt2files/project.xml The entire package is translated along with the manual. (The link to the translated packaging is at the bottom of the page, under the link to the patch.)pic.twitter.com/O7MZjsqLix" RetroTranslator, [1]. Published December 30, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2025. Twitter.
- ↑ Romhacking.net - Translations - Digital Devil Monogatari: Megami Tensei II. Retrieved February 19, 2025. romhacking.net.
- ↑ Translation: "Tokyo, 2036. The city is sadly in ruins, left a wasteland after an apocalyptic war occurred at the end of the twentieth century. Only a small handful of people managed to escape into the underground shelters." "1", Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II Instruction Manual. 4. Translation by Stardust Crusaders.
- ↑ 東京大学”五月祭”で岡田耕始氏が『女神転生』誕生秘話を語った. Archived: [2]. Published May 5, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2025. Famitsu.
- ↑ 鈴木大司教が注ぎ入れる新たな血により，大破壊後の世界はどう変わるのか。「真・女神転生IMAGINE」インタビュー. Archived: [3]. Published October 17, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2025. 4Gamer.net.
- ↑ Translation: "KK: since I love Fist of the North Star and Mad Max, I told the entire staff to make the world setting like that. Well, the world setting and basic flow of the story were based on that kind of atmosphere." Demons Bible Kaneko Interview. Published August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2025. dijehtranslations.
- ↑ Megami Tensei I · II Shōkan-ban · Gattai-ban booklet. Published by Victor Musical Industries.
- ↑ "本作の注目点は、なんといっても悪魔絵師こと金子一馬氏が初めてシリーズに携わった作品であること。" Translation: "A point of note for this work is that it's the first time that the Demon Artist, Kazuma Kaneko, worked on the series." 『デジタル・デビル物語 女神転生II』35周年。悪魔絵師・金子一馬氏が初参加したシリーズ作【今日は何の日？】. Archived: [4]. Published April 6, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025. YAHOO! Japan ニュース.
- ↑ "Kaneko: Nintendo would complain about my designs a lot. “Why is this monster naked?” (laughs) Then I’d explain to them that it would be weird for this particular monster to not be naked, and they’d reply back, “Ok, we understand. Please remove the nipple then.”" Kazuma Kaneko x Tomomi Kobayashi – 1996 Designer Interview. Retrieved August 19, 2025. Shmuplations.
- ↑ "Ryūtarō Itō: It just so happened that the editor-in-chief here was Ginichiro Suzuki who one day suggested I try working for the company that employed his son, Atlus." Game Shokunin Dai 1: Shūdakara Nihon no Gēmu wa Omoshiroi. Published by Micro Magazine. Page 52. Translation by Blue Forest Bible.
- ↑ "We still remember just how passive aggressive the shop owners in the game were, greeting the player with the line “What? Oh, a customer…” Were you responsible for this?
Ryūtarō Itō: I most certainly was. As I’m sure you know, your standard game’s shop owners would almost certainly speak very politely to the protagonist. But I felt like it would be pretty fun if we had shop staff that gave you some no-frills customer service. That was when the aforementioned line popped into my head, something which I don’t think I would’ve been able to put in any game that wasn’t in the Megami Tensei series." Game Shokunin Dai 1: Shūdakara Nihon no Gēmu wa Omoshiroi. Published by Micro Magazine. Page 54. Translation by Blue Forest Bible. - ↑ "you’re greeted with the message “PROGRAMMED by A.NAKAJIMA”. Was this an homage to the original game?
Ryūtarō Itō: I basically just put it to get a smile out of anyone who was familiar with the Aya Nishitani novel." Game Shokunin Dai 1: Shūdakara Nihon no Gēmu wa Omoshiroi. Published by Micro Magazine. Page 55. Translation by Blue Forest Bible. - ↑ 【金子一馬さん出演】ゲームプロデューサー岡本吉起のYouTubeライブ（26年4月8日）. Retrieved April 29, 2026. youtube.com.
| Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei series | |
|---|---|
| Digital Devil StoryNovel Series | Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei • 2: Mato no Senshi • 3: Tensei no Shūen |
| New Digital Devil StoryNovel Series | New Digital Devil Story: Toraware no Megami • 2: Hyōkai no Joō • 3: Jinma no Wakusei • 4: Ikari no Yōtei • 5: Megami yo Eien ni • 6: Tensei no Kizuna |
| Video Games | Megami Tensei (Telenet) • Megami Tensei (Atlus) • Megami Tensei II • Kyūyaku Megami Tensei |
| OVA | Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei |