Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Message Board older than one year ago

If you miss out on this limited quantity collectible, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. (Also, your scalp could sunburn)

People of the Blog of PlayStation,

The purpose of this post is two-fold:

We wish to remind you of and/or inform you of the existence of our upcoming RPG epic, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable for the PSP. We would like to bring to your attention the below pre-order bonus for Persona 3 Portable (only at participating retailers, only while supplies last)

“What is it?” you ask? Why, it’s a lovely collectible (and wearable, fortunately) cap modeled after the one worn by popular character Junpei Iori, Gekkoukan High School’s bantering, jabbering class clown.

Not familiar with him? Or the game, perhaps? That’s where this post comes in.

SMT: Persona 3 Portable is the handheld version of one of the highest-rated, meatiest RPGs of all time. “What’s so special about it?” you ask as you click around multiple tabs in your web browser. Persona 3’s unique dichotomy of social sim and dungeon crawling elements shakes the genre to its core, offering a constantly refreshing blend of character development, sharp writing, a powerful narrative, and ultra fast-paced turn-based combat in the many varying levels of Tartarus.

Let’s face this enemy! (get it?)

In an interesting twist, the bonds you share with your friends are the source of your strength in battle. As your relationships, called “Social Links,” are increased and ultimately maxed out, you will unlock new abilities and grow much stronger when engaged in combat. The game is full of options in terms of whom you can befriend and/or choose to spend your time with, meaning that maxing out all your social links becomes a very tough, very satisfying challenge. The game is full of contrasts, which is most apparent in the disparity between the action of Tartarus versus the joys of spending time with friends.

The PSP system release of P3P offers the most refined, improved version of the game to date. In addition to new content, functionality and features, like faster load times, one-button menu shortcuts, streamlined team equipment changes, and part-time jobs, P3P also adds a new playable female protagonist.

Pretty in pink.

Playing through the game as this new character, series fans will notice a number of new and different dialogue (and since the original voice cast is intact, they’ll all sound exactly as they should). Other content additions include new social links, special events, and new romantic opportunities.

Look out, ladies/gentlemen! (depending on your choice of character, of course)

Already spent dozens of hours in the world of Persona 3? Now you’ve got reason to dive back in and experience it all over again.

And now you’ve got a reason to pre-order it, too. The Junpei Baseball Cap pre-order bonus promotion is exclusive to GameStop/EB Games (in stores and online in North America and Canada), Amazon.com, and Amazon.ca, and only while supplies last, so reserve your copy (and your collectible hat) today!

For more info, visit atlus.com/p3p, and be sure to look for SMT: Persona 3 Portable to land in stores and on the PlayStation Store on July 6th, 2010, exclusively for the PSP.

Don't you wish you were as cool as Junpei, one of the playable characters of the upcoming Persona 3 Portable? Well, you'll be able to inch closer with a real-life replica of his hat, included with retail copies of the upcoming PSP RPG. According to a press release, the hat is "only available as a pre-order bonus ... while supplies last." If you want to add the cap to your cosplay wardrobe, you'll have to order the game from either Amazon or GameStop stores in the US or Canada.

To get a look at what the hat looks like in real life, click past the break.

While Persona 3 Portable isn't quite an exact port of the original PS2 RPG, it retains most of the gameplay of the earlier release. This overview video provided by Atlus is a perfect way of understanding the mechanics of the original game, from attending school, to making friends, and eventually fighting with your Personas. Anyone that's played the original will find themselves in very familiar turf here; however, Atlus plans on releasing a follow-up video, chronicling everything new in P3P some time soon.

Cast your sight on this all-new site.

Atlus is bringing an English-language version of Persona 3 Portable to the US. The PSP version of Persona 3 isn't a direct port of the original PS2 RPG. Instead, it streamlines the experience for handheld play and adds a new playable female character, with her own "Social Links, special events, and unique romantic opportunities." In addition, P3P adds a few cameos from Persona 4, and introduces five difficulty settings, ranging from "beginner" to "maniac." The battle system has also drastically changed, with players able to directly control teammates. The UMD version will be available at retail on July 6th, with a PSN version expected soon after. Check out the box art after the break.

After the completion of Persona 4, the team responsible for the game at Atlus split in two, with one half tasked with creating Persona 3 Portable, while the other half got to work on "an original new game." According to a translation by Andriasang of the P3 Portable creator's blog, that first game is "nearing completion," and the two teams will re-form [insert Voltron reference here] in 2010. Persona 4 producer Katsura Hashino says that the re-unified team will work on "an even bigger title" in the coming year, though no details have been formally announced. We'll just have to giddily think about the impending release of 3D Dot Game Heroes in North America, while we wait for Hashino to dish. [Via Andriasang]

The upcoming PSP version of Persona 3 features a nice easter egg for fans of the franchise. According to Siliconera, Inaba, the town featured in Persona 4 will be a playable locale in the upcoming port. You must play as the female lead in order to visit the Amagiya Inn -- two years before the events of P4. There, you'll be able to meet a younger version of Yukiko.Certainly, it's not the biggest news surrounding the game, but it gives us an excuse to post this video. P3P hits Japan next month.

Get the latest look before the Japanese version hits next month.

The portable release inches ever closer.

Alright, look. When Persona 3 Portable is released in Japan, it's going to be attached to an exorbitantly large 6,279 yen ($68) price tag. As long as you're shelling out so much dough for the title, why not kick that total up to 8,495 yen ($92) and spring for the game's limited edition bundle? Siliconera recently uncovered the bonus items included in the aptly titled Persona 3 Portable DX bundle: A Persona-branded t-shirt (seen above), 12 PSP jacket-sized character posters, and a 2010 desk calendar. You know what would've been a great addition to this bundle? Some Persona 3 papercraft made out of three 1,000 yen banknotes. Now that's a collector's item.

What happens in the shadow of the castle stays in the shadow of the castle.