Like its predecessor Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei II is notable for using a first-person perspective in and out of battle and for the darker themes that make up its plot in comparison to its contemporaries.It was also released on the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance in Japan. It also saw several Japan-only rereleases for iOS and both the Wii's and Wii U's Virtual Console.Plot Following the first game, the sequel presumes a world where the original game's protagonist took a Neutral alignment and founded a Utopian society whose citizens were free to follow whatever beliefs they chose. Peace lasted for about forty years before a Lawful sect called the Messians seized power and went to war against the Chaos-loving Gaeans. Shortly after, the world was reduced to a barely-habitable post-apocalyptic nightmare. The new protagonist is from one of the few habitable areas left in Japan, called Valhalla, which is part of a larger Messian-controlled community called Tokyo Millennium. When players meet him, he is a struggling gladiator nicknamed Hawk who is suffering from amnesia. Much of the early game's story line is about the slow revelation of Hawk's true memories and identity.Gameplay Similar to SMT's protagonist, Hawk receives the ability to communicate and summon demons in almost the same way, through a computer demon summoning computer called the COMP. The alignment system basically functions like in the first game, but will cause more dramatic variations in the storyline and have a deeper effect on gameplay. The combat system is expanded to include a wider variety of demons and the ability to fuse both demons and weapons together. There's also a more forgiving level of difficulty compared to the first game.Demon CompendiumDemons are listed by race and level, from highest to lowest. Alignments are listed in parentheses: (Light/Neutral/Dark) - (Law/Neutral/Chaos). Bosses are listed by order of appearance, with their races noted in parentheses.Herald (L-L)99 Satan68 Metatron59 Camael59 Sariel52 Kushiel47 Ophanim40 Raguel37 Haniel32 Zaphkiel28 RemielAmatsu (L-L)59 Amaterasu54 Tsukuyomi48 Take-Mikazuchi44 Kagutsuchi38 Omoikane33 Tajikarao29 Ame no TorifuneAvian (L-L)49 Garuda41 Zhu Que31 Yatagarasu22 Phoenix15 SuparnaMegami (L-N)52 Lakshmi45 Parvati39 Freya35 Sarasvati27 Arianrhod21 Ame no UzumeDeity (L-N)67 Ardha64 Vairocana61 Kalki58 Baal55 Atavaka48 Odin40 Attar37 Horus34 Thor27 IndraAvatar (L-N)51 Barong45 Xuan Wu41 Anubis35 Narasimha29 Sphinx25 NandiHoly (L-N)42 Baihu32 Pabilsag28 Bastet20 Apis16 Unicorn12 HeqetPrime (L-N)32 Salamander30 Undine28 Sylph26 Gnome12 Flaemis11 Aquans10 Aeros9 ErthysFury (L-C)72 Shiva61 Susanoo48 Wu Kong39 Chernobog30 AresDragon (L-C)59 Ananta54 Rahab50 Itzamna43 Qing Long39 Quetzalcoatl36 Baek Yong34 MayaLady (L-C)65 Kali56 Ishtar47 Durga38 Kikuri-Hime33 Hariti26 TawaretKunitsu (L-C)57 Arahabaki53 Take-Minakata50 Onamuchi46 Kotoshironushi43 Sarutahiko35 Hitokotonushi30 Sukunahikona27 OyamatsumiDivine (N-L)52 Dominion44 Virtue36 Power32 Principality28 Archangel21 AngelFlight (N-L)38 Morrigan35 Macha31 Nemhain25 Aello21 Celaeno16 Ocypete9 BennuMesian (N-L)51 Adept40 Terminator34 Zelator26 Temple Knight21 Executor15 Neophyte9 ButcherSnake (N-N)53 Yamata no Orochi48 Vritra42 Naga Raja36 Otohime33 Mizuchi28 Naga19 NozuchiYoma (N-N)46 Hanuman43 Ganesha37 Jinn31 Tengu27 Heyoka14 MercuriusBeast (N-N)43 Cerberus39 Gdon30 Selket26 Orthrus20 Nekomata14 Cu Sith12 Cait SithNight (N-N)47 Nyx35 Vampire23 Lilim15 Nightmare12 Empusa8 AlpJirae (N-N)44 Titan34 Ubelluris27 Tsuchigumo18 Duergar11 Sudama6 KnockerFairy (N-N)48 Titania45 Oberon40 Cu Chulainn30 Nadja25 Banshee18 Dark Elf13 Pyro Jack12 Jack Frost7 High PixieDemonoid (N-N)16 Frankie11 Demi-Nandi7 Heracles6 Slave3 Oracle2 SpartanFallen (N-C)57 Agares49 Gaap41 Berith37 Baphomet29 Eligor24 Betelgeuse15 Gagyson10 UkobachBrute (N-C)46 Yaksa40 Shuten-douji33 Yaksini28 Turdak19 Hannya13 Azumi7 IhikaFemme (N-C)55 Rangda50 Volvo45 Gorgon38 Cailleach Bheur29 Arachne24 Lamia14 HagGaian (N-C)39 Kamen Hijiri30 Ashura22 Onmyouji15 Jiraiya8 KugutsuchiVile (D-L)67 Cthulhu59 Pazuzu53 Nyarlathotep47 Tezcatlipoca41 NalagiriRaptor (D-L)48 Hresvelgr38 Anzu26 Gurr17 Furiae4 ChonchonMech (D-L)37 Medusa30 Rabbi26 Golem21 Junk8 Iron Maiden5 Crazy DummyVaccine (D-L)15 Police10 JawsJaki (D-N)59 Hecatoncheir54 Girimehkala48 Edimmu40 Cyclops30 Rakshasa22 Ogre11 Wendigo6 GremlinWilder (D-N)60 Behemoth50 Manticore45 Scylla31 Black Widow29 Gyuuki20 Nue15 Bicorn10 GarmWood (D-N)38 Yggdrasil29 Alraune18 Mandrake7 AudreyDead (D-N)23 Corpse19 Zombie Priest15 Workaholic12 Bodyconian5 Zombie1 Zombie DogTyrant (D-C)99 Lucifer65 Beelzebub62 Mara55 Bael52 Astaroth49 Loki42 HecateDrake (D-C)51 Tiamat46 Kingu43 Nidhogg35 Tarasque28 Wyvern16 WormHaunt (D-C)44 Vetala32 Yaka25 Man Eater16 Ghulah14 Ghoul3 PretaSpirit (D-C)38 Legion29 Inferno15 Depths13 Hanged Man2 PoltergeistFoul (D-C)49 Old One39 Doppelganger28 Black Ooze17 Chris the Car9 Jack Ripper6 SlimeVirus (D-C)20 Andromeda8 Spider3 MoebiusBoss 110 (Warrior) Red Bear18 (Yoma) Mercurius20 (Drake) Basilisk22 (Tyrant) King Frost12 (Demonoid) Demi-Nandi24 (Fallen) Betelgeuse20 (Warrior) Daleth22 (Yoma) Janus25 (Warrior) Zayin23 (Warrior) DalethBoss 237 (Fallen) Baphomet43 (Kunitsu) Sarutahiko26 (Warrior) Daleth50 (Tyrant) Belphegor53 (Warrior) Gimmel48 (Herald) Uriel50 (Herald) Raphael54 (Herald) Michael69 (Holy Spirit) YHVH Image42 (Tyrant) Hecate62 (Deity) Atavaka54 (Yoma) Master Therion58 (Tyrant) Abaddon52 (Tyrant) AstarothBoss 338 (Divine General) Kumbhira38 (Divine General) Vajra37 (Divine General) Mihira37 (Divine General) Andira36 (Divine General) Anila36 (Divine General) Sandilya35 (Divine General) Indara35 (Divine General) Pajra34 (Divine General) Mahoraga34 (Divine General) Kinnara40 (Divine General) Catura40 (Divine General) VikaralaBoss 450 (Drake) Tiamat70 (Deity) Vairocana69 (Tyrant) Mara30 (Tyrant) Lucifuge80 (Tyrant) Beelzebub100 (Tyrant) Lucifer80 (Drake) Kuzuryu77 (Holy Spirit) Sabaoth85 (Holy Spirit) Shaddai93 (Holy Spirit) Elohim100 (Holy Spirit) Satan108 (Holy Spirit) YHVHFiend35 Alice30 Ghost Q50 Sage of Time35 Hell Biker40 MatadorStory DemonsGabrielGemoriMasakadoSethCherubPop Culture ReferencesWhile the Shin Megami Tensei series' demon rosters are almost always exclusively populated by gods and entities of religion and folklore, a few of Shin Megami Tensei II's demons are culled from pop culture works that were popular prior to the game's creation.Betelgeuse: The bio-exorcist title character of the homophonic 1988 Tim Burton film, played by actor Michael Keaton. In Shin Megami Tensei II, he has a polka-dotted suit instead of the pinstripe one he wears in the film, and wears a bat mask and bat necklace in reference to Keaton's subsequent role as Batman in the eponymous 1989 box office hit. Betelgeuse also appears as a boss early on in the game, in a large, dragon-like form roughly reminiscent of his snake transformation seen in the movie.Audrey: The carnivorous talking plant of 1960's Little Shop of Horrors and its 1986 remake.Chris the Car: A take on Christine, the sentient car from Stephen King's 1983 novel and subsequent film.Ghost Q: An adaptation of Q-taro, a mischievous ghost from a Japanese manga and anime series called Obake no Q-taro.Messian Terminator: The design of the "Messian Terminator" is based on the appearance of the T-800 model appearing in the 1984 release of The Terminator.Shin Megami Tensei II also marks the first appearance of Hell Biker, who is unmistakably similar to the Marvel comics character Ghost Rider.English TranslationLike with the first Shin Megami Tensei, there is a translation patch available on Aeon Genesis. It was made available on May 13th 2004.
