Atlus Reveals Demon Password System for Upcoming Nintendo DS™ Sci-Fi RPG Shin Megami Tensei®: Strange Journey™

Open, sesame...

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- DECEMBER 2, 2009 -- Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today revealed that its upcoming sci-fi RPG for Nintendo DS™, Shin Megami Tensei®: Strange Journey™, will feature a potent demon password system, allowing players to generate and exchange codes representing their customized demons, and introducing an all-new facet to the franchise's beloved "collect every demon" gameplay.

Due to the game's in-depth demon management system, which includes the ability to level, specialize, and uniquely fuse demons for use in battle, players can eventually craft a distinct party of rare demons on their mission to save Earth. With the demon password system, all of those important levelling and customization decisions can be provided to fellow Strange Journey players through easily exchanged passwords. Need a powerful chaos-aligned demon with fire attacks? A friend with just such a member in their party could generate a unique password that, when entered into the demon compendium, will unlock said demon for the player.

Moreover, Atlus will release a very limited number of passwords for use in the demon compendium which will unlock rare, otherwise inaccessible demons, adding yet another layer of deep customization and endlessly addictive demon collection. Fans are encouraged to be on the look out for these finite codes, as they may not necessarily all come at the same time or even from the same source.

"We've been using passwords to unlock demons at Atlus for ages," disclosed Aram Jabbari, Manager of PR and Sales at Atlus. "We've grown exceedingly cautious in recent years, though. There was this one time when we wanted a tester demon, but because we screwed up one tiny part of the password, we ended up with a big slime that ate half of our QA team, significantly delaying the release of a game."

More details about the demon passwords will be released closer to the game's Spring 2010 launch.

For more information about Strange Journey, visit the game's official website at http://www.atlus.com/strangejourney.

About SMT: Strange Journey

When the black spot appeared in the Antarctic, mankind became nervous; when it began to spread, that anxiety turned to panic. The Joint Project, convened to discuss how to deal with the expanding anomaly, decided to send in four ships carrying humanity's finest soldiers and most cutting-edge technology. The mission: to investigate what lay on the other side of what had been dubbed the Schwarzwelt and find out if there was a way to stop it from eventually covering the Earth.

You are an elite soldier hand-picked for the Strike Team, outfitted with a Demonica environment suit and posted to the Red Sprite under Commander Gore. Upon entering the Schwarzwelt, the crew finds itself forced to deal with harsh conditions, supernatural interference, and throngs of demons populating the bewildering world. What exactly is the Schwarzwelt? What awaits at the end of this strange journey? It is entirely in your hands to find out...

Key Features

* Shin Megami Tensei goes beyond -- Strange Journey's game mechanics represent a return to the proud tradition of the all-time dungeon-crawling classic SMT: Nocturne, while its story takes players into the near future on a mission to save Earth and to understand humanity's position within the larger universe.
* A dark turn into science fiction -- Who or what is causing the black hole that is engulfing the Earth? A mission to investigate the cause uncovers a whole world of demons that humans knew nothing about. Do they seek your destruction or will you seek theirs? Will you decide to save Earth or choose another path for humanity?
* Team up with demons -- Demons may be friends or foes depending on your ability to negotiate, bribe, and coerce them to join your party. With more than 300 types of demons, you'll have a huge variety of battlefield encounters and an equally large base of options on which to build your party strategy.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey has been rated "M" for Mature with Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, and Sexual Themes by the ESRB.

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Demon's Souls, Odin Sphere, the Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.

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©2009 ATLUS SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI, SMT are registered trademarks of Atlus U.S.A., Inc. Licensed to and published by Atlus U.S.A., Inc.