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| See the game in action with my Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Review |

Ah, yes, 1997. Back then, Titanic was the biggest movie in the land while Microsoft was the world’s most valuable company — even investing $150 million in a struggling business known as Apple Computer. Yeah, I know right?

1997 also happened to be the year when a certain devilish Japanese role-playing game was released for the Sega Saturn.

That would be Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, an entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series that’s notable for never seeing an English release. Chalk it up to cold feet by the powers that be regarding the game’s demonic content and its potential impact on Western sensibilities. Regardless, fans of the series in North America finally get their chance at an English version, thanks to the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers for the Nintendo 3DS.

Set in the high-tech city of Amami — not to be confused with savory flavor profile coined by the Japanese — Soul Hackers chronicles the exploits of a hacker group known as the Spookies as they attempt to unravel the mysteries behind the AlgonSoft Company and its virtual 3D city known as Paradigm X. It’s a concept that certainly seems old hat these days both in gaming and anime but back in 1997, one can argue that Soul Hackers was ahead of its time. Granted, the game admittedly shows its age from a visual perspective, especially when compared to recent titles such as Fire Emblem: Awakening or even Atlus’ own Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan and Persona 4: Golden.

You can jazz up a 15-year-old game all you want but unless you redraw everything from the ground up, some old wrinkles are going to show.

The good news, however, is that the gameplay holds up pretty well, particularly for fans of Japanese RPGs that require lots of micromanaging. Married to Soul Hackers’ archaic corridor-style 3D dungeons and turn-based battle mechanic is a stable of demon familiars that can sort of be described as a grittier Pokemon for grownups. This is essentially Shin Megami Tensei’s calling card, which — along with its unique visual style and anime-style storylines — is what draws fans to the series.

Demons you battle can potentially be recruited to your army of misfits by actually talking to them. I know that sounds laughably simple but as any guy who’s ever gotten in trouble with their significant other knows, talking your way out of a situation always ain’t that easy. Demon whispering also is good for a few chuckles as some of the conversation choices are quite hilarious.

Further fleshing out Soul Hackers’ devilish system is the ability to fuse demons into more powerful entities that can better contribute to your ability to kick enemy butt. Do keep in mind that demons have a relationship with both you and other demons, which you need to take into account if you want battles to go smoothly. Fail to pay heed to those and you just might find yourself fighting side-by-side with an uncooperative minion, which can have deadly consequences. Tinkering with your band of demonic lackeys to produce the best lineups, however, is undoubtedly the most fun aspect of this game. The addition of a Demon compendium makes it easy to re-acquire those you’ve obtained before as well. Meanwhile, you can use StreetPass to evolve your Nemechi demon and collect Devil Souls that can be used to get rare underlings.

Admittedly, the game can be a bit of a grind, especially as you find yourself navigating the game’s larger dungeons while being constantly besieged by random enemy encounters. Some gamers also have reported glitches involving freezing, as well as an item box glitch when saving a new game over an old one and using the same name.

Keep in mind that the game is old-school tough, at least at its normal settings. Gamers used to more forgiving fare might go bald from pulling their hair, especially during boss fights. Folks who yearn for the good, old days of JRPGs, however, will see a lot to like in this game. If you like the Shin Megami Tensei series, have a taste for classic Japanese role-playing fare, and don’t think cutting edge graphics are the be-all, end-all for games, then Soul Hackers is definitely worth looking into.

Final rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

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Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.