Prerelease:Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne/Nocturne Prototypes

This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.

This page is about the versions that are a lot more similar to the final version of the game.

Tokyo Game Show 2002 Trailer

There was a trailer for SMT:Nocturne shown at Tokyo Game Show 2002. Of course, even when it's a few months earlier than the actual release, there are still a ton of differences that you can point out in the trailer.

Logo

Prototype	Final

The logo was stretched a bit in the final release of the game if you compare them.

Overworld UI

The trailer showcases two versions of the UI used.

1	2	Final

• First image shows off the protagonist walking through the tunnel in Assembly of Nihilo. As you can see, it is rotating. In the final game, to go through it. You need to talk to Hijiri and turn off the rotation. The UI has an actual still image of a moon with the text Half. The graphic that tells you which floor you are on looks different. And the encounter graphic has a black shade which is removed in the final game.
• The second image was luckily found on an archived version of the website . Note that this version is shown in the trailer, but this image is used because of higher quality. It has a Kagutsuchi UI instead of a moon UI compared to the first version that is shown in the trailer. Other than that, it's mostly the same.
• The third image is the final version of the UI. It went under some pretty drastic changes. The Kagutsuchi UI was changed with the background altered a bit, the color of the text was made white instead of being black with an outline, the bug was fixed and the floor graphic is changed as well.

Battle UI

The trailer shows some battle gameplay as well.

1	2	Final

• The first image shows a version with the press turn gauge. The general UI is still there. Skill name graphic looks very different. And the text isn't properly aligned either. The auto button required you to press R1 at first. The demons list is a bit different, namely how the protagonist has a pure red health text because of low health.
• Second image is a bit closer to the final version, but it still has a few differences. First of all, the health text was changed to dark red when it's low instead of pure red. The press turn icons were added instead of the press turn gauge. There isn't a visible graphic for the auto function. And the general UI is still there.
• Third image is the final version. A lot was changed. Skill name graphic looks very different, auto function was added and mapped to Triangle instead of R1. Press turn icons were changed from the second revision.

Level Up UI

Another image present on the archived version of the official website . The level up UI has a different font, and the background looks slightly different as well.

Other Differences

• This Girimehkala is not seen inside the Mantra's Headquarters in the final game.
• One very interesting thing with the two versions shown in the trailer is that the moon UI is still and not animated. It's just a still image with the phase text changing.
• Dionysus seems to have a slower animation than the demon cry likes to indicate.
• The normal battle theme has a few differences in terms of instruments. Not only that, but it has a completely unused solo that can only be heard in the trailer. It also has some alternate lyrics which are almost inaudible to listen to. What those are could be up to debate, however here's what they could be.

Pre-release	Final
You won't oppose the order of god. They've sent us on a cursed sentence. Through the might and power of God. They sent the son of God.	Your fate is a haunted curse. Please, I'm just a human being. Effort doesn't press unto me. Please, make this a real world.

• Arahabaki's demon cry sounds a lot more low-pitched than the final version.
• The scene with the Preta seems to have some different music than in the final version.

• Asakusa seems to be a lot more empty and bland compared to the final version.

(Source: diablopanqueque)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Interview Videos

There are a few interview videos from the " 真・女神転生III-NOCTURNE Mini Special DVD " DVD post-release that include some pre-release footage.

Kazuma Kaneko

The Kazuma Kaneko interview includes some concept art and gameplay footage from an earlier version of the final game.

• Some concept art of Mantra Headquarters.

• Concept art of Mifunashiro.

• You, an average reader might not spot this difference. But the Kagutsuchi graphic is completely black instead of being somewhat blue at 1/8. The floor graphic text is also different.

• Pyro Jack would normally not throw you outside the Mantra's Headquarters, but rather in the normal lobby. This change could be because it's easy to die when at low HP/SP after the Mantra Trial. So they changed it directly to the normal lobby instead of outside there. A pretty interesting change.

Cozy Okada

The Cozy Okada interview includes a lot of pre-release footage with quite a few subtle differences from the final version.

• In the final game, Yoyogi Park isn't called Yoyogi-Koen. However, the station area is called Yoyogi-Koen-Station.

• You don't enter Ginza in the final game at this angle. The lightning seems to be a bit different too, kinda blueish.

• A screenshot from the Girimehkala battle. You would normally not get a prompt from Girimehkala as it's just a normal battle. He's completely silent in the final game, but it seems like he had dialogue in the pre-release.

• This angle in the Specter battle is broken. In the final game, it would zoom out to get a better view.

• This Girimehkala attack angle is broken. As you can see, there is a very great distance between Setanta and Girimehkala. How is he able to hit 'em?

• This image shows the protagonist using Divine Shot on Girimehkala. One very interesting change is that Girimehkala repels physical in the final game. Another interesting change is that the block graphic looks very different from the final version as well.

• Here Dekaja is used on the party by Girimehkala. The Dekaja/Dekunda effect was altered a bit if you compare this version to the final. It almost seems like they reused the Shock spell effect for that spell. Regardless, in the final game. The lightning effect is removed.

(Source: "真・女神転生III-NOCTURNE Mini Special DVD")

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Debug Function

This debug function is shown off in the making of documentary.

(Source: "真・女神転生III-NOCTURNE Special DVD")