History VideoGame / ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne

* AscendedMeme: [[spoiler:Kagutsuchi]] is commonly referred to as a disco ball by the fandom for his design and techno boss theme. ''HD Remaster'' has an Archangel who originally just called him arrogant outright call him a "goddamn arrogant disco ball".

* BarrierChangeBoss: Noah regularly shifts his vulnerabilites with Aurora, making himself only affected by one magic element and repelling all else. Noah can also be hit by Almighty spells, but only receives a laughable amount of damage. [[spoiler:There is a strict pattern that gets hinted at by the element he attacks with, but towards the latter half of the fight his attacks are more erratic and you'll have to track it yourself.]]

* NintendoHard: Normal difficulty can be punishing but is reasonable once you get accustomed to the battle system. Hard difficulty pushes things into nearly-unfair territory; in this difficulty you can ''die during the tutorial fight''.
** As if to press home the point, the game describes its "Hard" difficulty setting as "A level of difficulty suitable for one seeking the thrill of death".
** Expect later dungeons to have fiendish level design between one-way doors, teleporter mazes, damage tiles and pitfalls. [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KJ3d_-d5Tw/Vy54J2hWdbI/AAAAAAAAAIs/xgPhjQMq2mobSD65C-b5jIdpBwtD0MurwCKgB/s1600/HOLYSHITDUNGEONSOFMADNESS.png Here's an apt summary of how bad it can get]].
** One of the things that makes this game difficult is the lack of AntiFrustrationFeatures. When you learn a skill by leveling up, that is your one and only chance to use that skill--you can't "store" them for later and there's no going back if you erase something you're currently equipped with. Later games in the franchise would be softer on this--particularly ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga''-- but here, you're expected to plan out your character progression well in advance.

** Kagutsuchi gives one to you if you don't support a Reason. His speech during the True Demon Ending is particularly hateful.
-->'''Kagutsuchi:''' [[DemonOfHumanOrigin By casting aside your humanity,]] you became the living incarnation of bane itself.
** Hikawa gives one to Yuko.

The third [[NumberedSequel numbered entry]] in the main ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' [=JRPG=] series, and the first since ''Shin Megami Tensei II'' in 1994. It was released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 in Japan in February 2003, in North America in October 2004 and in Europe in July 2005. It was released as a [=PlayStation=] 2 Classic on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork on May 6, 2014.

A third UpdatedRerelease, titled ''Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster'', released October 29, 2020 in Japan, and on May 25, 2021 worldwide, for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}. It is primarily based on the ''Chronicle Edition'', with Raidou included as the GuestFighter by default. However, the game also has a purchasable "Maniax Pack" [[DownloadableContent DLC]] to replace Raidou with Dante instead. The Steam version also reworks Raidou as free DLC and adds an option to play the original release of the game without the additions from the ''Maniax'' version.

** The limited edition of ''Devil Summoner: Raidō Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon'' includes a new version, ''Chronicle Edition'', in which Raidou replaces Dante. [[NoExportForYou It was only released in Japan]] because Sony shot down the idea of porting that edition to the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable for Western audiences early on in the update process. This is the version the HD Remaster was modeled on, although a "Maniax Edition" DLC was released that let you choose to switch Dante in for Raidou when starting a new game.

* EasierThanEasy: The original game only had Normal and Hard. The ''HD Remaster'' introduced Merciful mode, which, among other things, raises your damage output, decreases the damage you take, improves your accuracy and evasion, lowers encounter rate and raises your EXP and Macca gains. You can essentially auto-attack most bosses to death, and even the infamously difficult Matador can be beaten without much trouble. [[ItsEasySoItSucks The hardcore fans were not pleased to learn of its existence.]]

* TwoHeadedCoin: [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante's]] makes an appearance in his {{cameo}}. If you know that it has two heads, [[spoiler:you can recruit him for only one Macca in the Labyrinth of Amala]].