The fact this dude ACTUALLY demonstrated how the stereo sound works and sounds in multiple ways while not slowing down the pacing at all is what makes me appreciate this guy even more.
Q Hayashida, the author of Dorohedoro and Dai Dark, got their start with the manga adaptation of Manken X. Their artstyle is very grungy with elements of horror to it, a big jump from the traditional SMT look.
Dai dark is so dang good I gotta check that out. Truly a unique artist considering she has at least 2 manga big enough to get published in the west and a Netflix show
yeah i literally found out about this series due to hayashida, i actually thought maken x was a manga original by her until the nonsensical plot made me do some more research, and turns out without prior knowledge you wouldn't understand the magna
I remember my friend in high school gave me a bunch of his old Dreamcast games after he sold his. This game was one of the ones that stuck out to me the most. It has been 18 years, only just now did I realize it was a SMT spinoff and the first Atlus game I think I ever played.
Thought I heard about most of the SMT spin-offs, but Maken X is a new one. Curious to learn more after seeing the first person perspective and "amazing" English localisation in the first minute of the video or so. Please enlighten me more, Dungeon Chill! (Also, just in time with this video for Metaphor: Refantazio to come out. Not exactly another SMT spin-off as far as I know, but definitely has a lot of the Persona team on it. So hey, good timing.)
Glad I found this channel. Cool content and lots of obscure games that don't get talked about alot. I played Shadow of Destiny and D2 years ago (both odd but interesting games). Finding your videos about those drew me in to subscribe and watch the others. One game that I played a bit of, but was not able to get very far because of the language barrier, was Black Matrix AD on Dreamcast (Japan only). Its a tactical rpg with angels and demons, but was not able to fully grasp the story. Plus, the videos on that game on youtube are few and very limited.
yeah motion sickness topic was huge in Japan in early 2000s. there's even a theory that SMT had become 3rd person because of that, although there is first person camera mode in Nocturne after you completed game once.
@@njalsand133 personally never had an issue with MakX FOV and it runs in stable 60 which is proudly written on jewel case, really wish it was remastered with MakShao's cuscenes and music, but since Atlus can't even remaster DDS1&2 and Raidou, theres little to no hope :с
Really does feel like a bunch of firsts for the SMT team with this one. The switch from first person to third person in 3D, the hammy voice acting, the art style. I can see how Nocturne and DDS both spawned out of the work in this game. Sure glad they did a test run first
Yes, I've been waiting for someone to really thoroughly cover this one - never had an opportunity to play this one but everything about it always fascinated me, primarily the overall style. They really let Kaneko go absolutely buckwild with the art design, and combined with that SEGA aesthetic (like those almost uncomfortably blue skies) made it really visually striking. Thank you for covering this!
Okay, so was there like a law that every Dreamcast game had to use the same actors? I swear I've heard all of those voices in Sonic Adventure, Illbleed and Blue Stinger!
I think there wasnt a huge amount of English VA in Japan at the time. I know there was a huge casting call for Shenmue and pretty much anyone who could speak English was accepted lmao.
4:52 Ya know that feeling sometimes when you look away from a video and look back and see what you can only assume is a broken angry moon tube with straw fingers playing a piano that builds a wall around it and you have to do a double take? Cause now I do.
So much fun! The controls can feel wonky at first, but that scheme was pretty cutting edge for an adventure game when GF came out. Once you get used to it it's not too bad. You're going to love the story and the characters though! When you finish Grim Fandango try to get a copy of The Longest Journey. You can thank me later for this suggestion. 😊
Damn man following up your Grim Fandango video with another big ass hour long one after only a couple weeks. And it’s for a weird SMT spin-off? Love this channel.
9:08 >If you're playing the European release of Maken Shao on PS2, you've got the original Japanese voice cast with English subtitles, but there's no such option on the Dreamcast original There's a fan-made patch that brings over Japanese audio to the (North American) Dreamcast version of the game.
I remember stumbling on the manga adaptation of this years ago and being extremely confused, finding out it was an SMT spinoff all along makes so much fall into place.
Omg, I recognized that I played this game when I was watching your video. I was like "Wait....this looks kind of familiar, is this first person?"I played this when I didn't know what SMT was. Ah, the days of going to Blockbuster and picking up a random game.
When I was a kid I happened to spot this game on the games shelf in ASDA with a stunningly beautiful girl in a red outfit and I had to have it. That was Maken Shao. I absolutely adored that game even though the gameplay was kinda basic and being so young I had trouble following the story cause I wasn't a great reader and there was no pausing the cut scenes. But I played through every path, unlocked every character and replayed my preferred ending path multiple times. It remains one of my all time favourite games.
Hey DungeonChill, haven't watched the video yet, but planning to watch it with my partner tonight over dinner. But I wanted to say we just got back from our small vacation from Japan. Beautiful country with amazing people and food. It's gonna be hard adjusting back to America without certain conveniences. Although it's nice to be back home. Can't wait to enjoy another classic video by you!
I remember playing this game, and having a really good time with it. Never in my life would have thought this was a SMT spin-off (a saga that I am not really interested in, tried Persona 3 on PS2, and never got me fully hooked). Even still, never knew there was a PS2 version that is fully 3rd person. Crazy how you learn a lot with your videos. Keep the amazing work, Man!
Maken X’s cover art, along with D2, Shadowman, Blue Stinger, and Illbleed just to name a few, always stuck out to me ever since I was a little kid growing up with the Dreamcast. I wasn’t aware of the Persona/SMT series back then, but going back to this game and seeing the art style it’s based on and Atlus being the developers of Maken X all makes sense now 😂 Great video! Always appreciate you bringing these DC gems to the spotlight so I could see what I missed out on all those years ago!
I remember first playing this back in the day, when I saw the rain reflections on the streets of Hong Kong it just stopped me in my tracks as it wasn't something I was accustomed to see in a DC Game, and honestly the graphical presentation is fantastic, very few jagged edges when compared to D2 & Even Shenmue. Excellent mastery of the Dreamcast architecture. Maybe one day you'll check out Blue Submarine No. 6 Time & Tide? It finally has an English translation and it has similarities to Maken X's presentation & structure.
I've got the PS2 version, but I've never played it. I found it used in a bargain bin at my usual shop, and got it for my jrpg collection despite the bad reviews it had online. Anyway, I didn't even pay for it, since the shop owner let me have it for free for being a good client. In my mind, it was to the SMT franchise what Dirge of Cerberus (which I also own but never played, also due to even worse reviews) was to Final Fantasy, a failed attempt at branching in a different genre. I'm gonna watch your video now and see if I was wrong all along :)
Holy crap this just unlocked a memory for me. I've played this before. I remember playing it before even knowing what SMT was. I never really got very far in it, as far as I can remember. I'm not even sure why I bought it. I think it was probably just something I stumbled upon in an Electronics Botique or something and thought the box art was cool.
oh wow, I played the remake of this on PS2 back in the day, and for years I was certain I was misremembering stuff or conflating a real-game with a fever-dream or something with how weird it was, but no, it's definitely this, I remember the bear-arms man vividly
I’ve always loved the character designs of this game! Kei in particular has a pretty badass design especially paired with Maken’s sword. So many of these characters feel like MGS bosses but designed by Kaneko lol
The enemy designs and art are certainly something. I shall never forget the puzzle box bondage guards with the bow on their leg, or their robot spider-riding female counterparts.
That oddly shaped jet briefly shown is actually based on a real-life plane, the NASA "Super Guppy" used to transport rockets and other absurdly large cargo between facilities.
It's nice to see a game like this, with a defined visual style, focused gameplay, fresh, despite being 20+years old. It's such a breath of fresh air from the modern gaming scene. I miss those days.
Defined style, focused gameplay and not much else like it out there? Perhaps Clash: Artifacts of Chaos from 2023 may be of interest. Can very warmly recommend.
Jeee-heeee-sus. The audio mixing absolutely breaks my brain and sets off my tinnitus. I can't imagine playing a whole game like that. Dungeon Chill, you're suffering for your art.
ohhhh baby....i love the endorphins i get when i see a fresh Dungeon Chill video. Not gonna lie i am going to LOSE MY MIND when you drop your retrospective on Metaphor: ReFantazio in 2049
Oh wow i actually saw the cover for this game ages ago, but had no idea it was a SMT game. Actually I didn't even know what SMT was lol game looks sick though
This feels weirdly similar to No More Heroes where the game drips with incredible style, a silly story line, cool blade weapons, and passable-at-best gameplay.
Oh boy, time for a new video that I'll only watch 10 minutes of because I'll probably actually want to play the game before going through an hour analysis because it looks interesting then by the time I beat the game I'll completely forget about watching the video in the first place!
They should try this thing again, just get another studio like Platinum, Team Ninja, or Omega Force to makes it _for_ them. I guess Persona Strikers was that kinda collaboration already, but for Persona..... and that turned out well! It's time for the Persona team to Collab on another Acton game, but for the SMT or perhaps Soul Hackers IP, so they could get REAL weird with it again like they did here
Played it first time not long ago on my modded dreamcast . And to be honest i was very surprised by the graphics and gameplay . Its a bit crazy and confusing sometimes but its definitely a good game
Huh... I honestly expected Marsh to get here first but hey nice to see the overview.
ahaha when he showed the nakajima screenshot i thought i was watching marsh
Glad I looked that name up, now I have more video essays/reviews to look forward ro
I guess his preference rn are games where you name the characters just so he could use the same names again.
@@Player-10 oh you're in for a treat
I cant be the only one that confuses them sometimes right?
The fact this dude ACTUALLY demonstrated how the stereo sound works and sounds in multiple ways while not slowing down the pacing at all is what makes me appreciate this guy even more.
My love, this is Dungeon Chill. Ain't nothing getting done half assed around here. It's either the whole ass or no ass...at...all...
Wait...
Q Hayashida, the author of Dorohedoro and Dai Dark, got their start with the manga adaptation of Manken X. Their artstyle is very grungy with elements of horror to it, a big jump from the traditional SMT look.
Very interesting, I love Q Hayashida's art and Dorohedoro, the anime was surprisingly good too lol
That's so cool!
That's amazing, I love her so much!
Dai dark is so dang good I gotta check that out. Truly a unique artist considering she has at least 2 manga big enough to get published in the west and a Netflix show
yeah i literally found out about this series due to hayashida,
i actually thought maken x was a manga original by her until the nonsensical plot made me do some more research, and turns out without prior knowledge you wouldn't understand the magna
38:28
- Did you ever wish you were human instead of the machine that you are?
- YES
- wOoOoOoOoW
I once had a dream where you and Marsh made an SMT video together
We need Marsh and Dungeon Chill collab so bad
Maybe soon 😳
I remember my friend in high school gave me a bunch of his old Dreamcast games after he sold his. This game was one of the ones that stuck out to me the most. It has been 18 years, only just now did I realize it was a SMT spinoff and the first Atlus game I think I ever played.
Makes sense, it would have been one of the first MegaTen games to get an official English translation.
Thought I heard about most of the SMT spin-offs, but Maken X is a new one. Curious to learn more after seeing the first person perspective and "amazing" English localisation in the first minute of the video or so. Please enlighten me more, Dungeon Chill!
(Also, just in time with this video for Metaphor: Refantazio to come out. Not exactly another SMT spin-off as far as I know, but definitely has a lot of the Persona team on it. So hey, good timing.)
Metaphor is basically a MegaTen game.
@@theonlybilge except in name and setting and theme.
Glad I found this channel. Cool content and lots of obscure games that don't get talked about alot.
I played Shadow of Destiny and D2 years ago (both odd but interesting games). Finding your videos about those drew me in to subscribe and watch the others.
One game that I played a bit of, but was not able to get very far because of the language barrier, was Black Matrix AD on Dreamcast (Japan only). Its a tactical rpg with angels and demons, but was not able to fully grasp the story. Plus, the videos on that game on youtube are few and very limited.
yeah motion sickness topic was huge in Japan in early 2000s. there's even a theory that SMT had become 3rd person because of that, although there is first person camera mode in Nocturne after you completed game once.
framerate, head bobbing, and field of vision seldom helps in that regard
@@njalsand133 Yeah, the FOV in this game is horrendous. That was one of the reasons I bounced off it years back when I gave it a try.
@@njalsand133 personally never had an issue with MakX FOV and it runs in stable 60 which is proudly written on jewel case, really wish it was remastered with MakShao's cuscenes and music, but since Atlus can't even remaster DDS1&2 and Raidou, theres little to no hope :с
Damn, didn’t realize how much of the Marsh and Dungeon Chill fans overlap
i love to see it 😂
We actually are all Marsh in disguise
The Marsh, Chill, and Majuular pipeline
Honestly these guys all make banger videos about semi obscure video games
Really does feel like a bunch of firsts for the SMT team with this one. The switch from first person to third person in 3D, the hammy voice acting, the art style. I can see how Nocturne and DDS both spawned out of the work in this game. Sure glad they did a test run first
Crazy how Kouji "Cozy" Okada was named in the Panama Papers!
9:29 "Can you make it sound more Seinfeld-y?"
Now I can’t unhear that.
Yes, I've been waiting for someone to really thoroughly cover this one - never had an opportunity to play this one but everything about it always fascinated me, primarily the overall style. They really let Kaneko go absolutely buckwild with the art design, and combined with that SEGA aesthetic (like those almost uncomfortably blue skies) made it really visually striking. Thank you for covering this!
Okay, so was there like a law that every Dreamcast game had to use the same actors? I swear I've heard all of those voices in Sonic Adventure, Illbleed and Blue Stinger!
I think there wasnt a huge amount of English VA in Japan at the time. I know there was a huge casting call for Shenmue and pretty much anyone who could speak English was accepted lmao.
The videogame industry is very insular.
4:52 Ya know that feeling sometimes when you look away from a video and look back and see what you can only assume is a broken angry moon tube with straw fingers playing a piano that builds a wall around it and you have to do a double take? Cause now I do.
I played this for the first time a few weeks ago. Another awesome Dreamcast game!
Bought Grim Fandango yesterday after your video, wish me luck!
So much fun! The controls can feel wonky at first, but that scheme was pretty cutting edge for an adventure game when GF came out. Once you get used to it it's not too bad. You're going to love the story and the characters though! When you finish Grim Fandango try to get a copy of The Longest Journey. You can thank me later for this suggestion. 😊
Damn man following up your Grim Fandango video with another big ass hour long one after only a couple weeks. And it’s for a weird SMT spin-off? Love this channel.
9:08 >If you're playing the European release of Maken Shao on PS2, you've got the original Japanese voice cast with English subtitles, but there's no such option on the Dreamcast original
There's a fan-made patch that brings over Japanese audio to the (North American) Dreamcast version of the game.
I remember stumbling on the manga adaptation of this years ago and being extremely confused, finding out it was an SMT spinoff all along makes so much fall into place.
That was Hayashida Q oneshot, the one who made Dorohedoro
@@alexmirakin Maken X Another wasn't a one shot. It was a full, three-volume series.
@@alexmirakin I can't believe I didn't recognize her art, oh my god.
Cool trivia about Maken X. There was a manga adaptation done by Q Hayashida the author of DoroHeDoro and Dai Dark.
Between Marsh and Dungeon Chill, Im going to be an SMT Scholar.
Omg, I recognized that I played this game when I was watching your video. I was like "Wait....this looks kind of familiar, is this first person?"I played this when I didn't know what SMT was. Ah, the days of going to Blockbuster and picking up a random game.
6:26 a true living in Japan moment.
Japan in the summer is hell
I looked at this on the shelf so much as a child. I'm so stoked for this.
When I was a kid I happened to spot this game on the games shelf in ASDA with a stunningly beautiful girl in a red outfit and I had to have it. That was Maken Shao. I absolutely adored that game even though the gameplay was kinda basic and being so young I had trouble following the story cause I wasn't a great reader and there was no pausing the cut scenes. But I played through every path, unlocked every character and replayed my preferred ending path multiple times. It remains one of my all time favourite games.
Hey DungeonChill, haven't watched the video yet, but planning to watch it with my partner tonight over dinner. But I wanted to say we just got back from our small vacation from Japan. Beautiful country with amazing people and food. It's gonna be hard adjusting back to America without certain conveniences. Although it's nice to be back home. Can't wait to enjoy another classic video by you!
Ayo we finally got that SMT review! Sort of! A little bit!
Talking about creating absolute order with a god's power while striking a JoJo pose is such a power move.
New dungeon on Saturday morning. Perfect! Thank you man
I remember playing this game, and having a really good time with it. Never in my life would have thought this was a SMT spin-off (a saga that I am not really interested in, tried Persona 3 on PS2, and never got me fully hooked). Even still, never knew there was a PS2 version that is fully 3rd person. Crazy how you learn a lot with your videos. Keep the amazing work, Man!
Never knew it was a SMT spinoff... I know MakenX from Q.Hayashida manga and that ps2 game.
It's not
It feels weird despite hanging around the Altus fandom I've never heard anyone talk about this.
Maken X’s cover art, along with D2, Shadowman, Blue Stinger, and Illbleed just to name a few, always stuck out to me ever since I was a little kid growing up with the Dreamcast.
I wasn’t aware of the Persona/SMT series back then, but going back to this game and seeing the art style it’s based on and Atlus being the developers of Maken X all makes sense now 😂
Great video! Always appreciate you bringing these DC gems to the spotlight so I could see what I missed out on all those years ago!
I cannot believe you got to this one before Marsh 😮
I remember first playing this back in the day, when I saw the rain reflections on the streets of Hong Kong it just stopped me in my tracks as it wasn't something I was accustomed to see in a DC Game, and honestly the graphical presentation is fantastic, very few jagged edges when compared to D2 & Even Shenmue. Excellent mastery of the Dreamcast architecture.
Maybe one day you'll check out Blue Submarine No. 6 Time & Tide? It finally has an English translation and it has similarities to Maken X's presentation & structure.
I've got the PS2 version, but I've never played it. I found it used in a bargain bin at my usual shop, and got it for my jrpg collection despite the bad reviews it had online. Anyway, I didn't even pay for it, since the shop owner let me have it for free for being a good client.
In my mind, it was to the SMT franchise what Dirge of Cerberus (which I also own but never played, also due to even worse reviews) was to Final Fantasy, a failed attempt at branching in a different genre. I'm gonna watch your video now and see if I was wrong all along :)
Holy crap this just unlocked a memory for me. I've played this before. I remember playing it before even knowing what SMT was. I never really got very far in it, as far as I can remember. I'm not even sure why I bought it. I think it was probably just something I stumbled upon in an Electronics Botique or something and thought the box art was cool.
oh wow, I played the remake of this on PS2 back in the day, and for years I was certain I was misremembering stuff or conflating a real-game with a fever-dream or something with how weird it was, but no, it's definitely this, I remember the bear-arms man vividly
Mad props for pulling off the stereophonic explaintion on iPhone speakers. That was a neat little experience
Yeah I love that SEGA Dreamcast summer aesthetic too. Gets me melancholic though. I always think of roads not travelled when I see them again
Yooo i love MegaTen so cool to see you covering this! I wish America got PS2 one
I’ve always loved the character designs of this game! Kei in particular has a pretty badass design especially paired with Maken’s sword. So many of these characters feel like MGS bosses but designed by Kaneko lol
Perfect timing for this video since the new game Metaphor just released. I like this franchise a lot and it's always great to hear more about it.
The enemy designs and art are certainly something. I shall never forget the puzzle box bondage guards with the bow on their leg, or their robot spider-riding female counterparts.
we're maken it out of the main series with this one 🔥
I remember playing this game back in the day. I think I still have my original copy… wasn’t too impressed back in the day but might be fun to revisit
I've waited for a video about this game for years now ❤
christmas came early
That oddly shaped jet briefly shown is actually based on a real-life plane, the NASA "Super Guppy" used to transport rockets and other absurdly large cargo between facilities.
WAIT A SECOND! I THOUGHT THIS WAS A MARSH VIDEO!
Dreamcast time.
The start-up screen used to get me caught up SO quick.
It's nice to see a game like this, with a defined visual style, focused gameplay, fresh, despite being 20+years old. It's such a breath of fresh air from the modern gaming scene. I miss those days.
Defined style, focused gameplay and not much else like it out there? Perhaps Clash: Artifacts of Chaos from 2023 may be of interest. Can very warmly recommend.
Jeee-heeee-sus. The audio mixing absolutely breaks my brain and sets off my tinnitus. I can't imagine playing a whole game like that. Dungeon Chill, you're suffering for your art.
44:18 - So that's where Mike Mignola got the idea for The Amazing Screw-On Head, wild
Yo, Dungeon Chill and Marsh fans unite
I love Maken X so much... Also Megami Tense is a spin off of the books
Yo this game has been a fever dream from my childhood for decades. Thank you!!
I heard Ryan Drummond and Lani Minella in those cutscenes! All we need now is the late Deem Bristow and we've got a Dreamcast trifecta!
Very nice, glad to have some context for a game/series I've been adjacent to but dont have time to play.
You never miss with your video topics!
I’m loving all of the games/titles you’ve been picking lately. This is another game I’ve been curious about so looking forward to watching this.
18:20 AKA Gigantor!
I'm stoked to see you dropping another great video. You rock!
Gonna have to rewatch, got lost in the sound of Dungeon Chill's smooth af voice
I had no idea it was a spin off, I got an unopened copy some off years ago, this games actually really good imo
ohhhh baby....i love the endorphins i get when i see a fresh Dungeon Chill video. Not gonna lie i am going to LOSE MY MIND when you drop your retrospective on Metaphor: ReFantazio in 2049
Oh wow i actually saw the cover for this game ages ago, but had no idea it was a SMT game. Actually I didn't even know what SMT was lol game looks sick though
Dude never in my wildest dream did I imagine you emulating an obscure megaten game. Poggers and please do more megaten videos.
I love how Kei just keeps asking Maken questions and just disregarding it's answers.
It took me longer than I want to admit that to realise this wasn't a Marsh video [I had the video on my phone to my side while doing something else]
I finally live to see the day that Dungeon Chill touches SMT games. Today is a good day to me.
Hell yea more Maken X content, and from Dungeon Chill no less.
this game is pretty enjoyable and its nice to see you cover it. i even like the PS2 version as well
Hi, I'm Wartime, and "Dungeon Chill" is my favorite channel on the youtube.
That Schitt's Creek reference was on point lmao
I've never heard of this game! Now that I'm watching this, I can't wait to see the other games along this line. Thank you again for an amazing video!!
It's a cool idea for a game and I wish they revisited it. I wish modern Atlus games had the same gritty cyberpunk x magic edge.
Dungeon Chill and SMT? It's a good day.
When you chose your name I got jump scared for like two seconds until I reread it. I thought it was something else to a second lol.
Nice video, at the very least you helped me realize my speakers are reversed. I won't say how long it's been like that though.
Oh crap. I’ve been hooked on Marsh’s SMT stuff lately and thought this was one of his vids at first. Whoops 😅 Still a damn good video Chill 👍
this came out BEFORE eternal punishment? thats crazy...
I had no idea this existed, thanks for the video! 🤙
We've been eating good the past few months with these great videos
man, I have Metaphor ReFantazio to start today, don't do this to me 😩😩😩
This feels weirdly similar to No More Heroes where the game drips with incredible style, a silly story line, cool blade weapons, and passable-at-best gameplay.
Dungeon Chill and Grimbeard are the best channels on YT. Live long and prosper, you beautiful deviants.
Dungeon Chill x Shin Megami Tensei is no longer only fan fiction
This game looks like Baroque on PS1. Which has a 3rd person remake on PS2. Makan X has a manga by the same author as Dorohedoro.
The one thing that's always consistent with any atlus smt/persona game is the bomb as fuck soundtrack, like they always hit that shit out of the park
The symphonic example was clever.
Oh boy, time for a new video that I'll only watch 10 minutes of because I'll probably actually want to play the game before going through an hour analysis because it looks interesting then by the time I beat the game I'll completely forget about watching the video in the first place!
Maken X is a really interesting game, nice to see people talking about it
Me when DungeonChill uploads: (Eric Andre audience scream voice) YYAEESS
They should try this thing again, just get another studio like Platinum, Team Ninja, or Omega Force to makes it _for_ them. I guess Persona Strikers was that kinda collaboration already, but for Persona..... and that turned out well! It's time for the Persona team to Collab on another Acton game, but for the SMT or perhaps Soul Hackers IP, so they could get REAL weird with it again like they did here
DC has to have the best work ethic, insane quality and quantity each time!
I think I'll try this game at some point. Maybe even before new year.
Played it first time not long ago on my modded dreamcast . And to be honest i was very surprised by the graphics and gameplay . Its a bit crazy and confusing sometimes but its definitely a good game
Intro freestyle time: Playing too much friggin Jack bros, left a painful tingle on the bridge of my nose