With people falling into televisions and a mysterious string of deaths. Persona 4 starts off with a bang. Starring the protagonist Male MC (Main Character) from the Persona 4 game and the characters accurately transcribed from game to anime series, the anime adaptation of the game has just aired its fourth episode.

Persona 4 anime is an action, suspense, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy anime that delves into psychology. The anime examines social issues such as how one views / expresses oneself based on the standards of society while forcing individuals to acknowledge the less desirable parts of themselves. This is evident in episode two in which Yosuke Hanamura encounters his persona and has to accept his shadow (essentially a summation of everything he rejects about himself due to society and appearances).

Of course, we have to review this classic game for the Playstation 2, just before the anime starts.

If there are readers unfamiliar with the Persona series, it's a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise made by Atlus that places normal Japanese high schoolers physically manifesting their inner self against the dark pits of humanity's consciousness. Persona 4 is obviously the fourth installment with a silent protagonist, in which the player controls and names. The premise starts out as the protagonist transferring into Yasogami High School, somewhere in the boonies called Inaba. On the very first day, the player is hit with plot as there happens to be an unexplained murder in the quaint town, and the protagonist and his friends decide to solve the murder, in what happens to be the happiest tone in a video game about murders. Oh and the characters can go into T.Vs, because that's where the Shadows live, and the next victims are shown on a mysterious channel called the Midnight Channel, available only when the fog's the thickest in Inaba.

Between summoning Personas, the manifestations of the inner self, and rescuing people from the Shadows, the ugly side of humanity's thoughts, the protagonist creates social links among the other playable characters and non-playable ones to strengthen his Personae. You can even date the female social links, sometimes all at once, fulfilling the pimp quota of the game. Oh yeah.

The cherry on top is that this game is rated M, for language (they say shit all the time), sexuality--ooh boy, concealing your true self does have dire consequences, and pimpage.

But seriously the game is hard to describe if someone has never played the Persona series before, because the plot is just out there. So it is something you should jump in blind. And enjoy, for there is a New Game Plus mode, and difficulty modes as well, for people who are total newbies, or something challenging for the veterans of the series.

Atlus creators of the well received persona games, has recently announced that they will be working with Arc System Works  (the creators of Blazblue) in order to create Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena. What makes this announcement so interesting is that instead of taking the traditional turn based RPG stlye, staple of the persona series, this game will be a fighting game.  However it doesn't stop there, Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena will be a crossover fighting game featuring characters from both persona 3 and 4, and complete storylines for both sides. It's always great to see established companies try something new, it's even better when they go to the right people for help. Considering the success of Blazblue i have no doubt this new Persona will be one to remember.

Fortunately that's not all the news we have for you persona fans. Atlus has confirmed that Persona 4 will be ported to the Playstation Vita. Termed Persona 4: The Golden, the port features a new opening and song, Marie (a brand new character), 1.5 times the voice-overs of the original, new: animations, outfits and persona's, as well as the ability to use the wireless features of the Vita system to request help when losing in a dungeon, as well as a fan requested feature that as of right now is still a secret.

Of course what's cake with out icing?  When paired with the other two reveals, this last one is certainly Atlus' icing on the cake. Persona 5 is in the works, while its nowhere near ready to be released, just knowing it exists is a present in itself. Persona 4: The Golden will release Spring 2012, Ultimate Mayonaka Arena will release in the arcades Spring 2012, and will then head to the PS3 and XBox 360 consoles in the Summer of the same year.

Nintendo must really want their future pride and joy, the Nintendo 3DS, to be successful. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclock has been confirmed as the newest addition to the growing list of 3DS launch titles. However, it's a remake of Devil Survivor which came out on regular DSes not too long ago. It's obviously a marketing ploy to have at least a few decent titles for the successor to the Nintendo DSi XL. Of course, Devil Survivor Overclock will have extra goodies not available in the previous game, such as an extra scenario, full voice acting, and more demons you can beat the snot out of.

Currently, there's no specific release date for Japan, North America, or Europe-- although the game is allegedly 90% complete.

Sources: Tiny Cartridge, Product-Reviews