Though its time in the spotlight has long since passed, the 3DS is still a great place to play some incredible games. It was a particularly strong console if you loved RPGs and puzzle games.?? But the 3DS did a great job of bringing 3D action games into the portable realm. Overall, it's an incredible little system with a ki??ller library to enjoy.

Some of the games will be harder to get your hands on, especially those only purchasable from the now defunct eShop. But if you can get some time with these games, it'll be absolutely worth the hassle. To avoid any ranking issues, these games are in alphabetical order.?? We've also included some honorable mentions at the end for remakes and ports.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Not only is it one of the best 3DS games, Animal Crossing: New Leaf easily has the most hours spent on a 3DS game for a lot of people. It was a tremendous showing for the series when it launched in 2012. Becoming the mayor of your town and having a lot more control over how it looked really resonated with players. While nobody was really backing the amiibo part of the Welcome Amiibo! update, the massive boost in content helped cement this game as a must-have for all 3DS owners. Many people consider this the definitive Animal Crossing to this day.

Attack of the Friday Monsters!

One of the 3DS's strengths was being home for a lot of great, smaller games. The eShop allowed for digital distribution and cheaper price points, which attracted a lot of more niche projects. One such game was the Level 5 published Attack of the Friday Monsters! It's a very cutesy tale of kaiju attacking a small Japanese town. Its very Gh?ibli-esque in the presentation of this f??antastic journey. The charming presentation proves that quality and scale are matters of perspective.

Azure Striker Gunvolt

One of the biggest breakout stars of the 3DS was the studio Inti Creates Co. They managed to bring a lot of unique twists to retro ideas for truly engaging games. One of their best was the Azure Striker Gunvolt series. The name is a bit of a mouthful, but the gameplay is as smooth as it gets. It's like a juiced up Mega Man X style platformer wi??th some unique mechanics. Fortunately, the series isn't bound to the 3DS anymore, so yo?u can enjoy these games on other places like Steam.

Bravely Second

Sometimes, it's easy to go with the flow. You don't always have to reinvent the wheel when making a game, especially RPGs. Bravely Default, and it's sequel, established that there's still plenty of room to explore the JRPG genre. Turn based combat has rarely felt this fun and engaging. The Job System allows characters to switch classes with a snap. It lets you build the party how you want. If you've ever enjoyed a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, you ?owe it to yourself to check this series out.

Etrian Odyssey Nexus

We picked Etrian Odyssey Nexus because it's sort of a 'best of' for the series. It's the most recent, and probably one of the most feature complete. If you've only got time for one of these massive dungeon-crawling RPGs, this is probably your best bet. However, the general series lacks a lot of typical storytelling. There's more of a focus on the party customization and mapping features. If you're into games with a more direct story, we would recommend one of the Etrian Odyssey Untold games. These are remakes of the first two titles, originally on DS, that add more of a through-line narrative. These ??games can be as tough as JRPGs get, though later entries allow for plenty of difficulty customization. Frankly, there's not a bad game in the series. The original 3 ??DS games were remade for Switch and Steam recently if you want another avenue to check these games out. But top notch visuals and fully orchestrated music on 3DS are hard to beat. Plus, making your own maps on the 3DS screen is just fun!

Fire Emblem Awakening

The Fire Emblem series always felt like a fairly niche one, not even making it stateside until the Game Boy Advance. Even then, it wasn't terribly common to find people who knew about them. That all changed with Fire Emblem Awakening. The game found a hell of a stride with its gameplay, storytelling, presentation, and mechanics. The amount of customization over your roster and the interactions with party members gave players something more to invest in. The newly added difficulty settings probably also helped the game find a broader audience. Several other Fire Emblem games came out for 3DS, and while they're good, none of them are quite as great as Awakening. That said, check out Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Velentia for a cool, different take on the series.

Kirby: Planet Robobot

Kirby started on handheld and always felt a bit more at home there than on consoles. But, the pink puff put in the work on 3DS. Kirby: Triple Deluxe was great, and there are a ton of fun spin-off games. However, nothing compares to the platforming perfection of Planet Robobot. Even now, this might be Kirby's best 2D platforming game. It's almost upsetting that they decided to remake Return to Dreamland for Switch before this. But, in any case, it'?s a delightful game with one of the b??est soundtracks.

Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

When Nintendo stated they were toying around with remaking A Link to the Past in 3D, it was exciting. That's one of the best video games ever, at least to a lot of people. Then, they suddenly announced that it had grown into a new game. It was hard to tell just how effective the new wall-merging mechanic would be at first. Once you got your hands on the game, however, it all became clear. This wasn't just a silly, slapped-on gimmick. The wall-merging was a truly awesome ability that played with the perspective of the traditionally 2D game in fun, new ways. On top of that, A Link Between Worlds was a solid Zelda adventure. It featured a more open-ended approach to world design that let players pick and choose their destinations, which would become a series s??taple for the next decade.

Mario Kart 7

It didn't feel quite as exciting as when Mario Kart DS came out, but the 3DS title proved to be a new standard for the series. It introduced the concept of customizable karts to the series, allowing players to fine-tune their playstyle. It looked great, played better, and would only by surpassed by the unbelievably awesome Mario Kart 8.

Metroid: Samus Returns

Yes, Metroid: Samus Returns is technically a remake of the original Metroid 2 GameBoy Game. But it's such a vast reimagining, and such an incredible game, that it deserves to be on the main list anyway. It was an incredible return to a long dormant franchise. The innovations to combat featuring a more melee-focused counter system helped to create engaging new layers for the standard Metroid combat. If not for Samus Returns, we wouldn't have seen the eventual realization of Metroid Dread.

Persona Q 2: New Cinema Labyrinth

Nintendo fans may not have been used to Persona games, so bringing spin-offs to 3DS seemed weird. But any Persona fan can tell you that the Q games are fantastic. They're similar in structure to the Etrian Odyssey games, featuring a focus on dungeon crawling. However, they have all the customizable combat and killer music you'd expect from the Persona franchise. The Persona Q2 specifically has the rosters of Persona 3, 4, and 5 mixed? to??gether. These games are simply too good to pass by.

Picross 3D Round Two

Puzzle fans may have fallen in love with the Picross series at some point, but the Picross 3D games on DS and 3DS are incredible. If you're into any kind of number puzzle games like Sudoku, we highly recommend checking this one out. You use numbers and logic to break away at a large block until you form a 3D object. It's fun, immensely satisfying, and a great game for the pick up/put down nature of the 3DS. If you're into more 2D Picross games, check out the Picross e series by Jupit?er, they're all great. There's a ton of them on Switch, too.

Pocket Card Jockey

Horse racing has never been so engaging! Who knew that all it was missing was some solitaire! It may sound ridiculous, but it's immensely engaging. Not until Balatro would there be a card game that steals so much of ou??r sleep aw??ay from us.

Project X Zone 2

Namco, Sega, Capcom, and Nintendo characters all mashed into one tactics game. What more could anybody possibly want? These two great games, developed by Monolith Soft, feature a massive collection of characters from all sorts of your favorite franchises dueling together on a grid. Project X Zone's tile-based combat is engaging, even if the story is a little... nonsensical. Still, it's another great strategy game with a fun cast to work with. We never knew how badly we wanted to see KOS-MOS, Jill Valentine, and Tron Bonne team up before these games. And, in Project X Zone 2, Fire Emblem characters join in for an even crazier mash-up.

Pushmo

Sure, this game isn't going to revolutionize the way you think about video games as an artform. But sometimes, all you need is a great puzzle game. Pushmo is all about moving around blocks to create platforms to climb to the top of the structure you're on. It sound??s simple, but it can be a real head scratcher at tim?es. The charming presentation makes this a wonderful little package overall.

Shin Megami Tensei IV

Shin Megami Tensei IV is a standalone game, you don't need to have played the previous games to understand it. It's basically a perfect game RPG. It might not be reinventing the genre like Bravely Default, but it proves that you can still make a hell of a great game with a "standard" formula. The atmosphere, story, and gameplay are some of the all-time best of any Japanese RPGs. The sequel, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, might be off-putting for some due to its much str?anger story ??and more punishing mechanics. But if that doesn't sound bad to you, then we whole-heartedly recommend that as well.

Shovel Knight

While this has certainly appeared on every platform under the sun, it's original release on 3DS was a monumental success. In some ways, that's still the best version of the game. It made a strong case for the 3D slider with it's strong presentation. Shovel Knight is a pixel perfect platformer that combines the best ideas of the NES generation into a solid, modern game. There has since been a ton of new campaigns and content added to it, as well as a few spinoffs,?? but it's hard to beat that original game.

Super Mario 3D Land

We're still amazed how easy it is to go back and pick this game up and have fun. It never fails. There's a ton of brilliant levels that seem to combine design elements of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario Galaxy into one of the best 3D platformers out there. It was eventually followed up by Super Mario 3D World on Wii U and Switch, but there's still ?something ??charming about the scope of the 3DS title. It's easily one of Mario's best 3D games.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

This game kind of came out of nowhere. It feels like a Tom Clancy game in name only. It's actually a tactical RPG like Advance Wars. In fact, since Advance Wars never touched the 3DS, this is the best way for you to scratch that itch. It's an incredibly well designed tactics game, even if you're not normally someone who's very into the "Clancy-verse." The story leans very hard into more science-fiction territory, imagining future tools of ?war like camouflage cloaks and crazy weapons.

VVVVVV

This oddly-named indie title is a tough-as-spikes platformer that will have you screaming "I've got this!" over and over until you're pulling your hair out. Then you'll actually make the impossible series of jumps, and find something even more insane on the next screen. It's tough, but satisfying game??play will be off-putting for some, but we think a lot of people will find this game an a?bsolute blast. Fortunately, it's not just locked to the 3DS these days.

Honorable Mentions for Remakes and Ports

• Digital Devil Survivor 1 and 2: Originally, these were both DS games. Atlus gave them a fresh update for the 3DS, adding new content and improved mechanics. They're a unique mixture of the Shin Megami Tensei formula with grid-based tactics gameplay. The results are highly enjoyable, replayable RPGs about the surviving the end of the world.
• Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn: A port of the Wii game, this is an excellent platformer with a deceptively cute exterior. While it's a game where you can't die, the real trick is finding all the secrets and making it to the end of the level with all your collected gems. This approach of easy-to-play, difficult-to-master design makes for a game that is as engaging as it is ruthlessly adorable.

• Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D: It's Majora's Mask with improved features and graphics. Of course we also recommend Ocarina of Time 3D as well. Some of us have a stronger fondness for the weirder, offbeat tones of the sequel, though.
• Poochy &Yoshi's Wooly World: While it lost some of the charm of Wooly World's visuals on Wii U, the gameplay is still top notch. If you're a fan of Yoshi's Island, this is easily the best anyone has come to replicating that, and maybe even improving it.
• Rhythm Heaven Megamix: It's a crime we haven't had a new Rhythm Heaven in so long, because it's a great series. Even this was more of a "Best of" compilation of re-made songs and games. If you've never played one of these whacky rhythm games, you should absolutely seek this out.
• Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux: Another DS game that Atlus gave a huge update for the 3DS. It's another dungeon crawler, like Etrian Odyssey, but focuses more on puzzle solving than mapping. The sci-fi trappings are also a unique touch for the standard demon-hunting series. The combat can be punishing, so this is not a game for the feint of heart.
• WarioWare Gold: Similar to Rhythm Heaven Megamix, this was a best-of collection of the micro-game series. And just like Rhythem Heaven Megamix, you absolutely should have this game in your collection.

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BABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABY...

If there's one aspect of the Persona series that truly epitomizes the franchise's slick and stylish aesthetic, it's the smooooth sounds. Every Persona title has been blessed with a magnetic and electrifying score, usuall??y consisting of pulse-pounding beats, smooth jazz tones, and completely? and utterly baffling lyrics.

From today, Persona fans can soundtrack their own lives with the same tunes that scored the adventures of The Phantom Thieves, The Investigation Team, and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. As noted by AniPlaylist, music streaming service Spotify h?as just added a slew of OSTs from the glo??bally-popular RPG franchise.

Spotify now hosts a playlist of 14 Persona albums, compiling a whopping 746 tracks taken from 1999's Persona 2: Innocent Sin, right through to 2016's Persona 5. Also accounted for are fighting game Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Nintendo 3DS spin-offs Persona Q: Shadow of Labyrinth and Persona Q 2: New Cinema Labyrinth, as well as a live recording of the "Night ??of the Phantom" concert – which took place at Japan's Budokan Hall back?? in 2015.

Currently, the OSTs for Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers have not been made available for purchase, and as such are not included here. Still, there's more than enough awesome music to keep you going as you steal hearts, bat?tle demons, and solve murders in the real world. Just don't go diving into an??y TV sets.

The available soundtracks are as follows:

• Persona 2 Sound Collection Vol. 6

• Persona 3 FES Original Soundtrack

• Persona 3 Original Soundtrack

• Persona 4: Dancing All Night Original Soundtrack

• Persona 4: Dancing All Night Soundtrack Advanced CD

• Persona 4 Golden Original Soundtrack

• Persona 4 Original Soundtrack

• Never More - Reincarnation: Persona 4 -

• Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Original Soundtrack

• Persona 5 Original Soundtrack

• Persona Music Fes 2013 ~in Nippon Budokan

• Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Original Soundtrack

• Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Original Soundtrack

• Persona Super Live 2015 in Nippon Budokan – Night of the Phantom -

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Persona 4 Golden for PC also a success

Publisher Atlus has expressed its happiness with the sales of recent releases within its beloved JRPG series, Persona. As noted in the company's latest financial report, both Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers exceeded the company's sales expectations.

Though Atlus has not revealed the specifics regarding unit numbers or revenue gained, the publisher is undoubtedly pleased with the overall sales of 2016's Persona 5, 2019's Persona 5 Royal, and 2020's Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers - the latter of which is still yet to receive a western localisation. In addition, the recent PC port of 2012's Persona 4 Golden is also said to have been a huge succes?s, and will no doubt pave the way for future PC endeavours.

While not directly mentioned it should also be noted that the last two years also saw the launch of Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, and the long-awaited Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. As the series continues to go from strength to ?strength, adding curious newcomers to its burgeoning fanbase, it's difficult to imagine Atlus (and parent company Sega) not hitching their wagon to this franchise into the next generation and beyond.

Persona 5 Royal is available now on PS4. Persona 4 Golden is available now on PC via Steam.

Atlus reports exceeded sales targets for Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Scrambl??e [Persona Central]

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Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth

It's a bit fitting, isn't it, that Destructoid's final award for portable gaming should go to a developer well known for its support of video game devices long after they've been replaced. Over the last 12 calendar months, Atlus has given Vita and 3DS owners reason to turn on? their oft-ignored handhelds? again and again. And unlike some other developers, Atlus didn't phone it in on its final games.

Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, and Etrian Odyssey Nexus were top tier titles in their respective genres, but none had as big an impact on the Destructoid staff as category winner Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Not only is the game well designed, varied, and a massive improvement over the original in how welcoming an experience it is for players, but it's perhaps the best snapshot of what kept the 3DS relevant long af??ter the Switch usurped it: meaty JRPG experiences.

So congratulations Atlus and from everyone still turning on their 3DS for a quick dungeon crawl before bed, tha?nk you for gi??ving us ample reasons to do so.

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Ain't I a Joker?

We're officially in Persona 5 overdrive mode.

While every Persona game runs the risk of being overexposed, the people over at Atlus are really looking out for the Phantom Thieves, as they've already gotten their rhythm spinoff, and are set to host a Koei-Tecmo-led Musou h?ack and slash, as well as star in a litany of cameos in other games.

That list includes Persona Q2, because while the original Persona Q was meant to be a crossover?? of sorts, the spotlight-stealing Phantom Thieves are taking point this time around.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (3DS)
Developer: P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus/Sega
Released: November 29, 2018 (JP), June 4, 2019 (WW)
MSRP: $39.99

A lot of you probably groaned at the idea of more Joker and company. Hell, a lot of people weren't even receptive to Persona 5 The Royal, and thought that the crew had already overstayed their welcome with one core Persona entry. How much you'll enjoy Persona Q2 really does hinge on what side of the fence you're on. Me? I could watch these clowns fool around for another ??100 hours.

Interestingly enough it can also be your intro to Persona 5. While you'll most definitely get more out of the little micro-interactions between cast members and pick up on some references in the dialogue, this is very much built as a side story that just happen??s to have the Phantom Thieves in it. You'll get a quick rundown of the gang (like really quick, five minutes tops), then you're diving into the game's dungeons, doled out through the lens of a movie the??ater dreamscape. You'll easily be able to pick up on their various quirks and discern their relationships over time, with the exception of Morgana, the morphing cat companion.

What plays out can only be described as an interactive anime, which is much of the draw of a lot of Atlus RPGs. There's plenty of moments of respite with quipping, lots of time spent in menus, and heaps of anime cutscenes when important events play out. The cinema motif is wonderful, and only adds to the already heavy David Lynchian themes that the Persona series wears on its sleeve.

The gist is that you're thrown into different worlds that are made in the image of a specific character. For the first universe, a scummy teacher fancies himself a superhero so egotistical that he doesn't mind squashing citizens in his wake: everything is over-the-top, from the enemy designs to the Metropolis style theme. All this time the cast members are roasting the world and the denizens that inhabit it, which only adds to the fun. There are no English voiceovers in Q2, which might bum some people out, but ?it's basically business as usual for me.

The way the actual game plays out is similar to the Etrian Odyssey series, which is hella niche so I'll explain a bit. You know those first-person '90s PC dungeon crawlers? Well you'll take on that viewpoint as you navigate through mazes filled with random encounter-triggered enemies and big bads called FOEs. Enemies are fought with a traditional turn-based JRPG battle system, and FOEs are basically superbosses that need to be tact??ically sidestepped lik?e puzzles.

Persona Q2 facilitates all of this with a satisfying exploration-based formula (so long as you have a penchant for traipsing about dungeons). You go into dungeons, walk around, locate treasure and shortcuts, map everything out, and repeat until you've finished each world. Combat is very traditional but satisfying, as you start with par?ty members who can fulfill every traditional niche, and the weakness/scan system keeps you interested even in the most menial fights. Mapping is key here, as the game allows you to manually track paths with the bottom 3DS screen, so you're kinda-sorta figuring it out all on the go. 

This is 100% my aesthetic. I still to this da??y make notes in journals (whether it's by way of the 3DS or a digital notebook/actual notebook), a relic of my past gaming habits. I love the idea of jumping into a maze, mucking around trying to map it out, getting to the goal, chatting it up with characters I like, and doing it all over again. To some, that might sound like torture and that's okay. If you want you can turn all of the exploration mechanics off, and just have the game fill in the maze for you (though you'll need to mark points of interest such as treasure).

The concessions don't stop there. If you hated the original Persona Q because it was brutal and unforgiving, Atlus took nearly all of that feedback to heart with this sequel. Everything is much more compartmentalized, healing your party is an easier affair that won't make you penniless, and the difficulty settings can be swapped to account for every playstyle. You also still get plenty of crossover potential from other Persona gam??es, even if the core focus is Joker and his friends.

Another thing I noticed when comparing Q2 to its predecessor is that it's a bit more genuine. The first game had the tendency to go overboard with some of the characterizations of its cast, but with Q2 the dialogue is slightly more nuanced or tongue-in-cheek. The same goes? for various interactions, as Atlus is keen on exploring a little more than surface-leve??l traits. While the original had its moments, you can probably just start here.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth hinges on a few hefty qualifiers. You have to dig JRPGs for one, and be willing to accept random battles in 2019. You also have to not be sick of Persona 5's characters, which for some, is a tall order. For everyone else, there's plenty of fun to be had. It also gets major points as one of the potentially final big 3DS releases from a major publisher that is best served on the 3DS platform. As stylus-based touchscreens are phased out, Persona Q2 is one last rallying battle cry.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Business as usual

Not too much longer to go - about six weeks - before western Persona fans will be able to go on another exciting adventure with Joker, Ryuji, Mitsuru, Chie and that kid with the long socks, in the localised edition of Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.

Atlus, staying true to?? franchise form, has already announced a wealth of DLC which will be dropping on the first day of release. 27 items will be available come launch, one of them - an item set - will be free. There will also be three battle music sets which will be free for the first month, before transitioning to paid DLC like everything else.

The paid DLC items run about one to three dollars each, and unfortunately include extra Navi guides, such as Margar?et and Nanako, Elizabeth and Theodore and my personal faves, Justine and Caroline, as well as a range of Sub-Personas?, in-game items and paid XP and money multipliers.

You can check out the full list of items below. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches on Nintendo 3DS in the west June 4.

• Accessory: Encounter Control:$0.99
• Accessory: Experience Up: $0.99
• Accessory: Money Up: $0.99
• Item: Gourmet Set:$0.99
• Item: Level Up Set: $0.99
• Item: Movie Snack Set: Free
• Navi: Elizabeth & Theodore: $2.99
• Navi: Justine & Caroline:$2.99
• Navi: Margaret & Nanako: $2.99
• Sub-Persona: Ariadne: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Ariadne Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Asterius: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Asterius Picaro: $1.99 
• Sub-Persona: Izanagi Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Kaguya: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Kaguya Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Messiah Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Orpheus Picaro: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Thanatos: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Thanatos Picaro: $1.99 
• Sub-Persona: Tsukiyomi: $1.99
• Sub-Persona: Tsukiyomi Picaro: $1.99

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Pint-sized troublemakers headed west

A new trailer for Atlus' upcoming localisation of Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth re-introduces us to one of gaming's most over-dramatic band of heroes in some time, Persona 5's Phantom Thieves.

For those of you living off-grid for the last few years, The Phantom Thieves are a band of schoolchums who have the ability to enter one's subconscious and explore their innermost thoughts and feelings. Through this ability, they have the power to compel their target's to have a "change? of heart" and con?fess to their wrongdoings. Of course, no-one elected them to do this, and as such the practice leads many to question what gives them the right to do decide who is and isn't deserving of what is, essentially, a form of brainwashing.

Headed up by Ren Ayamiya - better known by his handle "Jo?ker" The Phantom Thieves comprises of the hot-headed Ryuji Sakamoto, the cheerful Ann Takamaki, the studious Makoto Niijima, artistic Yusuke Kitagawa, tech-head Futaba Sakura?, classy rich-kid Haru Okumura and Morgana, their somewhat temperamental talking cat.

Meet all these cool characters, and also Goro Akechi, in the video below. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is available on?? Nintendo 3DS in Japan now, and arrives in Europe and North America June 4.

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Last chance to pre-order

If you're looking to get your hands on the awesome looking Persona Q2 Premium Edition bundle, you'll need to act fast. Atlus U.S.A. confirmed on Twitter that stock is running low and a restock will not be happening. Once the current stock is gone, the "Launch Edition" will be ??the only remaining option for a physical copy of the game.

You can head over to the official Persona Q2 website to secure your copy or put an order in on Amazon.com. Amazon currently has a $5 discount on the title, not to mention free shipping with Prime. Even if you end up not liking the game, $65 is hard??ly a lot to pay for what is sure to be a hot collector's item. I would expect prices to skyrocket after this sells out.

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. [Twitter]

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The 3DS will never die

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is finally coming to the West. Atl??us announced that the long-awaited 3DS title will be heading to America and Europe on June 4, 2019. It will be available for $39.99 for the standard edition and $69.99 for the "Showtime Premium Edition."

The premium edition will contain a 5" Koromaru plush, an art book, four collectible buttons and playing cards featuring characters from the ??game. A launch edition of the standard version will also contain the same four buttons, so you can get those without shelling out more.

This is likely to be the last big release for the 3DS system. Nintendo might?? surprise us with the announcement of some fan requested Wii port, but I doubt many other developers will be releasing large games like this in 2019. Whether or not this is the swan song the 3DS deserves, at least it will be going out on a high note.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Confirmed for the West with Re??lease? Date, Collector's Edition [IGN]

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'Dance, Carmen!'

Atlus is ringing in the new week with a new trailer for their Nintendo 3DS sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which is just a couple of weeks a??way? from its Japanese release.

Today the spotlight shines on popular gal Ann Takamaki of Persona 5. One of the founding members of the Phantom Thieves, Ann is directly linked to the very first Palace encountered by the newly-formed team of schoolfriends and heart-stealers. Donning the wh?ip-cracking identity of "Panther", Ann provides assistance on the battlefield and heartfelt, optimistic support whenever the chips are down in the real world.

Ann's trailer is, if you can believe it, the 33rd character trailer to be released by Atlus in promotion of the handheld adventure, and you can bet your last dollar that they aren't quite finished yet. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29.

The post Persona Q2’s Ann Takamaki getting ready to pounce appeared first on Destructoid.

More characters that Dynasty Warriors

Death, Taxes and Persona Q2 trailers, right? Today's offering from Atlus, showcasing the roster for the upcoming 3DS release Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, features the popular Yukari Takeba.

Starring in PS2 classic Persona 3, Yukari is a student of Gekkoukan High and a member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES). One of the SEES members who has a direct familial link to the otherworldly events surrounding Persona 3, Yukar??i is a steadfast and loyal teammate, despite her deep-rooted fear of ghostly ph??????????????????????????enomenon and death.

Persona Q2 launches later this month in Japan, although we haven't received any word of a western localization, one seems likely to follow, given the release of the original title and the upcoming Persona Dancing games. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth arrives in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 23.

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Fiery fashionista returns to action

Atlus has released their twenty-fifth character trailer for upcoming Nintendo 3DS release Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. But ??it's a doozy, bringing the classy Mitsuru Kirijo?? into the limelight.

Appearing in PS2 classic Persona 3, Mitsuru is one of the more mature player characters in the series, being the ripe old age of 20. As the "bigger sister" to the SEES, Mitsuru displays natural leadership and supportive skills, whilst maintaining a commanding air of aloofness and an amazing sense of fashion. With her never-say-die attitude, it is Mitsuru's strong will that proves to be a vital plot device at Persona 3's shocking climax.

In this trailer, one shot has Mitsuru and Persona 5's Makoto IN THE SAME SCENE, which will probably cause most 3DS consoles to self-destruct from all the awesome. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, launches in Japan on November 29 on Nintendo 3DS. A western localization announcement cannot come quick enoug??h.

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He has that hair going for him, but that's it

Atlus continues its run of constant character trailers today with the reveal that Goro Akechi will be making his presence known in upcoming Nintendo 3DS sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.

Super-genius super-detective Akechi is a handsome young lad who turns up in Persona 5 to make everyone's lives a misery. Armed with a posh briefcase and an intolerably smug chuckle. Akechi spends the whole g??ame whining about how The Phantom Thieves are the cool kids whilst he's just a government narc who wears gloves indoors.

In this trailer, Akechi teams up with Persona 4's own junior detective Naoto, despite not being worthy to shine her shoes. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches on Nintendo 3DS in Japan on November 29; hopefully we won't have to wait too long? to hear news of a western localization.

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Mistress of Meticulosity

Today's trailer for Atlus handheld sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth brings on board another favourite from the mysterious Velvet Room. This time its the tur??n of Margaret, ??who joins her Persona hosting pals Theodore, Caroline &; Justine.

Appearing in Persona 4, Margaret's role is to assist Igor and the protagonist in the management and registration of Persona. Among the extended roster of Persona characters, Margaret is presented as one of the most mature, loyal and professional individuals, highly-skilled at her work and flawless in her... erm...? execution (no pun intended).

You can check out her fellow Velvet Room assistants in their own trailers here and here. In the meantime, the wait goes on for the inevitable localisation announcement. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, launches in Japan November 29 on Nintendo 3DS

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Legs on point, literally

I was starting to get concerned, as it had been almost five days since Atlus posted a new trailer for their Nintendo 3DS sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Fortunately, a new character spot arrived today, starring Persona 3's cutesy bodyguard bot, Aigis.

Designed as an anti-Shadow weapon, Aigis is seemingly the last functioning unit in existence. Aigis joins up with the SEES team at Gekkouken High where she demonstrates a strong call of duty to protect the protagonist. Although she starts out unemotionally following protocol, Aigis eventually warms to the concept of emotion, developing the abi?lity to emote, care and even fall in love like a real human.

And she has a missile launcher stored in her b??ack.

Aigis joins the long list of characters from Persona 3 & 5 teaming up to take on bosses in a selection of cinematic dungeons, covering various movie genres. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS Nov??ember 29. There has been no word yet on a western ??localisation.

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'I wish I'd brought my sketchbook...'

The dominating march of Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth trailers continues, as Atlus releases its latest spot for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS RPG. Today sees the arrival of one of the Persona series most stoic individuals, tortured ar?tist Yusuke Kitagaw??a.

Star of Persona 5 and? one of the first additions to the Phantom Thieves, Yusuke is a young adult who lives for the beauty and tragedy of the real world and beyond. An amazingly talented artist, Yusuke's aloof, even pretentious attitude paints over a kind, deep and caring individual. On the battlefield, however, Yusuke is as talented with a blade as he is with a brush.

Yusuke joins his fellow Phantom Thieves, as well as the heroes of previous Persona titles, in this new adventure sporting an all-star cast. With a hip cinema aesthetic, The gang of chibi protagonists must battle through a variety of dungeons, all? given a Hollywood-style makeover. It's shaping up to be a very novel concept.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan November 29. We're still wai??ting on word for a western localisation.

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More smol than ever before

Atlus are getting the week off to a flying start with their latest Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth character trailer, which today features the delightful duo from Persona 5's Velvet Room, Caroline and Justine.

As jailers and underlings of Igor, Caroline a??nd Justine are responsible for the overseeing of protagonist Joker's rehabilitation, as well as the execution, registration and fusing of various Persona, so there's some real darkness behind their sweet appearance. Justine is the Good Cop, attempting to show compassion and care toward her charges, whilst Caroline is a tsundere Ba??d Cop, spitting sharp orders and commands to her prisoner.

These girls will maintain their regular duties in Persona Q2, managing the team's gathered Persona an?d fusing them for upgrades. No doubt they'll also find the time to pass judgement on your actions through the silver screen. Not that they like you or anything, b-baka.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29.

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Winged Doge joins the team

We're pushing on for a whopping twenty trailers for Atlus handheld adventure Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, with no signs on slowing down anytime soon. This new trailer is one for the mascots, starring Persona 3's canine pal Koromaru.

Also known as "The Pretentious Tenderfoot", Koromaru is an albino Siba Inu and the faithful mascot of the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad. Loosely based on Japan's famous doggy-legend "Hachiko", Koromaru is ??a fiercely loyal and trusted friend.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29.

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Joker and Co. strut their colourful stuff

Although I'm a fan of anime, I find that, a lot of the time, its animation is inconsistent, usually lacking in smooth character movement, occasionally unreliable in terms of anatomy and perspective. Regardless, it can always? be relied upon to deliver great colour, exciting camera angles, cinematic lighting and interesting, sometimes dreamlike, shot composition.

Case in point, this opening movie from Atlus' upcoming handheld title Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which will see heroes from multiple Persona games gather together to fight off innumerable demons on the silver screen. This slick and?? stylish intro does a great job of capturing the mood and style of the series, splashed in palette of beautiful, warm colours.

Almost everyone gets a look-in, from the series' body of protagonists, to starlets like Mitsuru and Haru, ass-kickers Makoto and Chie, a trio of goo??fy sidekicks and even nobody's favourite character Goro Akechi. The video makes for a funky couple of minutes, sure to put a spring in your step. I'm convinced it's the best way to start you??r Monday morning.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29. I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing it on t?his side of the globe eventually, though I doubt it will slide into view anytime soon.

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Cutie protagonists lead the way

This weekend's Tokyo Game Show brought some fun news for eager fans of the upcoming Nintendo 3DS sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Atlus released not one, not two, not even three, but four character trailers, looking at t?he series' ?respective protagonists.

This quartet of stylish stars include Persona 5's Phantom Thieves leader, Joker, as well as the male protagonists from Persona 3, Persona 4 and the much-requested female protagonist from re-release Persona 3 Portable,? who seems to have missed a spot in the dancing titles, but will, apparently, have a feature role in this handheld adventure.

You can check out the trailers for the four heroes below, which is your favourite? Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launche?s in Japan on November 29. No doubt a western release will be forthcoming in 2019, given Atlus' recent localisation efforts.

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Are you a fan?

Atlus are showing in the weekend in style with the next character trailer for upcoming Nintendo 3DS sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Today se??es the arrival of Persona 4's well-off high-school student Yukiko Amagi.

Super-smart, super-polite and also super-rich, Yukiko is till somewhat naive in the ways of everyday life for those who aren??'t living that silver spoon lifestyle. Regardless, she is fiercely loyal to her buddies. Protective of her pals in battle, Yukiko can always be relied upon to come through in a pinch, be it taking on swarms of enemies in battle, or serving up a delicious bowl of Mystery Food X.

Yukiko joins Persona Q2's all-star cast of characters, including Morgana, Ryuji, and Naoto, as well as Velvet Room assistants Theodore and Elizabeth. With crossover from two Persona titles, that's quite the roster for you to explore  when Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth ?launches in Japan, November 29, for Nintendo 3DS.

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For those who like their popcorn sweet

Today is a day that exists, therefore publisher Atlus has decided to drop another character trailer for the upcoming chibi-filled sequel Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, headed toward Nintendo 3DS.

The star of today's short trip into weirdness is not, in fact, a member of SEES or The Phantom Thieves, for it is Velvet Room assistant Theodore, who makes an appearance in Persona 3 Portable - should the player choose the female protagonist. The polite young servant is seen here dressed as a large bag of popcorn, because reasons. No doubt his role as assist?ant transitions to him being an usher in the c??inema-set new adventure.

Theodore's trailer is the eighth character trailer so far, with a long road ahead until the remaining cast of this strange-looking title have all had their moment in the spotlight. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29.

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'Tsh... I don't need your help'

Atlus are not messing around when it comes to putting out these mini-trailers for the cast of upcoming RPG Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Makes se?nse, really, as they have a helluva lot of guys?? 'n' gals to get through.

Today sees the spotlight shine on Persona 3's man of shifty eyes and lengthy overcoats, Shinjiro Aragaki. Wearing the whole "Unapproachable bad boy who actually has a heart of gold" gimmick like it's going out of style, Shinjiro may appear to be pretty cold and self-centered, but - as Persona 3 players can tell you - this is far from the case when ??crisis strikes.

Shinjiro is the fourth character to get a trailer for Persona Q2, following superstars Junpei, Morgana and Naoto. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches on Nintendo 3DS in Japan November 29.

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Time to Burn Your Dread once again

[Update: Scans from Famitsu show awesome artwork for Persona 3, 4 and 5's cast. You can check out the images in the gallery below. Thanks to HDKirin and Destructoider Ravenclaw.]

For all those waiting on the edge of their seats for info on Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, th?is week's issue of Famitsu brings with it a bevy of hot detai?ls about the long-awaited chibi sequel.

Persona Q2 will be a totally standalone story, with Atlus saying that players will not have to have played Persona 5, or even the original Persona Q, in order to enjoy the new adventure. The Persona 5 Phantom Thieves will feature heavily, with appearances by both the male and female protagonist of Persona 3. Both these protagonists exist simultaneously in the universe, wit?h the female lead "heavily involved" in the storyline.

The sequel features 28 Persona users in all, and players can have parties of up to five characters. You can also replace your protagonist in the party, should you choose to. Sub-personas are available, and character bonds will play a more solid role in the game, feeling "more connected" to the story than in the original Persona Q.

Persona Q's composer, Atsushi Kitajoh, returns to add what will surely be another memorable score to New Cinema Labyrinth. The majority of the game's music will have a Persona 5 flavour, but variations of tracks from Personas 3 & 4 will also feature as you encounter characters from thos??e titles.

Finally, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which went into production immediately after the completion of Persona 5,  should be cons?idered about 80% complete. Launching in Japan on Nintendo 3DS November 29, there is no word yet of a Western re??lease date.

Famitsu reveals details on Persona Q2 [Hachima / Ryokutya 2089 / Gematsu]

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Not even the labyrinth can protect your wallet

As previously announced, Atlus dropped a new trailer for the upcoming Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth today. While it primarily focuses on footage we have previously seen, it does contain a few instances of new material. The biggest new detail ?from the trailer, however, is DLC already being confirmed.

You can ca??tch the new trailer and all the fun within b?elow.

It may not be all new footage like I'm sure many of us would want, there are a couple of points that do stand out. The first is at roughly the :31 mark, where Persona 5 antagonist Kamoshida seems to make a cameo, possibly hinting that the story elements of each game will be slightly more involved this time. The 0:37 mark shows the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable seemingly arriving alone, bringing into question if it's even possible to start the game with her. At the 0:44 mark, we get a group shot of each game's cast, confirming for sure that everyone is here, including the deceased. Finally at the 0:58 mark we get a new version of the all-out attack finisher from Persona 5, which I would love to happen for the cast members of Persona 3 and 4 as well.

Much like Persona Q, we already have DLC confirmed, although in the form of background music for battles in this case. While Persona 5 has three songs, Persona 3 and 4 have two each along with their respective battle music from the first Persona Q. The songs are as follows.

• Mass Destruction
• Wiping All Out
• Light the Fire Up in the Night "KAGEJIKAN"

• Reach Out To The Truth
• Time to Make History
• Light the Fire Up in the Night "MAYONAKA"

• Last Surprise
• Life Will Change
• Will Power

If the DLC history of Persona Q and 5 is anything to go by, there will likely be DLC only Personas and Navigators down the ro??ad. If one of those navigators is Sojiro, and he's telling me coffee trivia during battle, you can gladly have my money Atlus.

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Everyone is here!

As we previously reported, Atlus revealed the first trailer for the upcoming Persona Q2 today, now known as Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. While we were only shown glimpses of the game itself, the casts of Persona 3 and 4 will be joining the Phantom Thieves of Persona 5, along with a couple new faces. In addition, the often ignored Female Protagonist from Persona 3 Portable will also be joining in the fun.

You can check out the first trailer in all of its cinema g??oodne??ss below.

The game will release in Japan on November 29, with no international date given at this time. Seeing as the two Dancing Night spinoffs have not released internationally yet, we may be waiting for some time. The official Persona twitter account also revealed that another trailer wi??ll be released on August 6, likely containing more details about the game itself along with possible special editions.

Hopefully, Atlus U.S.A. won't make us wait too long for this game. Persona Q2 is the final title I'm waiting on before I'm done ??with my 3DS.

Atlus reveal Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth [Twitter]

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