I've been working on this Puzzle Boy mini game in #ShinMegamiTensei3 for a very long time. I'm not someone who does puzzles often, so I feel pretty good about getting through all 20 stages!
Now I can get back to something I do partake in often: turn-based battles!

I'll post a video I captured in separate post if you're in interested in seeing how the mini-game works. #SMT3

#SMT3 Finally the end. Kagutsuchi was very manageable once I got into the rhythm of it, but Lucifer came really close to wiping me a few times and it was just a constant scramble trying to do damage where I could. But I got the clear. Story ended as I expected it to, really: completely open-ended. Save file says 82hrs, but Switch says 105+hrs. Finished at level 85. I have many thoughts and opinions on the game as a whole I will write up later. I'm glad I played it.

Tonight was all about FFXIV but tomorrow all I've got left of #SMT3 is Kagutsuchi & Lucifer. I've know they're back to back, so hopefully I can figure out an efficient way to get through Kagutsuchi because Lucifer sounds a lot harder and I don't want to do a huge amount more grinding. I mean he *is* supposed to be a bonus boss. And doing this on my first playthrough was always a bit ambitious, even if I'm on an easier difficulty setting than the original game.

#SMT3 I did find some time today to go at Baal. Her trick attack is to turn you into a fly. I thought at first it was a light attack, but it affected the demi-fiend after I equipped him with a null light magatama so on third try I went in with a null curse magatama and she never even hit him with it. Focused down Ose to get him to stop casting Dragon Eye then it was all Fog Breath + phys combo winning again.

#SMT3 Made it through to the second and third Terminals. There's a little group of Manikins up here. Defeated Noah - another tricky battle requiring a lot of focus and attention. Once again on the first attempt I killed myself with a reflected phys attack... when will I learn? That leaves Chiaki's Baal, the final boss, and the final final boss. One third of the dungeon left? Hopefully? I might end up using a guide to get through if it takes too long honestly.

Alright, found redemption. Played with the cat a bit and then went back in and beat Ahriman again. Walked back down to the save point and saved. Walked back up to the new area, explored that floor, then walked back down to the save point again. :| I don't know why this is bothering me more than in the Kalpa, where you have to leave the whole dungeon to go back to a save point. But there's one Reason down. #SMT3

THEN I get my shit together, run all the way back up to his boss room again, do all the Simon Says stuff. And he's noticeably harder. Using skills he didn't before, using Megadoleon twice in a row, using his Apocalypse attack and then his tentacles attack in the same turn. So I die again. Don't like to quit on a loss, but!!! 💀 #SMT3

#SMT3 A bit frustrated. Left the tower, did some fusions, came back, found a save point. Next was Ahriman. With lots of random encounters in between. Died to Ahriman the first time during his Simon Says phase because I wasn't 100% paying attention and used Focus on a "only phys" round. Fine. Have to waste time unlocking a magic chest again and save again before going back up. Beat him no problem, decide to go on. Roommate distracts me and I die in a random battle.

#SMT3 Made my first foray into the Tower of Kagutsuchi proper. It really is a maze - it's too easy for me to get distracted by a battle and forget which cube I'm supposed to be riding next or where I've already been and where I'm going. I'm trying to make extra careful notes. Made it up to 196F but the frequent random encounters are wearing me down. Even if I can clear every random encounter in one turn it's still quite tedious.

#SMT3 Had another of my less productive hours in the game. Went into Obelisk thinking that's how you unlock Tower of Kagutsuchi. Find an area I missed the first time through, including the item that lets you use Analyze. 🤦🏼‍♀️ So useful now I'm 90% done the game. I remember seeing the area and thought I'd go back to it but didn't make a note. Climbed the whole tower before realizing I missed something. Had to look it up - I was supposed to go to the Amala Temple first. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7GO0UiEWFI

I love that #SMT3 Metatron's theme was an ominous rearrangment of the #SMT1 Law/Messian theme!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l2MV41TQ1Y

#SMT3 I have never planned to 100% clear the game - I'm not up to the grind necessary to complete the Compendium let alone the 40+ levels I'd need to go up in order to complete all the magatama and therefore get the last one. That sort of thing is for a second playthrough. I'll get what's necessary/useful to beat the game. Penetrate should be a big help. An almighty attack to replace Violet Flash and maybe another physical attack to upgrade Divine Shot.

#SMT3 Defeated Metatron & finished the Fifth Kalpa. Another really long slog of a fight. I'm officially a True Demon now. BTW I love that Metatron's design makes him look like a robot. Onwards to the Tower of Kagutsuchi!

#SMT3 Cleared almost all of the Fifth Kalpa. I did some fusions and I'm more confident my group covers all the bases. Having Raidou in my party is so much fun, and Futomimi is great as well. I had to sacrifice Futomimi to get Pixie so a bit of mixed feelings there. However, I needed that upgraded Pixie to get through a few of the stats-locked doors. Really a PITA to go through every single one of your demons every time to select the right one. One UI/QOL issue among many... :|

#FFXIV Let me just reach into my #SMT3 inventory and see if I have that particular Magatama already...

#SMT3 Went into the 3rd Kalpa to a formerly cursed area where I met an Efreet who said his drinking buddy had the key to the gold doors. So I go back up to Nyx's bar & Loki says he sold it for drinking money to a weird Manikin because he's so depressed about all his stuff being stolen 🤐 I only know a couple remaining Weird Manikins so back to Asakusa... and the Hoarder Manikin says he got it for 60 Macca! Now I feel bad for Loki... 😓

#SMT3 Cleared Beezelbub! He wasn't so hard once I knew what I needed was to block Dark. I had plenty of demons with that already & Tetraja for backup. It was pretty slow going with him constantly nullifying my buff/debuffs. Went through a ton of MP. Not the most stylish or efficient win, but done. Now, back into previous kalpas to find the key to progress to the last one.

Here's his cool buzzing theme: https://youtu.be/uhck00rMoKs

#SMT3 I went back into the Fourth Kalpa and re-cleared the Maze and the Vault, which apparently I hadn't actually seen all of the first time. Getting to these areas involves going through a door at a particular kagutsuchi phase, which means a lot of running around in circles waiting for the right time. And then you only get the best treasure out of the chests at a full kagutsuchi phase, so more running around in circles. Long story short I made a lot of money & got out intact.

#SMT3 I didn't really have the wherewithal to go back into the Fourth Kalpa today so I instead power levelled a couple demons to get them to evolve and did some fusions. Blew a lot of macca. I need to stop doing this until I have an easy way to make more cash. But right now I don't have a dedicated healer demon and really kinda need one to get through the Fourth Kalpa's cursed areas. Preferably one with Mana Refill and lots of MP.

#SMT3 Beat Bishamonten, still couldn't open the heavy door in Mantra HQ, did some fusions, and went into the Third Kalpa to recruit Black Frost. Then decided to continue on to Fourth Kalpa and in experimenting with the teleport doors and unmappable areas found some chests and then just kind of accidentally found the boss room. And got wiped by some sort of party-wide instakill ability. So going to have to redo quite a bit. Ah well.