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I think I have a collecting complusion of some kind. It's probably why RPGs in which you're given the option to create or collect multiple fighters appeal to me. I love the Shin Megami Tensei series, which I often refer to as "Pokemon for Adults." Training creatures to fight in my own kick-arse army is great fun, and the Shin Megami Tensei monsters are interesting in that they're pulled from so many different cultures' legends and folktales. I have my favorites, as to be expected.
It seems the cute ones always have a place in my heart, despite their eventual uselessness due to their low levels. I often give my personal attention to Jack Frost, the little white and blue ice wielding creature. He makes many appearences throughtout the Shin Megami Tensei games and spin offs, and is actually said to be the mascot for the series. And I don't just mean as an obtainable fighter or enemy. Jack Frost pops up in the most unusual places: as a small doll sitting in on counters or beds in the Karma Society Tower in Digital Devil Saga 2, with his face plastered on the front of vending machines in Nocturne, and as a doll in a crane game in Persona 3. His slightly jesterlike appearance and trademark line of "Hee-ho!" are always a welcome sight in the games.
The first appearance of Orpheus in Persona 3 in one of the most thrilling moments in the game. I adored Orpheus's design and liked him above all my other personas. No matter how far I got in the game and how much more powerful my other personas became, Orpheus always had a place in my roster and I took great care to level him up with the others. Despite not having powerful moves, for a long time Orpheus's stats remained higher than everyone else's. With a couple of stat boosting cards, Orpheus was instrumental in the creation of persona with extremely high stats. Of course, now all my personas are much stronger than him, but Orpheus still remains with my character.
Inugami comes to my mind as one of the more useful demons to obtain, and just interesting in general. With its long, ferret like body and black dog head, it swims lazily through the air in a kind of ovalish pattern. Inugami was great for healing and support skills that more often than not kept me from being wiped out in Nocturne. I also liked Nekomata for her speed and physical skills. The Devil Summoner game made Nekomata look feral and animal-like, but I prefer the more human and ninja look.
Between six Shin Megami Tensei games, there's so many creatures/demons/personas contained that I couldn't possibly keep even half of them straight in my mind. These few I have mentioned are the ones I take more enjoyment in training and fighting with than others, and I always look forward to seeing them again in upcoming games. Hopefully, there's still many untapped myths and stories from other countries that will serve as inspiration for new Shin Megami Tensei creatures. In the case of this series, there's definitely room for more.
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