Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The immediate draw of Kuzunoha Raidō tai Abaddon Ō Plus is not a minor limited-edition trinket. It is the second disc, Chronicle Edition: a version of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax that swaps Dante for Raidou Kuzunoha and his cat Gotou. If Raidou is already a character you enjoy, that substitution gives an established RPG a much more personal reason to revisit it.

The first major payoff comes early, when your party faces Raidou as a boss. He takes the role Dante held in Maniax, and his attacks mirror the sort of attacks Dante used in that version. That makes the battle more than a cameo: Raidou arrives as an obstacle with enough weight to make the crossover feel earned.

The longer-term reward is recruitment. Meet the required conditions and Raidou can join the playable party later on. For a package built around a character replacement, that matters enormously; you are not just watching the new version acknowledge Raidou, but can eventually bring him along.

This is a specialized recommendation rather than a broad starting point. The core attraction is a variation on Nocturne, not a ground-up new game. But for somebody who knows why replacing Dante with Raidou matters, the change is unusually substantial and the playable payoff is exactly what a crossover edition ought to deliver.

Graphics

On PlayStation 2, the key visual distinction is simply seeing Raidou and Gotou occupy the role once held by Dante in Chronicle Edition. Their appearance in the boss encounter gives this version a concrete crossover presence rather than leaving the change as a line on the box.

Story

Chronicle Edition changes the flavor of Nocturne’s journey by putting Raidou and Gotou into Dante’s former slot. Their brief dialogue before the early fight makes the new pairing feel like an actual meeting, not an invisible roster edit.

That said, the story hook here is deliberately focused: Raidou confronts the party, then may become recruitable later. It is a strong bit of connective tissue for fans of the Devil Summoner side of Shin Megami Tensei, but the compilation’s narrative value rests on that crossover rather than a wholly separate Raidou campaign.

If you want more Devil Summoner history after this detour, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is another worthwhile branch of the series to explore. Just do not go into this package expecting that related game’s identity; its standout story point is specifically Raidou’s altered place in Nocturne.

Overall Experience

Kuzunoha Raidō tai Abaddon Ō Plus is the kind of limited edition that justifies its existence. The second disc is not disposable filler. Chronicle Edition offers a meaningful character substitution, an early boss battle, and the possibility of adding Raidou to your group, all of which give returning Nocturne fans a tangible reason to care.

Frustration is most likely to set in if you want the package to be more than it is. Its defining novelty is concentrated in the Chronicle Edition crossover, and its Japan-only status makes it inherently aimed at committed fans. Still, the concept lands because it changes a recognizable part of Maniax instead of merely decorating it.

Give it a chance if you are drawn to Raidou, intrigued by alternate versions of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, or collecting notable PlayStation 2 Atlus releases. For everyone else, its importance may be easier to admire than to chase down. For the right fan, though, the Raidou-for-Dante switch is a smart, satisfying alternate-history curio with genuine play value.

Retro Replay Score

8.5/10