Buzz off

Atlus has confirmed that Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers will be getting a North American release in Spring 2013.

The 3DS exclusive is an updated version of the Saturn original which appeared in 1997 and was subsequently ported to the PlayStation two years later. The Japanese 3DS release took place in August.

Here's the official press release, direct from Atlus:

Soul Hackers delivers a first-person, dungeon-crawling RPG experience set in a future where technology and otherworldly forces meet in a macabre fusion of cyberpunk futurism and gothic horror. A first-person sci-fi RPG epic, Soul Hackers tells of a city held up as a beacon of humanity's triumph of technology, but with an infernal secret. In this would-be utopia, a group of hackers takes on a centuries-old mystic society, and a battle for control over humanity's fate is about to begin.

In the classic tradition of Shin Megami Tensei, players will have the compelling choice throughout their dungeon exploration to fight the enemy demons they encounter, or negotiate with them in an attempt to turn them into allies and teammates. Soul Hackers on 3DS includes access to 30 additional demons, a new opening animation movie and theme song, improved controls, and quicker loading times. Additionally players can use the 3DS' bottom screen as an auto-mapping function, and engage a COMP hack to change difficulty levels on the fly and fill out maps without walking through. After clearing the game initially, the 3DS version of Soul Hackers also delivers an extra dungeon, where players will witness the appearance of Raidou Kuzunoha from the previous Devil Summoner games.

"Soul Hackers' first-week debut at number two among all titles in Japan is a testament to the continuing quality and popularity of the Shin Megami Tensei series, suggesting a bright future on the 3DS," said Tim Pivnicny, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, ATLUS. "With the vast array of new features, content, and extensive localization, this long-awaited release will be even more exciting for fans in North America."