game as if you would normally.

Discover the 'official' cheat method for Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster: the debug mode. Learn how to enter and use it, plus crucial warnings.

Alright, so you're looking to bend the rules a bit in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster, huh? The main way to 'cheat' in this game, at least officially, is through a debug mode. Now, this is only really a thing in the original Nocturne; if you're playing the Maniacs version, you're out of luck on this front. But for the rest of us, there's a pretty neat trick.

How to Enter Debug Mode:

Here’s the weird part: you need a DVD drive for this. Go to any Terminal in the game, and then… eject your SMT3 DVD. Seriously! Pop in any other PS2 DVD game, and then leave the Terminal. Boom, you should be in Debug Mode. Just remember to swap your SMT3 disc back in before you try to do anything that requires the game to actually load stuff, or you'll just freeze up.

The idea behind this is that the game is designed to dump you into debug mode if it hits an unexpected error or crash, presumably so the devs could fix it. So, if you can trigger one of those unplanned errors, you might end up there. One known way, according to some hacker types, is trying to enter Kagutsuchi Tower without meeting the requirements for any of the endings – something you normally can't even do. But the DVD swap is way easier, trust me.

BIG WARNINGS:

Okay, before you dive headfirst into this, you need to know a few things. Messing with debug mode can seriously mess up your party. If you go into the CAMP TEST or fight certain battles in NEW BATTLE TEST, it's highly likely to completely scramble your demons, often replacing them with super weak ones like Pixies. So, consider your current demon roster gone if you start playing around.

Also, and this is super important: I DO NOT RECOMMEND SAVING YOUR GAME AFTER USING DEBUG MODE. Seriously, use it at your own risk. I'm not taking any responsibility if your save file gets corrupted, your memory card decides to spontaneously combust, or any other Jashin-related weirdness happens because you decided to play with fire.

What's in Debug Mode?

Once you're in, you'll see a massive list of tests, editors, and viewers. A lot of these are just broken and will freeze your PlayStation 2, forcing a hard reset. Many of the 'Tests' actually work, but be careful – some of them you can't exit out of without resetting anyway (like BATTLE FIELD TEST and EVENT TEST). Most of these tests will give you instructions right on screen, usually in English. Just a heads-up, they use some weird button names: RU for Triangle, RR for Circle, RD for X, and RL for Square.