Media Factory will release a total of 140 new trading cards featuring illustrations of Atlus' PlayStation 2 RPG Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Called Shin Megami Tensei Card Game Nocturne Expansion Bag No.2, the new series will be available on January 30th. Fans have the choice of buying single bags containing ten cards for 350 yen ($3.30 US) or one big box containing 20 bags for 7,000 yen ($65.93 US). The first series of these boxes will come with one of three special cards designed by character designer Kazuma Kaneko.

Furthermore, on February 14th, a special set including one of three figures (Maou Abaddon, Genma Cu Chulainn and Majuu Nekomata) will be released. One set will consist of one said figure, five bags as well as one of the three special cards mentioned above. It will be available for 2,800 yen ($26.37 US). The Complete Box containing all three figures will cost 8,400 yen ($79.11 US). Last but not least, a special release commemoration campaign was announced today. Every time you buy any of the aforementioned items in shops which take part in the campaign, you will receive a point ticket. After having collected a certain number of those point tickets, they can be turned into rare trading cards or other special Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne-related merchandise items. A second campaign stipulates the collection and sending in of the bar codes of purchased products. Participating in this campaign might net fans special not-for-sale figures. Both campaign will run through March 31st.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was released in Japan in late February 2003 and has sold 240,000 copies. On January 29th, Atlus will release an updated version titled Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniacs for 5,800 yen ($54.62 US).

• Famitsu