Shin Megami Tensei is a remake of an earlier game with the same name. The changes mostly involve the visual aspect. The graphics have been updated to match the 2D standard of 32-bit consoles. Interior locations are much more detailed, with visible furniture and other items in rooms that were empty in the original version.

The most notable change are the 3D dungeons, which can now be navigated with smooth scrolling, unlike the "jumping" navigation of the earlier versions. The remake also has an additional difficulty level, dubbed "normal"; the original difficulty level is called "hard". The easier difficulty level also reduces the amount of random battles. Story, dialogues, layout of locations, and general gameplay remain unchanged in this version.