Has anyone here played a Persona game? I've heard 1 was awful and 2 was meh. But 3 is amazing and 4 is now in my top 10 games. If you haven't given it a try, then go buy it immediately. It is amazingly good.

Where the hell have you been?
Persona 3 FES and 4 are some of the best in the Shin Megami Tensei series.

I haven't played 1 but there is a remake for psp that is a more true translation then the ps1 game. Persona 2 was split into two games and we only got eternal punishment which is the second half of the story. If you like persona series or Shin megami tensei series then you should try them.

I really want Persona 3 Portable but it'll probably take 3 years for it to be released here (or not at all, as was the case of Jeanne D'Arc). I'll probably have to resort to importing it.

I have only played the first game, and I hated it.

I'm a huge Shin Megami Tensei fan. Nocturne, Persona 4, and Persona 3 FES are the best. I also like the Digital Devil Sagas and Devil Summoner games as well. Even the early Super NES SMT games are pretty decent.

Never heard SMT until P3, had some of the best time playing a game since my Dreamcast on that. When they shot themselves I was hooked! Then P4 is on another plane, I can't think of any game, movie, maybe an album if I tried, where everything the last one was it is, (expanded on, etc.) yet completely different making its own like a first time experience. It's amazing how it feels so different in the same format, just a different plot and some slight changes.
Am Persona deprived atm, no PS2 anymore, or PSP. On the PSN there's "PSP/PS3" games. Bought P1 soon as I saw it, then find it's not for the PS3! Was disappointed to find out about it after buying and playing other PSP game on the PS3 not thinking there was a distinction.
Can you play the new P3 on a PS3? I have a slim so I'm out of luck for any backward comp. and am at the mercy of the PSN.

Yea, backwards compatible PS3s can play P3 but not P4 according to a site.
Also, yea Persona 1 looks awful. And I'm talking about the PSP one.

On a semi-related note, a good chunk of the Persona team is working on its first-ever HD game, Catherine.
Trailer here--may not be safe for your place of work.
First details here.
Looks remarkably H-gameish, but it also sounds like it has the potential for some genuinely mature, compelling storytelling, and I trust the Persona team to work that into a solid game. They've got my interest, even though it probably doesn't have a chance in hell of getting released outside Japan.
Plus, the main character is apparently a side character from P3P (which I haven't picked up--I already bought Persona 3 twice, so I've cut myself off).

The hell are you smoking? The Persona remake is AWESOME, and Persona 2 is one of the best JRPG's ever, FAR better than P3 or P4, and that says something.
The Persona series is a good entry point for SMT games, especially the newer two, but Persona 2 triumphs above all - the story, setting, characters, gameplay, everything is beautiful. P2 is split into two parts: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, which means minimum 100 hours playtime and god knows how much more for the OCD RPG freak. Innocent Sin was never released outside of Japan due to "mature themes" like the protagonist's sexual orientation, Nazism, and whatnot. Eternal Punishment was released in the USA, though.
Just don't play the butchered original P1 USA release, since it's just that - butchered it's unrecognisable. The remake is identical and improved to the original - two completely different scenarios (a.k.a. 2 games in one) and a buttload of additional content.
But if you're a true player, you'll move on from Persona to Digital Devil Saga or Devil Summoner or, if you're really up to it, the original SMT series, mainly Nocturne.

I own Persona 3 FES and all I can say is my Wii (which I'd bought at the same time) was gathering dust for awhile.
And let me get the obvious put out here.
Mitsuru = hawt

Just wait until you go to the hotel (or are you already there?).

What you need to remember is the fact that P1 and P2 are different games than 3 and 4. While they share the concept of summoning Personas and some other common elements, such as scary Igor and his Velvet Room, the main gameplay focus is different.
P1&2 are your typical dungeon crawlers that rely almost solely on building your Persona deck and leveling them up. They are much more hardcore than the new ones. The radical change of style, adding some date sim and life sim elements that came with 3 was new to the series and I personally LOVE IT. I've never been a fan of tedious dungeon crawling but somehow, with P3&4 I've never had that problem. I shelled 50 hours on each in the same year (I imported P4 from USA first) and that was when I thought I am getting bored of long RPGs and will not ever commit so much time to them.
As a side note, the PSP remake tried to at least aspire to the style of it's new brothers. They changed the soundtrack, Shoji Meguro did amazing job as usual ("Lone Prayer" kicks some serious butt) but I think it felt a bit forced.
My personal favorite is the third one. Mainly because it's absolutely terrific atmosphere. I cannot think of one more awesome thing in the whole market than the Evoker. Pointing a gun at your head to summon a manifestation of your psyche? Woot!
Then there are the lovable characters in both of the new installments: Brosuke, Junpei, TEDDEH, Kanji, Aigis, Mitsuru (<3) and the list could go on and on.
P3FES and P4 remain my most beloved jRPGs of all time, along with FF7 and 10. Nuff said.
edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9E3VR8Fnj0 ooooh yeeeeeeah

I'm about a quarter of the way through since my PS2's connection to the TV's dead : (
But fan-art fills in the gap that is Mitsuru Time. ; D

I just got back to this series. I love it so much, and Persona 3 is now up there with P4 since I started playing it more. The character design and style are simply flawless. Except for the fox...still not sure whats up with him. :P