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Revival of the Classic Games Thread - OP on Chrono Trigger.
JamesKeenan
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I just started playing Chrono Trigger for the first time recently. SNES version.
I always felt like that guy who had never seen Star Wars.
"Chrono Trigger is the greatest game ever! You don't know what you're missing!"
Now that I'm playing it, and over half-way through according to a walkthrough, I gotta say, I'm not that impressed. It's fun, and I'll probably finish it, but there were just better games out.
I mean:
1. This game is ludicrously easy.
2. The characters aren't that fantastic, the writing is bad. Not the overall plot, but just the smaller things here and there. There's like no characters in it, really. Even the ones that are there are weak. I can't pretend to care about any of these guys. We meet Robo, and he's getting the shit beat out of him by other robots soon enough, and it's supposed to be sad I guess, but... I just met the guy. And he hasn't done anything. It's hard to feel what I'm clearly supposed to feel. Same goes for... everything else.
3. All the dungeons and areas are kindergarten level, and getting loot doesn't feel really accomplishing at all. I'm not a Rogue-Like kinda guy, but it feels like Chrono Trigger went a little overboard on trying hard to go the opposite direction of one.
The combat design, however, is awesome. And so is Frog.
It's not a bad game. It just plays as very, very... middle of the road. That's what it is. Chrono Trigger isn't bad really. It's just... mediocre. I was expecting something more from a game this hyped, even an old SNES one.
Maybe I was spoiled on games like Illusion of Gaia, or Secret of Mana. And FF3 or 6.
Anyways, thoughts? Other games? Etc.
I always felt like that guy who had never seen Star Wars.
"Chrono Trigger is the greatest game ever! You don't know what you're missing!"
Now that I'm playing it, and over half-way through according to a walkthrough, I gotta say, I'm not that impressed. It's fun, and I'll probably finish it, but there were just better games out.
I mean:
1. This game is ludicrously easy.
2. The characters aren't that fantastic, the writing is bad. Not the overall plot, but just the smaller things here and there. There's like no characters in it, really. Even the ones that are there are weak. I can't pretend to care about any of these guys. We meet Robo, and he's getting the shit beat out of him by other robots soon enough, and it's supposed to be sad I guess, but... I just met the guy. And he hasn't done anything. It's hard to feel what I'm clearly supposed to feel. Same goes for... everything else.
3. All the dungeons and areas are kindergarten level, and getting loot doesn't feel really accomplishing at all. I'm not a Rogue-Like kinda guy, but it feels like Chrono Trigger went a little overboard on trying hard to go the opposite direction of one.
The combat design, however, is awesome. And so is Frog.
It's not a bad game. It just plays as very, very... middle of the road. That's what it is. Chrono Trigger isn't bad really. It's just... mediocre. I was expecting something more from a game this hyped, even an old SNES one.
Maybe I was spoiled on games like Illusion of Gaia, or Secret of Mana. And FF3 or 6.
Anyways, thoughts? Other games? Etc.
JamesKeenan on
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Nuff said
Secret of Mana has points that are borderline unintelligable.
Chrono Trigger is an easy game unless it is one of your very first RPGs, then I'd say it would be closer to medium.
I can't really argue with this one, only time I've had trouble is going against the final boss earlier than normal. A lot of this was helped with a better translation job in the DS version but the original was excellant for its time.
Recently started playing Conker's Bad Fur day I cannot believe that game was released on the N64 and before GTA3 came along. Hilarious as heck though.
It beats the flat "Hero finds a big evil that destroys the world. He beats him with a legendary weapon."
Now it's "Hero goes to the future and finds a big evil that destroys the world, so he goes to the past to beat him with a legendary weapon."
Mind you, I haven't beaten the game yet.
Yes, that weapon is Masamune. How often has that weapon been used? Always? I won't rail on that. It's more like an endearing trope I hope never goes away completely. I want my Masamune and my airship please, forever.
Anyway. Yes, the basic premise is good, but... Maybe I'll have to look back. I played SoM 3 recently. Fan translation I think.
Also keep in mind that these games were basically building blocks for our childhoods. As bad as they are they got grandfathered in and hold a special place. Sadly your foundation did not include CT.
Also how about Secret of Evermore and Earthbound. Evermore is pretty much SoM with a dog instead of the other 2 people.
I wish I had played it, really.
It's still fun.
I don't know what I'll do when I beat it. Find something.
[strike]Terranigma?[/strike]
Scratch that. I just remembered I never ever beat Earthbound.
I liked Terranigma as well.
o_O
O_o
Same artist I know, but I still find it weird.
Sure, why not?
Also, on the game's difficulty.
It's not just that the numbers are extremely in your favor.
(Baddies I'm fighting hit me for 20 damage when I have 300 health?)
It's that the game is constantly throwing healing items and new armor and weapons at you.
Not that you need a single one of those items to heal, but even if you did, you'd have hundreds.
Oh well. Still fun.
Which part are you up to exactly? I know you said half-way, but if this is your first time going through it, that may not be accurate. The game has a few bits which makes it feel like it's almost over.
Also, the Masamune is hardly necessary. Certainly helps, of course, but definitely not critical to the plot.
It's a fun game, but I never caught the fever everyone else did about it. A big sticking point from my childhood would be people saying that (because it has Melchoir, Balthasar and Gasper) it's an adaption of the bible. Early case of hype burnout.
Other than that, it has a lot going for it.
So good.
Do you like bigger screens or portability?
It's not that weird when you realize that Toriyama has a limited scope of character design ideas in his head. He has a very basic pallate of design choices that he mearly tweaks from project to project.
Granted some of those tweaks work pretty well, but he's hardly that imaginative or jaw-dropping in terms of creativity.
As for, CT, yeah it looses some flavor nowdays, but it is still amazing how many endings they packed into a SNES cart. I'd still take FFIV hard type or FFIII/VI over it anyday though.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Also, how can you like Mana and FF6 but have a problem with Chrono? ( They all are very similar to one another in terms of story. "Evil plans to destroy world. World nees a hero. Hero needs legendary sword. Hero needs party members. Hero conquers evil and saves the day." Classic RPG formula.
"Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." -HST
It's characters. The smaller things, dialog, etc.
It does, but if you'd rather play the game on the big screen, I don't think the DS extras are reason enough to choose it. It's still a great version, AFAIK.
I really do think it's a fine game for the time (and the system it was on), but we just expect more now. I cared about Robo getting the crap kicked out of him by other robots not because they made him a vibrant, endearing character, but because I was filling in the gaps with my imagination.
In the end, I'm glad they released it for the DS, but I think they wasted their time. The extra dungeons are terrible, and show an almost alarming lack of creativity. I was always surprised when they'd make me go through some annoying boss battle for chests containing...a hi-potion and armor that I already have 3 of. Obvious filler. I think a better way to add content would have been to offer a hard mode with tougher enemies.
Ok, well as far as characters and dialogue go, Secret of Mana was no better or worse than Chrono Trigger. You have to name the characters yourself and the girls boyfriend in the game is named Dyluck? That sounds like the name of a new puppet on Sesame Street.
FF3/6 had some good characters and cool backstories but the writing/dialouge itself was nothing special. These games were all translated from Japanese as best as possible so don't expect a masterpiece novel written into the game. :P
"Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." -HST
I think we can all agree that his monster/enemy designs are infinitely better than his character ones. They always get a laugh outta me
Well, some do? Just off of the top of my head, Trauma Center for the DS was aneurysm-inducing. But there are easy games too! There are many games out these days.
If CT were any easier, it'd be bad/boring.
edit: oops. I just realized that CT isn't even on the VC. I think I was thinking of Secret of Mana.