Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

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JustLikeHeaven1
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Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » December 24th, 2014, 10:27 am

I recently picked this game up for the Nintendo DS.  It's one of those classics that I never played when it originally came out.  As a JRPG fan I feel like this is the equivalent of a movie connoisseur having never viewed Citizen Kane...or something like that lol.

Anywho...I played the game for about an hour.  So far so good.  It's got that 16 bit Square Soft polish that made gamers fall in love with the company.  It's has quirky dialogue, funny sprite animations and a unique setting.  Also the music is amazing.

The combat system is pretty cool as well.  I like how the battles aren't random and that they're similar to 'active time' battles in a few final fantasy games.   I've leveled up a couple times with two characters and it appears that you get team 'tech' attacks which look pretty awesome.

I've got high hopes for this game and I can't wait to play it more!

JustLikeHeaven1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » January 2nd, 2015, 11:53 am

Alrighty - here's an update.  

Chrono Trigger has been the only game I've been playing the past couple of weeks.  I'm completely obsessed with it.  Playing it on the 3DS XL screen is wonderful and really helps make those 16 bit sprites come to life.  Yesterday I played the game starting with a full DS battery life...I only stopped because the DS was battery as going to run out.  I can't say I've ever done that before!  I've put about 25 hours into the game and I'm pretty much near the end...I've been running around doing tons of sidequests at the moment.  I'm also leveling up all my characters.  I think when it's all said and done this might be my favorite JRPG of all time.

So what makes this game so dang good?  For me it just gets everything right about the genre.  The plot is your run of the mill worlds gonna end story that has been told in almost a million videogames.  It's the traveling through time and multiple different ages aspect that really makes it unique.  You'll experience everything from pre-historic dinosaurs to futuristic robots and everything in between.  Another thing is that the game has a quirky sense of humor.  It never becomes too melodramatic...this is thanks to the fairly quick story scenes and the fact that voice overs weren't feasible back when the game was created.  

The game also probably has the best solution to random battles...You see all the enemies on screen...when you touch them or get near them the battle menus appear.  This means that you can safely elude some battles if you want.  Very nice.

Another reason I really dig the game is the crazy assortment of playable characters the game has.  You can play as a futuristic hulking Robot, a noble swordsmen from the Middle Ages who is cursed to be a frog, a Prehistoric cavewoman babe and more.  The eclectic cast is fun and depending on who is in your party means you'll get different reactions to each situation.  I also just like that you're not just controlling 3 different people.  It changes things up and allows the developers to get creative with the characters tech attacks. 

Overall the game is just delightful to play.  You're never bored...they story constantly progresses and once the world opens up there is plenty to see and do.  There is a reason this game gets thrust into top game of all time discussions.  It's just that good!

Side note - I own Chrono Cross which is supposed to be a pseudo sequel to Chrono Trigger.  Is it any good?  I've never had much inclining to play it before, but now I'm very intrigued!

JustLikeHeaven1
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Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » January 5th, 2015, 10:17 am

Well I finished Chrono Trigger over the weekend.  Final playing time was about 28 hours or so.  My suspicions were confirmed that I was basically near the end and I could have completed the game about 5-6 hours ago instead of leveling up and finishing side quests.  Oh well...was worth it cause I got some great weapons that made the final boss easier.

I flat out loved this game.  It's probably going to find a place in my Top 10 games of all time.  It's everything I love about RPGs and really highlights what the genre can be.  The time traveling aspect is amazing and seeing how things change in each age is exciting.  Lots of actions you do will shape the future which leads to very cool quests and side quests.  It's all rather intuitive as well...I never really felt stuck.  Also you feel like you really know the characters in the world because your helping out each region in each age.  The fact that NPCs have short little blurbs of text helps.  They give you tiny clues or just funny responses.  I really loved stopping into each village/residence and talking to people to see what they had to say.  

The music is incredible in this game.  Some of the best tracks I've ever heard.  The SNES really produced some top quality soundtracks.  I'm actually thinking about buying this on iTunes.

Chrono Trigger is amazing...totally lived up to the hype and I'm glad I finally took the time to experience it.  Highly recommended.

Bluenote1
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Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby Bluenote1 » January 5th, 2015, 11:19 am

Thanks for the review, I may pick this up as well.  I was thinking of getting it for the SNES, but it's easier for me (time wise) to play RPG's on a handheld.  Plus, it's much cheaper on the DS!

Rev1
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Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby Rev1 » April 3rd, 2015, 9:27 pm

I have been playing this on the SNES and have been having a great time. I'm also getting close to the 20 hours mark and am completing the side quests and stuff. I've been having a great time and might start playing Chrono Cross after this. I know that it is generally regarded as a bit of a let down but any sort of continuation is welcome at this point. What a wonderful game!

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Rev
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Re: Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby Rev » April 7th, 2015, 7:40 pm

I'm pretty much done with the main quest now (I beat Black Omen 3 times to get 3 Prism Dresses and Helms). Did anyone play the New Game+ feature? I dig the idea of seeing the different endings... If I can blow through the game quickly enough I might go back to Black Omen and beat it 3 more times to get everyone having the best armor and stuff... I think if I pretty much skip as many enemies as possible I could probably blow through the game in 8-10 hours this time.

David
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Re: Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby David » April 28th, 2015, 5:39 pm

Rev - Did you get around to playing Chrono Cross? I love Chrono Trigger, but I think I love Cross even more. Amazing soundtrack, huge cast of varied characters, no random battles, beautiful art, and great battle system. The thing I love most is the way it handles leveling. You can't be under or over-leveled, because after every major boss battle you'll gain a level. The fights you get into along the way will gain you some minor stat increases to a certain point (and loot of course), but are essentially optional.

Disclosure: I think I'm in the extreme minority in loving Chrono Cross, unfortunately.

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Rev
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Re: Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby Rev » April 28th, 2015, 6:31 pm

David wrote:Rev - Did you get around to playing Chrono Cross? I love Chrono Trigger, but I think I love Cross even more. Amazing soundtrack, huge cast of varied characters, no random battles, beautiful art, and great battle system. The thing I love most is the way it handles leveling. You can't be under or over-leveled, because after every major boss battle you'll gain a level. The fights you get into along the way will gain you some minor stat increases to a certain point (and loot of course), but are essentially optional.

Disclosure: I think I'm in the extreme minority in loving Chrono Cross, unfortunately.


I'm actually wrapping up Chrono Trigger right now, then I'm playing Radical Dreamers (I own it on a Reproduction Cart), and then I'm playing Chrono Cross after that. I''m really excited to play something else at this point and am just getting to the end of my save file so my characters have all their best equipment (Frog only gets the Masamune 2 at the end of the game, which you lose every time you do a New Game +). I'm probably about 2 hours from that point and then I'll be taking a long break from the original Chrono Trigger. I am really interested in how the story will progress in the sequel. I know that the game makes a lot more references to Chrono Trigger, than expanding on the original plot, but I'm really excited to see how it turns out. I heard the game has a lot more characters and expands on Schala's storyline, which sounds really cool. She is definitely my favorite NPC from the original game.

I also heard the NDS version of Chrono Trigger is literally better in every way so I want to try that out as well, but Chrono Cross is definitely next on my list of RPGs to play.

BTW: If you've played Chrono Trigger, who is your favorite character in the game. The first time I played through the game I really enjoyed Ayla and Marle but after playing through the games a few times I think I actually like Robo and Lucca the most. Both characters really grew on me and I think the fact that Robo turns out to be the best character in the game also helped. He's literally good at everything, has three elemental attacks, a heal spell that heals everyone to max health (even from 1 HP), and is a powerhouse with the Crisis Arm, just makes him such a cool character. I don't think enough people give him a chance (I never even touched him on my first playthrough).

David
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Re: Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Postby David » April 29th, 2015, 8:12 pm

I'm a Frog guy. Love his design, accent, and his theme song is sooo good.

I've played the game through twice, and I don't think I used Robo at all. In fact, he may be the only character I've never used. I guess his personality didn't grow on me.


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