* * * * * Chrono Trigger - Week 5 * * * * *

(Plain English: Scroll down to the bottom of the "OP" if you're lagging behind for previous weeks)


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue:
i Okami Club
ii Fire Emblem Club

Epic Center:
01 Ogre Battle
24 Secret of Mana
39 Phantasy Star IV (cont'd)
67 Earthbound (cont'd)
99 Breath of Fire II (cont'd)
110 Paper Mario (cont'd)
123 Golden Sun (cont'd)
136 Chrono Trigger

(ALL VINTAGE EC GAMES ARE CONTINUED IN THEIR OFFICIAL DISCUSSION THREADS!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Hello, true believers! Welcome to Negative World's newest RPG-centric Club Hub, springing off the heels of the Fire Emblem Club. Way back when, Nintendo Power introduced a monthly walkthrough / in depth Role Play Game section (right around the beefiest SNES RPG era), but since they aren't around anymore to use it, Negative World will bring it out of the ashes, dust it off, and roll with it (two things of note: #1, this is not in reaction to Nintendo Force Magazine at all -- I know that because I thought of it in the shower this morning, so THERE; and #2, I just looked up "Epic Center RPG" on Yahoo, and there is apparently another RPG-based site that has that, ugh. I guess we're looking at a "Ghostbusters" / "Real Ghostbusters" thing now... Whatever..).

For anyone who grew playing SNES RPGs, and were a fan of them, they surely resonated to the point where they still hold office as some of your favorite games of your entire videogame life, systems, generations, and decades later. The NW Epic Center (run primarily by myself, with the aid of some special friends occasionally) will help to expose some of those games that didn't quite get the recognition they deserved, and also to relive some of the greatest games EVER as we play through them again -- together -- and open up a whole new dialogue on these lost treasures.


Next up..



Chrono Trigger is held by many (myself included) as The Greatest RPG of All Time, pun not intended. It is a benchmark title in the genre, and even after 20 years the game is discussed daily and held in high regard, even in the face of juiced-up, HD "masterpieces." Is simpler sometimes better? Sure, but we're not talking "Dragon Warrior" simple here; we're talking 16-bit perfection at its finest. I'm personally a bit worried about pursuing this game once more; it's been a long time since my last jog through it, and I'm afraid I might have the rosiest pair of glasses that any shot of nostalgia could ever produce. We find out later this month, for better or for worse. (C'mon, it's gonna be fine -- we're talking Chrono Trigger here!! THE BEST, JERRY, THE BEST!!)

Sunday, August 30th marks the start of Week 1 (if you prefer to start your own quest AFTER Sunday, like Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, thats fine!). Golden Sun ran 6 Weeks. GameDadGrant will be our DUNGEON MASTER for this one, and we figure the playthrough to run about the same length. Less than two months. I'm told the total quest should last you between 20 and 30 hours.


See ya soon!!


CHRONO TRIGGER

Dungeon Master: GameDadGrant

You Did It! Chrono Trigger Complete:
VofEscaflowne
Scrawnton
Mop it up
Ludist210


Week 4 Complete:
GameDadGrant
mrbiggsly
DapperDave

Week 3 Complete:
Mr_Mustache (and Mrs_Mustache!)

Week 2 Complete:
Smerd
Dark weres
warerare
sirmastersephiroth

Week 1 Complete:
Anand

Triggermen:
HammerLord
Koovaps

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

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@Mr_Mustache

Skies of Arcadia? Then again I AM holding out for a XBLA port of that....I guess I could bust out the Freeloader again if I have to though.

@Shadowlink

Hmm.. Interesting approach.

What about something NEWER? Did everyone beat Last Story?

@Mr_Mustache

I have that and haven't started it...

It'd probably have to play a little different in terms of club structure, more like the RGC. No weekly goals. Maybe we set aside two months and everybody just goes nuts.

@Shadowlink

Why though? Okami had pretty large chunks and worked out GREAT I thought. (Same, for me; unopened)

I gotta go to bed now, I'd like to hear from more folks though, too.

@Mr_Mustache

Yeah but you had someone guiding us through it who knew how much each chunk was.

I'm not sure we have someone like that The Last Story.

@Shadowlink

Don't we? Somebody probably took it down (to the ground) here. Looks like..1 for 100% and 6 for Beat It. And you don't have it in your collection.

What did YOU think about Breath of Fire / 2?

@Mr_Mustache

I liked Breath of Fire 1, but never did finish it. I think I got stuck somewhere, was trying to enter some town and couldn't.

Don't think I ever played 2. Went start to finish on 3 though, it was great.

@Shadowlink

Where is everyone else? BoF1 I played after BoF2. BoF2 I love, Bof1 not so much.

--HEY, what about a SEGA RPG? Phantasy Star or some poop? Too awful?

@Mr_Mustache

Phht, don't get too far ahead of yourself...you've still got a three weeks of Secret of Mana ahead of you.

I beat BoF 1, didn't beat 2. Haven't played any of the series after that.

@ludist210

4 and 5 will be done today.

I prefer to let y'all choose what you want, and then I choose if I have enough time and interest to join.

I'm kind of with Vicki here...as much as I enjoy playing through games with y'all, I'm not a huge fan of being held to a "schedule" if you will. I blew through the last couple of weeks of Secret of Mana in a couple of sittings, and now I'm just waiting to continue. It's like only getting to read chapters of a book at a certain time. I don't like to be kept in suspense (even if Mana's story isn't excellent, I still want to see how it ends).

I've got other games I'm working through as well, so I'm trying not to overload my plate.

Though on the other hand, I'm seven trophies away from Platinuming FFXIII-2, and I might get that done this weekend or early next week. Next weekend at the latest.

@ludist210

So, you don't like burning ahead and then waiting? Man, I must be like the only guy. I feel like a jerk then. Poops. I always equated it to watching a serial show on TV, week to week, and then people pipe up and say "But Netflix!" Ugh, Netflix. Look at 24. One of the most suspenseful shows and you got a piece of it, ONE HOUR AT A TIME, FOR TWENTY FOUR WEEKS. YIKES.

@VickiL

Anything you WANT to play, Vicki? Are you guys interested in Last Story at all?

@Mr_Mustache

I guarantee you most people would rather marathon that shit in chunks. Why do you think DVD sales are so high? (and Netflix). Ugh it all you like but it is what it is, and is for a reason.

@Shadowlink

Oh, well owning stuff is cool. And "I get it," but I just thought that this thing could/would be "different," and it'd be "fine." I dunno, brah.

But yeah, any other game suggestions? Secret of Evermore?

Unless it's on VC or can easily be obtained, I'm out. Though I would be up for Skies of Arcadia Legends...that's been on my backlog since it launched, and I was in college then!

@ludist210

You haven't played Skies of Arcadia?!

Oh man. You're going to love it.

@ludist210
@Shadowlink

Are we going to roll SoA? That would...work. Does that have New Game + at all?

Tim, I'd be willing to let you call that game if you'd like.

Not really interested in Last Story. It's cool and all, but I already saw the whole game. Really, it's hit and miss if I even sign up for anything, I'm such a flake. Don't base anything on me.

Finished week 5, though. I got horribly lost in the last dungeon for like half an hour. I went the wrong way and was in the rooms with the second set of orbs before magicking the first set...it was terrible.

@VickiL

I did worse than that. I got all the way to the end without seeing a single orb. Missed the first ones right in the middle at the start. Had to get a guide to figure out where I went wrong.


@Mr_Mustache

I might hold off on it for the moment. We'll see what else comes to light. Unless there's massive support... And I'll check on those XBLA rumours, we haven't had an update in like a year.