* * * * * 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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Well I guess I'll just to have to play it again. I mean that is so hard for me to do.

Are people going to wait until September to play?!

@Mr_Mustache I meant marathon gaming!

@Zero

Well I'm playing my SNES copy right now. And I'll play it again in September. Because well I want to.

@Zero

*sigh*, Probably not. Hooray for waiting!

@chrisbg99

Wanna DM?

@Mr_Mustache

DM?

@chrisbg99

"Dungeon Master." Say "hey guys, here are our Week 1 goals," etc. We'd need someone who knows the game inside and out, and has a good judge on how long things will take so we're not playing way too long or not nearly enough each week. Breaking weeks up by plot / "good place to stop" is welcome, too.

EDIT- If you want to SEE how its done, check out any of our past Epic Center things, or Okami Club where it made its first appearance with Octorockin. Everyone has done a GREAT job with it.

Sure. I think I can make some decent goals though my perspective will be way skewed. Just need to know how many weeks I'd need break it in to.

@chrisbg99

I said up there like ~3 hours a week. The "problem" (well, ONE of the problems, depending who you ask...) with Epic Center is that people don't have the same availability for games. I'M fine with 5 hours a week (easy), though some people struggle with close to 4. We also don't want the game to drag on. It should feel natural, and not feel like we're stretching the whole thing out. If its a 30 hour game, maybe try to get us out in 8 Weeks?

Well I got a month and a half to figure things out. Playing it again for the 3rd time this year right now ought to help.

@chrisbg99

I'm curious now--have you ever gotten all the 1/128 items in EB? I usually nab the Sword of Kings then call it quits.

TriforceBun said:

@chrisbg99

I'm curious now--have you ever gotten all the 1/128 items in EB?

..What.

EDIT- And I guess T-Bun isn't waiting, poops

@TriforceBun

All but the Gutsy Bat. I'm occasionally playing a maxed game in the area where you get it but it is so hard to get. Typically I just get the Sword of Kings in normal play though.

@Mr_Mustache

1/128 items are items that you have a 1/128 chance of getting. The four main characters have a special weapon that works on this and it is the only way to get Poo his only weapon in the game. There are a variety of other 1/128 items as well.

@chrisbg99

Ohhhh. Alright. I thought there were 128 to collect!

I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to that. (And if it matters, I'll be looking to 100% this thing to the best of my ability. Will it be super-hard? Is there a lot that would need to happen outside of conventional means?)

@Mr_Mustache

Poo & Jeff's aren't too hard but Paula and Ness's can take a real long time and by time you get them are not worth the effort unless you really like a higher chance of critical hits.

Downloading Earthbound now. This will be my first time EVER playing a Mother/Earthbound game...so this should be exciting. Sadly, I will have to beat MGS4 before I play it (well, not sadly, because so far going through the 4 mainline MGS games has been an absolute joy).

@missypissy

Are you waiting for us or starting now?

Count me in. Off-TV play to the rescue! I actually do own the game on cartridge, but doubt I'd be able to log in the necessary hours on the ol' SNES.

@missypissy

I really dug the hell out of MGS4. That game be crazy!

If it's alright for me to play some and then start a new game on September 1st, I'm in. I'm extremely likely to binge play it tonight and then abandon it when my out-of-town visitors arrive Sunday.

If previously playing the first four hours and walking away precluded me from playing, I'd be banned ten times over already.

I'll do EarthBound.

@Mr_Mustache

Well, I'd like to wait, but...this is a major event for me, and something I've been waiting for for many, many years. It has to have top priority in my gaming queue.

I'll gladly engage in discussion about the game at anytime though; I love talking about EarthBound.