* * * * * 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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@VickiL

I guess there are no rules against that?

@Koovaps
@ludist210

Welcome!

@Mr_Mustache

Um, probably wait to be honest. I've got a lot of games to go through, so I'm in no hurry.

@Koovaps

TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! Just got beyond the Big Mama reveal/story, Big Boss body van chase and am now about to fight pissed off Raven chick. Hopefully finish it tonight, if the power holds out.

@TriforceBun

Wanna help me figure out some decent Weekly goals for the play later. Just need someone to help me since my idea of what is doable in a week would obviously be different than one for someone who has never played before.

@chrisbg99

Sure. If everyone's aiming to finish by the end of the month, it probably makes the most sense to simply divide the game into quarters for each week. So maybe week one would be the beginning through the end of Twoson, week 2 would be through the end of Fourside and getting the Teleport PSI power, week 3 would be up to Tenda Village and week 4 would be the end?

@TriforceBun

It doesn't need to be "one month" or whatever. It isn't like RGC's which shoot through in a month. Fire Emblem took us FOREVER. Okami was formatted for 14 Weeks. Phantasy Star IV was formatted for 5 Weeks. The length of time should fit the game. Don't bind yourself to "4 Weeks." That sounds treacherous! Unless 4 Weeks is how long it'll take to beat it. Know what I mean? You guys have over a month to hammer it down (since we're starting in September after awesome Backlaugust).

@missypissy

So you're rockin' with us then? Cool beans!

@Mr_Mustache

In that case, I think 8 or 9 weeks would be perfect then, since EB can already be arguably split into that many chapters.

@TriforceBun

Works for me.

--You guys can collab, certainly!!

I might be down for a September play. Put me down for "maybe".

@Zero

I'll put you with the other people.

I'll play. I admit that I've probably already played through what will be week 1 though, but I can stop for a little while.

I'm happy to wait for Earthbound. I waited this long for it, a couple of months won't matter much!

Pokefreak911 said:

I'm happy to wait for Earthbound. I waited this long for it, a couple of months won't matter much!

Pssht! Thats what I'M sayin'!

Well I beat the game for the 3rd time yesterday afternoon. I loves it so much. This September will be the 4th time.

I've played half the game many times, but only beaten it once before. I look forward to beating it a second time in October.

I don't think I've played it in years, so I may dust off the ol' cartridge and give it a go.

@VickiL

..September?

@Mop it up

May?

@Mr_Mustache No, not in May. September.

Well I'm working on the early draft for the play through. I extended it to 9 weeks right now but will talk it over with TriforceBun to see what he thinks.

@Mr_Mustache

TriforceBun said it'd take maybe 8 to 9 weeks, so if we start the first week of September, I imagine I'll be beating the game sometime around late October. Only naughty people (and a handful of people with legit reasons) would play ahead of the team and beat the game in September.

I'm really excited to play this again. It's sitting on my Wii U waiting for me to boot it up, but I'm being good and waiting until September to play with everyone here.

To those going in fresh, excessive grinding isn't really needed in this one (aside from getting Ultimate Weapons) so don't worry about having to do that. It's not to say that you won't be challenged, but once you learn the art of getting the drop on enemies, it's not too hard.

@Mop it up

I see what you did there.