* * * * * 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 It's hard for me to figure out what people will think are spoilers in this game (TrifoceBun spoilered out the max BP level even though I didn't), but I guess I should.

The badge everyone should find on Mt. Rugged is: Damage Dodge. When you do the defensive action command, Mario's defense will increase by 1, which will make for a total of 2. Most enemies will be doing more than 1 damage attacks, so it'll definitely help.

@Mop it up

Oh, I TOTALLY got that. Excellent badge. I made room for that thing IMMEDIATELY.

Can you help me with Stone Blocks? The only ones (3) I can remember seeing were on Mt. Rugged, in a Pipe under Toad Town, and POSSIBLY one way back around Goomba Village? I'm definitely going back, just trying to shave time. I know I've seen 'em. Can I Hammer the Stone Cactus, too?

I am still playing! Probably about half done with week 2. I wasted a bunch of time running errands for old koopa dude, and fighting in the dojo. I'll be busy the next couple nights, so I'll likely have to finish 2 and work on 3 during the weekend. With Monday off, I like my chances! Also, one chapter a week is perfect!

There's something that's always bothered me about Mario's house in this game. Why in the world do Mario and Luigi have a bunk bed? There's plenty of space in the bedroom to have separate beds, no reason to stack them!

@Mr_Mustache Hero of Hyrule mostly covered it, but there is indeed a stone block back near Goomba Village, in the area where you first got the hammer. However, it isn't covering anything up, so there is no reason to go back to it. My guess is that the only reason the block exists is to show you that you can't destroy stone blocks with the first hammer.

Just started Week 2. The slow pacing is my major dislike about this game so far.

I will start and complete WEEK 3 later than normal this week. I will be out of town the next few days. I'm bummed about it because it's all work and no play but whatev'.

Will pick this back up before Sunday surely!

Found some stuff this week (3) that maybe would've been over looked:

1. 2 Badges (as Princess) that can be put into the magic chest.
2. 2 Special Blue Disc Blocks? And now all of my critters are powered up.

And I'm not even into the Forest yet.

Just finished up week 3.

Week 3 has been started.

@Hero_Of_Hyrule

Yeah, its cool, I'm not faulting you or anything. Just something that maybe less explorative people would maybe miss. I went into the library area first before turning around and saying "what else is in here.." And I did a bunch of stuff in the sewer, nice knowing that there are some relatively easy guys to kill there who still pay out.

--I was messing around in the Woods a little bit but didn't stumble on any; are the Badges easy to find? Maybe I just haven't been deep enough. I'll take a much closer look later.

@Hero_Of_Hyrule

I'll look around and check the map later, thanks. I appreciated the desert map. Usually I just search for everything, but I've done this game before, this is like the victory lap or something.

(I spent my first 25 Star Pieces and picked up the Power Plus Badge, woo-hoo!)

Is there any reward for that pig thing in Toad Town?

@Hero_Of_Hyrule

Me, too. Thats why my little Goomba friend accompanies me first in all new areas, haha!

And yeah, I think I dig it already. With that and a Power Smash (Badge) from the Hammer, I'm doing 7 damage.


The Pigs...ohhhhhhh....so. You want to make them run away so they drop items???

@Hero_Of_Hyrule

Is there a specifically awesome item we should be waiting for? I'm not going in there for a Tasty Tonic.

@Hero_Of_Hyrule

No badges or permanents? (or "Rares" / I forgot what they're called)

So they do absolutely nothing? Great, wasted 110 coins.

I never bothered with the piggies, seems like such a waste of coins when so many badges are available for purchase.

I like the idea behind the forest, but it could stand to be a little less obvious which path is the correct one. Like the hidden areas, for example, the clues for those is more subtle.

Just finished up 3.

This was kind of a quiet week...