Why do I not understand all the fuss about Chrono Trigger DS?

[macirex]

It´s because Time Travel stories are great!! and in the way the game presents itself is magical. The fuss about CT on DS is just that CT on DS, finally you can play it in the go.

[MeshGearFox]

Trying to understand how time travel works in CT isn't really a great idea if you don't want to go insane.

[Eusis]

I'm afraid Mesh is right.

Anyways, time travel in a story can easily go wrong. When used well it's amazing, but most of the time it's kind of headache inducing if you think too much about it.

[Geop]

Anyways, time travel in a story can easily go wrong. When used well it's amazing, but most of the time it's kind of headache inducing if you think too much about it.

The end of Donnie Darko is an example.  Unless I R stupid, which is not unlikely.

[MeshGearFox]

I don't think the end of Donnie Darko was actually time travel but who knows.

Speaking of time travel, CT mostly just used it to deal with the history of the world. The only time time travel was used in a "LET'S CHANGE TIME" sense was that thing in the beginning with the grandfather paradox which was sort of retarded and not in line with the rest of CT.

As far as exploring history goes though I think Terranigma is a thematically similar but better game :3

[GenoThePeoplesChamp]

Chrono Trigger's appeal at this point is partially naustalgia and partially because it did a lot of things right as an RPG; the characters were pretty well developed, the multiple-endings allowed the player a certain amount of control over, what is usually, a linear and immutable story, and the battle system's multi-character combo system made the turn-based system more interesting. Over all it was a prominent and influential name in the genre and as such it gained a following that has been passed down through the console generations. The only reason for a younger gamer to play it would be to see why some RPGs are made the way they are today, or to see if it really deserves all the praise it gets.

[MeshGearFox]

Cantaloupe.

One of the things, I think, that could be seen as a problem with Chrono Trigger is that while it does do what it does very well, it really doesn't do a lot. The particular innovation this game had was the combo system, which was quite well done, but it didn't really bring a lot *new* to the table.

There are a few other things I see pointed out as innovative, sometimes. I remember a 1up podcast where they said Crono never HAD to be in your active party, which is completely untrue. That's only for the very end of the game when you hit the sidequests. Second, some enemies had weapons you could burn away. By some enemies, I mean like... hardly any, and doing this was inconsequential.

There's also the matter of the battle system taking place on the map. I always considered this an entirely aesthetic thing, because it IS. And I have to admit that when I was 11 and first playing CT, I thought this was the coolest thing in the world. And now I don't.

And then there's the matter of time travel. Maybe the biggest missed opportunity is that it doesn't play into the gameplay that much. It's relevant to a few of the sidequests, and the thing with those locked chests. But otherwise it's part of the story and strictly part of the story. Stuff you do in the past never really changes stuff in the present from a gameplay standpoint, unless the story demands it.

I'm also not sure I'd call CT really influential. Combos didn't suddenly become hugely commonplace after it came out (and, uh, they never really became commonplace anyway). None of the somewhat unique features from the game did, really. I think FFXII is the first non-strategy, non-action JRPG SINCE CT to do battles on the game map.

Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that, while it's a very well done game, it doesn't do a lot of stuff that's really unique. It's a pretty simple game, and if you're more used to recent games that give you more choice about how you develop your party or something, it's not going to offer as much.

Cantaloupe.

[Aeolus]

.

[aquagon]

I'm also not sure I'd call CT really influential. Combos didn't suddenly become hugely commonplace after it came out (and, uh, they never really became commonplace anyway). None of the somewhat unique features from the game did, really. I think FFXII is the first non-strategy, non-action JRPG SINCE CT to do battles on the game map.

And actually, maybe that's true for the games we got in America, but not for all. The PSX Popolocrois games (the first one released on 1996, all released only in Japan) all had their battles happening in the same part of the game map where the monsters were found instead of a separate screen.

[Gen Eric Gui]

The particular innovation this game had was the combo system, which was quite well done

...buh?  Most combos were utterly useless, and the entire system falls apart once you get high level spells.  Combos actually -lower- your overall damage output after midgame.

[aquagon]

The particular innovation this game had was the combo system, which was quite well done

...buh?  Most combos were utterly useless, and the entire system falls apart once you get high level spells.  Combos actually -lower- your overall damage output after midgame.

Actually, some of the combos still keep their usefulness even late in game (such as some of the triple techs) since they still have a high damage output and fairly low MP costs. The only thing that actually kills their usefulness is that some of the final equipments (especially the added one for the DS version) are extremely broken.

[MeshGearFox]

Most combos were utterly useless

shut up I'm being conciliatory

(Also, there's some truth to what I said, assuming you exploit enemy elemental weaknesses, at which point combos are a very good idea and do to an extent save on MP. however, discerning elemental weakness isn't easy, because Chrono Trigger isn't a Megaten game, and the only explicity information you get in-game is that dinosaurs hate electricity).

(Also, compared to everything else out around the same time with a combo system -- which maybe was early RS games and uh PSIV -- CT probably did it the best.)

(I keep forgetting that I asked this, but how useful are combos in the P2 games and P3? Actually, P3 wasn't combos so much as combination of certain personae being possessed opening up new skills. Whatever.)

[ChevalierEagle]

CT's battle system is rock solid, and is a testament to the game's quality how well it has aged. The story is nothing to throw a party, but the characters are fun and that's more than enough. I also liked the changes in each escenario when you travel in time.

[Aeolus]

.

[MeshGearFox]

Except it's still not really all that hard even if you ignore weaknesses, because it's Chrono Trigger and it's very easy.

Also, really, CT's battle system is ATB with combos. It hasn't really aged any better or worse than any post-FFIV ATB battle system because they're all very, very similar. Combos DO make waiting around a bit meaningful, but the easiness of the game still kind of offsets that.