CLOSED - Rate Cross Characters 25: Norris

[ZeaLitY]

Evaluate Norris based on his character design, combat usefulness, and Tilt factor -- which can mean anything, from how much he strikes you as cool to how important he is to the plot.

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Norris.html

[jihnsius]

I'm the one that's been giving characters you love low grades, I just haven't really been up to justifying my reasoning. Guess I'll start now. Rest assured it has nothing to do with 'going against the trends,' I just personally don't care for a large number of the characters in the game.

Character design: He's the only character in the game that seems to have a real world connection, he's a well-respected member of the military, and for this I think he's a great addition to the crew.

Combat usefulness: Not too much, but he's better than most of the other characters.

Tilt factor: I've always found it humorous when he encounters his other-world counterpart, he seems to not show any concern or interest, which wins him some bonus points.

[Kyronea]

Character Design: Norris appears at first to be a more or less generic soldier, but closer examination shows a very different breed from your average grunt.

Combat Usefulness: He's the best yellow element in the game. That enough of a description for you?

Tilt: Norris defines what a character should be. He's fully fleshed out...he gets plenty of development, and he has one of the most hilarious encounters with his opposite self. Norris is a wonderful character, and is a definite on my "stay a PC" list.

Final Grade: A.

[maggiekarp]

Design: Coooooool. Just enough belts.

Combat: Very nice.

Tilt: Likable badass. This guy should stick around.

B

[V_Translanka]

Character Design - I think he looks like a douchey anime character...but his outfit's kinda cool actually. Very military chic. >_>

Combat Usefulness - He uses a gun. His Techs are all him shooting kinda lasery beam stuff or something. Kinda cool, I guess.

Tilt Factor - He's a government spy guy sorta. Don't really know much about him, but he has some nice interaction with his other self, I suppose...He also fixes that computer in the Time Crash area...I guess that counts for...something?

Final Grade - C

[ZeaLitY]

Character Design: Norris has it down. If the developers had once chance to create a cool guy from Porre and give him an edge, they succeeded with Norris and his Black Wind unit affiliation. The black and gray jacket is just friggin' cool.

Combat Usefulness: I used Norris often after I got his final tech and the ultimate gun. He's a pretty good Yellow element.

Tilt: Norris represents the entire state of Porre directly, gets interaction with his other self, makes interesting comments in situations...the list continues. He's a very unique and original character in Chrono Cross, begging for more development and expository information on his background and the nature of the world in 1020 A.D. Easy A here; I would easily include him in the top tier of playable characters.

[V_Translanka]

the ultimate gun

Do you mean Starky's gun? Because, I gotta admit, it's funny as hell seeing Norris wield that thing.

[Radical_Dreamer]

Design: He looks pretty good for what he is in general, but that his belt seemed a bit phallic in some battle sequences.

Combat: He earned his spot in my party. He was with me the first time I beat the game, actually. Him and Gorbyc together? Look out!

Tilt: He is a reminder/representative of the outside world, of Zenan, and thus, the direct "after" of Chrono Trigger.

A

[CelestialPhantasm]

Design: As mentioned, a very fashionable soldier. One of two gun-wielding characters (the other being a little space man)

Battle: Very solid character.  Definitely my yellow innate of choice.  I was dissappointed that his dual tech with Grobyc was so weak, though.

Tilt: Norris is cool, collected, classy and bold.  Like Glenn, he doesn't let his allegiances sway him from searching for the truth and doing what's right.  But Norris is just a bit more interesting than the swordsman.  Maybe it's his helpfulness at an interesting point in the game, maybe it's the way he offends his superiors with his blunt honesty, maybe it's his professional, thoughtful way of doing things... I'm not entirely sure.  But I like Norris a lot.

A

[rushingwind]

Character Design: Very nice design.  He almost seemed generic, but has just enough flare that he stands out.

Combat Usefulness: He's a good yellow element, and I used him quite often. 

Tilt:  He's a helpful character who wants to do the right thing, and even though he's deeply loyal to Porre, he doesn't let it stand in the way of the truth.  He's a lot like Glenn (which has already been pointed out in this thread), but I actually like the Dragoon a little better.  That doesn't mean I don't like Norris, though.  I love his character, and a Chrono Cross game without Norris as a playable character would be much poorer indeed.

Final Grade: A.