CLOSED - Rate Cross Characters 20: Mel

[ZeaLitY]

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

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

[ZeaLitY]

Design: What we have here is an NPC from Guldove, childhood age, with a smarmy face.

Combat: Combat!?

Tilt: "Hey look, I stole your Elements like Yuffie, except I'm just a brat." As if we didn't have enough with Korcha, we get a double dose of Guldove-Pissoff with Mel, who sulks / yells / cries the entire game. I find nothing interesting, profound, or captivating about this character. For goodness's sake, Kato should have told his development team to shut the hell up with their great ideas for extra characters.

D for DUMB!

[Kyronea]

Character Design: It's another bratty kid from the Chrono Cross team, and she wears practically the same kind of outfit Kid does...which is rather creepy.

Combat Usefulness: Her only possible saving grace is the fact that she can steal, but so can two other characters. She does have a double-tech with Kid when it comes to stealing, though.

Tilt: It's like Zeality said...she's basically like Yuffie, except without all of the redeeming qualities, cuteness, and charm Yuffie possessed. In other words, she's a whiny brat who ought to shut up and leave Serge and the gang alone.

Final Grade: D.

[nightmare975]

Design: Look! Another kid! >_<

Combat: Never bothered to use her, read "tilt" to see why.

Tilt: Okay, so you save Kid, and Mel joins your party, right?

WRONG!

No, you have to wait until after you become Serge again. >_< And she isn't even worth it after that. She's why I always pick to not save Kid.

Final Grade: F D

[CelestialPhantasm]

But I feel like an @$$ not saving Kid...

Anyway, Mel sucks for the above reasons.  D

[dankun]

Tilt: Okay, so you save Kid, and Mel joins your party, right?

WRONG!

No, you have to wait until after you become Serge again. >_< And she isn't even worth it after that. She's why I always pick to not save Kid.

Incorrect.
You don't have to wait until you become Serge again to recruit her.
Granted, she is one of the characters that becomes available almost near the end of the first part of the game, but of course you can use her during the time before you become Lynx.

Combat Usefulness: Her only possible saving grace is the fact that she can steal, but so can two other characters. She does have a double-tech with Kid when it comes to stealing, though.

Yes. Her only real useful purpose is the fact that she can steal and that she's one of the few characters that actually has a Double Tech. And its with one of the main characters of the game, mind you.
Now, considering the fact that Kid is available during the entire (well, almost) first part of the game, when she becomes available for recruitment it's already too late, because Kid has already recovered no matter which plot path/branch you took.
Regarding her double tech, I really doubt that there is any real use for it at all; considering the fact the it might help increase the succes rate of rare items is practically void. And I am fairly cartain that it doesn't, testing it out thoroughly in the fight with Harle on Hermit's Hideaway to get a pair of Moonglasses.

[rushingwind]

Character Design: A little kid, and a brat at that.  Not cute at all.

Combat Usefulness: The double-tech with Kid is nice, but that's not enough reason to keep her in the party.

Tilt: Ugh.  Didn't like her at all.  Not even a little bit.  Like others have said, she screams Yuffie and she's not even as redeeming or useful.

Final Grade:D.