1/29/05 - What "made" the Chrono series for you?

[ZeaLitY]

Vote! For clarification, what feature of the Chrono series truly stood out to you?

[Arc Impulse]

It's actually more a combination of a couple of those poll options, but if I had to pick one single aspect that endears me to the Chrono series to this day, it would definitely be the characters.  (Primarily in Chrono Trigger.)  Magus is, to this day, my all-time favorite fictional character in any medium.  It's a funny thing, considering that within the games themselves the focus is never really on character except perhaps for a few brief moments, but nevertheless the cast is what keeps me interested.  More than any other game I've ever played, I feel like the possibilities for further stories are infinite with them, and I want to know everything about them that I can.  I was really disappointed when I found out Guile was intended to be Magus but that aspect had been scrapped--even though I'm heartily indifferent to Chrono Cross, the more time I could spend with the cast of the original game, the better the series would become to me.

[Leebot]

While the Sci-Fi aspect is a strong pull, it was CT's gameplay and battle system that really defined it for me. CC didn't disappoint in this matter, providing a unique and strategic gameplay formula.

[sarua]

For me it was Kato's deep and thrilling plots and scenarios. Also i liked characters a lot, Magus and Lynx my favorite ones.

[ZeaLitY]

Someone on Gamefaqs has noted that Kato didn't compose the overall story for Trigger. I'm not sure if this is true, as I've been billing him as the mastermind behind the series.

[Anonymous]

Someone on Gamefaqs has noted that Kato didn't compose the overall story for Trigger. I'm not sure if this is true, as I've been billing him as the mastermind behind the series.

You guys have no doubt read this interview, but it includes Kato talking in a lot of detail about his work with the series.

For example, in Chrono Trigger, Mr. Yuji Horii wrote the basic plot line first; following that, it was editted and rewritten by me, and even further on after that, the sub-scenarios were created by Mr. Tokita and Mr. Kitase. So it all gets kinda' mixed up at the end. But the 12,000 B.C. part was 100% my original idea. After writing the story for this part, I also did the events for Zeal Palace, the dungeons, and everything else by myself (laughs). In "Radical" I wrote most of the main story and after drafting out the concepts for the sub-stories, (e.g. the elopement episode and the space-detective episode) I left them to the staff to take care of. Oh, wait... everything except for the sunflower episode. That one, I didn't touch. I let Mr. Shimamoto do whatever he wanted on that one. I sorta' avoided having any part in that episode (laughs). . . .On Cross, I also let each of the individual staff members work on the sub-quests. No... well, to tell you the truth, I was too busy taking care of my own duties as a director that I couldn't possibly take part in them... This is a secret, OK?... well, this sorta' thing happens all the time (laughs).

Earlier, it says he wrote "the majority of the story" of CT.  So it looks like he was basically the "mastermind" behind the series, though as with all games, other people got mixed up in the writing too.

I voted for the music.  There are other merits to CT, obviously, but the music feels like its heart and soul.  It draws everything together and makes it memorable.

[V_Translanka]

As the poll reflects, at least as of now, the Chrono series is not about one thing (I think it could have been had it really well developed the characters in Chrono Cross...but let's not stray...). What makes it so great is that it's a powerhouse, a creative force. It has many great things going for it that even if you didn't like one aspect, you're still likely to like several others.

Take myself for example: I didn't like the Character Development in Chrono Cross (holy hell...It always seems to come to this with me, doesn't it?), but I absolutely loved the storyline, the gameplay was solid enough, the music was top-tier, and the graphics were up-to-date. Radical Dreamers is similar: although it is, of course, lacking in any graphical sense, it makes up for it with really well rounded characters, easy gameplay (I think it's fun even if no one else says so), and a really nice story. Each one of the games excells at Replay Value in a genre (RD kinda skips out of the RPG genre a bit though) that really isn't known for it.

I voted for the Characters because Crono & Co are really what got me hooked, right from the start.

[YbrikMetaknight]

Without a general "It just kicks ass" option, I have to go with "Solid identity & gameplay amidst other RPGs." For me, you see, the best thing about CT was how it was as an overall game. For CC, it was how it worked with CT.

[Lord J Esq]

I voted for Kato. None of the options really capture what I think is the most important element: The Director. Mr. Kato did an outstanding job with CT, and not so good a job with CC, and that is the only difference between these two games. A good plot is essential, but if it isn't presented well then the game just can't capture the excellence it may otherwise deserve.

[SgtMackenzie]

The story was the best I've ever played through EVER.    The characters were fully fleshed out instead of having the mistake of too many/too few characters.    The magical spell effects and combos were VERY simplistic to learn, yet awe-inspiring at the time.  The soundtrack was downright mesmerising.    The battle system was much, much better than anything labeled Final Fantasy.  (Not that I'm anti-FF, as FF3 is second on my list)  You could choose your battles and level your group pretty much anywhere that was the most interesting to you.    That brings me to the settings.   At no time did they stick you in one place that you couldn't get out of in a reasonable amount of time.   Being able to sidetrack a lot of encounters helped as well.   Nothing today is more frustrating than picking up Final Fantasy and losing my way in a dungeon because I have to fight a random mob every 3 to 10 steps I take.   But Most of all, I think Chrono Trigger is the greatest RPG ever because I was a kid when I played it and I regain a little bit of that ever time I pick it up.

[V_Translanka]

The battle system was much, much better than anything labeled Final Fantasy.

Hate to nit-pick...and not to bash either Chrono battle systems...But are we forgetting Tactics?

And I tied FFVI with CT myself...I couldn't choose...It's like asking to pick between your kids or something...although...I don't have kids...and I hate kids...So...I guess it's not like that at all for me...

[razor's edge]

Since I couldn't choose all of 'em, I went with characters, because even with all the other elements combined, i feel the characters are the glue that holds it all together. I mean, if instead of Frog, the game had Gene Simmons as Frog, well, it would ruin everything else about the game. Even for Chrono Cross, I felt the characters were the most important--at least, the few that were actually developed(Serge, Kid, Fargo, Radius, Lynx...can't think of any more, it's been awhile). While I would have rather had a handful of well-developed characters instead of 40+ not-developed characters, the ones who actually mattered to the story were superb.

[ZeaLitY]

Gamefaqs tally:

*Mitsuda's (and some of Uematsu's) musical wizardry - 1
*Kato's deep and thrilling plots and scenarios - 7
*Solid identity & gameplay amidst other RPGs - 6
*The boundless fictional universe of the series - 1

Final tally at week's end:

Mitsuda's (and some of Uematsu's) musical wizardry - 5
The rich and unique qualities of the characters - 5
Kato's deep and thrilling plots and scenarios - 14
Time/dimensional travel and other Sci-Fi aspects - 2
Solid identity & gameplay amidst other RPGs - 8
The boundless fictional universe of the series - 3

[SilentMartyr]

There really isn't anything on that list that stand above the others enough for a simple pick. Everything that is involved in the game is great. Mind you this is a CT vote only, I am completing Cross this week, for I have ever had the chance to play it before. After careful deliberation, Kato's abilty to write a mezmorizing script really put the game above any other RPG I have played.

[BlueThunder]

Just the way the game is layed out.