Playing The Classics: Donkey Kong Country: Vol 3

-- Part One -- Part Two --

The nature of this game with its funky (no pun intended) save feature and level select feature, mixed with this blogger now back in school trying to earn a new degree, makes it challenging to continue through it. The game is entertaining enough as I've said but it's just hard to get motivated to use the precious little free time I have on a game where I'll have to replay significant chunks of levels if I don't make it to the next Candy location. That said, I finally made my way back into a groove with it, despite an exam on the horizon.

I am enjoying the theme of the Industries levels. However in the second level of that world, I came across a moving-platform style level that's reminiscent of those from Super Mario World. I had a bit of an issue with these however because of a somewhat minor programming decision. Donkey Kong (or Diddy if you're leading with DK) will always follow the lead player. So when I'm riding these platforms, it's hard to realize I'm not falling off or overshooting my jump when the secondary player is moving without me even doing anything. Simply when a platform changes direction, my characters shift and it's like a minor illusion. Then I came to a point where the platform lowered onto a vulture that spits rocks. I let it ride down, assuming I'd be killing it, but nope, it goes through the platform and kills Diddy. Thats some great video game logic... Then when the track was over, I felt like the platform was going to fall so I jumped but I ill-time it. So I corrected and landed back on the platform, only to roll off the other side. Give me a break. That break came in the form of the next level before the save point, Elevator Antics. It was the right kind of challenge but I didn't have to die a billion times to make it through. A well done level.

In Blackout Basement... I was torn. On the one hand it was quite challenging and for that I saw its value. On the other hand, how annoying is it that a level is in the dark half of the time as if I was starting to blackout while playing? I think what's interesting to note as a comparison with Donkey Kong Country Returns is my post-level desire. What I mean by this is that, when I beat DKCR, I was very ready to go back in for more and replay levels. Even the really tough ones were levels I salivated for. However, with Donkey Kong Country I find myself trying to get past a level, then having no desire to return. I don't know if the levels aren't as memorable or if the controls are still just a bit peculiar for me but I definitely see a difference.

The time span between writing the above portion of this and writing the below portion has been weeks. School has attacked my free time and so I haven't been able to finish this game yet. Finally though I aim to do so, in one final post about the game. I just played my way through Tanked Up Trouble and Manic Mincers, which were challenging but do able. I feel like though, that I want this game to be over already. I hate to say that about such a beloved game, and while I am having fun, there is just something about this game that I want to be over. Maybe I want the stress of the save feature gone most. I have having to retread my steps in order to successfully start from where I once was. For example, how right now I have to finish those two levels again because I used my final life at that new level with all the smog and snakes. It's enough to pull a rage quit. If I lose more than two lives in Tanked Up Trouble it makes no sense to use the rest. I should just lost them all and start fresh. I think what frustrates me most isn't so much the sometimes awkward character control, but the lack of definition in the platforms and the feet on which my monkeys stand on.

Platform Perils.... what an appropriate name, for a fun level! Finally something challenging but fun. Tons of jumping but it's not ridiculous. You know how to do it, but can you succeed? I really enjoyed this level, despite dying a few times. Finally I made it onto a boat. Admittedly I said to myself, "another world? really?" But I was optimistic for the fact that it was on a ship. Then I realized quick it was the final boss battle. I loved the music, which was familiar from playing in the past (whether it was DKCR or DKC I don't recall). K.Rool is easily the best boss battle of the game. It took a few tries until finally I knocked his ass out. ... or so I thought ... the kredits began to roll and suddenly, as I was looking at this very screen, I was jumped by that fat reptilian jerk. So I died, and tried again. This time knowing better.

When I finally beat him after his tricky move, I appreciated the coronary he apparently had. Though all the characters in this game kind of sound like they're having some kind of physical release... Then came the very Rareware thing to do and show me all the enemies. I actually generally like this sort of thing. Having the squids chase the shark and then back again was kind of funny. I do appreciate that despite the Kremlings kind of had inspiration from the original Klap Traps from the original Donkey Kong game.

All in all, after the credits rolled and the start screen returned, I felt like it was a generally fun game. My finish percentage was 48% and a play time of 2:14. Seemed a lot longer... haha. I know there's tons of letters and secrets to be found but that's just not for me. I did appreciate the blast from the past and a look into where the roots of the banana tree that is Donkey Kong Country Returns came from. I hear the sequel is even better than the first though. Perhaps I'll have to try that in time.

Playing The Classics: Donkey Kong Country: Vol 2

-- Part One --

So I assure you readers out there that I have been playing games lately, and Donkey Kong Country has been one of them. I just haven't played enough to really write more, until now.

One thing I really want to comment on with this game is the annoying save feature. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it has one at all and beggars can't be choosers, but... the save feature is completely convoluted. I play X amount of levels, only to come across Dixie Kong, who is in the middle of a world. Then I come across Funky who has his nifty ship. But if I don't make it past the boss and a few more levels, then I can't save again. It seems pointless. But wait! I can use Funky to go to a previous land to save at that Dixie... that fixes it all doesn't it? Well, no. That's even more convoluted because then if you lose all your lives, you have to go back to that save point and then make your way back to the level you wanted. It just eats up extra time and is initially confusing and is ridiculously pointless. I don't know if this changed for the second or third sequels but I'm glad Retro did away with it.

Anyhow, as I furthered my way through I came across some mine cart action. I found this to be quite fun but significantly lacking in the detection aspect. Jumps I know I should have made, didn't make it. Also, the level design was kind of boring. Still, I was happy to see them and I enjoy the fact that these aspects have been a part of the series since the first one.

I don't mean to bitch some more but in relation to the save point thing, the whole map is just clunky. It reminds me of a badly done Super Mario Bros. 3 or something. Not being able to go from world to world without a boss fight or Funky is unnecessary to me. If someone would like to explain to me why this was a design choice, I'd be happy to be enlightened. I guess one thing that is nice is seeing Funky himself. While his function is kind of pointless, I like that he's there. I just wish I didn't need him to be mobile.

Eventually I made it to a forest world. There were quite a few barrel challenges which were both a little annoying and a little enjoyable. I really liked how the levels themselves looked. Being up in the treetops seems natural for Donkey Kong and his pal Diddy. One level I played had orangutans throwing barrels at me... seemed like a nice nod to the original Donkey Kong game but way to go back on your species jerks. I find it a little hard to aim the spinning barrels in those challenges but I get by eventually. In the first snow level titled, Snow Barrel Blast, I had another set of those barrels ahead of me. I kept messing up until just a moment ago when I accidentally fired myself towards the pit below only to be caught by a hidden barrel. This barrel not only shot me along the bottom, into a ton of bananas and the final KONG letter G, but it shot me to the rest of the level. I love when games have little secrets like this. It was a nice surprise that gave me a little more fire in my belly to continue forth.

And so I shall, with the next installment.

Read Part 3

Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels: Vol 5

-- Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three -- Part Four --

This is it. Call Gob Bluth... this is the final countdown! World 8, Level 8-1. Here We Go.

The graphics look beautiful right now. Lush green environments, happy clouds in the background, and fantastical mountains in between. This is easily the best looking level in the whole game so far though I doubt it will be topped. 8-1 was tricky but I found myself running through it with flair. Maybe I was getting better at this game, or maybe it was just a superbly designed level. I don't think I'll ever know. 8-2 was full of hidden blocks. I found a bunch. Some had Super Mushrooms, others had Poison Mushrooms, and one even had a Star. Death after Death I realized what I needed to do to make it past the multiple Hammer Bros in my way. Then, as I tried, I found two more hidden blocks! This level his hidden block crazy! I made it to a forced pipe which led me to a nice little bonus area. Phew, I could breathe. Oh but wait... it takes me back to the middle of the level...? But I wasn't fooled. I knew the tricks by now. Right after that spot was a lonely Koopa Paratroopa floating underneath a block... a finesse-filled attack perhaps? Oh yes. I hit the block above the reptile and a vine released. Like Jack and his beanstalk, I climbed. A castle in the clouds? This is new... And a whole level in the clouds. I'm nearly done and the game is still chucking new ideas at me. I love it.

In 8-3, it's a pretty intense level because of the Hammer Bros strung throughout. However I learned something great here. After well over thirty-five tries I learned the secrets of the level as well as the secrets to the Hammer Bros. You have to run. If you run fast enough you can almost always avoid the first attack and they wont have time to get going. Eventually I was running through the level like a mad man. There was this one spot which took me a while to figure out because of more hidden blocks. I kept dying there too. Then I just went balls to the wall through it only to find out that the goal was literally a screen away the whole time. What a sigh of relief. With that sigh, I headed to the final level. Eight Dash Four.

Bowser's Castle is menacing. Just like in Super Mario World, the thunder crackles and the lighting fills the darkness. You start at a lava pit, requiring a bit of fancy movement to get across. Once over though you can't rest, you have to run and time it right to make it past the fire sticks. I ended up on a platform above a pipe. I accidentally slipped off it but saved myself on the pipe and in fact I was able to go down into it. This took me into a water portion of the castle. How bizarre. I hoped I wouldn't die solely because I doubt I could recreate that little bit of footwork again. But I would. I would have to over and over because this castle is the hardest castle I've ever stepped inside. It is grueling and frustrating and just when you think you're doing okay, there's a section requiring a proper "path" to be taken or it loops. Come on Shigeru... what are you smoking? Once I finally overcame that hurdle... things got intense. I only had to get past it once which was the funny part. I made my way forth and finally found Bowser. He began throwing his stupid hammers while nearby was a pipe with a piranha plant. I somehow managed to jump over him but there wasn't a traditional key to kill him. Instead it was a long hallway and I just kept running. I was truly tense and nervous but I kept running wondering what was next. There was a lava pit with two Paratroopas flying over it and I had no idea what that was about because I couldn't see. I just took a leap of faith on the red one's head and landed on solid ground. I ran into a pipe and got the hell out of there. Next was the a series of enemies I just whizzed by, almost like it was some cruel joke. Finally I came to the actual Bowser. King Koopa himself was in my way. With another well timed leap of faith I ran and jumped over him, managing to land on that key, sending his ass to the lava below. I had such a smile of glee on my face. You will not believe it. I had finally, after a billion deaths, defeated this game... or so I thought. I jumped into Peach's cage and rescued her. She gave me a smooch on the cheek and I'm sure she whispered something about better payment later that night. Her final words however were, "Thank You Mario! The kingdom is saved! Now try a more difficult quest..." WHAT? A more difficult quest? Like being blindfolded? Amputated? Using an Atari Joystick? What? So I chose to save and continue.

World A, Level A-1. This was no steak sauce. I was a Super Mario and I started the level. WTF... What the WTF!? The level was scattered with enemies left and right. It was insane. After a single set of five lives I said, No Thanks. I did my part. Peach can save the kingdom this time. Screw that. I'm gonna go have some spaghetti. [Really though I'm going to go buy a celebratory Slurpee, with Koopa Troopa Green Mountain Dew and Goomba Brown Pepsi. Yum. That's all for this installment of the Playing The Classics series. I hope you enjoyed reading and if you ever play... beware, be afraid, and be ballsy. Good luck!]

Sidenote, I couldn't resist trying A-1 again after posting this and I did end up beating it. Going through these levels I come to the conclusion that they are actually a little easier than the main game. It seems to be more like a "lets have some fun with this" kind of mentality for these bonus worlds. A few quick notes include that B-2 is a water level which seems to have randomly selected enemies (as I didn't encounter the same ones throughout my runs). C-2 was a level I only played twice. It was pretty much another flying Cheep Cheep level with more varied enemies and I just ran through the whole thing. It was tense, but I was just pulling things off correctly. The C World castle was a rehash of a castle from earlier in the game but with a couple subtle touches that made it more challenging. By the time I made it to the last castle, level D-4, I had been quick but careful. Again I pretty much ran through the level with finesse. When I got to King Koopa, I had a stand off instead of blindly running. I waited for an opportunity... until I made my move. I managed to get past him, sending him into the lava. These sixteen bonus levels were not nearly as bad as I expected them. They were definitely easier overall than the main game, but they were possibly more fun. This was one hell of a game that the world didn't get to see for some time. I highly recommend you all play it if you get the chance... just be sure to have the All-Stars version so you can save constantly.

Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels: Vol 4

-- Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three --

So... I got past that sort of. The freak out from the last entry was from the looping of Level 5-3. You see, the level loops like you'd expect from certain castle stages. This happens out in the wild, with no pattern or understanding. Do I jump over that enemy? Do I kill it? Do I go under it? There were so many possibilities, all while I was stuck on a moving platform... I had no idea what to do. I stepped away briefly and came back and realized that jumping off a red koopa troopa and landing in the pipe was the solution. Phew... well, not really. The next part of the level is ridiculous. Perfect jumping and timing is required. How this was ever released without a modern save system is beyond me. Japan seemed afraid it was too difficult for Americans... but I find it hard to believe it wasn't too hard for most Japanese as well. In the end I succeeded and well... I hope I never have to play that level again. :)

The World 5 Castle was an example of a level that's both really challenging. Eventually I could run through it (still occasionally getting hit). Reminded me of Bit.Trip Runner. Once in World 6, I found myself really enjoying it. 6-1 has a great look to it and more of that wind. It made the Mushroom Kingdom feel whimsical unlike ever before. The grass would sway and there were a variety of enemies. I'd like to see a future Mario game like this, perhaps a new 3D Super Mario 64 style Mario game. The aesthetic is just great. 6-2 turned out to be a water level... less attractive and still challenging. Oh well, this comes with the territory. Again, there were more twists. Here there were platforms in the water like those found all over the world. The moving girders were added trickiness but nothing too bad. 6-3 had another nice aesthetic with Goomba Statues in the background. It was another flying Cheep Cheep level which wasn't too hard if you just run constantly. Luckily, at the tricky part I died at, the checkmark was right next to a super mushroom. Finally, some compassion from this game. That's where the compassion ends though. With a level like 7-3, which is almost all platforms with springs on them, the game continues to be tricky from start to finish.

When I got to 7-4 and to that castle.... it was easy and tough at the same time. Easy to figure out, hard to master I suppose. Eventually I got fluid at reaching Koopa and he was actually a little easier than before, by luck. I did one of those epic run and jumps that you just don't know what's going to happen and I slipped through a tiny tiny tiny gap in Bowser's hammer throwing. When I knocked him into the lava I quickly dropped the controller and had a bit of a goofy laugh. I'm proud of it though. I busted out those Toads and headed to the final world, World 8, at least I think it's the final. Four levels left. Four. Levels. Left.

Now run right Mario. Run right, and jump with honor!

Read Part 5

Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels: Vol 3

-- Part One -- Part Two --

And with the Warp Zone from Level 1-2, I found myself back in World 2. In order to make my way through all the levels, I had to play through World 2 and Level 3-1 again to find myself back on track for 3-2. When I came across that spring, I dismissed it like a Goomba to pants. I've learned my lesson...for now. I was kind of sad leaving the snow behind so quick but the levels continued to get better and better.

The World 3 castle level was my next "wall" I encountered. It was one of those annoying levels where you have to figure out the pattern or the level will continue to repeat itself. Finding out the pattern is of course trial and error which isn't the worst part though. I was convinced that an insanely hard jump was the key. I tried making that jump for a long long time. Then, by accident like with the last wall, I found some invisible blocks by complete accident. That was the solution! The rest was simple to figure out and I beat Bowser with 329 left on the clock. Upon freeing the Toads, I realized this was the first time I watched this animation. I like it. It's kinda cute. I can only imagine how packed seven Toads will be though... Tough break.

As I made my way through World 4... the preview screens became more menacing and the levels themselves certainly followed suit. Bullet Bills, Hammer Bros, and Lakitus, all while small because well, that's what happens in this game. It's been quite a challenge but it's still really fun to be going through these levels. I am so thankful for the save feature of the 25th Anniversary disc. I made it through the World 4 Castle with relative ease. I only made it to Bowser twice and luckily I made a leap of faith that paid off that second time. Whew. However that certainly wouldn't be the end of my pain.

World 5 contains a new breed of Piranha Plant... pink/orange ones that can't be defeated and they don't get shy when you're near or on a pipe. Hot damn SMB2JPN! They continue to throw the formula into a blender with Miyamoto's face at the bottom. Plus in Level 5-1, I found the WIND to be a damn shock. I died the first time but nailed that part the second time. At the end of Level 5-2 I noticed the possibility of a Warp Zone. I decided to at least investigate it. It was for World 7 but I want to play all these levels, so I just let the clock run out. With that I restarted and made my way back through to the proper exit.

No... No... No... No... No... No... No... No... No... No!!!

World 5-3... WTF... really?... Find out why in Volume 4. I... I need a minute.

Read Part 4

Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels: Vol 2

-- Part One --

As I got back into the game I found yet another surprise in World 2-1. This game is all about unconventional changes to the Mario formula. I received a Starman early on and yet the area right after was full of large watery pits. Normally you're allowed to run for a while knocking enemies out but here you received a star and didn't have much to do. In fact, having the speed boost might have made it harder to traverse the pits. Surprising to say the least. I also ran into a spring. Before they were very hard to use properly but here they launch you into the air off screen for a moment lasting a few seconds. It's a super jump. I wonder, and fully expect, if this will come into play trickier later. Level 2-2 is where I found pretty much the first big problem for myself. A pit too far to jump across. A ledge in the worst spot ever. This game has no mercy. I have wasted many lives and continues that this particular spot. Consider me stumped right now.

A day later I figured it out. It didn't take me too long and it was painfully obvious but still... there wasn't just one hidden block but two. I had a hard time finding it though. This game definitely throws conventions out the window. I tried, as anyone would, to jump that gap in any ways I could. I even saved the star earlier in the level, slowly following it's bounce, in hopes that would give me some kind of extra jumping power. It didn't and now I know why.

When playing through 2-4, I, by complete accident, hit an invisible block which provided a convenient Super Mushroom for myself partway through the level. I had to run back and nab it just before it fell into some lava. I was quite smooth on that move. After a few tries I made it to the end of the castle. I really appreciate the graphics in this game. I don't know how the original compared but there are some nice subtle touches. When the floor Bowser was standing on disintegrates, it does so in such a nice way. It's satisfying like watching dominoes fall.

Coming into World 3, level 3-1 has some nice little snow touches to give this a real feel of a Snow World. I don't think there was a Snow World of any kind in Super Mario Bros. Quite nice here. Nice only for a moment that is. The game sets you up for a douche move. There's a spring right before the end of the level. I now knew that springs work insanely well in this game. So I shot up and floated right as fast as possible, knowing I'd go over the flagpole and to some secret. Well, normally that secret would be a warp pipe to the future (which I didn't want anyway because I wanted to play every level of this game). Instead I reached the warp zone and found a Warp to World 1. What a bitch. What a crafty bitch.

Nintendo and I were in a mind game... and they were winning. At least upon returning to level 1-1 with a Super Mario, I was able to earn a Fire Mario for a little while. I guess that's the glass half full eh?

Read Part 3

Playing The Classics: Donkey Kong Country: Vol 1

On Christmas morning, as a part of a Secret Santa thing I was participating in over at the Negative World forums, I received in my Wii the game, Donkey Kong Country. The original bananarama from the Super Nintendo back in 1994. Like an ape calling out through the jungle, it called to me and said, "You love the new one, play the original!" It called to me and so I answered. Welcome to the Playing The Classics for Donkey Kong Country.

From the get-go there's one thing to notice. The graphics are crude. I know they were good for back in the day, but they certainly do look muddy and it's a lot harder to tell what is a solid platform and what isn't. However I wont knock it for that because frankly it is insanely unfair to judge an older game by a sequel releasing sixteen years later. That'd be like a more minor version of judging Star Wars Episode 4 by Star Wars Episode 1. However in that case, the former still beats the latter. I digress, and yet I will still continue to make comparisons. There are all these synapses firing off in my head over just what Donkey Kong Country Returns borrowed from this game and the series as a whole. If you haven't, go read my Donkey Kong Country Returns Review to see what I thought about that game.

Now, in the first three levels I've noticed that while obviously the idea is the same, DKCR has borrowed some key stuff. The menu music and other tunes have already made their 16-bit presence known. The barrel throwing action has been seen plenty. Also, Rambi the Rhino has made his first appearance, acting just as I know him from DKCR. I don't know if it's a chicken or an egg story but I'm liking parts of this game because of what I know from DKCR. It feels like some sort of Grandfather Paradox though without the murder. Already too in this first 'world' of the game I played as another animal character. I played as Expresso the Ostrich. It took me a moment to put together that Expresso could fly but when I did figure that out, it was kind of fun. I wouldn't say I would have missed him in the Retro Studios sequel but perhaps it would have been fun to have some more animals besides Rambi. I'm pretty excited to get to meet the infamous Enguarde the Swordfish. I've heard a lot about him and for me as someone who has never played this game before, I feel like Enguarde is even more noteworthy than Rambi. At the least, my knowledge of Enguarde was greater anyway. The last major similarity, which I knew was a staple of the series since the beginning, was the Kong Letters. I like having those back because not only am I collect-a-thon kind of person, but they typically help lure you into certain secret or hard to reach areas, thus making you a better, or at least a more perceptive, gamer.

So I battled the first three levels, spoke with that cranky bastard Cranky, and found a hidden room or two. So far so good. Was I a fool to have dismissed this series until just recently? Probably, but only time will really tell. As you might realize, I am in the middle of Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels as well. I'll be playing both games and keeping up with those posts so don't think I'm choosing one game over the other. It's classic mayhem here at the DrFinkelstein gaming bunker... (note: Not a real bunker). Lastly, I want to wish you readers out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays.

Eat, Drink, Game, and Be Merry.

Read Part 2

Playing The Classics: The Lost Levels: Vol 1

I purchased Super Mario All-Stars for Wii recently and while I'm a bit disappointed in the overall package, one thing it's good for is Super Mario The Lost Levels. I had heard the stories... about its evil nature... but I decided it's time to play it. I never have before. Will I be frustrated? Will I be able to beat it? Time will tell. Welcome to the next installment of Playing The Classics from me, for Super Mario The Lost Levels. With the press of the Start button on my Gold Classic Controller Pro, I began my journey.

I like the musical rendition of the classic theme here on the opening menu. It's misleading... calming... until the game begins. Right off the bat I meet the Poison Mushroom. I had never known this existed until a few years back because I think it has only been in this game in the manner that it is. I avoid it so not to discover it's effects. One thing though is that these controls feel weird. I don't know what's wrong but it doesn't feel as quick as Super Mario 3 and yet it still is kind of reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. It's in a weird middle ground that I hope I eventually get used to. Not surprised, it's still level 1-1 and I died. This is gonna be fun... right? Though the game restarted me right where I died. Conveniently I died by a checkpoint. When I reached 1-2, the classic underground style stage, I almost took the whole 'ceiling' path but I realized if I'm going to play this, I'm going to play it old school as it was intended. That said, I died on a piranha plant. The issue isn't so much with the level design though. I feel like it's the controls still. If this were New Super Mario Bros. Wii... that wouldn't have happened. It makes you wonder why they didn't release a New Super Mario All-Stars with these four games in updated graphics and controls. Just think about how amazing that would have been. Think. About. It.

WTF, Pink Flying Squid!? Wow, this is something strange. Having the Bloopers when you cant simply move anywhere you want on screen is quite a change in the dynamic. It's a fresh take, even for this time in my gaming career. If these are the kind of surprises I'm in for, then I'm going to have one hell of an experience with this game. When I got to level 1-4 I found the graphics to be nice. They reminded me of Mario Is Missing, a great learning PC game from back in the day (though it was also an SNES title). I made it to Koopa and found it easy enough, this time, to send him to the lava pits of doom. I loved how his vain bastard self had a self portrait on the wall. Nice touch.

That leaves it for now. World 1 of what I assume is 8. This was tricky but not that hard. The controls seem to be a big culprit. We'll find out soon how right or wrong I am. Soon for sure. Stay tuned!

Read Part 2

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 6

-- Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three -- Part Four -- Part Five --

I loved that once you enter Lavos' shell, you can hear his heartbeat. Then as you creep further closer to him, the beat gets faster and faster. This game just continues to ooze atmosphere... until the bitter end.

Lavos showed himself and the final battle began. Right away he launched an attack which killed Crono and took Ayla down to under 100 HP. Marle was also hurt considerably. This definitely wasn't the last time he'd use this move either. However, this attack presented me with a useful and surprising strategy. I instantly fully revived Crono with Marle's Arise move (which revives and fully heals). As for Ayla, I kept her intentionally at that ridiculously low HP level. Her Haste Helm came as a great partner for her Dino Tail move. This didn't hurt the center body much but it took over 2,000 HP off both of his arms for a total of over 4,400 HP per turn. Very nice. With both arms gone, the battle got fiercer. He attacked not that often, but when he did, it was powerful. Luckily, the triple tech that I had, the only triple tech I had, the Final Kick, came in handy with it's 3,200 or so attack power.

I was successful and then a dialogue scene occurred. It was great seeing my characters determined to save their land. You don't get such a great sense of this from other games. Chrono Trigger definitely delivers on the epic-nature front. I love that the second final form of Lavos came with even more epic music and a totally new background. You just KNEW this was it... the final battle. It was now or never.

I continued essentially the same techniques as before. It became quickly obvious that the center had to be diminished first and then the right. This I learned based on it's attack patterns. I was using Final Kick a bunch but I found that using Crono's Luminaire, Ayla's Triple Kick, and having Marle heal and Haste, allowed me to take down Lavos for good. I felt so victorious at using a truly final, Final Kick in every sense of the name. Lavos went down like a chump. Suddenly the world began merging again as time flashed before my eyes.

Many smart movie scripts have 'bookends'. This is when the ending of the movie or script reflects and references the very beginning. I liked that after beating Lavos, I woke up in my bed, just like when the game started. Instead of being free and a little lazy, I was a warrior but I was apparently captured. I later found out that this was the 'standard ending' of the game. Ending 01, Beyond Time. I was excited to see where this would go. I laughed quite when I realized that the King was joking! What a nice surprise. A reunion of time at the castle. I'm glad to see the Kind wasn't being a douchebag for once. Then we had the Moonlight Parade. It was a nice touch. The lights reminded me of Christmas time so that felt appropriate considering what month it is.

I made my way north and I realized this was all bittersweet. My friends were leaving. First Ayla and Kino. I like how she threw his stupid ass into the portal and followed. I'm proud that she's the start of the timeline in this whole thing. It felt appropriate that she was there fighting till the bitter end. When Frog left, it was also quite nice. I enjoyed Marle kissing Frog. It was a sweet gesture to see the princess kissing a frog. I also thought it was appropriate for Magus to leave without saying a word. No sentiment for him. Very true to the character. Then came Robo...his oil tears blurring his vision. It was very poignant the whole lack of assurance in Lucca's heart that he'd still exist in the future. I hope he's a happy and productive robot in the future. He deserves it. Then when Crono's mother entered the screen... I just knew what was going to happen next. Her entering the portal was pretty hilarious. That moment started a great end credits sequence. Normally these can be a bit boring but Chrono Trigger's was epic, just like the entire game itself.


Now that I have completed it, knowing damn well I missed a bunch of side quests and alternate endings... I see why this game is so popularized and praised. It deserves every bit of it. From the first quest, till the game truly opens up, and through till the final battle with Lavos...the game is legendary. My game time was 25:25 without the Lavos battle, which was probably rounding me to 26 hours including the end credits. Every second was enjoyable. It was the perfect length for an RPG too. I also thought that the final chapter, the final sequence, perhaps because I went through the Black Omen, was a great lengthy finale. Many games these days have endings that are abrupt or too short. The ends don't justify the game and all you played to get there. This is most certainly not the case with Chrono Trigger.


Godspeed Crono! Now if only I could get a means to play Chrono Cross...the title song alone made me want to play that years ago, but as I explained in our first podcast (releasing very soon), it was not meant to be. Perhaps the future holds it for me, waiting for the tale of time to continue.

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 5

-- Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three -- Part Four --

At last! The final frontier! The finale chapter of this epic time-travel saga! Lets see how this all turned out. I bet you're all eager to find out!

That wave of destruction was quite terrifying, even for an SNES game let alone a more recent DS game. Many games don't come close to that kind of somber feeling of despair. I was so sad to see the world as it had become, with all that death. I was surprised too that Crono was in fact gone and that I had to continue on without him.

Any good movie, or story in general, puts the characters at their greatest low just before the final act so that they can rise up against insufferable odds. Chrono Trigger does this when they remove Crono and then we find the characters on the Blackbird, item-less. Our heroes are at their very worst off right now. The stealthy seciton is pretty great. Having to sneak around and collect your stuff adds to the tension. As Ayla, I was able to fight but nobody else could. I don't know if this is because Ayla only uses her fists or not, but it was useful so that I could fight off some baddies. Then after all this came another plot-twist.

Magus has joined the party. Well ain't that unexpected. This game is pretty good with going in different directions. Also, he has the coolest way of moving. While Alya's running on all-fours is cute, the Magus flying pose is bad-ass. He makes for a cool addition to the team. Despite his level being so high, he isn't as strong as Ayla or Marle is seems.

Then came Death Peak. This is hands down the stupidest part of the game. You have to use the little helpers and the trees to hide you from intense winds. The thing is, the catch, is that you need to be right next to the tree and running in it's direction the whole time while the wind blows. The problem that lies is that unless you aim it perfectly, you will run past the tree. There is hardly any time to correct an ill-placed aim so it can get unbearable. I realized though that you will literally stop in front of the creature if you don't talk to him (and thus transform him into a tree). That little tip helps make the first part easier and luckily I discovered it was a rather short portion. The other helpers come into play later in other ways. As I encountered other enemies in this area I realized how nice Magus' speed is for his blue attack bar. He's not the fastest character but I'm glad he's up there with the rest of the best.

For a game about time travel, it's about time that plot point paid itself off. The doppel-doll replacing Crono just before his death was great. Way to stick it to the man Marle and company! In watching that whole sequence play out, I was glad to have Marle, Ayla, and Magus in my party. Magus was great with his amazement of the process, while Ayla was cute with her prehistoric cave-babe dialogue, and Marle, who has a real connection with Crono from the start of the game, got her well deserved reunion.

The Hug of a lifeTime.

His time was short lived, but once Crono was back, I put Magus away. I'm sure Frog will hate that Magus is chilling at the End Of Time with him, but maybe they can resolve things while Crono, Ayla, and Marle are saving the world. However it's an example of this game's humor and consistency that Magus stands way at the other end of the room... He wouldn't wanna cross paths with Sir-Croaks-A-Lot. I decided to keep Marle, not only because she's a healer but she's also the love of Crono's life. I want her to fight beside him, till death do they part. I also decided to keep Ayla because she's already fought so hard for the group and I find her adorable. Plus, her high HP and that 'Cat Attack' were the reasons the team beat all those Lavos Spawns we fought to get to that peak.

Now though I found myself on a quest to fight Lavos. I decided to go through the Black Omen for two reasons. First, I could use all the experience points I can get. My characters are at levels 36 through 39, with my main party of Crono, Ayla, and Marle all being 39. Still, I could use more. The second reason being, the Queen really needed her ass kicked.

As I battled through the Black Omen, I reached a boss or two and realized that Ayla wasn't very effective. I had the Haste Helm on her which was nice but her physical attacks weren't good against all the enemies who were resistant to that. So I swapped in my flying-demon-man, Magus. I got to Zeal, but I decided to switch to Ayla again. I wanted the backup healer in case Marle died. While fighting Zeal I realized this might not be necessary but Ayla came in handy because of a stupid decision I made. I gave Crono the Berserker Ring. During the Zeal fight, if you hit either of it's hands, you either lose all but one hit point, or all your magic points... and well, Crono, being all berserked up, didn't know this. He was a waster for a lot of it but luckily he got in some strong hits still. Ayla saved the day here. Go Cave Babe! So not to make the same mistake with Lavos, I took the Berserker Ring off and threw on the Golden Stud again because it'll help with the magic point consumption. The Lavos Shell was actually really easy. Since it mimics old bosses, by this point I'm at Level 45 for my party and thus I kicked a lot of ass in that battle. Then I entered the Lavos Core and said one thing to myself...

Thank God for a Save Point!

I was hoping they wouldn't screw me like that and neglect a save point for this entire process. I would have been pissed. That said, these are my stats for the final part of the game and what I went into the core with.

Crono / Lvl 45 / HP = 856 / MP = 85

Weapon: Swallow

Helm: Vigilant's Hat

Armor: Nova Armor

Accessory: Golden Stud

Ayla / Lvl 45 / HP = 900 / MP = 81

Weapon: Fist

Helm: Haste Helm

Armor: Prismatic Dress

Accessory: Power Crest

Marle / Lvl 45 / HP = 999 / MP = 88

Weapon: Sonic Bow

Helm: Vigilant's Hat

Armor: Aeonian Suit

Accessory: Golden Earring

I decided to keep Marle wearing the Golden Earring because if I had taken it off I would have sent her 263 hit points down to 736 total. I didn't wanna do that considering she's my healer in the battles. She should be the Miltank of this game, the high HP healer. Ayla is designed to have good defense while hitting hard and Crono is just meant to kick some Lavos butt with his force (both with magic and strength).

I'm going to face the final battle tomorrow after a good night's rest. You'll hear how it went in the conclusion to this running Chrono Trigger edition of Playing The Classics. Then I can finally get back to Golden Sun: Dark Dawn which I started neglecting heavily to finish Chrono Trigger up. Stay tuned for the stunning and shocking and epic conclusion! (I hope.)

Read Part 6

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 4

-- Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three --

It's been a while since I've updated my progress with Chrono Trigger here. I am nearing the end, I can feel it. After just having my ass handed to me by Lavos there is a great sense of peril with this world. The plot, while not insanely unique, probably was more unique upon it's original release. Irregardless of that though, the story is pretty dang engrossing. The battles are fun but the story is what really keeps me engaged.

My primary party most of the game has been Crono, Ayla, and Marle however I changed Marle for Robo during the Golem Sisters fight. Afterwards when you have to lose to Lavos, I expected to be able to try and put up a fight but even with my characters all being in the early level 30s, everyone was taken down in one move. Obviously this is a plot point but I still would have liked to try. Crono just essentially has been turned into a glistening speck of pixie dust... of course I'm sure that's not the true case but that's what it seems like at the time I'm at. Also, if I remember correctly, was that Magus the bad guy who was trying to help me stop Lavos? Ain't that a plot twist out of left field.

This game is good. There's no arguing that. I think I'm nearing the end though and what's most interesting about this experience is how unlike other RPGs this game is despite being released so long ago. I guess I haven't been playing the copycat RPGs, or this game is just that unique. Anyway, time to see where this is going to go... Lets finish this.

Read Part 5

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 3

-- Part One -- Part Two --

I don't think I'm honestly THAT far into the game but still, I've made significant progress since I last checked in. I'm glad I have this game for one. It's been a lot of fun so far though early on there was a lot of just mashing the A button to attack. There still is that factor sometimes but more and more strategy has come into play as my magic abilities grow and such.

The plot picked up quickly and while I knew this game was about Time Travel, I still found it surprising and fun when things got all Marty McFly on us. Lets hope Crono doesn't disappear while rocking out on the guitar. I didn't expect Lucca showing up so soon but she did and it was great having another member of the team. I fought my way through finding the Queen who had been kidnapped, though I had trouble that made me feel ridiculous. For instance, it took me quite a while to notice those faces on the wall in the secret chamber of the cathedral. They removed the spikes and wow,... I felt stupid after realizing that. Then again, I also had to GameFAQ it for learning how to save. I didn't know how for a while but then I saw I could anytime while on the Overworld. That changed things, haha. After the trial, which was a neat little segment, I escaped the castle. I vaguely remembered fighting on that bridge and when I came to that boss, I had no problem with my strategy. Destroy the head. Then the wheel. Then the body. Once all that was over, I made my way through the Ruins to the Arris Dome. That first patch of 'ruins' was the last place I got to the first time around oh so long ago. I was pleased to be past that point and experiencing the game for real.

The rats the stole my potions were douchebags and I didn't appreciate them. I also didn't really like the real-time battling because it was so stressful. Still, at this point I kept it as it was. The plot continues to thicken and I was having fun. The constantly swapping of heroes has been interesting. Now though, Lucca permanently sits in the time world and I am using Crono, Marle, and Robo. Once I earned Robo, that was about the time I decided to switch to the wait system for battling. There isn't too much of a difference but honestly, I need that extra moment to think. I'm not used to the menus and it only pauses when I'm selecting a move after I've already decided to do one. I don't feel bad about it anymore, though I don't know if this was in the original SNES cart or not.

When I made it to the blue creature with the water moves, the Heckran. That's when things got hard and tricky. I died multiple times and felt like I was stuck. There's no place to really level up or grind, but I've heard that's not really necessary in this game anyway. After setting the game down and going back to it later, I realized my problem quickly. I was attacking through his taunting phase. If I didn't though, he wouldn't attack me. This made things easy. I'd use Robo and Marle to heal and Crono to kick ass. That Heckran went down easily. I felt proud.

I ended up in the caveman times and I wasn't sure where to go. That's the one major problem I have with this game. Sometimes you just have to look really closely but sometimes it's just a plain mystery on where to go next. I got all the way through to some area after fighting hard enemies and then I realized I was a section or two ahead of where I was. I went back to my own time and now I think I'm on track again but it sucks there was nothing to stop me from wasting my time with the Flintstones for that little while. So far so good though. I'm pretty sure Lucca's been leveling up with me despite being on the bench and for that I'm thankful. It would suck to want to use her later in the game and have her still at Level 13 when everyone else is at 20 or 30.

Read Part 4

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 2

-- Part One --

Last night after the movie I attempted to play some more Chrono Trigger. I made my way through the story and was transported to 600 AD in search of the girl I met at the fair. That fair tune is one of my favorite songs from any video game ever and I was glad to hear it at the source. However, shortly after I time travelled I neglected to estimate properly my HP and I died... well the game hasn't let me save yet so I lost all progress.

Going through this a second time now, I decided to not go to the fair right away first. I went to the nearby forest leveled up a bit. I'm determined to keep the "live" battle system going as opposed to the waiting one but I do find it frustrating. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time though. I made my way south a bit and investigated a nearby town. I love the little touches in this game already like the monster who plays the piano at the bar. He excitedly asked me if I wanted to hear an upbeat tune or a sad tune. Both were nice and I hope this game is riddled with little touches like these.

One thing I've noticed already, after moving up a couple levels, is that the HP gained is pretty significant. In past RPG's I've played, notably the Super Mario-based ones, you only move up 2 or 3 hit points on average. In Pokemon, this is the same way. In Chrono Trigger so far I've been making much greater leaps. At least double that of the aforementioned games. I wonder how this will come into effect later as I expect the bosses I'll be fighting soon to be hugely strong. I also wonder who the key antagonist is in this game. I know I'm not deep enough in to find out but so far all the issues I've had are by natural monsters and Lucca's machine going nuts when the pendant was inside. If I remember hearing correctly, there was some kind of over-arching antagonist, so I look forward to seeing more about this world's enemies. Maybe I'm wrong though and it's specific to the time I'm in specifically. I'm not sure if I'll enjoy that more or less but eh, I'll find out soon enough.

Before writing again in this series, I'll wait to get a bit farther into the story so I have more to discuss. For now though, the start was slippery, but pretty much that's because of my own issues. I must ask though, when and how do I save? Unless I'm just purely ignorant, I haven't yet had the opportunity. Is this coming? Also, I wonder if it's smarter to save my money or to upgrade weapons and armor at every stop... I'm not looking to find out the best things to do as per a FAQ or something but feel free to answer the basic question in the comments as well as my save query.

Read Part 3

Playing The Classics: Chrono Trigger: Vol 1

I have never played Chrono Trigger. *GASP* Yes, I know that's shocking. I consider myself quite the "hardcore gamer" if I had to label myself but just like with movies and music, I can't have tried all the classics. When this originally released, I wasn't very much into RPG games. I owned Dragon Warrior for years but never did much with it. I never made it far through the original Final Fantasy for the Gameboy. In fact, I had owned a Genesis well before a Super Nintendo so that was yet another reason I never got a hold of Chrono Trigger. Then one day a long time ago, I tried the rom version. It was a little glitchy and I generally don't like roms anyway because I find keyboard inputs to be cumbersome. So after playing just past the prologue, I stopped. So okay, I technically have played it but you know what I mean. Years later I was very hyped for Chrono Cross. The theme song alone blew me away and I knew I had to play and own it. Problem was, being solely a Nintendo gamer minus my Genesis, it took way too long for me to get a Playstation and even then it was such an old model, it wouldn't play Chrono Cross when I rented it from the local Blockbuster. So that dream died too. This is my history with the Chrono series. I love the music I've heard, I love the word Chrono itself, but I never got to truly experience the series and be a part of the love that radiates from its core....until now. I purchased Chrono Trigger DS from Amazon the other day and it came in this afternoon. I am going to play through this classic for the first time and provide at least a couple of entries about my progress and thoughts. I really encourage our readership to chime in also but please don't speak about things farther than I am at. What good would that do me? So that all said, here's the first installment of a blog-series I hope to continue with for a long time coming, "Playing The Classics". Chrono Trigger, you beautiful bastard, now's my turn to try you.


This first post was intended as a backstory on my history with the legacy and to set up the blog-series in general. Right now as the DS sits on my desk, Im loving these cutscenes and this intro. The music is incredibly epic and the animation is superb. I know that these cut scenes and such are only from a later version of the game and we obviously not in the original SNES version but they definitely seem to add something to the game already. I can feel emotion and tension from these characters that might help immerse me even further into the actual game itself. I press A. That classic ticking pendulum rocks and the logo appears. I am in for something special, I can just feel it. I hope, though can't promise, that I'll finish this game before my highly anticipated Golden Sun: Dark Dawn arrives. Still though, it feels good to be playing an RPG again. It's been a while. As much as I like being able to think about my strategies with RPGs, I think I'm going to play it with an Active Battle mode. If I recall correctly, this was the original way of playing and I'm quite intrigued on how I handle the need to think fast on my feet to cast spells or attacks. Maybe it'll immerse me even more as if I was really in danger and really fighting against all these enemies.

...

The seagulls flock and the festival begins... and with that I pause. Hey, there's Harry Potter tonight, I need a nap. But I will write back soon in this series with the point of continuing my journey through Chrono Trigger.

Read Part 2