Chrono Cross Recollections
Hey! Just like Chrono Trigger Recollections, this was a chance for community members to share their memories of Chrono Cross. Thanks to all the participants!
Contents
Shee[edit]
I do remember being crestfallen upon my first return to Arni. Maybe it was the sheer size of Leena's eyes in her portrait but it was a total Buster Bluth moment when she didn't remember Serge ("Oh...THAT'S what it feels like to get punched in the face!").
Guldove, as well...Korcha and Kid....
The Secret Skeleton[edit]
I got a ride to go pick it up the day it came out from the mall which was about eight miles away and in the bad part of town. When were got to Funcoland, my ride asked, "Do you have a way to get home?" I had assumed I would be getting one from her. So I bought the game and walked home...through the PJ's. At night.
Anyhow, I played the hell out of it. I actually nearly lost me job because when it was time to go to work I was in a place with no available save point so I just kept playing. I told my boss I got stopped by the cops when I was walking to work.
Though I should state that my -very- first experience with Chrono Cross is when I downloaded the opening video from the internet months before it came out in the US. That opening video was pretty damn cool...and still is today.
Kebrel[edit]
I distinctly remember the finial fight where you use the Chronocross. It wasn't because of the game itself but my father, who would off and on watch me play this game. I was very confused about the strange colors appearing and my dad just sat silent. Then after a few turn my dad just Make a Yellow appear...Now red...
I was seriously WTF?!? At that moment.
Zephira[edit]
My interesting experience, at least that I can remember: My dad bought the game when it came out. I suppose I was too young for something so complicated at the time, so I got confused easily. I redid the intro twice, then heard my dad and older brother talking about how to kill the "next boss" (they were at the Time Devourer). I had just made it to Termina, near the place where you recruit Greco, and I was EXTREMELY lost. I thought this big boss that you had to cast elements in the right order to kill was in Greco's Hut, so I stopped playing right then.
I picked up Magus Unmasked a few months ago (still haven't beat it), and I spent more time running in circles than actually playing. I like the way Guile/Magus flies, and the pointed ears are really cute.
I guess I haven't had a very successful time with Cross, but I did enjoy what I've played. The scene that stuck with me the most from my first playthrough is Serge's dream at the beginning, that thing with the watery door.
ZombieBucky[edit]
after playing trigger, i fell in love with the music and the story. my dad owed me something, so i asked him to get me the sequel to chrono trigger. he went and got it and i played that game through the night, running on nothing more than left over chinese.
i wept at the scene with miguel and nadias bell in the dead sea.
i laughed at the characters hijinx.
i was genuinely sad at the end when everything came to an end. surely there was more, right?
and you guys told me, yes, there is more.
so much more.
mav[edit]
Hmm, I remember going to a friend's house and he quickly wanted to show off how amazing the PS1 was, so he loaded his newest game (which was Chrono Cross, of course) and showed us the intro. I was blown to shreds by the music and graphics, so I sat and watched him play through it for a bit. He was demonstrating the mechanics of the game, not the story, but I had a keen interest in finding out why this blue haired guy was going to stab his teammate. So within the next couple days I headed to Toys R Us and bought it around Thanksgiving time--a gift from myself to myself. I played through it for hours. To this day I consider it the most addictive game I own. I played through the Thanksgiving break and continued playing it through December.
I fondly remember getting a snow day on my birthday that year and trekking through Mt. Pyre. It was a Monday, if I recall correctly. I also remember that I had one save file that my sister and I would play side-by-side--one of us would handle the controls and do the fights while the other supported--and she had me sit there with a calculator to figure out how much total damage we had inflicted on Miguel. I also remember her playing without me once (which was a big no-no) and she did the whole Orlha/Tia sidequest without me. I was pissed. This may have been my first playthrough of the game, but I can't quite recall. All I know is that this was the only game (other than Super Mario Bros. 3) that my sister and I played together. It was a highly engrossing game...I picked it up for the 20th time this year, played up till I turned into Lynx and quit. All I wanted to do was see where Lynx's alternate portrait was used; I used it as an excuse for an extended playthrough.
ONSLAUGHT[edit]
When my brother first watched me play the begining and saw Kid getting stabbed in nice high graphical effects I was ooing and awwing, he wet himself from fear.
Me personally though, I found it to be very dramatic, epic, and intense. Spent just about the entire playthrough(which was all in one sitting, didn't sleep until I beat it)with my eyes bulging, and my mouth gaping wide open. This wouldn't be the case when I'd find myself naturally whistling along with whatever tune came up. I did need a box of tissues considering how many moments were in the game. Also a covering over my TV for when I got so mad I wanted to throw my controller(which luckily I didn't, I may hate some of the villains, but not that much!). The throwbacks to nostalgia from the first game had me squeeling, and I screamed with joy when I finally had gotten Glenn. Shortly afterward though I came to find it was not the same Glenn. Still awesome character though. Harle really took the cake for me though.
When I first saw harle, my intial thoughts were that she had to playable, and that I had to get her. I couldn't figure it out until the game gave her to you. She never left my party and I was so happy. Then I bawled my eyes out when she suddenly left you. Quite often I would spend my time warping between the worlds just to see the amazing cutscene graphics in every jump. I'm surprised with the lack of sleep and with how long they were I managed to pick up everything said during Belthasar's and the Chrono Trigger kid's massive blocks of text. Specially the kids(specially Lucca).But I suppose it's because while the game's hard to get into if you're not a Chrono person before hand, if you ARE a Chrono person jumping into this, the game is so captivating, eye catching, charming, extravagant, mesmerizing, touching, deep, vivid, brain tapping, etc, etc, etc, that you can't help but keep yourself glued to the game from start til finish.
Chrono Trigger changed my life and who I am. Radical Dreamers didn't break new mold here, and neither did Chrono Cross. Chrono always has been, and always will be truly one of the most dedicated, hard worked, heart felt RPG -NO. GAME SERIES -- of all time.
Mr Bekkler[edit]
I first played it thinking Serge was somehow Crono's brother.
As a matter of fact, back in 1995-96 I saw fan art in a gaming magazine (I think it was EGM) of Crono and a Super Saiyan and it was called Chrono and Trigger. At the time I had no idea Dragon Ball existed and thought Crono had a twin named Trigger somewhere in the first game.
Well, along comes Cross, and I thought I found "Trigger". It ended up being Serge. I was disappointed at my own ignorance Laughing Of course, I also thought "Oh cool there's HUMAN GLENN! And Lucca! Except they spelled it wrong."
Sajainta[edit]
Reactions playing the game::
"This music is awesome."
"Why isn't Guile Magus? :("
"YAY I can understand Harle's pseudo-French."
"I want to punch Korcha and Mel in the face."
"This music is awesome."
"...Is little Marle wearing a ballerina costume?"
"Wait...what the FUCK just happened?!"
/cry
"This music is awesome."
"[Insert character] DIES???!!!"
/cry
"Wait...what the FUCK just happened?!"
"...Why does Schala look like an 8 year old?"
/cry
"This music is awesome."
All-in-all::
"HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK???!!!"
"This music is awesome."
:cry: "SOB!" :cry:
ZeaLitY[edit]
My favorite moment was seeing the General Kid ending for the first time. The Dream that Time Dreams is a powerful song; it really conveys the daring theme of the series and plays motifs present in CT, RD, and CC. Hearing that while Kid declared she would conquer the world with the Frozen Flame was awesome. Another moment that stuck in my mind was talking to the Porre NPC standing outside the ruined Viper Manor in Home World. He mentioned the history of the Acacia Dragoons and their downfall, and then remarked, "it was glory brought on by Porre, anyway." This little line alluded to the history of the Dragoons (adding a nice plot connection) while reminding the player that the world outside El Nido was huge. It's a shame we didn't get to see that world when Square didn't greenlight Chrono Break after 2001. Ultimately, the greatest joy from Cross was enjoying that rich, colorful, immersive tropical world of El Nido. Just look at the view from Van's room:
