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Gaming has changed. It's no longer about top-notch AAA blockbusters and quality games, it's an endless series of shovelware developed by guys in business suits and programmed by machines that follow their every command. Gaming has changed. ID tagged consumers carry ID tagged weapons, use ID tagged gear. Nanomachines inside their bodies enhance and regulate their tastes. Hannah Montana. High School Musical. Imagine. The letter Z. Everything is monitored and kept under control. Gaming has changed. The age of innovation has become the age of shovelware. All in the name of making of quick buck from unsuspecting consumers. And he who controls the gaming battlefield...controls history. Gaming has changed. When the battlefield is under total control... shovelware becomes routine. | Playstation 3 | Xbox 360 | Nintendo Wii | | NOTHING! | • NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 | • AMF Bowling World Lanes
• Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree
• Cake Mania: In the Mix!
• Championship Foosball
• Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine
• King of Fighters Orochi Saga
• Safecracker
• Skate City Heroes
• Ski & Shoot
• Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge | | PSP | Nintendo DS | Playstation 2 | NOTHING!
PC
• Band Manager
• Disney's Bolt
• Gothic 3 Collector's Edition
• Neopets
• Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate | • Age of Empire: Mythologies
• All Star Cheer Squad
• Chrono Trigger
• Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force
• Cradle of Rome
• Emma in the Mountains
• Neopets Puzzle Adventure
• Personal Trainer: Cooking
• Syberia
| NOTHING! |
 Looking through the ashes of the holiday season, I observe three beacons of hope for this week, even if they are all rereleases of things have have been out for at least ten years. First among them is King of Fighters: Orochi Saga for the Wii. It's a compilation including the following games: King of Fighters '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, and '99. I don't have much experience with any of those games, but I know they're well liked by many people, so I thought I'd highlight it. The next "good" game to come out this week is a DS remake of one of the most appreciated (and expensive to track down) games ever, Chrono Trigger. Originally released for the SNES in 1995, Chrono Trigger is yet another RPG from Square, and yet another game I've never had any desire to play. This new DS edition of the game has several all-new features including a couple of new dungeons, a new final boss with his own dungeon and ending that is unlocked after getting the original ending, two modes of play (DS and Classic), wireless play for 2-4 people, and arena mode, changes to the English script to more closely reelect the original Japanese game, no load times for the anime cutscenes (the same ones from the PS1 version included with Final Fantasy Chronicles), and improved sprites/music. But I honestly don't care. I've NEVER played Chrono Trigger, nor do I have much desire to since it looks like yet another generic JRPG grindfest. OH NO! I have sinned and tarnished the name of one of the "greatest games ever". So, RPG fans, why should I care about this game? What makes it different from other JRPGs? How does it innovate? Tell me why the hell I should play this game, and maybe I will. However, the absolute highlight of the week is the long-awaited Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (aka: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Dub Edition Remix Gaiden: The Director's Cut: Deluxe Edition). In addition to being the newest member of the ridiculously long name club (along with Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars), it's a member of the awesome downloadable games from Capcom club. What makes this remake so great and worth getting? First off, the sprites have been upgraded, BIG TIME! Just check out this comparison of Ryu, this one of Ken, and this one of Akuma. Quite the difference if I must say so myself. These awesome sprites will be rendered in 1080p HD goodness along with plenty of new features including an optional "rebalanced" mode that changes around the balance of the characters, training mode, both widescreen and standard 4:3 aspect ratios, a remixed soundtrack created by people at OverClocked Remix (the original soundtrack is there too if you prefer to hear that, the ability to use either the new sprites or the old ones from the original, and, of course, online play with voice chat, matchmaking, stat tracking, and leaderboards. The best part is that this whole package is going to be selling for only $15 on both Xbox Live Arcade (out Wednesday) and Playstation Network (out Tuesday). In addition, PSN people will be getting a free Street Fighter Underground soundtrack with original songs by hip-hop artists like Redman, DJ Qbert, and Heiroglyphics. I don't know about you, but I am ultra pumped for this game because I haven't played Street Fighter II (or any fighter) in quite some time, and I really want to get back into the groove of things. In addition, the online modes sound awesome as well. So, anyone getting it for PS3? Wanna set up some matches? I bet I know the answer to that: no. Whatever. Hope you like not having fun.  That's all for this week. Hopefully you all enjoyed my pretentious as hell intro.
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It looks like Sony has given up 
And Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree looks like a real winner. I am so gonna buy that when it hits the $5 sale bin.
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@NES_Rules: Right, cause NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 looks like the REAL system killer.
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I don't recall ever once having to "grind" in Chrono Trigger. I won't bother trying to convince you that it's worthy of being a top contender in my list of favorite games of all time, because you sound like you just don't want to like it 
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@Rajaat the Warbringer: I would like to give it a shot, I'm just wondering why I should do it. I'm always a little skeptical of Square RPGs since their fans tend to oversell them (read FF7).
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@Wolfman Walt:He was only joking, Wolfman. 
@Tondog:Those new sprites look amazing!
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@Sirgin: Maybe he wasn't...maybe Sony really decided to pack their bags and go home. That or maybe they have some kind of law against releasing on Thanksgiving week.
And you are right. The new sprites are amazing.
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Gaming hasn't changed at all. There's always been shovelware with a few gems in the rough.
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@The Metamorphosing Leon: I was being dramatic and doing the worst "parody" of the opening scene of Metal Gear Solid 4 ever.
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Chrono Trigger is a decent game, but if you didn't play it back then, it'll be harder to appreciate it now as a new player than those who have worshipped at the alter for many years. It's reputation has grown a lot bigger than the so-so sales numbers outside of Japan would indicate.
Your better off playing the DS version with "enhanced" option or the PS1 version, as the cutscenes make the game stand out more by today's raised bar. Otherwise it may be hard to see how it stood apart from FF II and III or any of the other Square RPGs of that era. Even then you'll realize this is more of a fan service like previous FF games on the DS than to gather new fans in a younger generation.
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@Rajaat the Warbringer:
Haha, I grinded to get Luminaire. Good times, good times.
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@Tondog: Gotcha, was quite funny. Need to play that damn game.
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I've NEVER played Chrono Trigger, nor do I have much desire to since it looks like yet another generic JRPG grindfest. OH NO! I have sinned and tarnished the name of one of the "greatest games ever". So, RPG fans, why should I care about this game? What makes it different from other JRPGs? How does it innovate? Tell me why the hell I should play this game, and maybe I will.
If you post on a classic video game message board and consider yourself somewhat intellectual regarding videogames and you think Chrono Trigger is another generic RPG and you don't understand why it is held so highly, you don't deserve to ever play the game. So, don't play the game. Keep your close minded opinion. Don't try to understand why certain games are regarded as the best ever. Don't play Chrono Trigger. And I can't say I hold any of your videogame opinions in high regard anymore; not because you think Chrono Trigger is a generic RPG, but the fact that you don't bother to try to find out why it isn't a generic RPG. I'm just going to assume that's your philosophy on games.
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@Shimra: It's that kind of attitude that turns me off from Chrono Trigger and Square games in general. The condescending attitude of the fanboys if you dare question them. 
I'm giving you the opportunity to tell me why I should take the time and spend the money to try this game out. What makes it so effing great? That's my question.
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@Tondog
As I consider you a friend, perhaps my opinion will help give some clarity. The thing about Chrono Trigger was that it was fun. Sure, you had the option to grind, but everything from the charcters, the story, and even the game play felt new and refreshing back in the day. The game felt epic back when RPGs felt more like grinding sessions. Each new time you traveled to brought not only new charcters but new designs. Everything had it's own flavor. It had multiple endings that allowed the player to finish at different points in the game and even featured the art of Akira Toriyama who created the anime series Dragon Ball and did the art for every single Dragon Quest game to date. All that said, the game for all it is, isnt the best RPG ever. It still required a minor amount of grinding and it still suffered from some sterotypes of the genre. All around though, I'd consider it one of the best RPGs for the system though. SNES had some exelent RPGs and it was definitly one of them. I say ignore the hype for and against and decide if you want to play it on your own terms. It's definitly worth playing, but only if you want to. I've got my copy pre-ordered and will be picking it up Wednesday. Doesnt matter that I already got it on the SNES and PS1. Portable Chrono Trigger is freaking awsome. Cant wait to see how the DS handles the fog effects.
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@Shimra:Don't be so hard on Tondog Shimra, he didn't deserve that. Besides, RFG is "The Classic and Modern Video Game Database" (top right corner of your screen ) so put that "If you don't like classic games go somewhere else" attitude away.
Secondly, Tondog clearly asked what makes Chrono Trigger such a great game. Sure, he could've clicked on his Wiki bookmark and searched for the game but maybe he wanted to know what you guys think about the game. Look at Fuyukaze's comment so see how to respond correctly.
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@Fuyukaze: Understandable. Maybe I really am wrong about the game. I'll give it a shot sometime...I won't say how, but I will.
@Sirgin: But I do like classic games! Not all of them, though.
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@Tondog:I never said you didn't like classic games. I only pointed out that it's not a crime for people to be here and not like classic games.
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@Tondog: I don't think you even bothered to read my post. You could have made those comments about any game that is regarded as the best ever, and I would have had pretty much the same post. Reread it. My problem is that you didn't even bother to try and find out why people call a certain game best ever before you started bashing it.
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Chrono Trigger was an amazing RPG at the time of its release. Here are some reasons why:
-Character Design by Akira Toriyama. He is the same guy that does the Blue Dragon Designs, and also created Dragon Ball Z.
-You can see the enemies and avoid them if you want. Of course, avoiding the enemies may make you horribly underpowered, but whatever floats your boat.
-A compelling storyline that changes based on what you do or do not do. There are a lot of endings to this game, and sometimes the smallest choices completely change the outcome of the game.
-Beautiful Graphics. Chrono Trigger was a beautiful SNES game, and is a beautiful DS game.
-More Party Members than one can shake a fist at, including some surprising ones.
-Amazing music. 600AD over world music is simply beautiful.
-Techniques. Three characters in unison can have a rather devastating attack.
-One hell of a story line. Sure, Lavos is evil, blah blah blah, but the events leading up to the end are one hell of a story.
-New Game+. Holy hell, you can have a lot of fun with New Game+
-Turned Based combat. I like turn based combat over action RPGS. Each character recovered its ability to make a turn at a different rate, meaning that it wasn't always the same progression.
Those are a few of the reasons I love Chrono Trigger, and think it's one of the best games ever created, if not the flat out best. Everyone is entitiled to their own opinion, but try before you hate.
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Chrono Trigger is a game that everyone should at least try. In my personal opinion, it just got everything right, making it a perfect game. If you don't like Toriyama's style or the story, then you have a valid reason to dislike it, but any way you look at it, it's an amazing game.
I picked up my copy today, so I now own all three editions. The touch-screen controls are neat, but you can do without them. The new translation, while decent, is off-and-on identical to the original localization. A lot of lines are very different, but some are verbatim Ted Woolsey script. The Chrono Trigger Retranslation project comes to mind, with this being a sort of midpoint.
If you've never played CT, the DS release is the definitive edition for first-timers. Avoid the PSX release, unless you really want to play it on your TV or PSP. The DS and SNES editions don't have insane load times like the PSX version does. The DS release has the most content, even if it's just bonus stuff.
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Also, Street Fighter 2 HD is INCREDIBLE.
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