SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Question about Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana

Posted: Aug 29 2008 08:31 pm

I've heard how excellent these games are and would like to get both.

They are quite expensive, on ebay i can get Chrono around 65 and Mana around 40.

I recently made a thread asking the appeal of old school RPG games, so my question is:

Should I play through FF4 and FF6 before purchasing these? Are they similar enough that if I like the FF's I will like them? and vice versa, if I don't like FF that much will i not like these that much?

I want them because they sound very good, but I don't want to jump the gun and shell out money I don't have.

Posted: Aug 29 2008 08:53 pm

Spoiler: The secret of the mana in Secret of Mana is the sense of wonderment inside us all.

Posted: Aug 29 2008 08:55 pm

If you’re already playing through the FF’s then finish those up first, not because they’re better but because losing your place in an RPG can be a pain in the ass when you get back to it and forget what you need to do.

That’s said, Chrono and Mana are fantastic games and odds are you’ll like one of them if not both. They have somewhat hefty plots if that’s an issue but not the kind of bloated “Woe is us that wonder upon this doomed vessel of a world” stuff you get from the Final Fantasies. These are more of a “World’s in danger…ROAD TRIP!” kind of thing which is great as the characters fit it just fine.

It’s really a case of looking at a black picture (Final Fantasy) and a white one (Chrono/Mana) and trying to find the color blue. If in you’re into hack’n slash Zelda type games, Mana is gold, and if you want a fun RPG with robots, time travel and combo moves then go with Chrono.

Posted: Aug 29 2008 09:22 pm

just get some ROMs

Posted: Aug 29 2008 09:46 pm

They're remaking Chrono Trigger on the DS. If you have a DS, you might wanna wait till it comes out.

Secret of Mana is an Action/RPG; you'll probably find it more accessible than Chrono Trigger. Not that I'm saying it's better or worse, just more accessible.

Posted: Aug 29 2008 09:53 pm

Also, if you are a fan of Action/RPG's, Sould Blazer is a pretty fun game.

Posted: Aug 29 2008 11:11 pm

THanks.

I dont have a DS, my sister does, maybe I will pick it up, not sure.

At this point, it sounds like Secret of Mana is a little bit more my type of game.

Cam-yin, that is why I was thinking of going with mana first, its more affordable and easier to find, i guess that's also a good reason to go with Chrono first so i can have it now, but I'm not sure.

I could just get ROM's but I'm a collector and I really like having the cartridges for my old systems.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Aug 29 2008 11:34 pm

Chrono Trigger is good stuff.

Secret of Mana is one of those games that is highly overrated unless you have 2 friends to play with. Then it's awesome.

Title: Alexz Aficionado Joined: May 21 2008 Posts: 2889

Play Chrono Trigger through in its entirety. The game has multiple endings too and a great story.

Also, finish your FF games first Smile

Joined: Sep 17 2007 Location: The Opium Trail Posts: 3475

Here's a question about Chrono Trigger, why is it getting released on DS with a few "extras" whereas Super Mario RPG just gets re-released on the VC? Why can't Nintendo do one thing or the other with their SNES games? It's clearly not because of getting more for their money, as SMRPG hasn't been re-released ever, whereas Chrono Trigger (if I recall correctly) got re-released on Playstation with Final Fantasy IV. Say somebody's Super Nintendo broke around 1997, and they had no other way of playing those games (ROM's aside) except for re-releases. They already got Chrono Trigger with that package, and most of that money went to Sony's pocket. Now after 10+ years, Nintendo's grand re-release is only gonna get them $8 a pop, where as if someone wants to (legitamtely) play Chrono Trigger again, they can just buy that Playstation pack off of E-bay? It would have made more sense to release Chrono Trigger on the VC and do SMRPG on the DS.

Goddamit Nintendo is stupid.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 10 2008 04:20 am

JRA wrote:

Here's a question about Chrono Trigger, why is it getting released on DS with a few "extras" whereas Super Mario RPG just gets re-released on the VC? Why can't Nintendo do one thing or the other with their SNES games? It's clearly not because of getting more for their money, as SMRPG hasn't been re-released ever, whereas Chrono Trigger (if I recall correctly) got re-released on Playstation with Final Fantasy IV. Say somebody's Super Nintendo broke around 1997, and they had no other way of playing those games (ROM's aside) except for re-releases. They already got Chrono Trigger with that package, and most of that money went to Sony's pocket. Now after 10+ years, Nintendo's grand re-release is only gonna get them $8 a pop, where as if someone wants to (legitamtely) play Chrono Trigger again, they can just buy that Playstation pack off of E-bay? It would have made more sense to release Chrono Trigger on the VC and do SMRPG on the DS.

Goddamit Nintendo is stupid.

Not to poke a hole in your rant, but Nintendo has nothing to do with how Square Enix chooses to release their games. Square has been doing the remake thing for a while now, and it's a good way to wring some more cash out of people.

SMRPG is Nintendo's and they chose to put it on the Virtual Console. But they can't force Square to do it with the other games.

Posted: Sep 10 2008 05:51 am

SMRPG is only *partly* Nintendo's, hence why there was never a direct sequel. Nintendo owns the Mario characters, but Square owns the rights to the hard code and I believe the secondary characters like Geno and Smithy.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 10 2008 10:26 am

Square was the developer, Nintendo was the publisher. Therefore, Nintendo owns the rights to the game, as well as the right to release and market the game however they like, and that Square was pretty much making the game "for hire" as an outside developer.

Unless there was something unusual in the contract, I don't think the game was "jointly owned" any more than, say, Donkey Kong Country is. Notice, for example, the complete lack of a Squaresoft logo on the front cover, despite the fact that being developed by Squaresoft was one of the major selling points of the game.

Joined: Sep 17 2007 Location: The Opium Trail Posts: 3475

Well, Nintendo being the publisher, I figured they have slightly more influence over Square on what game comes out on what system, seeing as how they would likely choose the best situation that would make Nintendo the most money.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Both games use isometric views (like the original Zelda top down).

Movement is the same in both games.

Both games avoid random encounters.

Here is the big difference. Chrono Trigger has a turn based battle system that does NOT allow for true movement. It's battle system is more like Final Fantasy, but sometimes allows for initial positioning.

The Secret of Mana is real time and combat is similar to Zelda.

The largest similarity between these two games is the main character & girl's appearances. I would say that Chrono Trigger has a better story, but is drawn out over a longer total playing time. The Secret of Mana is faster, has a great plot, but isn't as extensive.

Personally I enjoy playing The Secret of Mana more because you don't get caught in a battle where you just hit buttons. If I had to pick a game where I just press buttons it would be FFIV.

Joined: Apr 09 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3112

I feel bad, because whenever I'd start up a game of Chrono Trigger, I'd have a blast, then sometime after you get that special pendant, I get bored to tears and stop playing. Secret of Mana is pretty fun, though, but be prepared to do a decent amount of leveling in order to get anything done.

Posted: Sep 10 2008 01:13 pm

Cam-win wrote:

They're remaking Chrono Trigger on the DS.

Dude, thats friggin awesome, i had no idea they were. Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite RPGs (second only to Earthbound, another superb RPG you should look into) and probably my first at that. I still have my Chrono Trigger cartridge it still fun to take out and play every once in a while Smile

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 10 2008 01:32 pm

JRA wrote:

Well, Nintendo being the publisher, I figured they have slightly more influence over Square on what game comes out on what system, seeing as how they would likely choose the best situation that would make Nintendo the most money.

They were only the publisher on SMRPG (and the US version of Final Fantasy for the NES/Famicom). Nintendo doesn't have any say in the other Square games, and in fact, lost a ton of influence over Square quite some time ago (with the whole FF7 thing).

Apparently Square thinks DS remakes are the way to make more money. Can't say they're making a bad choice, myself.

Posted: Sep 11 2008 03:32 pm

You should try Seiken Densetsu III at some point. Sequel to secret of mana, very good.