I just ordered Chrono Trigger DS instead of Pokemon Soul Silver. Good choice?

[ScatterBen]

I'm going on a trip across the US in a week and to pass the time during long drives and the flights there and back I decided to buy a new portable time sink. It was a toss-up between Chrono Trigger and Pokemon Soul Silver (or Heart Gold, but that's unimportant) and I ended up with CT.

For me it came down to wanting a compelling story (which I hear CT has and I know Pokemon lacks), but I can't be sure that it will hook me in, whereas with Pokemon my nostalgia would certainly have helped, as well as the obviously addictive gameplay. Was this the right decision?

Also, when you guys have these dilemmas how do you figure out what to do?

 

[dimensional]

I havent played any pokemon since yellow I did get Chrono Trigger on the DS and have yet to finish it as it left me underwhelmed (but not massively so) ultimately you will only know if you made the right choice for you when you have had the chance to play both.

Personally when making choices like this I just do some research and then make a gut instinct and live with it.

 

[gorfias]

Chrono Trigger is a very highly rated game. I bought it for a nephew, but it was likely too complex for him :-(. $20 shot to heck!

I am interested in the Golden Sun series for the DS too. Love RPGS. Pokemon? Not so much.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Depend how much you accept it for being an old game.
Don't get me wrong I'm not the type who prefer new games over old since I grew up with the SNES but the game does feel abit dated even with the add up material it got compared to the original version (like with the anime FMV and those added sidequest).
I too bought the game upon hearing how great the game is and honestly it kind of overrated but this is simply because I was never there when it was first release (I can see why the whole the multiply choices and endings must of been amasing back on the SNES and aswell the great characters and soundtracks). Likewise I haven't finish it either.
Honestly I think you made the right decision seeing how Pokemon is still the same so you know what you had expected to get from SoulSilver.

 

[DRTJR]

I am Biased so take that into consideration.

You my good sir just bought one of the greatest JRPGs to have ever been, if you can get into the 16-bit nature of the game then you will love it as love it.

 

[Shocksplicer]

Playing Crono Trigger on my DS right now, you made the right choice.
If it seems a bit slow at first, stick with it. It's a classic.

 

[kyogen]

I'm not a Pokemon fan, so I can't help you with a direct comparison, but Chrono Trigger (DS) is a great port/update of the SNES original. The characters and story are nothing earth-shattering, but the game is cute and clever (and very well-crafted), and I had a good time with it. It's somewhere between its Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest contemporaries in tone and style: it takes itself seriously, but there is still plenty of room for humor and whimsy. Unless you actively dislike 1990s JRPGs, I think you'll have to work at being disappointed. You've purchased yourself a cool little part of gaming history. Enjoy your game and have a great trip!

PS--If you really can't stand it (or if the sheer size of the North American continent defies one game's ability to be a successful time sink), the DS is popular enough in the States that a quick trip to any Game Stop should fix you up.

 

[Fishyash]

chrono trigger is definitely among the best JRPGs of the genre.

I'd say you haven't made a bad decision because of that.

 

[piinyouri]

As much as I I tend to say Chrono Trigger is slightly overrated, I personally would have gotten it as opposed to Pokemon

 

[wintercoat]

I...didn't like Chrono Trigger, honestly. I found it boring and the characters wooden and unlikable. I liked Chrono Cross more, especially the combat.

In my opinion, given the above, I would have gotten Soul Silver, as Gold/Silver were two of my favorite games on the GBC.

 

[Fasckira]

Better storyline, multiple endings, a fine example of old school JRPG goodness. You've made a very good choice!

 

[Ipsen]

Better choice with Chrono Trigger.

Both are great games, with a plethora of activity, but the Pokemon franchise will last. Virtually forever. You'd miss out more skipping on Chrono Trigger.

 

[DustyDrB]

Spoiler: Oh, God. No...NO! What have you done!?! How could you have made such a critical mistake? You have already made your choice, and have damned us all in doing so. It's too late now now. Find shelter, horde food, learn kung foo. Do whatever you need to do. Just survive! Damn you for ordering that game! This could have all been avoided, had you just made the right decision. But instead, we are doomed. DOOMED.

Yeah, Chrono Trigger is great. Enjoy!

 

[HellsingerAngel]

I suppose it depends. Chrono Trigger just isn't as relevant as it used to be. A lot of the shock and awe in the story line was because nobody had ever conceived those twists and turns in a game before. That being said, if you have a strong love of classic archetypal characters then you'll love the characters in Chrono Trigger, which is what ultimately sells it. Despite their archtypes, their stories are very endearing and it makes their motivations clear. I won't lie, I still get choked up at a few points (Robo's, Chrono's/Marle's and Frog's climaxes for their personal arcs). If you wanted story, Chrono Trigger still has it in spades and though not as shocking, it has aged beautifully.

 

[wintercoat]

Spoiler: Oh, God. No...NO! What have you done!?! How could you have made such a critical mistake? You have already made your choice, and have damned us all in doing so. It's too late now now. Find shelter, horde food, learn kung food. Do whatever you need to do. Just survive! Damn you for ordering that game! This could have all been avoided, had you just made the right decision. But instead, we are doomed. DOOMED.

Yeah, Chrono Trigger is great. Enjoy!

Kung food? Y'mean like...sausage nunchaku?

 

[ScatterBen]

Well thanks for the replies, everyone! Many of you are warning against Chrono Trigger if I dislike old games. I can gladly tell you all that I don't. However, while I have played and loved Final Fantasies IV, V and VI ... I always got near to the end and never bothered to finish them. I know that's an awful crime, particularly with FFVI (I just found I was really having to push myself to do anything in the World of Ruin - I promise I'll go back one day and start again), but hopefully the amount of time I'm going to have on the road will mean this doesn't happen with Chrono Trigger.

Really, Pokemon was mostly for nostalgia purposes, but I think playing FFIX (I'm a bit of a JRPG nerd...) this last week may have satisfied that for now, so I do think I made the right choice - and like some have said, if not, I can always grab a new game while I'm traveling.

 

[teebeeohh]

chrono trigger DS is really really good and since i am of the opinion that if you like a medium you should at least have some grasp of its classics this give you a great opportunity to play one such classic with the need for an NES.

 

[Lunar Templar]

you would have been well off with ether

Silver/Gold are excellent Pokemon games that OTHER Pokemon games need to barrow more from (more then 1 region, night and day and so on)

CT, however *dons biased hat* is a CLASSIC. multiple endings, epic boss battles, equally epic music, skills that take the whole team to execute, a bonus character and tons of hidden stuff to ether find or figure out

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

They're both great. If you want my opinion, either of them would have been the right decision. I guess Chrono Trigger would be more suited to you, because you want a story, but you still can't go wrong with Pokémon.