Best SNES Final Four - The Fight for Second Place! [Archive]

ReserveRage

08-25-2009, 01:08 PM

The two greatest RPGs of all time, IMO. It's almost impossible to pick which one is the better game.

Graphics: Both exceptional for 16-bit. I'd say it's a TIE.

Music: The two best soundtracks of all time, IMO. I'd give the slight edge to CT.

Character Development: FF3 wins here. Way more characters each with a lot of history and background. Chrono himself never speaks in the game IIRC which made him pretty boring.

Plot: I'm a sucker for time travel and even though FF3 was also very well done, I always felt like the World of Ruin could have been a little better, especially after you get the airship. It was a bit too non-linear. CT wins.

Gameplay: Loved how CT didn't have the annoying "pop" battles on the worldview. However, I think FF3's battle system was a bit more fluid. CT felt a bit clunky at times. Having 4 characters in a fight made FF3 a bit more enjoyable too, even if CT did have the awesome combos. FF3 wins.

Replay/Fun/Memorable: While both again score very high, I have to give the slight edge to FF3 and thus it earns my vote. It's almost too hard to pick but FF3 had better weapons, items, better magic and was just a bit more enjoyable overall.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 01:08 PM

Bison

08-25-2009, 01:19 PM

This one's gonna take me awhile...

Ginormous76

08-25-2009, 02:11 PM

I can't really think of any more "cons" for CT...so I guess CT wins.

FFVI
Pros
*Multi-party dungeons = nice strategic add
*Could decide fate of key party members was kind of a first for me (i.e. leaving Shadow on the island)
*Unique jobs for each character
*Many many characters to choose from

Cons
*Story not that great
*Some side characters were lame and unnecessary (Gau? Gogo?)

CT
Pros
*Time Travel kicks ass
*No random battles
*Could use time travel to beat the game whenever you wanted (pretty unique IMO)
*Multiple endings and "New Game+" mode allow for extended replay

Cons
*Some of the extra endings were pretty lame

Wait, it's been a LONG time since I played CT. There was a New Game+ mode? Is this on the DS as well? If this is true, I know what I'm voting for.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 02:18 PM

Ginormous76

08-25-2009, 02:23 PM

To be honest, I don't know if it existed on the original SNES release, though I imagine it did, otherwise, how the hell do you see the other endings? :-P

It was definitely on the PS1 version of CT...no clue about DS (though I imagine it's there if it were on the PS1 version).

Wait, I thought you just got the different endings by making new playthroughs. Darn it, brain! Remember!

mlschop

08-25-2009, 02:41 PM

Wait, I thought you just got the different endings by making new playthroughs. Darn it, brain! Remember!

There are 12 or 13 endings which you get by going to the "end of time" zone and choosing to fight the boss at specific points in the progress of the game. Without using a game genie, the only way to really see them all is to beat the game and get the "real" ending once, and through a "New Game+" (where you keep items and levels from previous play), you can beat the game whenever you want.

Chronus

08-25-2009, 02:44 PM

Wait, it's been a LONG time since I played CT. There was a New Game+ mode? Is this on the DS as well? If this is true, I know what I'm voting for.

To be honest, I don't know if it existed on the original SNES release, though I imagine it did, otherwise, how the hell do you see the other endings? :-P

It was definitely on the PS1 version of CT...no clue about DS (though I imagine it's there if it were on the PS1 version).

Wait, I thought you just got the different endings by making new playthroughs. Darn it, brain! Remember!

Yes there was a New Game+ in all of the versions. You can get different endings by beating the game at different points in the story but many of them are impossible without doing a New Game+. Your characters just aren't strong enough to beat Lavos early enough in the game to get some of the endings if you start from scratch.

PSU2002

08-25-2009, 02:50 PM

I can't really think of any more "cons" for CT...so I guess CT wins.

FFVI
Pros
*Multi-party dungeons = nice strategic add
*Could decide fate of key party members was kind of a first for me (i.e. leaving Shadow on the island)
*Unique jobs for each character
*Many many characters to choose from

Cons
*Story not that great
*Some side characters were lame and unnecessary (Gau? Gogo?)

CT
Pros
*Time Travel kicks ass
*No random battles
*Could use time travel to beat the game whenever you wanted (pretty unique IMO)
*Multiple endings and "New Game+" mode allow for extended replay

Cons
*Some of the extra endings were pretty lame

I agree about Gau but gogo was the bomb. Put her in a party with someone with a gem box and a gemji glove. Have that character cast Ultima and then have gogo mimic. You have now cast ultima 4 times for the low cost of 1 mp. Sure there wasn't a lot of player development with her since you get her so late but she rox.

ReserveRage

08-25-2009, 02:56 PM

I agree about Gau but gogo was the bomb. Put her in a party with someone with a gem box and a gemji glove. Have that character cast Ultima and then have gogo mimic. You have now cast ultima 4 times for the low cost of 1 mp. Sure there wasn't a lot of player development with her since you get her so late but she rox.

Gau at least had a storyline, although it was kind of dumb. Gogo and Umaru were supposed to be hidden characters* that were hard to find. I had no problem with them having very little background given that consideration.

*One of the bigger rumors was that General Leo was also a hidden character. My friend tried for weeks to get him following various bogus tips. I believe you could use a Game Genie to turn one of the characters into General Leo but it could have just been a visual effect with no difference in abilities.

Abstract Actuary

08-25-2009, 03:04 PM

Write in:
Super Mario World
Secret of Mana
Super Mario Kart
Madden
NBA Jam
Hal's Hole in one Golf
Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
Anything?!?!?

mlschop

08-25-2009, 03:10 PM

Write in:
Super Mario World
Secret of Mana
Super Mario Kart
Madden
NBA Jam
Hal's Hole in one Golf
Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
Anything?!?!?

:imwith:

PSU2002

08-25-2009, 03:13 PM

Gau at least had a storyline, although it was kind of dumb. Gogo and Umaru were supposed to be hidden characters* that were hard to find. I had no problem with them having very little background given that consideration.

*One of the bigger rumors was that General Leo was also a hidden character. My friend tried for weeks to get him following various bogus tips. I believe you could use a Game Genie to turn one of the characters into General Leo but it could have just been a visual effect with no difference in abilities.

i used the strategy guide the first time i played it which made it very easy to get gau and umaru as the guide disclosed the possibility. however, it never made any mention of general leo being a hidden character. i would have to say that was a mighty big rumor.

Ginormous76

08-25-2009, 03:15 PM

I guess this means I must pickup CT on the DS.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 03:15 PM

Gau at least had a storyline, although it was kind of dumb. Gogo and Umaru were supposed to be hidden characters* that were hard to find. I had no problem with them having very little background given that consideration.

*One of the bigger rumors was that General Leo was also a hidden character. My friend tried for weeks to get him following various bogus tips. I believe you could use a Game Genie to turn one of the characters into General Leo but it could have just been a visual effect with no difference in abilities.

Slightly off-topic...

But I love how two optional characters from FFVII are kinda prominent in the FF mythology now.

Yuffie is a "regular" FF character in the Kingdom Hearts series
Vincent starred in the only FFVII (game) sequel!

Ginormous76

08-25-2009, 03:25 PM

Slightly off-topic...

But I love how two optional characters from FFVII are kinda prominent in the FF mythology now.

Yuffie is a "regular" FF character in the Kingdom Hearts series
Vincent starred in the only FFVII (game) sequel!

To be fair, Vincent was the most bad ass character in FF7. Yuffie... we don't talk about Yuffie.

ReserveRage

08-25-2009, 03:27 PM

Slightly off-topic...

But I love how two optional characters from FFVII are kinda prominent in the FF mythology now.

Yuffie is a "regular" FF character in the Kingdom Hearts series
Vincent starred in the only FFVII (game) sequel!

Wow, didn't know about that. Is the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII any good? I've never heard of any of those games. In FFVII, I thought Yuffie and Vincent were kind of weak. I never bothered to use them for whatever reason.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 03:27 PM

i used the strategy guide the first time i played it which made it very easy to get gau and umaru as the guide disclosed the possibility. however, it never made any mention of general leo being a hidden character. i would have to say that was a mighty big rumor.

It was definitely only a rumor...but I remember hearing about said rumor as well.

Just like the "bring Aeris back to life" rumors for FFVII.

Ginormous76

08-25-2009, 03:28 PM

It was definitely only a rumor...but I remember hearing about said rumor as well.

Just like the "bring Aeris back to life" rumors for FFVII.

That was more of a glitch. You could keep in her in your party some how, but I don't remember how.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 03:30 PM

That was more of a glitch. You could keep in her in your party some how, but I don't remember how.

And I'm pretty sure that glitch only existed in Japan, and was fixed before the US release.

mlschop

08-25-2009, 03:35 PM

Wow, didn't know about that. Is the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII any good? I've never heard of any of those games. In FFVII, I thought Yuffie and Vincent were kind of weak. I never bothered to use them for whatever reason.

I guess there are 4 items in the "compilation of FFVII:"

Advent Children movie - I'd say it was kinda weak, but visually impressive
FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus - Vincent's game. Very lame. It was like a FPS/RPG. I stopped forcing myself through it at some point.
Before Crisis - Mobile game that wasn't available in the US AFAIK
Crisis Core - PSP FFVII prequel starring Zack, the black haired guy that cloud thinks he is. IMO - this game is friggin' amazing. I think playing through some of the history that is talked about in FFVII is awesome. While I think that any FFVII fan should know how this game ends - they pulled it off spectacularly!

Ginormous76

08-26-2009, 09:43 AM

And I'm pretty sure that glitch only existed in Japan, and was fixed before the US release.

When I saw glitch, I mean more like I think it was a Game Shark cheat.

Abstract Actuary

08-26-2009, 09:55 AM

It's all making sense now. Strategy guides, game shark . . . I see what I'm working with now.

Bison

08-26-2009, 10:21 AM

A very very tough decision, but I'm going with FF6.

tenthring

08-26-2009, 10:36 AM

If I had to recommend a first RPG for someone to play it would be Chrono. For a vet though I got to go with FFVI.

Ginormous76

08-26-2009, 11:10 AM

It's all making sense now. Strategy guides, game shark . . . I see what I'm working with now.

I never said I did it, just that I heard about it. Though, if I had a Game Shark, on one playthrough, I would have used it just to have Aeris the whole game.

PSU2002

08-26-2009, 01:47 PM

If I had to recommend a first RPG for someone to play it would be Chrono. For a vet though I got to go with FFVI.

That's funny because 6 was my first. I wasn't very old when the FF series started on the NES so I missed out on that and played it on an emulator. I was actually in college the first time I played VI. I was at a buddies house and just threw it in one night on a whim while he was getting ready to leave. I got hooked. In fact VII had been out for over a year when I started VI. I never owned the SNES. I chose the losing side in the SNES/Genesis war and we couldn't aford to get both. But all my frieds had SNES.

Anyway the point is I played VI as my first ever and it is what hooked me on RPGs forever. The second RPG I played was FFIV and then Chrono.

Abstract, on a board full of actuaries I would think you'd understand how RPGs rule the day. And while I know you are upset about SoM, the traditional RPGs were better, even if they were 1 player games and turned based. The stories are just that much better.

Kenshiro

08-26-2009, 02:01 PM

Abstract, on a board full of actuaries I would think you'd understand how RPGs rule the day. And while I know you are upset about SoM, the traditional RPGs were better, even if they were 1 player games and turned based. The stories are just that much better.

That last line is probably a good point. I can honestly say that I never really cared about the stories on any game I've played, as long as they weren't so bad that they distracted from the game. The same goes for music. A good story is definitely a plus, but it really only helps make it interesting the first time you play. I would definitely trade a good story or music for more player control.

I'm not saying the games weren't good. They were. I just prefer being able to actually control the characters.

Being multiplayer is huge too. I much prefer games that I can play with a friend or sibling. I like video games, but I get bored playing them by myself.

mlschop

08-26-2009, 02:07 PM

That last line is probably a good point. I can honestly say that I never really cared about the stories on any game I've played, as long as they weren't so bad that they distracted from the game. The same goes for music. A good story is definitely a plus, but it really only helps make it interesting the first time you play. I would definitely trade a good story or music for more player control.

I'm not saying the games weren't good. They were. I just prefer being able to actually control the characters.

Being multiplayer is huge too. I much prefer games that I can play with a friend or sibling. I like video games, but I get bored playing them by myself.

We are completely opposite.

Nowadays, I only mostly play games if they have a solid storyline (music games aside).

Also, I'd also much rather use video games as something to do when I have nothing else to do (the same way people watch TV or read a book). If I'm hanging out with friends, I'd rather be out of my house doing something besides staring at a TV (again - the exception is recent music games, as they make for fairly decent sessions with friends).

Ginormous76

08-26-2009, 02:26 PM

I never owned the SNES. I chose the losing side in the SNES/Genesis war and we couldn't aford to get both.

This doesn't make any sense... unless you didn't have either SNES nor Genesis.

Kool-Aid Man

08-26-2009, 02:29 PM

This doesn't make any sense... unless you didn't have either SNES nor Genesis.
Perhaps he had a TurboGraphix 16.

SirVLCIV

08-26-2009, 02:33 PM

We are completely opposite.

Nowadays, I only play games if they have a solid storyline (music games aside).

Also, I'd also much rather use video games as something to do when I have nothing else to do (the same way people watch TV or read a book). If I'm hanging out with friends, I'd rather be out of my house doing something besides staring at a TV (again - the exception is recent music games, as they make for fairly decent sessions with friends).

Eh, I play shooters with mediocre storylines for fun sometimes. But yeah, I don't really play video games with friends anymore.

tenthring

08-27-2009, 01:37 AM

That's funny because 6 was my first. I wasn't very old when the FF series started on the NES so I missed out on that and played it on an emulator. I was actually in college the first time I played VI. I was at a buddies house and just threw it in one night on a whim while he was getting ready to leave. I got hooked. In fact VII had been out for over a year when I started VI. I never owned the SNES. I chose the losing side in the SNES/Genesis war and we couldn't aford to get both. But all my frieds had SNES.

Anyway the point is I played VI as my first ever and it is what hooked me on RPGs forever. The second RPG I played was FFIV and then Chrono.

Abstract, on a board full of actuaries I would think you'd understand how RPGs rule the day. And while I know you are upset about SoM, the traditional RPGs were better, even if they were 1 player games and turned based. The stories are just that much better.

Yes, but we are nerdy actuaries. CT is way freaking more user friendly for a regular person and its characters and story are easier to follow as well. Even the self selected battles are much better for a new person.

Chronus

08-27-2009, 10:01 AM

Yes, but we are nerdy actuaries. CT is way freaking more user friendly for a regular person and its characters and story are easier to follow as well. Even the self selected battles are much better for a new person.

I'm going to agree with this. I think CT would be a much better first RPG for someone than FF6.

Clam Chowdah

08-30-2009, 08:32 AM

Today I am planning on sprinting through Chrono Trigger with my friend's brother. We have the emulators on our computers along with < 10,000 other emulators, most of which are weak attempts at stylizing up the games that they clone. The emulator I used is called ZSNES, i think, and it has a fast forward feature on it that lets you speed up the game at about 30x the speed of real life. This has several advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that if you find an area where enemies attack you without any provocation you can just set the attack button to Turbo, set a weight on top of it, and set a trigger to FF, wrapping a rubber band around the controller. All you have to do then is maneuver your character into the right spot and voila! you have an automatic level-upper! Just head off to work for the day and when you come back at night your characters will be ready to rock. What sucks though is that the function of level advancement v. time is asymptotic -- a case of the Law of Diminishing Returns :shrug:

Disadvantages there are many. You can miss the story, the battles, the music, the gameplay, make bonehead decisions in battle mode and when you have to decide where the story will branch off and worst off all in a haze of impatience you will more than likely hit the save key instead of the load key, ruining hours of work.