My (Last) First Time

If I had any sense of self reflexivity, I'd have known when I first started this autobiographical anecdote that it lacked a climax. While I think this finale disappoints on its own, it also disappoints even more so due to its concluding place in the narrative arc of these episodic blog posts.

Chrono Trigger circles and occasionally intersects with my personal history with video games, and functions as a fixed point to my shifting sense of taste. Indeed, Chrono Trigger has become one of my favourite games, not of its own accord but because it has had a pseudo-continual place in my life, if only as the game that continually confounded me but waited patiently for me to come to a place where I could finally appreciate it.

What Chrono Trigger is, is a fantastic game, that I am remarkably bad at. Even as we resume the story, things don't go as simply as they should.

My First Time (Part 3)

This title has become a little worn, this being for all intents and purpose the third first time I've posted about, but we are at least approaching the end.

So, to this point I've discussed, first, my purchase of Chrono Trigger and my failure to appreciate the RPG genre, or even understand how to adapt inside its rules, to adopt a strategy to defeat a difficult enemy; and second discussed the unfortunate occasion I sold my somewhat valuable Chrono Trigger cartridge from my childhood. Whatever may be may be, I guess. This post will deal with how I came to want to play Chrono Trigger again, and actually regret selling it for more than just the value of the cartridge.

My First Time (Part 2)

So, as I said in Part 1, I reached a certain point in Chrono Trigger where, as a child, I was too unfamiliar with RPGs (and apparently problem solving) to be able to progress. And as I've done many time since then, I gave up and decided it wasn't my fault at all. "Fucking RPGs. I'm going to go rent Final Fight 3."

Now, I have actually finished Chrono Trigger, but I never finished it on that particular cartridge, because, you see, it was stolen from me by some shyster.

Hmm, is that word racist? I better look that up.

My First Time (Part 1)

A story I've told many times now that I'm older/wiser/more bitter is my history with Chrono Trigger. It was likely the first JRPG I ever played, maybe even the first RPG I ever played, but, like most stories about your first time, it is a bittersweet story of mistakes and cluelessness.