PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 30 of 70

In this entry, we return to 12,000 B.C. with a little help from Belthasar.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

World Map (2300 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

Lab 32 Map (by Rick Bruns)

Sewer Access Map (by Rick Bruns)

It's time to head 2300 A.D. Take the portal that takes you back to Proto Dome, then go back through Lab 32 and go through the Sewer Access area. If you've done this before, you can get out of here in seconds. If you haven't, this will be a lot easier now than it was when you were first in 2300 A.D. You'll then want to enter the Keeper's Dome.

Keeper's Dome Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter the Keeper's Dome, the being that Belthasar was programming earlier be standing in front of the computer near the entrance. Talk to the creature, and it will tell you to open the door in the room.

When you do, you'll go through a hallway with pearls of Belthasar's Wisdom. You'll find out the old man is Belthasar, the Guru of Reason, and that he used to live in the kingdom of Zeal in 12,000 B.C. until a disaster threw him into the future where Lavos has already devastated the Earth. He tells you what he knows about Lavos - Lavos' crash landing on the planet, his brief disappearance in 600 A.D. thanks to Magus, and how Lavos continues to consume the world and replicate. He tells you that he has gone mad in these trying times and that he has safeguarded his data before he finally loses it (which explains why he is not here and implies that he has passed on) and that by mastering time, you will be able to stand a chance against Lavos.

When you open the door, you will find Belthasar's last invention: the Wings of Time. By walking to the back of it, you'll trigger some dialogue, then you can attempt to leave the room only to see the creature from earlier come back and place a seat inside the Wings of Time. From here, the Wings of Time and you can even give it a name other than the default name of Epoch. From there, you can head back to 12,000 B.C., and when you do, you'll have to head into the cave to the northwest, as the skyways - and Zeal Kingdom - will be blocked to you.

Terra Cave Map (by Rick Bruns)

If you went here before, the ladder would not have been down and available to you, but now, you can climb right up and go right in.

By talking to the people here, you'll find out that the people here are known as the Earthbound Ones and are completely lacking in magic, and that they are not only cast down here by the Enlightened Ones, but are also being used as slave labor for the construction of the Ocean Palace. Interestingly, Schala and Janus are the only people here who don't turn their noses up at them and the only people who treat them like they are actual human beings. Go figure.

At the store, you'll see the armor and some of the weapons from the market at Medina Village in 1000 A.D. This time around, however, you can actually buy these. You could buy the weapons here as well as Glow Helms for your party members, but those will be a waste of money as you'll be able to get better weapons in the area coming up for free and the monsters you'll see as soon as you continue from here will carry helmets that are better than the Glow Helms, anyway. You do want to get the Flash Mails and Lumin Robes, though.

There is also an inn here, and it's free to use, making using Shelters at the nearby save point unnecessary.

East of the save point is the Beast's Lair. Attacking the Beasts will cause their offensive power to go up, and they have 900 HPs, so getting rid of them can be tough unless you use Dual Techs. If you use Charm on the Beasts, you can get Rainbow Helms (called R'Bow Helm in game), which are better than the Glow Helms and cut Lightning damage in half. They're also a good source of experience and tech points for this point in the game.

Going up the stairs in the Beasts' lair will trigger a boss battle, so don't go past the second set of Beasts until you're ready.

In the lower-right corner of the Beasts' lair is a Power Tab; don't forget to grab it.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 29 of 70

Our adventures in the kingdom in the sky continue...and they don't end all that well.

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Zeal Kingdom Map (by Rick Bruns)

Zeal Palace Map (by Rick Bruns)

Kajar Map (by Rick Bruns)

The caves in the mountains in Zeal Kingdom lead to Zeal Palace.

Unlike Enhasa and Kajar, there are no books to open, so you don't have to worry about looking for a secret area somewhere.

By talking to the people here, you'll find out that Queen Zeal has been using the power of Lavos to power the kingdom and keep it airborne. We finally find out what is powering the kingdom, and it's not the best thing or the best idea. You'll also find out that the undersea Ocean Palace, which is currently under construction, will be the future home of the Mammon Machine, which is being used to draw out Lavos' power and convert it to magical energy.

As you talk to the people in the floating continent, you'll also find out about two places you won't be able to access at all: the blue pyramid on the island to the east (which is similar to the one in Medina Village in 1000 A.D.) and the white-and-gold domed building to the southwest known as the Sun Keep, which houses the Sun Stone. You'll also find out about a prophet who has suddenly shown up and has warned the queen about things that will happen in the near future...and has also been pretty accurate about his predictions.

There will be a woman with a sapling in a jar somewhere in the palace. If you talk to her, she will tell you that the sapling was given to her by Melchior, and that Zeal has told her to burn it. She will then ask you what she should do, and you have a choice of burning it or secretly planting it. Tell her to secretly plant it, and she will go against Zeal's wishes and plant it. You only have one chance to make the right choice, so don't blow it.

You'll also learn some more things: that the queen has two children, Schala and Janus, and that Schala's pendant has magical powers. Keep that latter thing in mind for later.

The Nu walking back and forth will ask you to scratch his back if you talk to him. If you say yes, you'll scratch his back and you'll be able to learn the Nu's secret scratch-point. If you go back to Enhasa and talk to the Nu near the bookcase, you can get him to cough up a Magic Tab.

There are three areas at the north end you can enter, and you'll need to talk to the Nu at the west doorway to get him to move out of the way. The west door leads to the Mammon Machine, which is being used to draw out Lavos' power and use it to power the kingdom and all of magic. The center doorway leads to the queen's throne room, which is sealed by a door just like the ones that you have seen in 2300 AD. The eastern doorway leads to the royalty's private chambers. The left room is empty, but the right one contains both Janus and Schala - the queen's son and daughter, with the former being the boy we saw earlier) - and advances the plot.

When you meet Janus and Schala, you'll find out that sinister things are going on. For one, the queen's demeanor has changed for the worse ever since she discovered Lavos as a power source. Unfortunately, Schala will be summoned to the Ocean Palace by the queen. You can talk to Janus, but you won't get anything out of it.

If you try to leave Zeal Palace at this point, the doorway will be blocked by a human and two Nus, so you'll have to do what must be done to advance the storyline at this point.

Head to the central doorway and follow Schala to the door leading to the throne room. You'll see Schala use her pendant to open the door, which then closes behind her. If you use Marle's pendant on it, it will not open. In order to fix this, head back to the Mammon Machine in the west doorway, go up to the Mammon Machine and press A to place Marle's pendant in the machine briefly and power it up. From here on out, you can not only open the sealed doors in 2300 A.D., you can also open the sealed treasure boxes in 600 A.D. and 1000 A.D. as well. From here, head back to the throne room and open the door. The door will open successfully.

When you enter the throne room, you'll catch up with Schala, but you'll also meet Dalton, the Prophet and Queen Zeal. As it turns out, Queen Zeal is not a nice person, and having been warned of your arrival by the prophet, considers Crono and company to be pests. Dalton will then summon Golem to get rid of you.

At the start of the battle, hit Golem with magic immediately so that Golem does not hit you with Iron Orb - which cuts one target's HP by half - and energy balls that will more than likely kill who they hit. This will weaken Golem considerably and cause him to attack the party with weaker attacks. Heal after that. Fire is the best magic to use for this battle, as the fire ring attack that the Golem will use will not be very strong.

Whatever you do, do not attack Golem with physical attacks (unless it is on counter-attack from the Rage Band). This will cause Golem to go back to using Iron Orb and the energy balls of death, so don't do it.

This is one battle other than Spekkio that you can lose and not get a game over from, but if you beat Golem, Golem will hit the party with a burp attack before dying.

Regardless of whether you win or lose this battle, your party will be caught in a magical trap by Queen Zeal and placed in a magical holding cell. You'll be freed by Schala and Janus, and Schala will tell you to head to the Mountain of Woe and free Melchior. The Prophet will then show up, and you'll be forced back to 65,000,000 B.C. before Schala seals the Gate shut on both sides. 

World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Mystic Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

From here, Crono and company will figure out what to do. Even if you haven't been there at all, the game will basically tell you to head to the Keeper's Dome in 2300 A.D. (The game expects you to head through Sewer Access and enter the Keeper's Dome early in the game.) If you head back to The End of Time, the old man there will also tell you to head to The Keeper's Dome.

On the way back through the Mystic Mountains to The End of Time, you'll notice that there are fewer monsters due to the impending ice age. At this point, the game is making it easier to get around in 65,000,000 B.C.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 28 of 70

In this entry, we explore the world of 12000 B.C. and get our first look at the kingdom of magic.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

World Map (12,000 B.C.) (by Rick Bruns)

When you come out of the cave on the other side of the portal, head east. You won't be able to do anything in the cave to the west yet, as the ladder will not be down for you to head over there. You'll soon find a Skyway in this snow-bound land, and when you step onto the glowing purple panel, you'll find yourself in a continent in the sky.

The first place you'll be able to head to is Enhasa.

Zeal Kingdom Map (by Rick Bruns)

Enhasa Map (by Rick Bruns)

You'll be able to talk to people here, and they will go on about dreams and the importance of them. You'll find out that the queen of this kingdom has found an impressive new power source and is using it to power the kingdom.

When you head to the northwest corner of Enhasa, you'll find a kid with blue hair and a purple cat. He will mention something about the dark wind howling before predicting that one of you will soon die before he and his cat leave.

The blue and gold panel is a Spring of Recovery, and if you step on it, you will recover all of your HP and MP.

There are three books that can be opened: one of water, one of wind and one of fire. If you open water, wind and fire in that order, you'll uncover a hidden door north of the entrance. Here, you can fight 6 Nu's, and if you can beat them all, you'll get a Magic Tab and a Speed Tab.

Believe it or not, the order that you open the books in will be learned a little later, but you can probably find it out on accident. There are three books, after all.

When you're done in Enhasa, take the Skyway north of Enhasa back down to earth and head north to find a third Skyway. This third Skyway will take you to the main continent.

To the west will be the Blackbird. If you talk to the two guards in purple, you'll soon meet Dalton, who isn't exactly the nicest person. You won't be able to do much else, though. Near the Blackbird is Kajar.

Kajar Map (by Rick Bruns)

There will be a Spring of Recover in the southeast corner, and in the center is a store where you can buy healing items. Once again, there are three books you can open that are of water, wind and fire, and if you open them in that same order, you'll find a hidden door near the store that leads to the Black Rock. It allows the person who has it equipped it to cast the Triple Tech "Dark Eternal," but you won't be able to use it quite yet.

By talking about the people here, you'll find out that the people on the sky continent can perform magic while the people down on the snow-ravaged earth cannot, and that the people on the sky continent are rather full of themselves.

In the research lab near the northeast corner, you'll find out that one of the Nus is stealing a researcher's materials, but you won't be able to (sort of) help him until a little later. The Nu at the north will tell you that water summons wind and that wind makes fire dance. This is how you find out what order to open the books in.

Believe it or not, there is a Speed Tab at the southeast corner near the door in that area. You'll see it in the previous room if you're in the northwest corner and you see the sparkle there. You'll have to go behind that wall to pick it up. I'll pick it up in a later video. 

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 27 of 70

In this entry, we fight Azala and find out how Lavos ended up on the earth. We also find a Gate leading to the Ice Age...but why?

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World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Tyrano Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you head past where you fought Nizbel, you'll be back outside. There will be a locked gate to the right and the switch you need to hit (and a Full Ether) further to the right. You'll have to fight three Terrasarus (one in the first battle, two in the second) before you can finally face Azala.

When you meet Azala, he will have you following him to the final battle between the humans and the Reptites, which is really just you and the team of Azala and Black Tyrano. Azala will tell the nearby moving red star - the one you've seen at the Dactyl Nest - to fall and stain the earth red.

Azala has a lot less HP than Black Tyrano (who has over 10,000), so take care of him first so he doesn't throw rocks at you or puts you to sleep. You'll want to hit him with very powerful strikes, such as Crono and Ayla's Falcon Hit (which does the job wonderfully and also hits Black Tyrano). When you defeat Azala, he will hit the party with Azala Break, which will slowly lower the party's HP one hit point at a time.

That leaves Black Tyrano. When you see the message stating that defense is being lowered and that power is being stored, start hitting Black Tyrano with your most powerful attacks. Black Tyrano will count down from five, and when he hits zero, he will hit everyone in the party with a powerful fire breath attack. If that happens, heal up your party, preferably with Ayla and Frog's Slurp Kiss. Black Tyrano's defense will then get back to normal until he lowers his defense and stores power again.

Believe it or not, charming Azala gives you a Magic Tab, while charming the Black Tyrano will net you a Power Tab. I didn't find this out until after making this video.

After winning the boss battle, Azala will mention in his last moments that an ice age is coming and that the Reptites are doomed to die, anyway. Kino shows up with the pterodactyls and rescues everyone, but Azala refuses rescuing, resigning himself to being hit by the red star - which ends up being a meteor - that completely destroys the Tyrano Lair and leaves a crater in its wake. This meteor is named "Lavos" - "big fire" - by Ayla, and it becomes very apparent that Magus was telling the truth about summoning Lavos and that Lavos was, in fact, the meteor that crashed into the earth 65 million years ago. Afterwards, Crono and company will discuss what they have learned before the game switches back to the overworld.

From here, enter the crater. You'll find that there is a Gate, and when you enter it, it will take you to 12,000 B.C., which is in the middle of the ice age.

If you party is above Level 30, Spekkio will take the form of an Omnicrone at The End of Time.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 26 of 70

In this entry, we head to the Tyrano Lair and tear stuff up as we look for Azala.

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World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Tyrano Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter the Tyrano Lair, you can only enter the passage to the right at the start. When you do, you'll be able to go into the basement of the lair and face some brown Reptites. Believe it or not, the brown Reptites are stronger than the green ones that we faced in the Reptite Lair. Be sure to open the cell with the four cavemen in it to let them out, then continue further down to find out that Kino has been kidnapped. Beat up the three Reptites near the cave, then go up to the cell door and press A. Ayla will climb in and eventually bust Kino out, and Kino will repay you by opening up the left path in the entry room.

As you get through the outside parts of the castle, you'll face enemies such as the Arian Rex from the Dactyl Nest as well as the Volcano. Unlike the Shist/Pahoehoe, attacking the Volcano will cause it to attack all the other monsters on the battlefield, including itself. You'll also face the Terrasaur, which is a more powerful version of the Megasaur from the Reptite Lair. Just like with the Megasaur, you can shock it to take it out.

The buttons near the monsters will drop them into the cell that the four cavemen were in, so you don't have to fight them unless you want to. The nearby room with the fake treasure chest as well as the real one containing the Full Tonic will drop you into the cell, where you will have to fight any enemies you dropped into it. If that happens, any enemies you fought on the way to the Full Tonic room will re-spawn.

You'll soon come across a maze-like area where there are multiple treasure chests, but when you enter certain areas, the screen will fade to black and you'll be warped from one area to another. By walking around in all the areas where you can, you can find out where all the warps are where they can take you, and by scoping every tile of the area, you'll eventually be able to get even the Meso Mail in the northeast corner that you can't just walk up to and take.

After this, there will be a closed doorway, and you'll need to hit the switch in the next room to open it. You'll need to step on one of two floor buttons to open up the room with the switch you need to hit, but one of them will also unleash a Volcano and a Terrasaur.

Once you open that gate, you'll face Nizbel II. Be sure to use the save point behind him before fighting him. When you fight Nizbel II, hit him with Lighting three times, but no more. Keep hitting him with strong attacks the rest of the time. When Nizbel II releases his stored electrical energy and attacks the whole party with it, heal up. (Frog and Ayla's Slurp Kiss is really good for this, since it's only 1 MP from both characters and heals everyone for 300 HP or more.) After that, hit Nizbel with Lightning three times again, keep smacking him around again and heal up big time when necessary. Nizbel II will have the same attacks as last time; he'll just be more powerful.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 25 of 70

In this entry, we fight Magus, but we end up with more questions than answers.

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Magus' Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

The video starts with me showing off the Magic Tab you can find in the drop-off area where you fall into a pit made by Ozzie.

When you take the teleporter leading to Magus, you'll go down some stairs, and six Vamps will descend upon you as you go down. If you touch any of them, you'll trigger a battle with them.

Afterwards, you'll face Magus, who is not exactly thrilled to see you. Not surprisingly, you'll have to fight him.

Magus has exactly 6,666 HP. You'll be using magic to do most of your damage on him, and whenever you hit him, he will cast a spell. It will either be Lighting2, Ice 2, Fire 2 or Dark Bomb, which are Lightning, Water, Fire and Shadow, respectively. The first three are multi-target, but Dark Bomb is only single-target. Whatever type of magic he casts is the one you want to hit him with, as the other magic types will heal him, so pay attention to what he attacks with.

If Frog hits Magus with the Masamune, it will decrease Magus' magic defense. This will cause Magus to counter-attack with magic like anything else will, but it can help with the battle.

When Magus' HP is down to half, you'll get the message "Magus risks casting a spell." When that happens, you can hit him with everything you've got. Make sure you keep your party's HP high at this point, as Magus will keep switching between doing that and hitting the whole party with Dark Matter, which really hurts.

When you beat Magus, you'll find out that Magus did not create Lavos, but only merely summoned him, as he lives inside the earth and grows ever stronger. A massive portal will then pop up and suck everyone in.

World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

After a weird dream sequence involving Crono being marrier to Marle, everyone wakes up in prehistoric times. You'll be greeted by Ayla, and Magus will be nowhere to be seen. Ayla, who has found you in the Mystic Mountains and has brought you to the Chief's Hut, will tell you to rest. You'll then be woken up by Kino, who tells you Ayla is looking for the Laruba village. Another caveman will show up and mention that Laruba Village to the north has been set on fire.

From here, you can head north to Laruba Village, but before you do, head to the trading hut. You can get new weapons with the Petals, Fangs, Horns and Feathers you've picked up. Here are the new combinations:

Petal + Fang = Dream Gun (Lucca)

Petal + Horn = Dream Bow (Marle)

Petal + Feather = Magma Hand (Robo)

Fang + Horn = Aeon Blade (Crono)

You can still get the Ruby Vest and the Rock Helm here.

Thankfully, our time more recently spent in the Reptite Lair getting the rest of the treasure made it so getting the new weapons was no problem.

Now that we have new weapons, head to the new area in the forest northwest of the northern huts. When you make your way north, you'll see Ayla talking to the Laruba Village chief. He will blame Ayla for the Reptites setting the village on fire, but Ayla says that they have to fight or else the Reptites will beat the humans before asking for some pterodactyls to ride to the Tyrano Lair with. The village chief reluctantly gives her the pterodactyls, and from here, you'll need to follow Ayla all the way to the Dactyl Nest.

Dactyl Nest Map (by Rick Bruns)

Thanks to our having been here before, we don't need to collect any more treasures. Also, the enemies should no longer give us any problems, should we have to fight them.

When you reach the end of the Dactyl Nest area, Ayla will be calling a pterodactyl. When you approach her, Crono and company will help her out in return for her help getting the Gate Key back earlier in the game. Ayla will take the second slot in the party, and from here, you can fly southeast to the Tyrano Lair (which is easy to find, as it is surrounded by lava). The D-Pad lets you fly around in four directions, while A lets you land anywhere that your party can walk. Press A while standing where the pterodactyls are to fly around again.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 24 of 70

Now that Slash and Flea have been defeated, it's time to chase after Ozzie...

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Magus' Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter the save point in the entry room, you'll be taken to another area. Thankfully, you can go back if you need to leave Magus' Lair for any reason.

Throughout this first hallway, you'll be fighting Henches and Sorcerers, but you'll also be facing the Grimalkin, which are just a stronger version of the Diablos.

You'll then find yourself in a room full of conveyor belts and guillotine-like blades that move up and down. Ozzie will be on the other side of the room rotating a crank to make all of this run, and you'll need to move in the opposite direction of the conveyor belts just in case you want to avoid the blades, which will do quite a bit of damage if they hit you. Along the way, you'll get a Dark Mail for one of your main characters. When you reach Ozzie, Ozzie will run away, and you can get the DoomFinger, a more powerful weapon for Robo.

You'll then enter your first "Donkey Kong" section. Running into the Rolys will trigger a battle that involves any other nearby enemies. You'll also meet the Juggler for the first proper time here, having served as the fake Flea before. The Juggler is the enemy that switches between high physical defense and high magic defense, and when you attack it, you'll find out which defense is on. From there, you'll want to use the opposite kind of attack to take it out easily.

You'll then find another hallway with Ozzie at a crank. If you move into certain spots, you'll fall into a hole. The first time you do this, you'll have to fight six Deceased, but you can easily wipe them out with Lighting 2 or any powerful magic spell that does a lot of damage to all on-screen enemies. This battle is thankfully a one-time-only battle.

From here, there are four chests you can open for a Mid-Ether, a Lapis (which heals 200 HP for all party members), a Barrier and a Shelter, and there are four save points. Two of them are battles against fake save points that do absolutely nothing, another one is an actual save point, and the fourth is a teleporter that takes you back to the hallway where Ozzie is waiting for you. In the lower-right corner of this drop-off point is a Magic Tab, which I forget to pick it up. (I'll show if off in the next video.) All of the items can be collected only once.

When you catch up with Ozzie, he runs away again. You'll get another "Donkey Kong" section, this time with Outlaws (a stronger version of the Free Lancer), Jugglers and Roly Bombers. The Roly Bombers explode and do damage to all party members upon defeat, and if you don't kill the Outlaws, they will counterattack. If a Juggler is on-screen when that happens, they will both attack with Fire Whirl.

You'll then enter two more long hallways full of battles. The Groupies will attack you with swords and can also use Cyclone on you for more damage, while the Flunkies will shoot at you with crossbows. 

You'll then face Ozzie himself. If you want, be sure to open the chests with the Mist Robe and another Magic Scarf before talking to Ozzie to trigger the battle. Ozzie will shield himself with a protective barrier, and if you attack him, there will be consequences, so don't do it. Instead of attacking Ozzie, you'll want to hit the cranks. The first three will just open random holes in the floor, but the fourth will send him falling to his doom. From here, you'll get a save point as well as another teleporter...

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 23 of 70

If we want to get further into Magus' Lair, we'll need to beat some of Magus' lieutenants.

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Magus' Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

In the left wing, you'll face Omnicrones and Decedents, which you've faced before. Interestingly, magic does not work on the Omnicrones, though it can wipe the Decedents out.

When you get to the end of the left wing, you'll fight some more Decedents before facing Slash. Slash has multiple single-target attacks that can do some good damage to your party, so you'll want to hit him hard with Double and - if you have any - Triple Techs.

When you defeat Slash, he will pull the sword off the wall and fight with it. With the sword, he is a bigger threat, as he can attack two party members with Slash and he can tear you apart for more damage than he could the first time, especially with the "Yes indeed!" attack.

When you beat Slash the second time, you'll beat him for good, and you can get the Slasher for Crono. You can also save your game and heal up at the save point.

In the right wing, you'll deal with Henches, Vamps and Sorcerers. Once again, only use Fire, for all other types of magic will heal the Sorcerers. At the end, you'll fight a monster that should supposedly be Flea, but isn't. It won't take long to tear it apart before the bat that has been following you around this whole time transforms into the real Flea, who actually is male despite appearing female both in the game and in official character art. Just like with Slash, you'll also need to fight Flea if you want to get to Magus.

Flea is the harder of the two flunkies you'll need to defeat before opening the lair up further. Flea's attacks include Waltz of the Wind, which inflicts Chaos on one party member; a kiss attack that can be counter-attacked; The Stare, which causes Crono to attack his fellow party members and deals damage to them as well as Crono; Rainbow Storm, which inflicts Poison on the Party; and Prism Beam, which inflicts Blind on the party. Be ready to use Heals and keep your party's health high, and hit Flea with the most powerful attacks you have. After you beat Flea, you'll be able to pick up a Magic Tab.

Once you beat Slash and Flea, you'll see the save point in the entry room again. If you touch it, you'll teleport further into Magus' Lair...

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 22 of 70

In this episode, we start exploring Magus' Lair.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

Truce Canyon Map (by Rick Bruns)

Magic Cave Map (by Rick Bruns)

It's time to head back to the Magic Cave.

There are two enemies that you will face here: the Vamp and the Gremlin. While I later found out that you don't necessarily need magic to beat the Vamps, it does help. As for the Gremlins, magic is absolutely required.

There is a sealed box here; you'll have to come back for it later.

The soldier at the end of the cave will have a note written in blood telling you about a monster in Magus' Lair that will switch between physical and magical defense when struck. Keep this in mind.

There will be a bat following you around as you explore this cave, and later, Magus' Lair. It will fly away when you enter a battle, and rejoin you after.

Once you reach the other side of the Magic Cave, you'll reach Magus' Lair.

Magus' Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter Magus' Lair, there will be two areas you can explore: the left wing and the right wing. There will be people in these wings, but they will act rather peculiar if you talk to them. You'll even see four children surrounding a treasure chest.

One of the people you'll meet in the right wing will be a bit different depending on who the third person in your party is. If it's Marle, it's Marle's father King Guardia XXXIII; if it's Lucca, it's Taban; if it's Robo, it's Lucca. 

When you fully explore both wings, you'll find a save point. When you walk into it, Ozzie will show up. He will tell you that Magus is pre-occupied at the moment, and in order to get to him, you'll have to fight your way through the castle.

The maroon-colored Henches here have more HP than their blue-clad counterparts, so taking them down won't exactly be a picnic.

If you go back to the children surrounding the chest, they will want to know if you want the treasure. Say yes, and they will turn into Shadows. Kill them all with non-physical attacks, then open the chest to get a Barrier, which cuts magic damage taken during battle by 33%.

As for the right wing, you'll be facing Henches, Vamps and Sorcerers. The Sorcerers are weak to Fire, and will be healed by Water, Lightning and Shadow, so hit them with Fire. 

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 21 of 70

This was the biggest, most absolute pain to do, just because of one of the paths requiring access from a specific spot in the first room.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

Mystic Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Forest Maze Map (by Rick Bruns)

Reptite Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

Now that I have the time to do it, I head back to the Reptite Lair and try to take all those paths near the beginning while also getting some Tech Points for my party. This ends up taking longer than I planned.

Three of the paths are pretty easy to access. You'll meet a new enemy while taking the other paths: the Meat Eater. The Meat Eater will put you to sleep as a counterattack if you don't kill it upon attacking it, but it doesn't do much else.

In order to take the alternate paths, you'll have to wait for the EvilWeevils to dig holes at the start of the Reptite Lair. While three of the paths are very easy to access, the one containing the Full Tonic (which restores 500 HP) and the Full Ether (which restores 50 MP) as well as the big room with the Megasaur is hard to access unless an EvilWeevil digs in a specific spot, unlike all the others, which can be accessed from anywhere other than the southeast corner. That specific spot is right here. If the EvilWeevils dig where you don't want them, leave the room and re-enter to try again.

There are also a few alternate paths within the alternate paths, and those all involve waiting for another EvilWeevil to dig a hole in the underground paths leaving to all the treasures. Just like with waiting for the alternate paths to open up at the start, this can also take a while.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 20 of 70

In this entry, we finally re-forge the Masamune, then we learn more about Frog.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

World Map (1000 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

If your party averages around Level 20 or higher, Spekkio will change form, this time to a blue Ogre with gold hair. Compared to the Kilwala form we faced earlier in the game, this form will tear us apart right now, so I don't even bother with his form...yet.

From here, head back to Medina Village in 1000 A.D. and go west to Melchior's Hut, then talk to Melchior. With both halves of the Masamune and the Dreamstone in hand, Melchior will head downstairs to reforge the Masamune, with either Lucca or Robo (depending on who is in your party) following him to help. You can talk to Melchior or Lucca/Robo as they are doing this, but none of the dialogue you get is remotely useful. Once you see the flash of white light, you'll get the Masamune. You'll now need to take it back to Frog.

World Map (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

Truce Canyon Map (by Rick Bruns)

Cursed Woods Map (by Rick Bruns)

Once you hand the Masamune to Frog, Frog will have the party spend the night as his place while he looks back on his life ten years ago, when he followed Cyrus to the fight with the Frog King to take back the Hero Medal as well as Cyrus' fateful meeting with Magus, which ends with Cyrus being killed and Frog - then known by his real name, Glenn - being zapped with a spell by Magus.

The next morning, Frog will join the party. If you haven't already, go get a Rock Helm and a Ruby Vest for him back in 65,000,000 B.C. while you equip him with the Hero's Medal. You won't be able to equip the Masamune on him...yet.

Head to the Magic Cave east of Dorino and the Denadoro Mountains. When you get there, Frog will go back even further into his life: all the way back to when he was a kid. It is through Frog's flashbacks that we find out that Frog's was not the most confident and courageous even when he was a child, and that it took Cyrus - who he had grown up with like a brother throughout the years - for him to become a more courageous and confident person, even when Frog was the better swordsman of the two. We also find out for sure that the spell that Magus cast on Glenn ten years ago turned him into a frog.

Magic Cave Map (by Rick Bruns)

From there, Frog channels the energy of the Masamune and splits the face of the Magic Cave in two to open it up. You'll soon go in and have a battle with the two enemies you'll meet here: the Gremlins and the Vamps. The Gremlins attack much like the Rats, and the Vamps attack much like the bat enemies you've faced before. The only difference is that you have to beat them with magic, and when you do that, Frog will ask where you learned magic from. From here, the game reminds you that Frog can learn magic from Spekkio. We do just that before ending the video, where Frog learns the magic of Water as well as the Water spell, which differentiates his magic from Marle's ice-based magic.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 19 of 70

In this video, we head to the Reptites' lair to get the Gate Key back, and in the process, we make yet another enemy.

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World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Hunting Range Map (by Rick Bruns)

Forest Maze Map (by Rick Bruns)

After getting some more free armor for Frog when he inevitably comes back into the party, we head into the Forest Maze.

The Forest Maze is not very hard to get through. While there are branching paths that lead to treasures and battles, it is still easy to find the exit even if you're not following the Reptite footprints.

There are two new enemies: the Gold Eaglets, which will turn into Red Eaglets and breathe fire at you instead of divebombing or scratching at you after taking enough damage, and the Winged Apes, which are weaker versions of the Cave Apes from the Dactyl Nest that fight the same way.

Along the way, we learn two new Techs for Ayla: Kiss, which heals one party members and also removes status ailments, and Rollo Kick, which is powerful enough on its own but can be paired with Crono's Cyclone for the Drill Kick Dual Tech, which can do a lot of damage. Keep that in mind for later.

Reptite Lair Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter this place, the first monster you will face is the EvilWeevil, which is much like the Tempurite from Heckran's Cave except you don't need magic to defeat them.

If you stay in the first room after the entrance long enough, you'll see the EvilWeevil dig holes. There are three that can be made, and they all lead to alternate routes where you can pick up other treasures. I cover the main route that is already there at the start in this video, with plans to cover the rest in another video.

Along the way, we meet the Megasaur, a giant green dinosaur that can breathe fire. If you hit it with Lightning, you will not only shock it and lower its defense, but you will also stun it, allowing you to do more damage without getting beaten up. Beware: if you take too long, the Megasaur will unleash that lightning energy and zap your whole party and will begin to attack again, and you'll have to shock it a second time.

Eventually, you'll drop into a large room full of Reptites. Fight them like you did on the Mystic Mountains.

The Shitakes don't attack at all; they just run away if given enough time. The Winged Apes can throw them at members of your party, but that's about it.

Eventually, you'll run into Azala, who is admiring the Gate Key. When Ayla demands that the Gate Key be returned, you'll have a choice as to whether or not to tell Azala about the Gate Key. Regardless of which option you choose, you'll have to face Nizbel either way.

Nizbel can attack your party with an earthquake attack. Be ready to attack him a lot between attacks. However, in order to do that, you'll need to shock him with a Lightning spell in order to lower his defense temporarily. Do this only once, because he can release that lightning energy just like the Megasaur can and wipe our your entire party if you do it more than once. Your best attacks when Nizbel's defense is down are strong spells like Ice Sword, Fire Sword and even Drill Kick.

If you have Marle in your party, make sure she has learned Haste. Haste can raise a character's speed in battle, and if you cast it on Marle herself first, you can more easily caste Haste on the rest of the party and make them faster. This will work wonders for when you need to do a lot of battle on Nizbel in a short time and also when you need to heal the party on short notice. It's a great spell.

Mystic Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you beat Nizbel, Azala will return the Gate Key and run away...for now. Afterwards, you'll be back in the Chief's Hut, and Ayla will leave the party for now. From here, it's time to head to the Mystic Mountains and head back to the End of Time. If you talk to the old man there, he will tell you to talk to Melchior in Medina Village in 1000 A.D. to get the Masamune reforged.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 18 of 70

Our quest to repair the Masamune takes us to prehistoric times...but when we get there, we have trouble.

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World Map (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

Denadoro Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

Truce Canyon Map (by Rick Bruns)

The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

Just before the cave that leads to the Masamune and just before the half-ladder you have to drop down from to reach it, there is a chest with a Gold Suit hidden behind a tree branch that is barely visible. Up until I made this guide, I never even knew it was there.

From there, I head back to the End of Time, then head back to Medina Village in 1000 AD and Melchior's Hut.

World Map (1000 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

Once you're back in Medina Village, head west to Melchior's Hut and talk to Melchior to ask him about the Masamune. He will tell you that it is a long story regarding his involvement in the creation of the Masamune, then tells you that you will need the Dreamstone to fully forge it, as it is the material that the sword is made of. Unfortunately, the Dreamstone is long gone and was only widely available a long time ago, and the only way to get one is to go back to prehistoric times. At long last, we have a reason to go back to prehistoric times.

Head back to The End of Time and head back to 65,000,000 B.C.

Mystic Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you drop down from the portal in the Mystic Mountains this time, you'll be surrounded by green, reptilian humanoids known as the Reptites. As long as you use strong multi-target spells, they're not hard to beat up. Just remember that they can throw dirt clods at you in an attempt to put you to sleep.

Eventually, you'll have more Reptites than you can find. Suddenly, a strong cavewoman with blonde hair will show up and lower the numbers a bit, then you'll have another wave of Reptites to fight. Once you take them down, you'll soon meet the cavewoman herself: Ayla, the chief of the nearby Ioka Village. After your party gets to know her better, she'll ask you to follow her down the mountains to the nearby village.

From here, the rest of the area is the same as it was the first time we were here, since we've been here before. It should be noted that if you fight all the enemies before you reach the exit, Ayla will show up and complain that you're too slow.

World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

From here, you'll want to go to the chief's hut. You'll be able to talk to Ayla, who will throw a party in your honor.

At the party, you'll be able to talk to your allies as well as Ayla. Obviously, you want to talk to Ayla to advance the plot, but if you have Marle in your party, you can do some optional dancing, and if you have Lucca in your party, you'll be able to drink some soup out of a large stone bowl. If Robo is in your party, he will be laying there, unable to do anything because of all the flies buzzing about.

If you talk to Kino - the other caveman with the blonde hair and grey hides like Ayla's - he will be confused as to why Kino is throwing a party for you, as you are not from the village. Keep this in mind for later if you talk to him.

Keep talking to Ayla. You'll find out that she is currently part of the war between the humans and the Reptites to see who will survive, and that she will fight until her last breath on the humans' side, and if she were to die, Kino would take her place as chief due to him being a man. She will eventually produce a Dreamstone. In order to get it, you'll need to beat Ayla in a soup eating contest. Accept the contest, then press the A button rapidly in order to easily beat Ayla. If you lose, you'll get the chance to try again. (It should be noted that in the original Super Famicom version, the soup was actually alcohol.)

After the soup eating contest, you'll get the Dreamstone, and you'll party into the night. You'll wake up in the morning, but when you do, you'll notice that there are strange footprints everywhere and that the Gate Key is missing. Your party will immediately head to the Chief's Hut. Talk to Ayla, and you'll wake her up and tell here what is going on. Ayla will join your party and take residence in your party's second slot for as long as you're looking for the Gate Key, and you'll get a chance to put who you need to put in the third slot.

Before you head anywhere, you'll want to go to the hut to the east of the Chief's Hut in order to trade for weapons and armor, now that the chief knows you. You'll be able to trade with the Petals, Horns, Fangs and Feathers that you get from winning battles, with certain monsters giving you certain trading items. You'll need three of one trading item combine with three of another to get different items. Here's what you can get at the trading hut:

Petal + Horn = Ruby Gun (Lucca)

Petal + Fang = Sage Bow (Marle)

Petal + Feather = Stone Arm (Robo)

Horn + Fang = Flint Edge (Crono)

Horn + Feather = Rock Helm (everyone) 

Fang + Feather = Ruby Vest (everyone)

You'll want to get all of the weapons, and you'll also want to get Ruby Vests and Rock Helms for everyone not named Ayla (unless you have the Meso Mail, in that case, don't give it to whoever has it equipped). Not only is this the best armor you can get in the game right now (unless you want to go into the Dactyl Nest for the Meso Mail at this rate, in that case, be my guest), but the Ruby Vest will cut all fire damage by 50%.

You'll also want to not get them for Ayla, who will come equipped with both of these armors as well as a Magic Scarf for an accessory (even though she cannot learn magic, being born before the age of magic). She also fights with her fist and does not need any weapons to equip, and she is one of the more powerful party members in the game alongside Crono and Robo.

If you need to sell your old stuff off, one of the people in the trading hut will be able to buy it off you, as he will also sell you healing items in exchange for your money.

Hunting Range Map (by Rick Bruns)

If you need to get any trading items for whatever reason, go ahead and go to the hunting range north of the village and fight enemies until you have what you need. It's also good for getting tech points for Ayla, as she starts with no techs.

By talking to the people in the other huts, you'll find out that the Reptites can be tough and hard to beat. You'll also find out that they went to their lair in the Forest Maze in the south after they came to the meeting site and stole the Gate Key. You'll need to head there.

Forest Maze Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter the Forest Maze, you'll find Kino. When you approach him, you will find out that he stole the Gate Key because Ayla likes Crono - who he does not like - even though Ayla likes Kino best. Ayla tells Kino that this is wrong and demands Kino apologize - which he does - and return the Gate Key, which he can't because the Reptites took it from him. From here, you'll have to follow the footsteps into the maze, which the game allows you to go through now.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 17 of 70

In this entry, we head into the Denadoro Mountains to find the Masamune. Along the way, we see the so-called hero whom everyone has been talking about.

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World Map (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

There's nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, so let's head to the Denadoro Mountains to the north.

Denadoro Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

The Bellbirds will inflict Chaos on a single party member if you don't kill them in one hit, making them a bit of a threat even though you can most likely easily take them at this point.

The main enemies to watch out for are the Ogans and the Goblins. While the Goblins are pretty weak, the Ogans have increased offense and defense with their hammers. However, if you hit an Ogan with a fire spell, you'll burn their hammer down and turn them into a Goblin.

When you go up the ladder at the start, you'll see a boy with a shield running away from the mountain. You'll fight a Goblin, then you'll have to fight an Ogan.

The Free Lancers will hit a single party with a shuriken or with a sword, the latter occurring as a counter attack if you don't kill it in one hit.

Along the way, you'll have a Free Lancer throwing rocks at you. Be sure to run so you don't get hit by them.

Some of the enemy encounters on the cliff edges where you can see the horizon can only be triggered if you move into a very specific spot. These encounters are one-time only, but will net you some extra experience and tech points.

When you reach the large riverbank before the bridge, go down the waterfall from the left side so you can get the Silver Stud along with the Silver Earring. The Silver Stud will cut your MP usage by 25%, while the Silver Earring will increase your max HP by 50%.

After the bridge, you'll find a guy looking at the mountains across the horizon. If you keep talking to him, you'll get a Magic Tab.

Near the end, a Free Lancer keeps trying to stop from you reaching the cave. If you go after him, you can get an extra battle.

Inside the cave, you'll meet Masa and his brother Mune, who are really monsters disguised as humans. You'll have two battles against them as soon as you approach the Masamune. The first one are against Masa and Mune separately, who will encircle you with a whirlwind attack and will also attack with X Strike. If you focus all your attacks on one of them and use your most powerful attacks, you'll end this battle rather quickly.

After this battle, Masa and Mune will combine to become one giant, fearsome creature. Aside from a powerful chop and a tornado attack that will throw one of your party members up into the air and crashing into the ground, he also has an attack that involves storing energy and unleashing it on your entire party for a large amount of damage. If you use Crono's Slash when you get the message that Masa & Mune are storing energy, you will negate the attack. Keep using your most powerful attacks such as Antipode and keep your party healed up to get through this.

Once you beat Masa and Mune a second time, you'll get the Masamune...sort of. You'll get the Bent Sword, which is the blade of the Masamune. You'll also be able to step into the light and ride the wind to the base of the mountain, which allows you to easily leave.

Head to Tata's House in Porre Village and talk to the boy. You'll find out that the boy is Tata and the one that everyone is calling the hero. He will tell you that Frog dropped it in a cafe, and when he picked it up, everyone started calling him the hero and he could not bear to get rid of it. After telling you that he is no hero, he hands the Hero Medal to you.

From here, head back to the Cursed Woods.

Cursed Woods Map (by Rick Bruns)

At this point in the game, Nu can appear in the Cursed Woods. To fight him, you'll need to run into the T'Pole just before the bush that leads to Frog's House. If you can do that before Nu flees into the trees, Nu will be in the next battle, and you can beat him up like you did in the Hunting Range in prehistoric times for a ton of experience and tech points.

When you head back to Frog's House and talk to Frog, Frog will be surprised that you have the Hero Medal. He will then tell you that he cannot do anything against Magus and that while the Masamune is required to fight him, he has no right to wield it. He will then walk away from the basket that he has been standing in front of, and if you walk up to it and open it, you'll get the Bent Hilt. When you do, you'll notice that Melchior's name is on the Masamune. It seems it is time to head back to Medina Village to have a chat with Melchior.

If you talk to Frog again, he will tell you that there is not a single person who can repair the Masamune, but if there is one thing to know about this game, is that if there is a will, there is a way...

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 16 of 70

Our exploration of the southern continent in the Middle Ages shows us an old town that doesn't exist in the present day and reunites us with Frog.

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World Map (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

In the southern continent, there are a ton of places you can go to.

At the residence on the north end of Dorino Village, you can talk to the old man more than once if you have the Naga-ette Bromide from the Cathedral (which you can still get if you haven't already). He will notice the Bromide, and if you give it to him, you can open the dresser to get a Magic Tab.

At the Dorino Inn, you'll find out that the enemies with hammers in the nearby Denadoro Mountains can be disarmed if you use Fire magic on them to burn their hammers. You'll also find out that the hero that everyone is talking about is in Porre Village to the south.

If you go to the Elder's House in Dorino, the town chief will be talking to Toma, telling him to find the mythical Rainbow Shell. Toma will head to the Inn, and if you talk to him there and pay his tab, you'll find out that some creepy, dangerous frogs have taken over the forest to the south.

Talking to the chief afterwards will lead to learning that the Rainbow Shell allows for the creation of some reflective armor.

On the north end of the southern continent is the Denadoro Mountain, which we'll head to later. At the eastern peninsula is the Magic Cave, and while we can go there, we can't do anything there yet. Between Dorino, the mountains and the cave is Fiona's Villa, where Fiona is waiting for her husband Marcos to come back from the war so she can work on saving the forest around her home. You can find two Mid Ethers in the nearby chests.

The market in Dorino has the usual healing items, but the market in Porre to the south has Gold Suit and Berets, so be ready to buy those for whoever needs them and sell off your old armor.

At the Elder's House in Porre, the woman at the counter will be wanting some Jerky. Keep her in mind for later. You'll also find out from the village chief that the Magic Cave lies under a mountain east of Denadoro, but you won't be able to go in there for a little while.

Tata's House is at the south end, and you'll find out that some kid is in possession of the Hero's Medal there.

If you head to the Cafe, you'll find Toma again. Pay his tab, and you'll find out that he has found out the Rainbow Shell is on an island, but he has no idea which island. Meanwhile, he has spent all of the money that the chief of Dorino Village has given him. Meanwhile, the old man at the far right will tell you that Frog has been here.

Cursed Woods Map (by Rick Bruns)

Northwest of Porre is the Cursed Woods. The Gnawers are more powerful versions of the Gnashers from the Cathedral, while the T'Poles are frog enemies that can hit you with a rain attack and counterattack by trying to flatten you if your attack doesn't kill them.

Interestingly, counterattacks cannot trigger counterattacks, so if anyone is equipped with the Rage Band, they won't get a free strike in if they're hit with the T'Pole counterattack.

Along the way to the green bush to the north, you can find a Mid Tonic and a Shelter. You'll eventually see the green bush at the north end shaking, and if you walk into it from the north end, you'll find Frog's house. Frog will show up happy to see you, but when you talk to him, he will find out that the king has been injured. Frog, once again having confidence issues much like he did after he left your party the first time, will start having confidence issues again, feeling that he can do nothing for the king and that he is no hero. You're done here...for now.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 15 of 70

In this entry, we have to help the Kingdom of Guardia hold back the Mystics if we want to continue our adventure.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

Now that we have four more portals to access at The End of Time, we need to head to go back to 600 A.D. The pillar of light in the upper-left will take you back to Truce Canyon.

World Map (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

Truce Canyon Map (by Rick Bruns)

On the way down the canyon, you'll fight the Imp Ace. They just fly into you to do damage and they're not that special, especially given the level you're probably at now.

In town, everyone will mention that the hero has come and will help defeat Magus' fortresses at Zenan Bridge.

If you go to Zenan Bridge, you'll find out that Guardia's knights are lying in wait to fight Magus' fortress should they approach Guardia. Talking to the Knight Captain will reveal that the troops are running out of rations and are awaiting more from the castle. You'll want to head there.

Guardia Forest (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

In the forest, there will be fewer battles you can run into compared to your previous visit to 600 A.D. You can still get the Shelter out of the bush, though.

Guardia Castle (600 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

When you return to the castle in the Middle Ages, the soldiers won't almost recognize you at first.

If you try to rest downstairs in the west wing, the beds will all be taken. You also won't be able to get a bite to eat in the kitchen, either.

Speaking of the kitchen, you'll want to talk to the chef. When you do, he will find out that the troops need more food, and it will also be obvious that he is a bit frazzled and rather frustrated. You don't have to do this, but if you talk to the people around the chef, you'll find out that the chef and the Knight Captain are trying to make up with each other. Leave the kitchen and dining area and head towards the entrance to the castle, and the chef will eventually catch up to you. He will give you some Jerky to hand to the Knight Captain as well as a Power Tab for your party. He also tells you to tell the Knight Captain to come back alive.

If you talk to the people around the throne room, you'll find out that the King has been injured in battle and is recuperating in bed in his quarters. If you talk to him, you will find out he believes Guardia's sole hope rests on the boy who has "the hero medal" and is searching the southern continent for the sword that can defeat Magus.

Head back to Zenan Bridge. Talk to the Knight Captain. When he asks if the Jerky is for him and his troops, say yes. The Knight Captain will thank you, and will tell you to thank his brother - the chef - in case he does not come back alive. Afterwards, you'll find out that Magus' troops are approaching Guardia right now. Once you have control of your party, talk to the Knight Captain again. When he asks if you will help, say yes. You'll get a Gold Helm, which is better than any headgear any of your characters have right now. You might as well take it.

When you advance across the bridge, you'll meet Ozzie, one of Magus' henchmen. He will summon some skeletal enemies known as the Deceased to attack you. Hit them with Fire or Ice magic to kill them. Don't use Shadow magic like Laser Spin or Antipode, as it will heal them. Physical attacks will not work on the Deceased, only magic.

You can also attack Ozzie multiple times, and if you do that, the spell on the Deceased will be broken and you can get rid of them instantly. You'll get the same amount of experience and tech points either way. You'll have to fight the Deceased a few times before you can reach the end of the bridge.

When you make it to the southern continent, Ozzie will summon Zombor, a giant skeleton. Zombor is a boss of two halfs - a top half and a bottom half - and you'll need to deal with both to defeat Zombor. The top half is subsceptible to Ice, while the bottom half is weak to fire. Keep that in mind as you do damage to Zombor, and don't mix them up or else you'll be healing Zombor. Zombor has a few attacks, such as the ability to spit a laser beam at the entire party and suck in one party member to shred them from within its body, but if you're hitting both parts of Zombor with the appropriate Dual Techs (Ice Sword for the top, Fire Sword for the bottom) and keeping your party's health high, you should be able to beat it. Just watch out for the MP Buster that Zombor does as a last-ditch maneuver upon death, as it will absorb all the MP of one party member and force you to replenish it. Thankfully, you can use a Shelter once you make it to the southern continent. At this point, you'll be able to cross the bridge at your leisure.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 14 of 70

With nothing else, it's time to head back to our own time. Here, we find out what we need to do next in order to change history.

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The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

World Map (1000 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

It's time to head back to our own time, so let's use the top center pillar of light, which takes us to Medina Village in 1000 A.D. It's not exactly home, but it's pretty close to it.

When you go through the Gate, you'll come out of a closet of a residence where two friendly Imps - a Blue Imp and a Mud Imp - live. If you talk to them for the first time, you'll get some Woolseyisms that refer to coming out of closets that have not aged well since the game's initial release (and were changed in the DS and all subsequent versions, ).

There is also a cake on the corner of the table the Imps are sitting that. You can press A on it and eat it after being given a prompt from the Imps as to whether or not you want to it, but once you say "Yes," you can't do it again. It's a one-shot deal.

When you leave the residence, the two Imps will tell you that the people in this village used to worship Magus and used to be part of a cult known as the Mystics, and that while some of the citizens have moved on, some still hold a generations-old grudge towards humans. You'll also be told that there is someone near the cave to the west that you'll want to meet.

If you go to the Inn, you'll have to fight the Hench innkeeper and the two Diablos before you can stay for a 200G fee. If you go to the Market, you'll have to fight the Hench shopkeep and his Omnicrone assistant in order to do business there. While the armor and weapons here are stronger than what anyone in your party has, you won't be able to afford any of it. You can still sell stuff, though.

If you go to the Medina Square, you'll see some people chanting and dancing around a statue of Magus, all of them wanting Lavos to kill the humans while also wanting to know why Magus created Lavos yet failed to kill humanity off.

If you go to the Elder's House, you'll meet Ozzie VIII, who has Imps working like slaves keeping the place clean. The countertop on the bottom floor will have a Speed Tab on the empty space, while the desk at the upstairs bedroom will have a Magic Tab between the houseplant and the book. Also, if you press X or Y to go to the respective buttons' menus and then leave while Ozzie VIII is on screen, he briefly turns Green before becoming blue again. There's a spoiler right there.

The Forest Ruins north of the village has a chest containing a Mid Ether, but you won't be able to do much else there.

There's nothing else to do here, so head west and enter the house. This is Melchior's Hut. Here, you can talk to Melchior - yes, the same Melchior who wanted to buy Marle's pendant - and buy the Red Katana for Crono and the Robin Bow for Marle. If you didn't get them for whatever reason, you can get the Plasma Gun and Hammer Arm for Lucca and Robo respectively, and if you need any, you can buy a Titan Vest. When you try to leave after talking to Melchior, Melchior will tell you that you will have to go through the nearby Heckran Cave to get back home to Truce Village...which is what we're going to do.

Heckran Cave

Heckran Cave Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter the area, you'll face two Henches. They're pretty easy, and they are the first of many battles that will happen one time only in this cave.

The Jinn Bottles will always spit out fire-blasting Octoblushes when you face them. The Jinn Bottles can Blind a single target, while the Octoblushes spit fire at a single target. Hit the Jinn Bottles with magic like Lightning, Ice and Fire, as it is the only way to do major damage to them.

You'll also meet the Tempurites as you go through the area with all the streams running through it. They only attack you with their snouts, and only magic can truly damage them.

The Rolypolys are purple Rolys that never come out of their ball form, and they can be easily taken out with Cyclone and Dual Techs that require it. The Cave Bats are new bat enemies that can only be taken down with magic attacks.

The MagicScarf is an accessory that increases any party member's Magic stat by two.

Near the end of the cave is a sealed box you won't be able to open until later.

You'll eventually face Heckran. Heckran can only be hurt by magic, and Heckran can hit single targets with Water, Lightning and the water-based Whirlpool. If you see the "Go ahead! Try and attack..." message, wait until you see "Brief counterattack break" before attacking him again, or else the whole party will get hit by Water2. Near the end of the battle, Heckran can hit a single target with "Yes indeed!" This physical attack will do quite a bit of damage to a single party members, so be ready to heal.

When you beat Heckran, Heckran will rue the Mystics' inability to destroy the humans 400 years ago, then Crono and company will go over what they know so far - that Magus created Lavos 400 years ago to defeat the humans - before realizing that they can use the Gate at Leene Square where the Telepod incident happened to go back to 600 A.D.

North of where you battled Heckran is a pool of water. If you jump in, you'll be carried back to the island where Lucca's house is, and if you stand where the two trees that are side by side on that island, you'll be able to jump back into the vortex in the water to go back to Heckran Cave if you want to return to Medina for any reason.

Guardia Forest Map (1000 A.D.) (by Rick Bruns)

While you can go to Leene Square and use the Gate there to return back to The End of Time and unlock 600 A.D. again - which we do - you can also go back to the dead end in Guardia Forest to open that Gate and the one leading to Bangor Dome in 2300 A.D. back up. Thankfully, The Chancellor and the soldiers won't come back. If you head back to the castle, you'll just automatically leave.

If you go back to Lucca's House and go upstairs to talk to Lara, Taban will show up and hand Lara some money, then go back downstairs. If you talk to him there, you'll get the Taban Vest, which is better than the Titan Vest but increases Speed by 2 and protects against Fire damage. Only Lucca can equip it.

If you enter the market in Truce Village, you'll be able to talk to Fritz, who - along with Elaine - will thank Crono for saving him while in prison, and you'll get ten Mid Ethers. Fritz and Elaine's father will show up and check on things before also thanking Crono. 

If you talk to Crono's mom, Crono's mom will be shocked that Crono returned after hearing talk that he was about to be executed,, and tells Crono not to scare her like that ever again. You can also introduce Lucca and Robo to her, if you want.

PrinceWatercress plays Chrono Trigger (Super NES) - Part 13 of 70

Well, I had the best of intentions here, even if they didn't exactly work out. Still, what I do here now is going to help out later.

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The End of Time

The End of Time Map (by Rick Bruns)

If you bring Robo to Spekkio, Spekkio will tell you that Robo cannot learn any magic, due to being a man-made creation from after the age of magic, although his Laser Spin does do Shadow damage. Keep that in mind.

We're supposed to head to Medina Village in 1000 A.D. and make our way home at this point. Before I do that, though, I have the bright idea of heading to the prehistoric era and getting some things ahead of time. It doesn't work out as well as I would like, but I do get a few things and level up a little bit nevertheless.

From here, we'll be going through the pillar of light in the bottom center position. 

Mystic Mountains Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you arrive in prehistoric times, you'll fall down a gap for a little while before you land near the stream below. As you make your way south, you'll be facing Runners and Kilwalas. Lightning will do a lot of damage to the Runners and can lower their defense, while the Kilwalas will attack your party members one a ta time by running at them. If you need to take out multiple enemies at once, Fire Whirl and Laser Spin help. You may have more luck having Marle in your party rather than Robo, as Aura Whirl will help with healing the whole party.

As you fight enemies in 65,000,000 B.C., you'll be collecting four new times: Petals, Fangs, Feathers and Horns. You'll need to use these in the trading hut.

World Map (65,000,000 B.C.) (by Rick Burns)

Once you make it down the Mystic Mountains, you'll be able to explore the overworld. There are some huts, including the Chief's huts, but only one of them will be of use to you, as one of the villagers in them will allow you to drink "sweet water" that replenishes your HP and MP. One of the villagers in another hut will tell you that thunder stuns all dinosaurs, which is how you're supposed to find out that hitting dinosaurs with lightning spells will work wonders for you by lowering their defense. 

In the Meeting Site, you can meet more people, and you'll also see Kino for the first time. Kino looks obviously different from everyone else, and he will not want anything to do with you.

One of the huts is the trading hut, but to my surprise, you won't be able to trade your Fangs, Horns, Feathers and Petals for anything this early in the game and you won't be able to do it until the storyline demands you head here.

There are two places we can head to: the Hunting Range and the Dactyl Nest. I head to the Dactyl Nest first because I'm absolutely nuts.

Dactyl Nest

Dactyl Nest Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you head here, you'll have to face a Cave Ape and a Shist immediately. Take out the Cave Ape first, as he is quite powerful and can attack you one of two ways: throwing a Shist at you (or you at another person or a wall) or swinging his arms at you. Both hurt at this point in the game. Crono's sword will do the most damage at this point. The Shist will not do anything unless you attack it, at which point it will turn into a Pahoehoe and spit rocks at one party member for a little bit of damage.

The Avian Rexes attack in pairs. Lightning will do a lot of damage to them, but don't be afraid to use other magic or a multi-target attack like Cyclone or Fire Whirl on them as well. 

If you ever need to heal, use a Mid Tonic or Aura Whirl. If Marle learns Cure at this point, use that, too. This is especially true if the Cave Ape gives you a hard time. 

There are two screens to explore here before you reach the final screen all the way up, which has absolutely nothing. I avoid that final screen because it makes it easier to get the heck out of here. You'll know you're near the top when you open the chest that contains the Meso Mail, which is the most powerful armor for men that you can get at this point in the game (if you're bold enough). If you get it, stick it on Crono.

After getting the heck out of the Dactyl Nest area (which I obviously should not have been in at this point in the game), I head to the Hunting Range.

Hunting Range

Hunting Range Map (by Rick Bruns)

When you enter this area, you'll be able to move around and fight some enemies for more Petals, Fangs, Feathers and Horns. The Croakers, Amphibites and Rain Frogs can hit you with rain spells and with their cheeks for an up-close attack, but you can easily wipe them out with Cyclone. The Ions and Anions - much like the frog enemies - always show up together - and they will hit you with a close-up physical attack if they get close enough. Once again, use Cyclone.

Every once in a while, it will rain, and when that happens, Nu will show up. Nu will show up in one of three locations: the northwest corner of the map, the northeast corner of the map and the southeast corner of the map. I stick to the east side because I've always had more luck finding him on the east side of the hunting range in the many years that I've played this game. If you talk to him before the rain stops, you can fight him. Nu has one attack, and it's a headbutt. It is programmed to take your HP all the way down to zero, and if you don't heal, it will take a few more hits before the weakened party member loses that one last hit point and goes down. Nu has exactly 1,234 hit points, and if you can hit him hard, you can take him down pretty quickly...so use Double Techs if you can and Aura Whirl if you absolutely have to! When you beat him, you'll get three more of all four of the trading items, and if you've beaten him for the very first time, you'll get the Third Eye, which doubles the Evade of whoever equips it.

There's nothing else to do in 65,000,000 B.C., so I head back to the End of Time.