A is 95% according to 1up, its just before the review. Says anything going from A+ to A- is considered excellent.

The Ghost of RubangB said: Kasz216 said: The Ghost of RubangB said: mizticgohan said: @ ItsaMii Chrono Cross may not have been a stellar sequel to Chrono Trigger, but as a game measured solely on its own merits, there were few RPGs that matched its quality. Furthermore, this was during a time where the market was saturated with RPGs, late in the PS1's cycle, and Final Fantasy 7 was still considered the premier RPG on the market, by which all others were measured. The fact that Chrono Cross recieved the critical reception that it did, despite these factors, is a testament to its quality. Don't get me wrong, Chrono Trigger is my favourite RPG of all time, but to label Chrono Cross as the "worst game ever made" is a lie beyond every stretch of the imagination. As a game measured solely on its own merits, the game was shit. There are at least 20 RPGs that came out before it that I'd play through a 2nd or 3rd time before I'd finish that piece of shit.   No offense though. I really like the way you played your argument. I just couldn't stand the thing. There were about 821590710957 characters, yet not a single one I cared about, as opposed to Chrono Trigger and FF6, where I cared about every single character and wanted to use each one. I mean, a scarecrow with no backstory who's like "hey I'm a scarecrow lulz!" ??? I can't even remember the other 9001 characters in the game. And the fighting system kinda bored me so I felt like I was just going through the motions. That's my review anyway. I'm not a game reviewer yet. The main point was, let's say you could only play the 3 greatest games OF ALL TIME. GameSpot picked Ocarina of Time, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, and Chrono Cross. My mind is blown. Even Strago? Cause honestly... I couldn't give a damn about Strago. Just made it eaiser to leave him and Relm off the final team for Umaro and GoGo though. Well...... ok, they were my least 2 favorites. But they did have some charm and Relm had a good musical motif that repeated during her plot points. And Strago's style was Gau part 2, so I'd let them be fighting buddies in the Veldt. I can't remember my final team of 12. Hm... now you've got me thinking about it again. Dammit. If I can get my cartridge out of storage, I might have a save at the end. All I know is I ALWAYS have a save at the opera.

 Relm had the highest natural magic stat in the whole game, she is usefull. Strago was useless for most players, but he is one of the best guys for speed runners and low level challenges.

And Chrono Cross is still shit. The worst game ever when you put it next to Chrono Trigger and just a shitty RPG when you take it by its own merits. Almost everything was bad about the game. Character development, battle system, plot. I can not remember a RPG where fighting random battles was a pointless task. It was also the easiest PSX RPG I remember. The level ups come from specific battles, you get a shitload of elements every battle, healing is free, you can run every battle, magic and summons are not needed to win battles.

@ The Ghost of RubangB

I see your point of view. The addition of numerous characters did dilute the excitement a little bit. But it is a fact that every character in the 40 some roster had a unique role to play, minor or major. That, in and of itself, is a respectable feat. Whether you enjoyed these moments is purely opinion. Personally, I enjoyed a handful, but the majority were pointless. I would have preferred the style of its predecessor or FF6 (second favourite game of all time), but every other aspect of the game outweighed any disappointment I had on this issue. From the stunning graphics and musical score to the unique and innovative battle system, and finally to the convoluted yet intelligent storyline, this game was pure bliss. Not CT or FF6 bliss, mind you, but pure bliss nonetheless. I respect your opinion, but even someone who hates the game as much as yourself, has to acknowledge some of its merits, for the sake of objectivity. :) I don't agree with Gamespot's review of the game, since no game is perfect, but from what I've experienced, I do think the game deserves at least a 9.0, if only for its presentation and story. But that's just me.

@ ItsaMii

I think too many people compare Chrono Cross to Chrono Trigger. You have to consider the impact Trigger had on the RPG scene back when it was released. It revolutionized RPGs with its multiple endings. Furthermore, its story was unprecedented at the time and its presentation was among the best of any game on the system. When a game is risen to such a pedestal, you can't possibly expect it's sequel to match or surpass it. This is the exact problem; expectations were too high. Even so, I think it did pretty well for itself. To address some points you made about the game on its own merits:
1) Character development was superb for the three main characters: Serge/Lynx, Kid. Many others were good (Harle, Glenn, Karsh (and his minions)).
2) I found the ability to avoid battles/skip battles (the archaic random battles were frustrating to say the least) and the auto healing feature (healing was NOT free, simply convenient) were a godsend.
3) The battle system was innovative, though not all innovations are liked.
4) I found the plot confusing initially, but after repeating the game many times, I put pieces together and had a general idea and appreciation for it.
5) I see no problem with having an abundance of elements since it allowed for some micromanagement and correlated nicely with the attacking system and the colour of the playing field. It was all very well balanced.
6) I'd like you to play the final boss simply using physical attacks and then tell me that "magic and summons are not needed to win battles."

Again, this is all my opinion, and it seems to correlate well with the opinions of many professional media outlets. I think I spent more time than I would have liked in responding to common criticisms (not to mention it is off topic), but Chrono Cross is one of my favourite games and I felt the need to express my opinion. I obviously cannot convince yourself or anyone else to like the game (that is not my intention) but I do believe that criticising Chrono Cross on the merits of Chrono Trigger is unfair. Well, I'm off to bed.

For Comparison

Editors' Choice Awards for 2008
Game Platform GS Score Release Date
Super Smash Bros. Brawl WII 9.5 2008-03-09
Patapon PSP 9.0 2008-02-26
Professor Layton and the Curious Village DS 9.0 2008-02-10
Sins of a Solar Empire PC 9.0 2008-02-04
No More Heroes WII 9.0 2008-01-22
Burnout Paradise PS3 9.0 2008-01-22
Burnout Paradise X360 9.0 2008-01-22
Editors' Choice Awards for 2007
Game Platform GS Score Release Date
The Orange Box PS3 9.0 2007-12-11
Rock Band PS3 9.0 2007-11-20
Rock Band X360 9.0 2007-11-20
Assassin's Creed X360 9.0 2007-11-13
Assassin's Creed PS3 9.0 2007-11-13
Crysis PC 9.5 2007-11-13
Super Mario Galaxy WII 9.5 2007-11-12
Gears of War PC 9.0 2007-11-06
Super Mario Bros. 3 WII 9.0 2007-11-05
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare X360 9.0 2007-11-05
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PS3 9.0 2007-11-05
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PC 9.0 2007-11-05
The Orange Box PC 9.5 2007-10-10
The Orange Box X360 9.5 2007-10-10
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords X360 9.0 2007-10-10
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass DS 9.0 2007-10-01
Halo 3 X360 9.5 2007-09-25
World in Conflict PC 9.5 2007-09-18
BioShock PC 9.0 2007-08-21
BioShock X360 9.0 2007-08-21
Paper Mario WII 9.0 2007-07-16
Ninja Gaiden Sigma PS3 9.0 2007-07-03
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas PS3 9.0 2007-06-26
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition WII 9.1 2007-06-19
Forza Motorsport 2 X360 9.2 2007-05-29
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars PC 9.0 2007-03-26
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3 9.5 2007-03-20
God of War II PS2 9.2 2007-03-13
Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar PC 9.1 2007-02-14
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade PC 9.2 2007-01-16
WarioWare: Smooth Moves WII 9.1 2007-01-15

Nothing is 10 here!

	GameSpot	03/08/08	9.5 /10	9.5
	GameSpy.com	03/07/08	4.5 /5	9.0
	1UP.com	03/07/08	A /A+	9.5
	GameDaily	03/07/08	4.5 /5	9.0
	Gameplayer [Australia]	03/06/08	10 /10	10.0
	GamePro	03/06/08	5 /5	10.0
	Maxim Online	03/06/08	4 /5	8.0
	NGamer Magazine (UK)	03/06/08	93 /100	9.3
	GameTap	03/06/08	9 /10	9.0
	GamesRadar [US]	03/06/08	10 /10	10.0
	IGN.com	03/04/08	9.5 /10	9.5
	GamerNode	03/03/08	10 /10	10.0
	Nintendo Power	02/06/08	10 /10	10.0
	Thunderbolt Games	02/05/08	10 /10	10.0
	Famitsu Weekly	01/16/08	10 /10	10.0
	Famitsu Weekly	01/16/08	10 /10	10.0
	Famitsu Weekly	01/16/08	10 /10	10.0
	Famitsu Weekly	01/16/08	10 /10	10.0

We currently have 18 reviews, and an average of exactly 9.60. Not that it actually matter for whether we'll buy or enjoy the game, but it is still interesting.

I wish Gamestats would update so we can see a list. (Yes, I know about Meta and Rankings, but they don't take enough foreign reviews into account)

From

mizticgohan

I think too many people compare Chrono Cross to Chrono Trigger. You have to consider the impact Trigger had on the RPG scene back when it was released. It revolutionized RPGs with its multiple endings. Furthermore, its story was unprecedented at the time and its presentation was among the best of any game on the system. When a game is risen to such a pedestal, you can't possibly expect it's sequel to match or surpass it. This is the exact problem; expectations were too high. Even so, I think it did pretty well for itself. To address some points you made about the game on its own merits:
1) Character development was superb for the three main characters: Serge/Lynx, Kid. Many others were good (Harle, Glenn, Karsh (and his minions)).
2) I found the ability to avoid battles/skip battles (the archaic random battles were frustrating to say the least) and the auto healing feature (healing was NOT free, simply convenient) were a godsend.
3) The battle system was innovative, though not all innovations are liked.
4) I found the plot confusing initially, but after repeating the game many times, I put pieces together and had a general idea and appreciation for it.
5) I see no problem with having an abundance of elements since it allowed for some micromanagement and correlated nicely with the attacking system and the colour of the playing field. It was all very well balanced.
6) I'd like you to play the final boss simply using physical attacks and then tell me that "magic and summons are not needed to win battles."

Again, this is all my opinion, and it seems to correlate well with the opinions of many professional media outlets. I think I spent more time than I would have liked in responding to common criticisms (not to mention it is off topic), but Chrono Cross is one of my favourite games and I felt the need to express my opinion. I obviously cannot convince yourself or anyone else to like the game (that is not my intention) but I do believe that criticising Chrono Cross on the merits of Chrono Trigger is unfair. Well, I'm off to bed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Im completely agree with you

Congrats to Brawl. It looks like those many extra months in development pumping out little modes and details is paying off in spades critically. I'm sure it deserves every bit of praise it's getting and I can't wait to pick up my copy this month so I can start kicking your asses online.

For those arguing about Gamespot's and IGN's 10/10 scores, you have to understand they were more lenient back then and awarded larger scores on the whole. Everyone seems to forget that while Gamespot is tough as nails on reviews now, they've given out four 10's in total... 

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for PS2
Chrono Cross for PS1
Soul Calibur for Dreamcast
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64

...while IGN has only given out two...

Soul Calibur for Dreamcast
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64

...so at least the two they agree on can be considered up there amongst the greats of all time and they both already are. I've yet to see a top 100 of all time list that doesn't include both LOZ and SC. 

aaahhhhhh!!!!
how crazy is that?!!!

Hopefully brawl can be the first Smash bros game to stay in the top ten at Gamerankings.