The Zeal Archives

No Chrono Trigger? No, we’re back in the past, before the initial experiment! T has been putting in some late nights, but to what end? (a portal machine, we covered that) And do we know who has been stealing parts from the office? It’s all coming together, as is their lovely Final Fantasy 6 audio drama! T and G discuss… well, honestly, a lot of our favourite moments big and (mostly) small from the game, including dredging up past unsolved mysteries (and alluding to future ones)! Also, they talk a little bit about what a more direct Chrono Trigger sequel might have looked like, and what it means for a game to be a spiritual successor of Chrono Trigger (if that means anything at all)! Editing, scripting, and podcast visual design by Nick Terwoord. Special thanks to Square Enix for making that game that we love, Chrono Trigger ...and for not suing us. Episode Cast Alphabetically, by actor: Ari in the role of Terra, and her fictional selfArtimage in the role of Emperor GestahlDan Murray in the role of KefkaNick G in the role of his fictional self, and discussion hostNick H in the role of “the Boss”Nick T in the role of his fictional self, soldier, narrator, and discussion hostNick Z in the role of his fictional self, and “Old Man” Musical Credits [00:06] Wake up, T! Notes from a Small Island by JJT from http://ocremix.org used under ocremix.org content policy[03:17] Friends: Cold Boot by 744 from http://ocremix.org used under ocremix.org content policy[28:39] What a horrible nightmare…

After restoring most of the Chrono Trigger timeline, our intrepid heroes unfortunately stumble into the path of … Dalton? And Azala?? Thrown into a prison cell on the Blackbird with neither tools nor weapons, how will the party escape and stop whatever nefarious scheme is afoot? Will T and G ever get to go home? There’s only one way out of this sticky situation: a stealth mission. In our world, T and G dig into the enigma that is the “seat” of power himself (in that he’s a big ass), Dalton! What is the deal with Dalton? How is it that a man with such distaste for authority have managed to rise so high in society, especially with such an eclectic fashion sense?Villains in Chrono Trigger! All are time-locked, and arguably there’s no main big bad (Lavos doesn’t count, really)Again, Chrono Trigger as a game of great moments and set pieces, and how it tried to do different things (like the Blackbird) to different effects Editing, scripting, and podcast visual design by Nick Terwoord. Special thanks to Square Enix for making that game that we love, Chrono Trigger ...and for not suing us. Episode Cast Alphabetically, by actor: Artimage in the role of Announcing SoldierDan Murray in the role of King DaltonManda Whitney in the role of Empress AzalaNick H in the role of BasherNick G in the role of his fictional self, and discussion hostNick T in the role of his fictional self, Robo, and discussion hostPatrick "TrickyLove" Moylan in the role of Nizbel IIISMZeldaRules in the role of Lucca Ashtear Musical Credits [00:00] Oww: Inception by The ARTISANS Beats used under Jamendo’s standard license[00:05] Lucky to be alive:

Our heroes-to-be reach a pivotal moment in the world of Chrono Trigger as familiar face and friend Marle has a chance encounter with Nick G just before the Millennial Fair. But could that moment cause a ripple in space time that causes the Robo and Lucca we know to cease to be? There’s only one day of fairground fun to try to turn things around! In our world, T and G dig into the key characters of this episode: the tomboy princess, Marle, and the genius inventor, Lucca! What do they talk about? Glad you asked! ...Marle and Lucca (no surprises here

The mystery of the rapidly expanding anomalies will have to wait because the party finds itself face-to-face with… the end of time? Well known to our Chrono Trigger companions, the presence of old friends is a bit unusual to say the least. Perhaps, like a certain egg, it presents a certain opportunity? In our world, T and G try to talk about a key component of the world of Chrono Trigger: magic! Unfortunately, they get a bit distracted talking about… The origin and nature of magic in the world of Chrono Trigger? How on earth is everything made up of just four elements? And how did it start??A lot of mechanics of Chrono Trigger! Specifically, how techs work and how they play out in the gameThe end of magic?

With their time travel device damaged and losing power, the party must try to find a way to keep it working long enough to fix the anomalies and get the Nicks home. But where in the world of Chrono Trigger would there be enough power for something like time travel? Perhaps a visit to a certain AI would do the trick? In our world, T and G try to understand more about this understated section of the game, and maybe what could have been improved on. In particular... What is going on in this sidequest: How do you get to it, and what might you expect to find?Atropos and Mother Brain! Their origins, and the role they play in Robo’s story (and the story of the game)Missed potential: How could they have tied this sidequest better into the plot of the game, and into Robo’s character development in particular (and briefly why the developers might not have been able to do this) Editing, scripting, and podcast visual design by Nick Terwoord. Special thanks to Square Enix for making that game that we love, Chrono Trigger ...and for not suing us. Episode Cast Alphabetically, by actor: D Morton in the role of AtroposNick G in the role of his fictional self and discussion hostNick T in the role of his fictional self, Robo, and discussion hostSofa-Cushion in the role of Mother BrainSMZeldaRules in the role of Lucca Ashtear Musical Credits [00:00] Think think think think... Inception by The ARTISANS Beats used under Jamendo’s standard license[00:35] Mad with power: ReMix: Chrono Trigger "Elements of Time" by Andrew Thompson, Fernando Valencia, Kristy Mezines from

This is it, the end of our intrepid crew… just kidding! Trapped in a cage of worlds new and old, our heroes must devise a cunning escape plan that will require everything that they know about the world of Chrono Trigger… probably! At the very least they might need to call in help from some unexpected friends… In our world, T and G attempt to unveil the storied past of the trio of misfits Ozzie, Flea, and Slash… if they had one?! In particular: What we actually know about these characters (surprise! It’s… not a lot). More interestingly, how differences in localization can dramatically alter how the characters are perceived (with a bunch of examples)A tiny bit about localization in the 90s, and in particular, Nintendo’s localization policyA lot of speculation around what we don’t know about them, and why such ‘small’ characters (relative to how long they are in the game) have such a big impact. Also, why Flea is the best. Editing, scripting, and podcast visual design by Nick Terwoord. Special thanks to Square Enix for making that game that we love, Chrono Trigger ...and for not suing us. Episode Cast Alphabetically, by actor: Dan Charrington (aka The Video Ninja) in the role of OzzieManda Whitney in the role of AzalaNick G in the role of his fictional self, “Magus” and discussion hostNick T in the role of his fictional self, “Slash”, Robo, and discussion hostPatrick "TrickyLove" Moylan in the role of Nizbel IIISMZeldaRules in the role of Lucca Ashtear and “Flea” Musical Credits [00:00] Context: Inception by The ARTISANS Beats used under Jamendo’s standard license[00:05] A delicate situation: ReMix: Chrono Trigger "Subterranean Opus" by zircon

After being transported to Chrono Trigger’s “end of time”, the Nicks have a new challenge to overcome: the self-destruction of their experimental device! Perhaps Gaspar’s repository has some clues to aid them? Or perhaps someone in that family of geniuses, the Ashtears! T and G discuss: * The short (and questionable) lineage of the Ashtear family, including what is known of Banta (ancestor), Taban (father), Lara (mother) and, of course, a bit about Lucca (daughter / genius / protagonist with...

Could it be… Robo? T desperately scrambles to repair what may be their future hope as G delves into the Zeal Archives to leverage future knowledge of… well, the future! Could Belthasar still reside in the ruins, and the Epoch as well? Could the spatial anomaly be a way out of the world of Chrono Trigger? T and G discuss: * Melchior as a metaphor for world building! How NPCs can help to flesh out the world and add details to the story, even foreshadow, even when they don’t seem important. *...

You’d think in a world of time travel, monsters, and magic, there’d be cause for excitement, but the grind of going from anomaly to anomaly has taken its toll on Nick T… that is until the party’s next destination is Magus’ castle! What dangerous horrors await within, and is its powerful master home? Hopefully not… In our world, T and G delve into the real-life Chrono Trigger trigger archives, [the Chrono Compendium](https://www.chronocompendium.com/), to try to understand more about the...

As the Nicks ascertain their mortality (alive), good luck finally goes their way after managing to stabilize a gate, albeit a small one. Of its own accord, their slapdash machine summons… the instruction manual for the Dragon Tank? T and G discuss: * What is going on in the world of Chrono Trigger when you face off against the Dragon tank? * How to beat the Dragon tank (and other mechanics of it). Protip: Start with the head. * Rampant speculation about the construction of the Dragon Tank,...

With a plan in motion, all that’s left are a few final preparations before the gate machine is activated and the journey will have reached its end. Before their hopeful return to their universe, T tries one last time to consult with a master of war (and magic), Spekkio. T and G discuss: * Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Robo’s first arrival at the end of time (after violating the Conservation of Time theorem), time’s point of least resistance, and meeting that Master of War, Spekkio! * Trivia about...

The fabric of time has been disrupted, and the fate of T and G is uncertain. Gaspar consults the many records of the Zeal Archives to determine how the journey began, both for our characters, and for the world of Chrono Trigger! T and G discuss: * The development of Chrono Trigger from it’s convoluted origins as a Final Fantasy game back in 1992 with the “dream team” Hironobu Sakaguchi (producer / creator of _Final Fantasy_), Akira Toriyama (character designer for _Dragon Quest_, creator of...

A mysterious experiment goes awry landing T and G in a bizarre repository of knowledge in an otherwise desolate void. The two find the space familiar, despite a strange geometry to it, and with a certain nostalgic allure. Fortunately, a particular tome is on hand to help describe how it all began… at the Millenial Fair! T and G discuss: * The fun and games that can be found at the fair, and why the fair is relevant in Guardia’s history. * Tips to save time while visiting the Millenial Fair...

With renewed energy and a plan to open a gate home, the two are on a hunt for knowledge as they pore through volume after volume in search of any hint as to how. Gaspar’s organizational system is less than chronological, and the two end up learning of his plans for world domination… and of the lasting legacy of another royal family, the Guardias. T and G discuss: * The long (and storied) lineage of the Guardias, from 65 000 000 B.C. to 2300 A.D., including a brief tangent about the lore of...

The discovery of a Guardian hairpin leads to new possibilities with the mostly inert (and seemingly multiplying) time gates. After some experiments, the trail goes cold again and the Nicks trace back to where the pin was found in the first place: a record of the villian from the middle ages, Yakra! T and G discuss: * The nature of Yakra. Is he (she? they? it?) a fiend? A shapeshifter like Flea and Spekkio? Or something more sinister… like some spawn of Lavos?! * Tips to beat Yakra quickly...

And that night, huddled around a campfire in an unknown future, four friends sat and told the tail (sorry, _tale_) of how the latest chapter of an epic fight for survival had finally come to a close. Though much was uncertain, for now, they cloud rest easy now that the universe was safe, and the problems of the world of Chrono Trigger could be left for another day. ...Or could they? T and G discuss: * Time Travel! It’s… complicated? Like, really complicated. We try to wrap our heads around...

With no other leads, G rests on the hard floor at the end of time and has a familiar dream of the beginning of a different journey. That dream is cut short with an announcement: amidst Gaspar’s books lies a volume about the Gate Key, the Gates, and possibly a clue to get the two of them home! T and G discuss: * What exactly are the gates, and how do they work? Did you know that they are ‘locked’ to the same point in space at different times? We didn’t! * Rampant speculation as to why the...

The world of Chrono Trigger is beginning to fall apart. Robo’s sacrifice brought our heroes one step closer to potential salvation, but hopes are dashed when the distortion begins to impact T as well. Will G and T be torn worlds apart, or... something worse? Is there any hope left in a ruined future? And what is that mysteriously ghostly voice?! T and G discuss: * What exactly Death Peak is: How you get there, why you might want to check it out, how FRUSTRATING it can be, and it’s role in...

The party has tracked down the latest anomaly, but what happens when they are pinned down in a sandstorm in the middle of the middle ages? And can a small act of kindness bloom in the desert of a multi-millennial feud? T, G, Robo, and Lucca will have to depend on new allies to face off against old foes… or will they? In our world, T and G revisit one of the most eclectic, inspiring, challenging, and surprising sections of the game: the Sunken Desert / Fiona’s sidequest. There’s certainly a...

After a near fatal encounter activating the gate mechanism (and almost summoning Lavos, potentially), the T and G are out of ideas, Trapped in another world with no way out, the Nicks have a heart to heart and look towards the future: literally. Perhaps the R-Series of robots is a good place to start? T and G discuss: * What the factory is like when you encounter the R-Series, and what we know of them as a set of robots. * How to defeat six bosses with only two party members? Yikes. Chrono...