Game:

Chrono Trigger (1995)

Duration: 12:23

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2

I've been working on a challenge I call the ultra low-level game, or ULLG. The rules are as follows:

* Don't gain experience.
* Don't use capsules.
* Don't recruit Magus.
* Don't use Arena items other than the Workman's Wallet.
* Don't use the Elemental Aegis or Apocalypse Arm.
* Play on a new game, not a new game +.

The primary rule in a regular low-level game (LLG) is to not gain experience. It's also common to include some of the rules I listed above, like not recruiting Magus and not using extra Arena items. The main difference between a ULLG and a basic LLG is that the ULLG does not allow the use of capsules. In a basic LLG, even though you can't level up, you can use capsules to massively increase your strength and speed. The inability to do this in a ULLG increases the difficulty considerably.

The Archaeofang battle is among the hardest in a ULLG. Too bad it's locked behind one of the most poorly designed areas in the history of gaming (Lost Sanctum). There are two key dangers in this battle. First, if one brother dies, then the survivor will revive him with full health very shortly afterward. You only have time for another move or two before this happens. Second, if Red's health gets low, he can use his Volcano attack. This is a non-elemental attack (so it can't be stopped by elemental plates), it hits the entire party, and it deals a massive amount of damage--too much to survive even with Golden Earring and Shield Sphere. So, I equipped the Green Dream on Ayla to allow her to survive it once. My strategy is as follows: damage Blue until he's almost dead, kill Red, and finish off Blue before he revives Red. As it happened, Ayla was killed before Red ever used Volcano, so if he used Volcano afterward, then the single-use Green Dream would not protect her. Thus, I had to rush to kill Red before he could use Volcano. With Ayla at only 40 health, I had to decide whether to heal her (thus protecting her from subsequent attacks) or revive the other party members and hope the enemies used their dark attacks, which would heal my party due to the use of Black Plate/Vest. I figured that the latter was the only possible way to finish the battle fast enough, so I revived my teammates. Luckily, the brothers followed up with dark attacks, giving me a full heal and allowing me to finish them off.

Party and equipment:

Frog: Masamune, Haste Helm, Black Vest, Speed Ring
Robo: Dragon Arm, Haste Helm, Black Plate, Workman's Wallet
Ayla: Fist, Haste Helm, Black Plate, Green Dream

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