Johnny, a racing robot at Site 32 in Chrono Trigger.

Main Walkthrough

Site 32 - Enemies
  • Mutant - 300 HP - Weak to Shadow
  • Shadow - 1 HP
  • Version 2.0 - 128 HP - Weak to Shadow - Drops Potion

  • The last of the locations in the center of the wastelands, Site 32 is inaccessible until you spend some time in Arris Dome. All you'll find here at first is a chest containing a Mid-Potion, a group of Version 2.0s that will attack the party on sight, and a sleek, peculiar-looking vehicle. You can't move deeper into Site 32, so you'll be forced to turn back...

    ... until you get a Jetbike Key from Doan, the leader of the inhabitants of Arris Dome. Once you do that and inspect the vehicle you'll be greeted by a new robot: None other than Johnny, a righteous, transforming race-bot. Johnny identifies the vehicle idling nearby as Doan's jetbike, and he challenges Crono to a race across Site 32.

    You have two options for getting through Site 32. We'll explore both.

    The Jetbike racing game in Chrono Trigger.

    Race

    If you choose to race Johnny you'll be forced into a high-octane, side-scrolling minigame. Crono in the jetbike will have to zip through the ruins, trying to outpace Johnny to the other side. The progress of both racers is displayed on a track at the bottom of the screen, giving you an idea of how far you have to go to the finish line. At the right end of the track are three B symbols, each indicating a Boost that you can use to send Crono's jetbike zipping forward for a few seconds.

    For the most part this race consists of Crono and Johnny looping 'round one another constantly, gaining little actual headway. There's an easy way to win the race: Simply wait for Johnny to get in front of you, let him bump off of your jetbike's nosecone until you get near the finish line, then move out from behind him and use a Boost. This will zip you ahead of Johnny and earn you the win virtually every time.

    If you beat Johnny you'll arrive at the other end of Site 32, and you can leave by heading south. Speak to Johnny again if you wish to race back to the Arris Dome side. Note that you have to challenge Johnny at least once if you want to try out the alternate route.

    The team battles Shadows at Site 32 in Chrono Trigger.

    Site 32

    If you don't want to race, or if Johnny's too tough for you, you can also cross the Site 32 ruins by walking east from the nose of the jetbike. Doing so will run you through a gauntlet of Mutants and Shadows, which, while good for experience, can prove a little taxing. It's a straight trek from west to east, so you won't need a map to get through.

    It's not a bad idea to travel this route at least once, as you can pick up the unique Race Recorder item along the way, which records your Jetbike times via another robot, Rx-xR. Not terribly useful, but, hey. You'll find the chest with the Race Recorder about halfway through Site 32, defended by a large group of Shadows.

    The party meets Robo for the first time in Chrono Trigger.

    Proto Dome

    Regardless of how you get through Site 32, once you reach the east end you'll be back on the world map. You're presented with two final locations: The Derelict Factory and Proto Dome. The Derelict Factory is the next major place you need to visit, but you can't access this dungeon without first inspecting Proto Dome, to the south.

    Once inside Proto Dome you'll face two waves of Exterminators. You've fought these guys before, and hopefully you've remembered that they're weak to Lightning. If you got the Thunder Blade from the Abandoned Sewers then you'll rip through them. If not, Crono's Wind Slash will have to do. There's an Enertron you can use once you've disposed of the robots.

    In the rear of Proto Dome you'll find a locked door and a bulky, inactive robot. Investigate the robot to trigger a cut scene. Properly repaired, he'll become a party member - default name Robo - and a powerful companion indeed. Robo is a physical character with a lot of bulk and a good number of supportive and attack skills. He's also the slowest character you'll ever get, though there are ways around this issue later in the game. Robo's Techs use the Shadow element, allowing you to target more weaknesses than before.

    Now you have a choice to make, between leaving Marle or Lucca behind while the rest of the team heads to the Derelict Factory to restore power to Proto Dome. Lucca is ultimately the superior character, but for now she's probably the weakest link since Fire is not all that useful in the coming dungeon.. If you change your mind later, you can come back to Proto Dome and swap characters. Onward!