What did you pick first in Chrono Trigger, fight Magus or recruit him?

[Adam.H]

I just got a copy of Chrono Trigger for the SNES, but I’m stuck on a weird choice. I’m at the part where you can fight Magus or try to recruit him, and I genuinely can’t decide what to do. I know the different endings hinge on this, but I’m playing blind and don’t want to spoil it by looking up a guide. What did you all do on your first playthrough, and did you feel like you missed out?

[JohnJR]

I went for recruiting him on my first run. It felt a little slow at first, but Magus has a surprisingly rich arc, and the party mix later just clicked for me. I didn’t feel like I missed out by not choosing the other route, even though endings hint at big differences.

[Aubrey.C]

I tried fighting him the first time and got wrecked, then took a break and did some side stuff. When I came back and recruited him, the battles felt cooler and the team dynamics changed in a neat way. It wasn’t some huge epiphany, just a vibe shift that made the late game stand out.

[Jerry.M]

I picked the fight again later to test it, and I wasn’t sure I was making the ‘right’ call. The game didn’t shove a final verdict at me, but the sense of what you’re choosing lingered. I still wish I hadn’t waited so long to decide, though.

[BrianW]

Are you more curious about the story beat Magus adds, or do you just want to see how many endings you can unlock without spoilers?