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18th May '13 7:17:32 PM CerotechOmega

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* Out of all the tropes it plays straight, inverts, subverts, averts, and generally makes its bitch, ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' actually justifies this one. The world is caught in [[StableTimeLoop a century-long time loop]] that starts with the [[EldritchAbomination Black Beast]] emerging in Japan in 2100, and ends with Ragna and Nu falling into the cauldron at Kagutsuchi, only for the loop to repeat from square one. This is because [[spoiler:Takamagahara, a triple-minded supercomputer that observes the flow of time, decides to stop observing a given timeline after Ragna and Nu fall in, wherein they become the aforementioned Black Beast. With the ability to stop observing a timeline and start anew at a backup point, Takamagahara can carry out their plan to induce absolute order on the timestream without anyone being able to interfere. The reason they do so is because they wish to destroy the Master Unit, Amaterasu, but due to the fact that it buried itself in the depths of the Boundary, they cannot find it unless its Eye becomes manifest, and keep cycling until it does... in the form of [[MacGuffinGirl Noel Vermillion]]. Their two observers - Rachel Alucard and Yuuki Terumi - engage in their own {{cosmic chess game}} to try to shape the fate of the world, but Terumi has been liberal with the leeway he has to pervert events to his own ends, and shaped the events that would lead Noel towards the cauldron in Kagutsuchi so the timeloop would break, all of which curry to his favor]]. As a result, the events of ''Calamity Trigger'' play out to Terumi's advantage without exception.
** ''Continuum Shift'', however, is quite a bit more complicated. [[spoiler:Takamagahara set a new backup point after the time loop broke to more directly control affairs and carry out its plans, and alienated Rachel Alucard in the process due to her actions in preventing Kagutsuchi's destruction after Noel saved [[PersonOfMassDestruction Ragna the Bloodedge]] from his fate. Its new plan involved using Terumi to smelt Noel into her original identity (Mu-12), use her to track down Amaterasu, and destroy it. While this plan goes off without a hitch, they were ready to reset should Ragna kill Mu... only he chose to restore her as Noel instead. [[OutGambitted Terumi planned for this, however, using Phantom's magic to peruse every possibility of the continuum shift]], [[EvilIsNotAToy and had Relius kill him before Ragna and Mu's fateful battle so he can infiltrate Takamagahara during this brief period and use a virus program to lobotomize them]] (for what it's worth, Ragna was supposed to kill Terumi, but the lifelink Terumi established with Mu would complicate affairs for him, and he left the bastard to bleed instead - that's where Relius came in).]] So as much as the protagonists' brain trust of Rachel, Jubei and Kokonoe wanted to break the plan whenever possible, Terumi got what he wanted in the end. However, he had to pay a price of his own this time - Ragna had to be issued Lambda's Idea Engine, which locks out Terumi's direct control over the Azure Grimoire Ragna wields, Noel survived and is now fully aware that Terumi was playing her (and as much as Terumi acts like he doesn't need her anymore, he really does, and plans on manipulating her in the future), and Jin Kisaragi awakened to the power of order that Terumi fears so much due to the combined efforts of [[spoiler:Makoto, ]]Jubei, Rachel, Hakumen and Ragna, and defected from Terumi's control as well. While Terumi got a new figurehead hero in Tsubaki Yayoi, that same power of order could sever the {{brainwash|ed}}ing that compels her to serve the now-corrupt Librarium. On top of that, [[spoiler:the aforementioned Makoto possesses knowledge that would cement Tsubaki's correction in alignment [[HeelFaceTurn towards good]] once said brainwashing elapses, and has sight of other plot threads vital to Terumi's post-Kagutsuchi operations, as well as one tied to her wrist that is linked to Relius' own designs.]] And that's not the entire bill. Suffice it to say, without a script to work off of, Terumi's going to have his hands full dealing with so many rogue elements at once. Depending on how well the protagonists cohere in Ikaruga, Terumi's plans stand on a razor's edge, with one unplanned rogue element too many away from tipping towards failure - and this time, the damage won't be so small...

8th May '13 1:15:39 PM EarlOfSandvich

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6th May '13 6:47:39 AM HomuraMadokaChan

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Fixed a link

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30th Apr '13 8:51:47 PM MitchellTF

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17th Apr '13 1:46:24 PM Luigifan

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17th Apr '13 1:40:17 PM Luigifan

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17th Apr '13 1:12:49 PM Luigifan

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** In Fullbring Arc, [[spoiler:the villains' plan goes off without a hitch and he steals Ichigo's Fullbring, leaving him powerless again. [[BigDamnHeroes Then Shinigami arrive and restore his powers]].]]
** The War Arc if also shaping like that, [[spoiler:villains already control Hueco Mundo]].
* As an added GutPunch to the already bleak universe of ''Manga/ElfenLied'', the anime version's cut off point kicks off the ''second phase'' of Kakuzawa's plans in the manga. The protagonists who are warned of the incoming threat are unable to stop [[spoiler:Kakuzawa launching a missile filled with the Diclonius virus set to explode over the Japanese shoreline, [[AdultFear infecting hundreds of thousands of civilians]] over the course of a few months, and [[FromBadToWorse would later spread throughout the entire world]].]] Of course, if it was stopped, or if it never happened, [[FridgeBrilliance then the storyline would have ended like in the anime]]: [[GeckoEnding abrupt]].
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Father plans on using Amestris to make a philosopher stone, like he did with Xerxes 400 years ago, which requires tunnels being dug throughout the countries, bloody battles taking place at critical points on the circle, and five people who have opened the gate being gathered. The presence of Pride makes destroying the tunnels impossible, so the heroes plan on defeating Father before "The Promised Day" arrives. [[spoiler:During the siege of Central, Father manages to gather Hohenheim, Ed, Al, Izumi and Roy as his sacrifices]]. This is {{justified|Trope}}, as the centuries-old plan was already nearing the final stage when Ed and Al were born. Technically speaking, [[spoiler:the plan is never thwarted at all -- it's reversed ''after'' being completed.]]

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** In the Fullbring Arc, [[spoiler:the villain's plan goes off without a hitch and he steals Ichigo's Fullbring, leaving him powerless again. [[BigDamnHeroes Then the Shinigami arrive and restore his powers]].]]
** The War Arc is also shaping like that, [[spoiler:as the villains already control Hueco Mundo]].
* As an added GutPunch to the already bleak universe of ''Manga/ElfenLied'', the anime version's cut off point kicks off the ''second phase'' of Kakuzawa's plans in the manga. The protagonists, who are warned of the incoming threat, are unable to stop [[spoiler:Kakuzawa launching a missile filled with the Diclonius virus set to explode over the Japanese shoreline, [[AdultFear infecting hundreds of thousands of civilians]] over the course of a few months, and [[FromBadToWorse would later spread throughout the entire world]].]] Of course, if it was stopped, or if it never happened, [[FridgeBrilliance then the storyline would have ended like in the anime]]: [[GeckoEnding abrupt]].
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Father plans on using Amestris to make a philosopher stone, like he did with Xerxes 400 years ago, which requires tunnels being dug throughout the countries, bloody battles taking place at critical points on the circle, and five people who have opened the gate being gathered. The presence of Pride makes destroying the tunnels impossible, so the heroes plan on defeating Father before "The Promised Day" arrives. [[spoiler:During the siege of Central, Father manages to gather Hohenheim, Ed, Al, Izumi, and Roy as his sacrifices]]. This is {{justified|Trope}}, as the centuries-old plan was already nearing the final stage when Ed and Al were born. Technically speaking, [[spoiler:the plan is never thwarted at all -- it's reversed ''after'' being completed.]]

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* Astonishingly averted in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga''. Despite Cackaletta's efforts to steal Princess Peach's voice to awaken the [[MacGuffin Beanstar]] to conquer the Beanbean Kingdom, [[spoiler:she 's ultimately OutGambitted by Princess Peach, the Mario Bros., and Queen Bean. So she decides to use Bowser's flying castle to [[VillainousBreakdown destroy the Beanbean Kingdom!]] ]]
* In ''[[BaldursGate Baldur's Gate II]]'', no matter what you do you can't avoid [[spoiler:having Irenicus steal your soul and having Bodhi steal Imoen]]'s.
** Also, closer to the beginning of the game, there is nothing you can do to [[spoiler: prevent Imoen from being taken away to Spellhold. She will always cast that one spell that makes the Cowled Wizards take her away, even if she has no spells left and/or is wearing armor that prevents her from casting magic.]]
* {{Persona 2}} shows us what happens when the team rises to fight the growing darkness... [[spoiler: [[ApocalypseHow and Stage Two is still completed.]] ]]

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* Astonishingly averted in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga''. Despite Cackaletta's efforts to steal Princess Peach's voice to awaken the [[MacGuffin Beanstar]] to conquer the Beanbean Kingdom, [[spoiler:she's ultimately (and ''spectacularly'') OutGambitted by Princess Peach, Prince Peasley, the Mario Bros., and Queen Bean. So she decides to use Bowser's flying castle to [[VillainousBreakdown destroy the Beanbean Kingdom!]]]]
* In ''[[BaldursGate Baldur's Gate II]]'', no matter what you do, you can't avoid [[spoiler:having Irenicus steal your soul and having Bodhi steal Imoen]]'s.
** Also, closer to the beginning of the game, there is nothing you can do to [[spoiler:prevent Imoen from being taken away to Spellhold. She will always cast that one spell that makes the Cowled Wizards take her away, even if she has no spells left and/or is wearing armor that prevents her from casting magic.]]
* {{Persona 2}} shows us what happens when the team rises to fight the growing darkness... [[spoiler:[[ApocalypseHow and Stage Two is still completed.]]]]

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*** However, it's played utterly straight regarding the [[MineralMacGuffin Nethicite]]. You can't stop the Dusk Shard falling into the hands of the empire. You can't work out how to use the Dawn Shard, and you utterly fail at destroying the nethicite in the Empire's possession. In fact, the entire plot is an exercise in futility- every time you walk halfway across the map to get some plot-important artifact, you arrive back home only to find that [[spoiler:[[MagnificentBastard Vayne]]]] has done something to make your efforts ''entirely useless''. Sure, killing [[spoiler:Vayne]] may not have saved Dalmasca, but so much aggravation would have been avoided if you'd just sliced the sneaky bastard's head off at stage one.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', you can't save Alma from capture; you have to leave her under the protection of the monastery while you go off and do hero stuff. And that's just scratching the surface: earlier you can't save Teta, then you can't stop Ophelia from siding with Volmarv, you can't convince Zalbag to avert the resulting Lion War, you can't stop Delita's machinations. An UnwittingPawn is you, Ramza. So unwitting, in fact, that he can't even stop the Church from branding him a heretic.

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*** However, it's played utterly straight regarding the [[MineralMacGuffin Nethicite]]. You can't stop the Dusk Shard falling into the hands of the empire. You can't work out how to use the Dawn Shard, and you utterly fail at destroying the nethicite in the Empire's possession. In fact, the entire plot is an exercise in futility -- every time you walk halfway across the map to get some plot-important artifact, you arrive back home only to find that [[spoiler:[[MagnificentBastard Vayne]]]] has done something to make your efforts ''entirely useless''. Sure, killing [[spoiler:Vayne]] may not have saved Dalmasca, but so much aggravation would have been avoided if you'd just sliced the sneaky bastard's head off at stage one.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', you can't save Alma from capture; you have to leave her under the "protection" of the monastery while you go off and do hero stuff. And that's just scratching the surface: earlier, you can't save Teta, then you can't stop Ophelia from siding with Volmarv, you can't convince Zalbag to avert the resulting Lion War, you can't stop Delita's machinations. An UnwittingPawn is you, Ramza. So unwitting, in fact, that he can't even stop the Church from branding him a heretic.

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* ''AceCombat'' can be pretty bad about this. Let's just take one game: ''Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War''. The big final scheme involves the use of a very large rocket with a nuclear payload. You fight your way through a tough squadron of [[AcePilot ace pilots]] then through a twisting canyon with ridiculous SAM coverage overhead, and then fly into Avalon Dam to destroy the launch controls. Even then, the missile is ''still'' launched and you have to take out [[spoiler: your former wingman Pixy]] who turns out to be controlling the launch from his supertech-loaded plane; the final fight becomes a race against the clock to destroy the plane and thus the control before the missile can make reentry.
** At least it makes sense based on two things: #1, all other Allied Forces were essentially sacrificed to ensure your successful attack run on the Avalon Dam (whether intentional or not on the enemy's part it left you all alone) and #2, you're the ''freaking'' Demon Lord of the Round Table, who liberated your country's capital, "pulled Tauberg's sword from the stone" (destroying the beam superweapon Excalibur), and defeated multiple Belkan ace squadrons along the way. None of ''them'' had a backup...

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* ''AceCombat'' can be pretty bad about this. Let's just take one game: ''Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War''. The big final scheme involves the use of a very large rocket with a nuclear payload. You fight your way through a tough squadron of [[AcePilot ace pilots]], then through a twisting canyon with ridiculous SAM coverage overhead, and then fly into Avalon Dam to destroy the launch controls. Even then, the missile is ''still'' launched and you have to take out [[spoiler:your former wingman Pixy]], who turns out to be controlling the launch from his supertech-loaded plane; the final fight becomes a race against the clock to destroy the plane and thus the control before the missile can make reentry.
** At least it makes sense based on two things: #1, all other Allied Forces were essentially sacrificed to ensure your successful attack run on the Avalon Dam (whether intentional or not on the enemy's part, it left you all alone) and #2, you're the ''freaking'' Demon Lord of the Round Table, who liberated your country's capital, "pulled Tauberg's sword from the stone" (destroying the beam superweapon Excalibur), and defeated multiple Belkan ace squadrons along the way. None of ''them'' had a backup...

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*** In general, the original timeline in ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' (i.e. the one ''not'' involving ''Battle Network'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManStarForce Star Force]]'') suffers from this tremendously. Every robot created before X and Zero is ThreeLawsCompliant. In other words, Mega Man can only hope to lock up Dr. Wily for a few months ''at best''. The one time he actually ''did'' try to kill Wily (''7'') ends with Mega Man's A.I. going into a Three Laws loop, which allows Wily to escape. Years down the road, Wily finishes his greatest creation: Zero. When Zero is released is [=21XX=], he goes on a rampage. Sigma manages to put him down, but [[TheCorruption has his data compromised by the Zero Virus]], slowly driving him mad until he finally [[FaceHeelTurn snaps and declares war on humanity]], [[TheChessmaster manipulating various parties in the process]], spreading the Sigma Virus over Earth, and (worst of all) [[ColonyDrop dropping the Eurasia onto the planet, turning it into a hellhole]]. Sometime after Sigma ''finally'' goes down circa ''X8'', Zero's anti-viral programming is examined, producing the Mother Elf as a way to eradicate the lingering effects of the Sigma Virus. [[spoiler:Then Weil enters the picture. For no reasons other than [[FantasticRacism his belief that humans are superior to Reploids]], he steals Zero's mindless body (reprogramming this blank slate into a psychopathic killing machine known as Omega) and corrupts the Mother Elf (turning her into the Dark Elf), starting the Elf Wars. Final count? 60% of all humans and 90% of all Reploids '''''have been wiped out.''''' [[SealedEvilInACan In order to seal away the Dark Elf]], X gives up his body, forcing the creation of an unstable KnightTemplar copycat of himself to rule Neo Arcadia in X's place. This... doesn't bode well.]] By the end of ''Zero 4'', [[spoiler:Weil has been defeated and the world is saved, but at the cost of [[AntiAntiChrist Zero]]'s [[HeroicSacrifice life]].]] In the following centuries, humans augment their bodies with cybernetics and Reploids are given lifespans akin to humans, merging into a single race (Humanoids). Then [[ArtifactOfDoom Model W]] (heavily implied to be [[spoiler:Weil's soul merged with fragments of [[KillSat Ragnarok]] from the finale of ''Zero 4'']]) rears its ugly head in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]''. [[LeftHanging This threat is presumably dealt with]], but the world somehow is [[TheGreatFlood sacked by a great flood]] and [[spoiler:humans all but disappear and are replaced by a race of {{Artificial Human}}s known as Carbons]] in the next 4400 or so years (the time of ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends''). And there are ''still'' problems in the world. And all of this can be indirectly traced back to one heroic robot being unable to kill one MadScientist. It is a vicious domino effect like no other.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' is practically the poster-child for the trope. The [[spoiler: initial]] BigBad succeeds in destroying the world within the first few minutes of gameplay, and, due to the structure of the plot, it only gets worse from there. [[spoiler: You can't stop your friends from turning into half-human monsters, heaven forbid talk them out of their {{Face Heel Turn}}s, you can't stop Hijiri going insane, you can't stop Isamu sacrifing him, you can't stop Chiaki from slaughtering the Mannikins, you can't stop Hikawa from opening the Ark of the Covenant, you can't stop anyone from gathering enough Magatsuhi to summon their "God" and its only at TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon where you're able to defeat anyone]], and if you go for the True Demon ending [[spoiler: Metatron can't stop you, plot-wise, from teaming up with Lucifer to destroy all worlds and RageAgainstTheHeavens]]. That said, this is averted when [[spoiler:Hijiri announces he'll form his own Reason, then is promptly kidnapped and killed by Isamu]], and if you decide not to pursue the True Demon path, [[spoiler: preventing Lucifer's plan from even really starting]]. It's also subverted if you go for one of the Reason endings, since there [[spoiler:you might not want to thwart stage one]].

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*** In general, the original timeline in ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' (i.e. the one ''not'' involving ''Battle Network'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManStarForce Star Force]]'') suffers from this tremendously. Every robot created before X and Zero is ThreeLawsCompliant. In other words, Mega Man can only hope to lock up Dr. Wily for a few months ''at best''. The one time he actually ''did'' try to kill Wily (''7'') ends with Mega Man's A.I. going into a Three Laws loop, which allows Wily to escape. Years down the road, Wily finishes his greatest creation: Zero. When Zero is released in [=21XX=], he goes on a rampage. Sigma manages to put him down, but [[TheCorruption has his data compromised by the Zero Virus]], slowly driving him mad until he finally [[FaceHeelTurn snaps and declares war on humanity]], [[TheChessmaster manipulating various parties in the process]], spreading the Sigma Virus over Earth, and (worst of all) [[ColonyDrop dropping the Eurasia onto the planet, turning it into a hellhole]]. Sometime after Sigma ''finally'' goes down circa ''X8'', Zero's anti-viral programming is examined, producing the Mother Elf as a way to eradicate the lingering effects of the Sigma Virus. [[spoiler:Then Weil enters the picture. For no reasons other than [[FantasticRacism his belief that humans are superior to Reploids]], he steals Zero's mindless body (reprogramming this blank slate into a psychopathic killing machine known as Omega) and corrupts the Mother Elf (turning her into the Dark Elf), starting the Elf Wars. Final count? 60% of all humans and 90% of all Reploids '''''have been wiped out.''''' [[SealedEvilInACan In order to seal away the Dark Elf]], X gives up his body, forcing the creation of an unstable KnightTemplar copycat of himself to rule Neo Arcadia in X's place. This... doesn't bode well.]] By the end of ''Zero 4'', [[spoiler:Weil has been defeated and the world is saved, but at the cost of [[AntiAntiChrist Zero]]'s [[HeroicSacrifice life]].]] In the following centuries, humans augment their bodies with cybernetics and Reploids are given lifespans akin to humans, merging into a single race (Humanoids). Then [[ArtifactOfDoom Model W]] (heavily implied to be [[spoiler:Weil's soul merged with fragments of [[KillSat Ragnarok]] from the finale of ''Zero 4'']]) rears its ugly head in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]''. [[LeftHanging This threat is presumably dealt with]], but the world somehow is [[TheGreatFlood sacked by a great flood]] and [[spoiler:humans all but disappear and are replaced by a race of {{Artificial Human}}s known as Carbons]] in the next 4400 or so years (the time of ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends''). And there are ''still'' problems in the world. And all of this can be indirectly traced back to one heroic robot being unable to kill one MadScientist. It is a vicious domino effect like no other.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' is practically the poster-child for the trope. The [[spoiler:initial]] BigBad succeeds in destroying the world within the first few minutes of gameplay, and, due to the structure of the plot, it only gets worse from there. [[spoiler:You can't stop your friends from turning into half-human monsters, heaven forbid talk them out of their {{Face Heel Turn}}s, you can't stop Hijiri going insane, you can't stop Isamu sacrifing him, you can't stop Chiaki from slaughtering the Mannikins, you can't stop Hikawa from opening the Ark of the Covenant, you can't stop anyone from gathering enough Magatsuhi to summon their "God", and it's only at TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon where you're able to defeat anyone]]. If you go for the True Demon ending, [[spoiler:Metatron can't stop you, plot-wise, from teaming up with Lucifer to destroy all worlds and RageAgainstTheHeavens]]. That said, this is averted when [[spoiler:Hijiri announces he'll form his own Reason, then is promptly kidnapped and killed by Isamu]], and if you decide not to pursue the True Demon path, [[spoiler:preventing Lucifer's plan from even really starting]]. It's also subverted if you go for one of the Reason endings, since there [[spoiler:you might not want to thwart stage one]].

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** In ''StarCraft'', the chronological order of the campaign is Terran -> Zerg -> Protoss, with the Terrans introducing most of the cast and the threat of the Zerg, the Zerg campaign having them run rampant over most of the galaxy, and the Protoss managing to barely pull off a last second victory despite a [[spoiler:fully manifested Overmind on the surface of Aiur]]
*** Subverted in the ''Brood War'' expansion, as the order is changed to Protoss -> Terran -> Zerg, with the Protoss simply doing their best to survive in their campaign, the Terrans introducing the new UED antagonists and succeeding much like the Zerg before them...and then [[spoiler:Kerrigan betrays ''everyone'' and the Zerg finish the game as the pre-eminent power in the Sector, with only Kerrigan's mercy holding them from overrunning her former allies she used to bring down the UED.]]
** In ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'', the first two games were a continuity snarl as the Alliance and Orc sides had different, mutually exclusive endings if you played through them. ''Reign of Chaos'' however introduced a similar progression to ''[=StarCraft=]'', with the Alliance campaign ending on [[spoiler:Arthas' corruption into a Death Knight]], the Scourge campaign rolling up most of Lordaeron, before the Horde and Night Elf campaigns manage to beat back the Scourge's Burning Legion backers in an exciting climax.

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** In ''StarCraft'', the chronological order of the campaign is Terran -> Zerg -> Protoss, with the Terrans introducing most of the cast and the threat of the Zerg, the Zerg campaign having them run rampant over most of the galaxy, and the Protoss managing to barely pull off a last second victory despite a [[spoiler:fully manifested Overmind on the surface of Aiur]].
*** Subverted in the ''Brood War'' expansion, as the order is changed to Protoss -> Terran -> Zerg, with the Protoss simply doing their best to survive in their campaign, the Terrans introducing the new UED antagonists and succeeding much like the Zerg before them... and then [[spoiler:Kerrigan betrays ''everyone'' and the Zerg finish the game as the pre-eminent power in the Sector, with only Kerrigan's mercy holding them from overrunning her former allies she used to bring down the UED.]]
** In ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'', the first two games were a continuity snarl as the Alliance and Orc sides had different, mutually exclusive endings if you played through them. ''Reign of Chaos'', however introduced a similar progression to ''[=StarCraft=]'', with the Alliance campaign ending on [[spoiler:Arthas' corruption into a Death Knight]], the Scourge campaign rolling up most of Lordaeron, before the Horde and Night Elf campaigns manage to beat back the Scourge's Burning Legion backers in an exciting climax.

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** Nicely handled in [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Platinum]] with [[spoiler:Cyrus trying to attack you about 5/8ths in, letting you beat him down. He still escapes though]], and you aren't able to access the Galactic Hideout early, even if you grind to level 100. That receptionist must have balls to still not let you go past at that point.
** Happens again in [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]] where [[spoiler:you will never be able to stop N from defeating the Elite Four and Champion, no matter how fast you get to the Pokemon League. Alder states that he is going to give N the best thrashing he can, and while he fails, he insists you hold on to whatever stone your game provides in case things don't go as he expects (and, as stated above, they do go awry).]]
* Averted in ''TimeHollow'' when after finishing the game normally and starting a [[NewGamePlus new game]], Ethan can foil the antagonist's plot by jumping straight to the solution. Considering the premise of the game, this [[JustifiedTrope makes perfect sense]].

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** Nicely handled in [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Platinum]] with [[spoiler:Cyrus trying to attack you about 5/8ths in, letting you beat him down. He still escapes, though]], and you aren't able to access the Galactic Hideout early, even if you grind to level 100. That receptionist must have balls to still not let you go past at that point.
** Happens again in [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]], where [[spoiler:you will never be able to stop N from defeating the Elite Four and Champion, no matter how fast you get to the Pokemon League. Alder states that he is going to give N the best thrashing he can, and while he fails, he insists you hold on to whatever stone your game provides in case things don't go as he expects (and, as stated above, they do go awry).]]
* Averted in ''TimeHollow'', when after finishing the game normally and starting a [[NewGamePlus new game]], Ethan can foil the antagonist's plot by jumping straight to the solution. Considering the premise of the game, this [[JustifiedTrope makes perfect sense]].

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** [[spoiler: Actually averted, sort of, as he does summon exactly what he was trying to summon. He just didn't know the final boss was a fake Zenon and that the real Zenon has reincarnated as the bratty girl who called herself Overlord Zenon's daughter. ]]
* ''{{Singularity}}'' [[spoiler: is a deconstruction of this trope. Near the start of the game, your character, Renko, is thrown 50 years into the past - going from a destroyed building to a building on fire. Coming across someone trapped in the fire, Renko saves him, then jumps back into the present - where he (Dr. Demichev) has taken control of the world. Unfortunately, if you try to kill Demichev or leave him to die, the game will end.]]
** This is explained by the endgame. [[spoiler: After fighting through Demichev's troops, Renko manages to create a bomb powerful enough to destroy the island's reactor - he detonates it in the past. When he comes back to the present, Demichev is waiting for him in front of an ''operational reactor''. He says that it was pointless to destroy the reactor - he just rebuilt it. Dr. Raikov, a supporter of yours, then says that the problem with the time loop wasn't the reactor, but Demichev - since you rescued him from the fire. Demichev then says that ''you've already tried killing him in the past, and it changed nothing'' - as evidenced by notes scrawled on the wall by someone who turns out to be ''Renko''. Raikov then realizes that the only way to stop the loop is to destroy the one thing not present in the original timestream - Renko.]]
* Touched on in one of the opening levels of ''MaxPayne2'' which sends you to investigate a warehouse where gunfire was recently heard. One of the corrupt commercial cleaners at the place lets you in and shows you around the place, eventually leading you into an ambush. Killing him beforehand averts nothing, but instead causes the protagonist to make an off comment in his rampant monologuing about [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything how obvious a brawl he was walking into.]]

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** [[spoiler:Actually averted, sort of, as he does summon exactly what he was trying to summon. He just didn't know the final boss was a fake Zenon and that the real Zenon has reincarnated as the bratty girl who called herself Overlord Zenon's daughter. ]]
* ''{{Singularity}}'' [[spoiler:is a deconstruction of this trope. Near the start of the game, your character, Renko, is thrown 50 years into the past -- going from a destroyed building to a building on fire. Coming across someone trapped in the fire, Renko saves him, then jumps back into the present -- where he (Dr. Demichev) has taken control of the world. Unfortunately, if you try to kill Demichev or leave him to die, the game will end.]]
** This is explained by the endgame. [[spoiler:After fighting through Demichev's troops, Renko manages to create a bomb powerful enough to destroy the island's reactor -- he detonates it in the past. When he comes back to the present, Demichev is waiting for him in front of an ''operational reactor''. He says that it was pointless to destroy the reactor -- he just rebuilt it. Dr. Raikov, a supporter of yours, then says that the problem with the time loop wasn't the reactor, but Demichev -- since you rescued him from the fire. Demichev then says that ''you've already tried killing him in the past, and it changed nothing'' - as evidenced by notes scrawled on the wall by someone who turns out to be ''Renko''. Raikov then realizes that the only way to stop the loop is to destroy the one thing not present in the original timestream -- Renko.]]
* Touched on in one of the opening levels of ''MaxPayne2'', which sends you to investigate a warehouse where gunfire was recently heard. One of the corrupt commercial cleaners at the place lets you in and shows you around the place, eventually leading you into an ambush. Killing him beforehand averts nothing, but instead causes the protagonist to make an off comment in his rampant monologuing about [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything how obvious a brawl he was walking into.]]

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* A repeating plot in the Sonic series between Sonic Adventure and Sonic Unleashed. In each game in that range, Sonic tries to stop some evil from being released or brought to full power (or in one case the Chaos Emerald from being collected, which unbeknownst to him and Eggman releases an evil anyway). Said plot goes underway anyway despite his best efforts, and the final boss is him going Super Sonic to face the unleashed evil and bring peace to the world again.
* Inverted in VideoGame/EarthBound. Everything that [[BigBad Giygas]] does to prevent the prophecy about the Chosen Four from becoming true, from [[spoiler: having [[TheDragon Pokey]] steal a helicopter to prevent them from reaching Summers or Scaraba, to launching an attack on Onett when the kids need to obtain a piece of the meteorite]], fails miserably, and in one case, even backfires. (If you need clarification on ''that'', [[spoiler: Apple Kid, Dr. Andonuts, and a Mr. Saturn were kidnapped into the Stonehenge base. This leads to them regrouping at Saturn Valley after Ness saves them, and brainstorming how they can help Ness and co bring Giygas down once and for all.]])

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* A repeating plot in the Sonic series between Sonic Adventure and Sonic Unleashed. In each game in that range, Sonic tries to stop some evil from being released or brought to full power (or in one case, the Chaos Emeralds from being collected, which unbeknownst to him and Eggman, releases an evil anyway). Said plot goes underway anyway despite his best efforts, and the final boss is him going Super Sonic to face the unleashed evil and bring peace to the world again.
** [[spoiler:To be fair, Chaos was never evil -- just [[UnstoppableRage really]], really, ''really'' pissed off over the loss of its {{Protectorate}}. And Dark Gaia isn't "evil" so much as a Galactus expy.]]
* Inverted in VideoGame/EarthBound. Everything that [[BigBad Giygas]] does to prevent the prophecy about the Chosen Four from becoming true, from [[spoiler:having [[TheDragon Pokey]] steal a helicopter to prevent them from reaching Summers or Scaraba, to launching an attack on Onett when the kids need to obtain a piece of the meteorite]], fails miserably, and in one case, even backfires. (If you need clarification on ''that'', [[spoiler:Apple Kid, Dr. Andonuts, and a Mr. Saturn were kidnapped into the Stonehenge base. This leads to them regrouping at Saturn Valley after Ness saves them, and brainstorming how they can help Ness and co bring Giygas down once and for all.]])

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9th Apr '13 4:29:29 PM PyroWildcat

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* In ''OnePiece'', during the Water 7 arc, the Straw Hats try to get [[spoiler:Robin]] to come back to the crew on several occasions, but fail each attempt due to [[spoiler:[=CP9=] threatening the Straw Hats with the Buster Call, which prevents her from coming back]]. It takes them breaking into the heavily defended Enies Lobby, [[spoiler:convincing Robin she's one of them]] and saving [[spoiler:her]] just before [[spoiler:she]] is to be taken beyond their reach.
** Similarly, in the [[spoiler:Impel Down]] arc, Luffy doesn't manage to save [[spoiler:Ace inside Impel Down]], but has to go all the way to [[spoiler:Marine Headquarters]].[[spoiler: He ultimately fails, despite managing to free Ace from the execution platform.]]
**[[spoiler: Also the case with Blackbeard's plans, which go off without a hitch all the way through killing Whitebeard, stealing his Devil Fruit power, and taking his place as one of the Four Emperors. This is even lampshaded by Blackbeard and his crew often talking about fate's role in their plan, as if recognizing that this trope would come into effect.]]

2nd Apr '13 11:07:30 PM Loldongs

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2nd Apr '13 10:59:49 PM Loldongs

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