Chrono Trigger

5 Comments

1. S. Rhodes says:

   August 30, 2010 at 6:17 pm

   Pros:

   +A very well done storyline
   
   +A good battle system
   
   +Several sidequests to undertake
   
   +Some new content to experience
   
   +Lots of replay value

   Cons:

   -There’s a good amount of new content but it might not be worthwhile to those who’ve already experienced Chrono Trigger before; likewise, there’s no improvement in the visuals… this may or may not please some gamers

   In 1995 Square released Chrono Trigger. A game commonly hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. In the years following it became one of the most highly sought after Super Nintendo games of all time. The game saw a rerelease on the Playstation in 2001 along with Final Fantasy IV in the Final Fantasy Chronicles package. This marks the third time Chrono Trigger has seen a release since it first debuted. The game has aged very well but some gamers may find there needs to be more of an update.

   Chrono Trigger has a well known story but it never hurts to go over it for some who may not have played this gem. In the year 1000 AD, the Kingdom of Guardia has the Millennial Fair. You play as Crono, who goes to the fair and bumps into a girl named Marle. After wandering the fair with her for a while, Crono and Marle decide to check out his friend Lucca’s new invention, a teleportation device. When Marle steps into the device, it reacts to her pendent and she is suddenly transported through time. Feeling somewhat responsible, Crono decides to go through time after her. What begins as a simple rescue mission turns into something so much more when you go into the distant future and see that the world has ended. Now, in an attempt to save the future, Crono and his friends will stop the apocalypse from happening. Their adventure will take them through time and they’ll meet several interesting characters.

   It is because of the characters and the well put together story that Chrono Trigger is so memorable. This version features a newly translated script that is much better than the original (as if the original needed a tune up).

   Another aspect that makes Chrono Trigger stand the test of time is the gameplay. You’ll roam the field normally until you come into contact with an enemy. Where as most RPGs have to transition from the field mode to the battle mode, Chrono Trigger instead has your characters spread out and pull out their weapons. The battle system itself utilizes the ATB battle system from Final Fantasy for some fast paced action.

   Where the game truly shines, however, is its Tech system. Every character has a series of unique techniques that they can utilize. At first the system doesn’t sound that interesting, but your characters can combine their techniques together to pull off double and triple techs. It helps to make battling more interesting and fun. It also assures that you’ll try using every character at least once just to uncover all the double and triple techniques out there. More than that, however, it adds a lot of strategy to the game given that each characters techniques are unique to them. You may find that what makes the difference between sending a character into battle and not has to do more with their techniques than their base statistics.

   There are plenty of side quests to keep you busy, and the time traveling element makes some of them more fun to partake in than others. As if that wasn’t enough, the DS version also includes all the animated cutscenes from the Playstation release. If you’d prefer to enjoy the game in a completely classic way, you can turn them off if you desire. There are also a few extras added to the DS version such as new dungeons and touch screen controls. The touch screen controls themselves work fairly well, although you may still find that using the buttons and D-pad is still much easier.

   Chrono Trigger is by no means a challenging game. It’s also a fairly short one. At most you’ll probably take twenty hours to complete it your first time through. Veterans may find themselves completing the game in less than fifteen hours. Chrono Trigger makes up for being a short game by having a lot of replay value. First there’s the New Game+ feature which lets you go through the game again carrying over your techniques, items and equipment. The game also throws in multiple endings, which will encourage you to play the game again.

   Musically, Chrono Trigger has one of the best soundtracks around. Some of it sounds better than the original Super Nintendo game. Many tunes will be stuck in your head for years to come, mainly because so much of it can convey so much emotion.

   Graphically, however, is where Chrono Trigger can be a mixed bag. The character models and backgrounds look incredibly detailed, and in the DS port some things have been smoothed out. Artistically, Chrono Trigger will probably never fade into oblivion. On the other hand, Square-Enix released Final Fantasy IV and Dragon Quest IV earlier this year with improved graphics, bringing the games into 3D. Final Fantasy IV, in particular, showed major improvements in its presentation that made the story more emotionally gripping. It’s a wonder why Square-Enix wouldn’t do the same with Chrono Trigger. It would’ve been stunning to see some of Chrono Trigger’s best moments in a new light.

   The good news, however, is that Chrono Trigger hasn’t had many releases, and there’s so much more added than simply a new dungeon. This means even if you did play an older version of the game, there’s a good berth of new content worth checking out. Whether or not it’s worth forty dollars is subjective.

   Chrono Trigger is a remarkable game. If you’ve played it before, one more go can’t hurt. If you’ve never played it, this is the definitive version. Every RPGer should play this timeless classic at least once. Age has not slowed Chrono Trigger down one bit.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. the stout hearted says:

   August 30, 2010 at 7:39 pm

   If you consider yourself a gamer, and have not experienced this title, you owe it too yourself to pick it up. It doesn’t have to be on the DS, though I believe that version to be the definitive one.
   
   The SNES version is the original masterpiece and I just bet you could find it here on Amazon.
   
   The PSX (Play Station 1) version has all the extras of the DS version but loses stars for strange load times before and after battles and while opening the menus which can detract from the over all immersion of the experience.
   
   Sound:
   
   This is the only video game I have ever ordered the sound track for! Haunting melodies from the forests of Guardia, epic themes while rocketing through time, and a sweeping final theme you may find yourself humming for hours. The battle music is standard Final Fantasy fare, but hey, is that such a bad thing? The sound effects are witty and even though this is still midi sound you can tell a lot of thought went into putting it together.
   
   Graphics:
   
   This is a game for the Super Nintendo. It has sixteen-bit graphics. No particle effects, no bump/mip/or any other form of texturing, no specular lighting or bloom effects, but let me tell you… the art direction and simple, yet sometimes powerful animations of the characters convey a sense of nostalgia that’s hard to come by these days.
   
   Game play:
   
   You won’t find another Final Fantasy game like this. And I find that hard to understand. The tech system is brilliant, combining techs to create effects is sometimes a greater joy then that last 10 minute mega summons you pulled off in the last Final Fantasy game. you just can’t wait to get to the next one and see whose battle strategies it will effect.
   
   Presentation:
   
   Highly customizable. Everything is tweakable right down to the backgrounds you look at on the text and menu screens. Battle speeds, active/wait battle gauges. Best of all the battle menus are now removed from the play field and pushed down onto the second screen so you can watch everything unfold without any clutter.
   
   Lasting appeal:
   
   If you grind through this epic game the first time, you’ll find a feature waiting for you the next time you fire it up(and you will!!)on the menu screen called new game plus. It allows you to keep your stats and items collected from the previous game and go through for another round. Which is handy becuase beating this game at different stages of the story will give you new endings. There is a multi player mode for raising monsters(haven’t had time to review this yet) and two new dungeons that seem to be placed just right for grinding out those 99 levels for each character. They also add some new story elements and a new ending.
   
   Just go get this game…you won’t regret it, and if you do, well, it makes a great christmas present for that other nerd you know with the DS….happy time traveling!!…..

   Edit: I stand corrected….you will find all the extra content from the playstation version on here….as well as quite a bit more…including much much more powerful weapons and armor for each character…if you can put the time in to find it. And if that doesn’t tweek an RPG enthusiasts interest, I don’t know what will….
   
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Kyle Ackerman says:

   August 30, 2010 at 8:47 pm

   Finding Chrono Trigger for the DS was like finding a free $100 bill on the ground when you’re starving for a dollar cheeseburger.

   This game is an immense breath of fresh air, and is a time-tested classic RPG that delivers on every element of what a good RPG should be.

   The story is intricate, the characters are colorful and inviting, the gameplay is smooth and interesting, the graphics are pleasant and crisp for the DS, and there is never a dull moment. I found myself playing Chrono Trigger with the same ferocity as reading a good book you can’t put down.

   The menus are customizable and easily navigated, especially with the use of the touch screen (which is optional). The battle system flows in a very traditional style, with the options of using Active Time Battle or Wait styles. The story has a multitude of endings depending on the choices you make in the game and other factors, guaranteeing even more playability past the first run-through.

   This is, hands-down, the best RPG for Nintendo DS (and maybe other platforms) I have played. It has a sense of beauty and intrigue that transcends modern RPGs, and will have you playing until your hands cramp up.
   
   It has successfully been ported from the Super Nintendo to the Playstation Entertainment System and now to the Nintendo DS with new dungeons and touch-screen capability.

   A must for RPG lovers everywhere, and a great Christmas gift idea!
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Cloud says:

   August 30, 2010 at 10:47 pm

   There’s something to be said for nostalgia in games; the games that were awesome then might be a little formulaic and even boring now but still, that game managed to entertain for long, long periods of time back when cartridges had to be blown into to get to run and the war was either Sonic or Mario. Now with so many high-tech graphics, vast amounts of sidequests and things to do as well as multiplayer options, is it worth going through “Chrono Trigger”, an old-school RPG with appropriately old-school graphics. Well if you’re a DS owner, the question isn’t “why would you” to “why haven’t you by now?”

   Story: Taking place literally across all ages, Crono and his friends Lucca, Marle and several others they encounter throughout time have to prevent a possible future from happening: that of the being Lavos and his complete destruction of the world in 1999. Together, you’ll travel from the dinosaur-laden Prehistoric times to apocalyptic 2300 A.D. and hopefully stop the world from falling into ruin.

   Graphics: Square Enix released a port of “Final Fantasy IV” originally for the Gameboy Advance with some spiffier, less pixelly graphics while also providing a remake of the game with more improved graphics and CG sequences for cutscenes. What does Chrono Trigger do then? The former. Not that I mind since the game’s a classic either way and the art style is still as strong as ever for each era and the cutscenes made for the “Final Fantasy Chronicles” package on the Playstation are here (though rather compressed quality), it’s not the most technically accomplished game but I welcome keeping the original look intact despite cries of outdatedness…as opposed to the “why can’t we have the original” cries.

   Sound/Music: Arguably, Square Enix’s most well-known composer to work on their games is Nobuo Uematsu though they also have another musical weapon, that of Yasunori Mitsuda who also provided the soundtracks for “Chrono Cross” and “Xenogears”, his 2 masterworks. His soundtrack here is just as noteworthy with several notable themes and unlike some soundtracks which work solely with the game, this is easily a soundtrack to own. Voice acting? Pssh, don’t be silly.

   Gameplay: Typical RPG with levelling up, new equipment, specialized attacks for certain characters though there’s a couple unique features. The more popular “enemy on screen” system is here rather than random encounters and it doesn’t take long to be thrown into battle so thankfully no stylish battle entrances here. Characters have unique attacks called “Techs” which can be combined with other characters for even more special attacks/benefits. The techs also can hit more than one enemy should the attack be close enough so for example, a straight fire attack by Lucca might eat one enemy but line up enough and it can nail them all. This adds a bit of strategy since a well-timed wide area attack can clear the battle arena much faster.

   The usual sidequests are a-plenty here, not a single character is wasted and the story is quite engaging but is there more to see beyond just re-experiencing the game’s greatness? Well it’s common now but back then the concept of New Game + and multiple endings were relatively new if not brand-new and should you defeat the final boss at a certain point in the story the second time, you got to see a different ending which ranged from the interesting to hilarious. As far as new DS content, it’s really just new dungeons, touch screen controls for battle (though being able to specifically click a menu page than scrolling like the original is welcome) and a handy map is good to see.

   Ultimately,if you’re a DS owner and you like RPG’s, Chrono Trigger needs to be bought right now. I know its 10$ more than most but honestly, it beats the absurb Ebay prices. No longer an illegal download or a rare and expensive find, every DS owner can now experience the timeless game that is “Chrono Trigger”.
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. Sephiroth912 says:

   August 30, 2010 at 11:18 pm

   It is hard to say anything about this game that has not been said before, or that you may not have heard about this game. It’s a classic. Even when I picked it up for the first time a year and a half ago (versus many here who got it on the game’s first run) on my Playstation, I knew it right away. I picked it up, hesitantly (it had been sitting on my bookshelf for well over a year) and I could not put it down.

   Even without the extra endings, this is one of those games that you could pick up and replay over and over again with only getting rarely bored (the only other game that comes to mind here is Ocarina of Time). It’s a wonderful game with a very engrossing storyline. While it is in a “save the world” style, it’s quite different from the games of today. Not many feature the time travel style that Chrono Trigger does and does well, if not perfectly. And of course, there are always the hidden endings, as you can fight the final boss far earlier than the true ending of the game, as well as a new one for beating the hidden boss that, an ending that is meant to tie into the game’s sequel, Chrono Cross.

   Much like a great number of other Square titles, this game features a soundtrack that is really a cut above the rest. (not unlike FFVI, VII and X) Everything fits the mood and does it well. It’s one of those things you need to hear for yourself to really believe. It’s a little hard to imagine MIDI sounds to still sound amazing after 13 years. Many stuck with me even after I finished the game, to the point even where I went and purchased the soundtrack for myself.

   The gameplay is largely unchanged. Those familiar with FFVI, VII, and VIII will easily recognize the Active Time Battle system that can be changed to “wait” mode either at the beginning of the game or by going into the options menu and switching it out. (Speaking of options, I’d like to note my agreement with other video game magazines that have said that it is almost impossible to go into the options menu, change your settings, and be able to come out unsatisfied that you weren’t able to change something. The options menu is very intricate) The new DS mode utilizing the touch screen is wonderful and best played with the “Wait” setting. This is only because chances are your reflexes may not be as fast with tapping a screen as they would be pressing a button. So with that in mind, I tend to opt for the alternative, which is the original SNES style. While not as cleaned up as the touch-screen version, it actually gives a much greater feeling of nostalgia than the other version.

   The amazing thing about the touch screen with Chrono Trigger is that it really does not feel just “tacked on.” In battle it is used to it’s fullest, which is a great thing as always. No matter which style you use (and this actually intrigued me the most) your characters’ HP and MP statuses are displayed at the top of the screen, so you always know when you need to heal. When in battle, it also displays status ailments. All of the menus outside of battle use the touch screen with hotkeys on the screen making things more quickly accessible. It’s far cleaner than ever before. The final thing is that there is a map now, which makes retracing steps far easier (but not making your initial way through, as the amount shown on the map increases only as you explore the area, much like in the DS version of Final Fantasy IV, if you have played it).

   The translation and graphics have been fixed up as well. The translation is probably one of the biggest changes in the game. Some people will be offended by certain changes made (see the only one-star review for this item) and even I was surprised when I first noticed the absence of Frog’s old accent. Still, I found it a wonderful reworking and, in a way, reimagining of what Chrono Trigger really was supposed to be. The graphics have been adjusted, but only minorly so. Mostly it was done in an effort to fit the game onto such a small screen, but it actually gives all of the sprites a much cleaner and crisper look, something I took notice of almost 5 minutes into picking the game up. Fans that missed the Playstation version will be happy to see the included Anime videos as well (and if not, then there is an option to turn them off even, though I personally cannot understand why you would want to in the first place).

   Unfortunately, I have not been able to play through all of the new areas and the new multiplayer arena feature yet, and I will revise this review. However, my viewpoint is that even if you don’t like these new features, you still have the original full game that is unchanged at its core if you decide to just skip these. If you do, you still have the original instant classic game.

   As a final note, all of the Playstation extras (and a few additional tidbits) are included. They load faster and play better than ever here. If you’re an aspiring artist like myself, having the original concept artwork at your very fingertips is always a wonderful bonus. All the anime videos are viewable here and the music and endings are also viewable once you have unlocked them in the actual game.

   Final Word: If you didn’t get the game the first time it came around, learn from that mistake the same way I did: pick the dang thing up and give it a shot. It’s easily worth the price tag (realize it cost more than that in the game’s hay day, and definitely a lot more for the original cartridge today). I wouldn’t be surprised if the game didn’t sell as well as I would like it to (much like Final Fantasy VI didn’t sell too well when it was finally released on the Game Boy Advance at the end of the system’s run. If you own a DS, pick that one up too. You won’t be disappointed) but that said, I really CANNOT stress enough how highly I recommend this title. Maybe, just maybe, other Chrono Trigger fans will see another sequel in what is truly a beloved series. The game’s only sequel to date, Chrono Cross, is still available on Amazon for $20. If you own a Playstation 1 or 2, pick it up. It’s well worth your dollar.
   Rating: 5 / 5