Epic "RPG of the Ages" Makes Its Portable Debut!

Originally released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo by Squaresoft, Chrono Trigger received both critical acclaim and a cult-like popularity among gamers. It is undeniable that being created by the same company responsible for the immensely popular Final Fantasy series attributed to Chrono Trigger’s success. To think that is the sole purpose it flourished, however, would be to ignore the strengths it possesses: graphics which, at the time, were awe-inspiring, well developed and likeable characters, a novel plot, and, as with any RPG, plenty of side quests and customizability to keep you entertained for hours. If you didn’t enter the video game world until recently, or if RPGs have never been your forte, you may have missed this jewel.

In this masterpiece, you control Crono, a youth living in 1000AD in Guardia Kingdom. In a fair experiment that goes horribly wrong, you suddenly find yourself four hundred years in the past, having to work frantically to save a new friend! One thing leads to another, and before you get tired of playing, you visit your future and find out the world is facing certain devastation unless you alter history by time travel to save it. Although the “save the world from certain doom” plot is present, the addition of time travel (and, by extension, the fact that you know what will happen in the future) highlights the novelty of Chrono Trigger and the fact that you are “saving the world” feels a lot less hackneyed than you might originally expect.

As with any RPG, along the way you will meet new friends and foes, as well as develop attachments to characters, items, and locations. Further, saving the world is not the only thing to do; Chrono Trigger contains plenty of sub-quests, side-stories, and distractions to keep your attention if the major plot has grown stale. It’s (then-unprecedented) new-game plus feature allowed RPG players to “have their cake and eat it too” by repeating the enjoyable parts of RPGs (the story sequences), while being exempt from leveling up characters, getting items, and learning moves, as all that is carried over from the previous game. This feature allowed Chrono Trigger to feature multiple endings, as ending the game early by defeating the final boss in New Game + mode would unlock one of over a dozen secret endings.

Chrono Trigger got its first port to the Playstation as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001, roughly six years after its original release. Coincidentally, about six years after its Playstation rerelease, Chrono Trigger is now ported again to the Nintendo DS. Diehard fans are a little disappointed that it was neither completely renovated for 3D like Final Fantasy IV was; the game looks almost identical to its SNES original. Despite the lack of aesthetic improvement, the DS version includes two new dungeons, a multiplayer mode, and a beistary. Furthermore, the DS version makes use of its improved technology by allowing dual screen access, which greatly simplifies menu access. Battles also benefit from the second screen, as your screen is no longer cluttered with command prompts (though players who prefer the nostalgic feel may choose to have everything on one screen).

Players who grew up playing Chrono Trigger on the SNES will find this port very appealing. It’s simple, but adequate. The additions are nice, but not groundbreaking. What is groundbreaking, however, is the ability to now play Chrono Trigger on a long plane ride, and the peace of mind you’ll have knowing that your only way of playing this masterpiece is no longer on an obsolete system which may be irreplaceable once it inevitably dies.

For more information, visit the official website.

John Lentz Jr.