Chrono Trigger

"A Timeless Classic"

Intro:

This is something that I have been patiently (...alright...impatiently) awaiting for many years: Chrono Trigger on the go. This was one of my first games, and it is truly an amazing example of what a JRPG should be. The original excelled in all areas but one; its DS counterpart, sadly, does the same in all but two.

Story:10/10

Chrono Trigger has a simple but intriguing story. It begins normally enough: Crono—a young man in the village of Truce—wakes up and goes to a nearby fair commemorating the thousand-year anniversary of the Kingdom of Guardia's founding. However, he quickly gets dragged through time on a mission that includes early man's struggles with the Reptites (a race of highly intelligent reptiles), an overzealous queen seeking immortality, Guardia's war with an enemy wizard four-hundred years prior to the fair, and a depressing future that Crono and his friends must prevent.

Updated:
The updated story is almost completely pointless (as long-time fans of the series have already figured all of this out through speculation) and merely includes a villain announcing his plans to the party and a new, nauseatingly open-ended ending.


Graphics: 10/10
Now, this does not even come to close to standing up to modern games in the area of graphics, but it did raise the bar for its time. Seeing as how Square rarely fails in this category, it comes as no surprise that the backgrounds are nicely detailed (such as a night sky full of stars and sunlight sparkling on the water) and the different sprites for each era are mostly unique (it seems they really love to re-color that imp sprite though).


Audio: 9/10
Original:
The soundtrack for Chrono Trigger is beautiful. There are songs that will make you sad—whether or not you'll cry (or admit to crying) of course is a person-by-person result—and others that will get you pumped for the approaching adventures. Generally, there is only one moment in the game in which the music does not fit, and it plays as a joke anyway. The sound effects all seem to fit their respective actions.

Updated:
The music itself is still amazing; however—whether it be caused by the Nintendo DS having inferior stereos, a problem with condensing the sound files to fit the DS card, or my tripping in the parking lot on my way into gamestop to purchase this game—there is a strange…scratchy quality in the new version. Also, some of the water spells now have a…gun sound effect.


Challenge: 6/10

Err…not the kind of game you play for difficulty. Tetsuya Takahashi summed it up pretty well in the Meet the Developers ending: “If you thought this was tough, get a load of Final Fantasy IV” Most of the challenge is learning how to defeat a couple of tricky bosses, which doesn't take long. If you like a little difficulty while playing your games, this will be the weak point for you.


Gameplay: 9/10
Chrono Trigger uses the turn-based combat system with options to have real-time or not. Your characters advance in levels by gaining experience from battle (bet you didn't see that coming). They also learn “techs” (presumably short for “techniques”) from their experience in these battles. The section of the combat system that really stands out is the use of double techs and triple techs. As the name implies, the characters use their special attacks together to form more powerful ones. However, the best part is without a doubt the lack of random battles. That's right, you have monsters on screen and the occasional set encounter that you can't see coming, but you will NEVER get into a battle while simply walking around the world map. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable (unless you just can't stand a turn-based battle).


Replay Value: 10/10
Chrono Trigger is the type of game that you just can't stand to put down (even after beating it). Fortunately, the developers had the foresight to realize this and made thirteen endings. Perhaps more influential than the vast amount of endings is the new game + feature. You start the game with the same items, techs, and character levels from your last save before beating the game. You can quite possibly find yourself playing through the game far more than the thirteen times for the different endings.


New Content: 7/10
Aside from the fact that it's portable, most of the new content was disappointing, For me, the new content was hit-and-miss. It includes the usual fluff—bestiary, ending lists, ect., new dungeons—which are partly recycled areas; a retranslation of the script; and a side quest that is the closest Square will ever come to making a Chrono MMO. The new dungeons, while somewhat tedious in the recycled areas, were a truly fun experience. The side quest, however, is a long, repetitive, frustrating (for some) fetch-chore for NPCs who are too lazy, stupid, scared, hungry, or otherwise unable to retrieve their own items: this is without a doubt the worst part of the additions. However, the new script translation more than makes up for it. Some complain that old awkward lines were taken out; however, they were replaced with a more fluid script (as well as some new kooky lines. Can you find the knight who actually says “nom nom nom” while eating?)


Conclusion:
Whether you are a first timer to the series or a long-time fan looking to replay this classic, it is a must have. Some wonder what sets this out so much among so many turn-based “save the world” rpgs. The answer is, of course, the unique set of characters:
Name one game other than Chrono Trigger that has a peace-loving Robot, a sword-wielding Frog, a cavewoman, and a nerd working together to save both the past and the future.

Final Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/08

Game Release: Chrono Trigger (US, 11/25/08)