Chrono Trigger

""I've played Chrono Trigger before -- is this version worth buying?""

Why the low/mid score? Well, this is the 3rd release of Chrono Trigger, and Square has yet to impress us with any decent new content. While this DS port is miles ahead of the PSX version, it's simply yet another re-release of a classic game. Square is really milking it. If this had been a review of the original SNES game, I could easily give it a 9/10 or 10/10.

But after over 10 years, I find it extremely difficult to give this game a decent score since it's yet another Square rehash. If they had taken the time to redesign it like Final Fantasy IV DS -- or even just add some decent extras, it would be a different story. Sadly, it's not.

If you don't own the SNES or PSX versions of this game, I'd say this game is definitely worth purchasing. Otherwise, no point in wasting your money.

However, if you're wondering "hmm, I've played Chrono Trigger before, is this version worth buying?" then this review is for you. The coverage in this review will be split into two parts: the original game, and all the extras that were added for the DS port.

== CORE GAME ==
Ahead of its time.

Story - Fantastic.
Ah, time travel. Who doesn't love time travel? The premise is simple: a group of young heroes stumbles upon a "gate" which throws them into a different time. They discover that their world will ultimately be destroyed by a creature named "Lavos," and immediately volunteer themselves to save it. The journey is full of twists and turns, and the original ending leaves you very satisfied.

Battle System - Traditional, but still innovative.
The battle system is follows the traditional ATB turn-based style, though the twist is that characters can perform "double" or "triple" techniques by coordinating their special attacks. For example, Crono's "Lightning II," Marle's "Ice II" and Lucca's "Fire II" combine into "Delta Force." This added battle system tweak pushes the player to try out all different types of party combinations.

Ending System - Adds replayability.
I think the most interesting aspect of this game is that after you complete it once, you unlock the New Game+ feature -- allowing you to carry your stats and inventory into a new game. Not only that, but now you will have the option to challenge Lavos at any point in the game, and if you deviate from the normal game path, you will be treated to a new ending! There are 13 in total, if you count the new bonus ending featured in the DS feature (covered later in this review).

Music - Very memorable.
Beautifully composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Mitsuda has also lended his compositional skill to games like Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I, and of course, Chrono Cross (Chrono Trigger's sequel). Though this game was one of Mitsuda's earlier works, it's full of memorable tunes that have become classic, just like the game itself.

== NEW CONTENT ==
Overall, an unfortunate disappointment.

New Extras Menu - Exceeded expectation.
While Final Fantasy ports typically offer just a Beastiary and Music Player, CTDS takes it a step further and adds a few more goodies. There's a "Dojo" menu that will allow you to view screenshots of every technique in the game -- single, double, and triple; an "Endings" menu will allow you to view and collect all the 13 different endings (1 of them new -- covered later in this review); an "Art Gallery"; and a great (but probably useless) map viewer that lets you see every map in the game, with treasures pointed out.

Though all these additions don't spark that much excitement, I thought they were all very well presented and put together.

New Arena Mode - Poor.
Sort of a Pokemon mode. Basically you raise a monster, which can evolve through training. You pit it against other monsters in a computer-controlled battle. You can win items to use in the main game or fight your friends via DS wireless communications. Even the most dedicated of monster hunters or trainers will find this mode a complete yawn. Let's move on.

New Equipment - Average.
There's some new high-level equipment, stuff like the Dragon's Tear that will boost critical rate and the Champion's Badge which improves the Masamune and halves MP cost. There's also new ultimate weapons for every character, though all of them are obtained after completing the game once -- most notable is Crono's Dreamseeker, which has a whopping 90% critical rate (20% higher than the Rainbow). Nothing too spectacular, but it'll all make your characters even stronger than before.

New Translation - For the better.
Though there might be some gripes with the translation (I personally disliked "Electrocute" replacing Robo's "Shock" tech), overall, I'd say it's for the better. Dialogue flows and makes more sense, and there aren't any messy translations like there was in the original. Remember when Gaspar tells you "someone close to you needs help -- fast?" Yeah. That's finally fixed.

Thankfully, it still retains many of the existing translations. For example, Ozzie, Flea, and Slash are actually Soy Sauce, Vinegar, and Mayonnaise. But since everyone is accustomed to their original SNES names, Square-Enix chose to keep them. Likewise, Masa and Mune, who are actually Grand and Leon, remain the same.

However, one aspect of Woolsey's original translation is apparently missed by many fans -- Frog's dialect. Though personally I always found it strange that the rest of 600 AD never talked like him. :)

New Movies - Yup, the same ones from the PSX port.
Nothing much to say here. There are a few anime cutscenes that were originally included in the PSX port. They're all pretty nice, and the final few ending videos are definitely worth watching. Also, the game has an option to turn them on or off during gameplay.

New Music - Not really new. :)
There are two "new" tracks for this game -- the unreleased Battle Theme 2 and Singing Mountain. Both songs were included in the physical data and soundtrack of the original SNES game, but were dummied out of the actual game. Well, they find their way back into the game through the bonus content. The battle track is the arena battle theme, and the Singing Mountain track is the BGM for one of the bonus area maps.

New Dungeons - Poor.
Ah, finally. The parts people are waiting for. Well, there are two new dungeons in this game: the Lost Sanctum and the Dimensional Vortex. The Lost Sanctum is unlocked during the story events, and the Dimensional Vortex is unlocked after you clear the game once. Unfortunately, both these dungeons are riddled with poor, lazy designs, and ultimately leave you with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

The Lost Sanctum is unnecessarily tedious. Without going into too much detail, essentially the game has you running back and forth between NPCs trying to obtain items for them. You will be running across 3-4 maps over and over, back and forth. The rewards are decent -- not great -- but definitely not worth the hours of mindless collecting that the game pits you through. Overall, the whole experience was more of a chore than anything.

Fortunately, the Dimensional Vortex is a better -- though not by too much. It's not tedious at all, but it was still poorly constructed. As the name suggests, you will be thrown into a vortex that crosses various dimensions, i.e. random maps in the game -- 75% of this dungeon are just old rehashes of existing maps. With the same enemies. The remaining 25% of the dungeon is a good overall experience, but it's unfortunately cut short. I really wish they could've designed the entire dungeon from scratch.

All in all, the new dungeons were a disappointment. You'll have a few brief smiles through the whole journey, but nothing that elicits much fanfare. And after clearing the Dimensional Vortex, you will be treated to the...

New Ending - Underwhelming.
"Wow. I went through 15+ hours of gameplay for 5 minutes of new plot content?" is what I thought after finishing it. As the final piece of added content, you will be treated to a new final boss, and a new scene afterwards. And don't get me wrong -- it was interesting, and it was great to see it. But it was just too short -- and not in the "short but sweet" way, and more like the "just short" way. I can't tell what the designers were going for when they made this. It does open up a new question, but it just does it in a very typical, uninteresting, and overdone fashion.

== SUMMARY ==
After over 10 years of waiting, CT fans (myself included) had high hopes for what additional content Square-Enix were going to bring us. There was the expected fluff -- like the beastiary and new equipment, which is always a yawn. Who would've expected that the new dungeons and ending would be just as uneventful?

Though still an amazing game in its own right, the unfortunate truth is that the added content doesn't do justice to the legions of CT fans who have been waiting for something new to add to the Chrono world.

For new fans -- this game is worth a buy. But for seasoned veterans and existing fans, this port is definitely a pass. The original deserves an 8/10 minimum, but the extras are honestly a 2/10, props given only to the new translation and menus. With the reviewer's tilt swaying down, Square wins 4/10 for their "effort."

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/08, Updated 01/13/09

Game Release: Chrono Trigger (JP, 11/20/08)