About Chrono Trigger
History
Chrono Trigger
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Chrono Trigger is an RPG made by Squaresoft, released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo. Its US price tag was $80! Yep, it's true. Other Squaresoft RPGs had the same price. Regular SNES games went for $50. To further describe Chrono Trigger's background, here's a quote from Wikipedia:
"Chrono Trigger was supervised by a group referred to as The Dream Team, consisting of Hironobu Sakaguchi (producer of the Final Fantasy series), Yuji Horii (director of the Dragon Quest games), character designer Akira Toriyama (of Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest fame), venerable producer Kazuhiko Aoki, and Nobuo Uematsu (of Final Fantasy fame). Other noteworthy people involved in the game's development were the music composer Yasunori Mitsuda, who composed over 80% of the score, and scenarist Masato Kato, both unknown at that time but later famous for Xenogears and Xenosaga."
Like Earthbound, Chrono Trigger is an RPG without random battles. You get to see the monsters running around before you fight them. The battles take place right where you're walking! You're not always forced into a battle; most of the time you can maneuver your way past monsters to avoid conflict.
Chrono Trigger Anime
The Chrono Trigger anime was a 20-minute special released exclusively at a Japanese trade show sometime during the 90s. The anime is a spoof poking fun at the game. You can find more info about it and even view it in my Chrono Trigger anime section.
Final Fantasy Chronicles
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Because of the success of the Final Fantasy Anthology (the bundle containing Final Fantasy 5 & 6), Squaresoft decided to release Final Fantasy Chronicles in June 2001. This was a bundle that included re-releases of Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger. Nothing's new with the games themselves; they're direct ports of their SNES versions. However, as with Final Fantasy Anthology, they tossed in some animated sequences. Unlike the CGI sequences added to the Final Fantasy's, Chrono Trigger got something better - anime sequences! And in the same style as the character art by Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragon Ball Z). For FF Chronicles screenshots and clips, check out my section dedicated to it.
Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS
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In November 2008, Square Enix released a port of Chrono Trigger for the Nintendo DS. The contains all the bonus material from the PlayStation port as well as other enhancements. The added features include a more accurate translation by Tom Slattery, a dual-screen mode that clears the top screen of all menus, a self-completing map screen, and a default "run" option. Masato Kato participated in development, overseeing the addition of the monster-battling Arena and two new areas, the Lost Sanctum and the Dimensional Vortex. One of the areas within the Vortex uses the "Singing Mountain" song that was featured on the original Chrono Trigger soundtrack. Click here to view some screenshots
Chrono Trigger for iOS/Android
In December 2011, Chrono Trigger was released for Apple's iOS. In October 2012, Chrono Trigger was released for Android. Aside from a wider screen and touch screen support, it's the same game we all know and love.
Chrono Trigger for Steam
In 2018, Chrono Trigger was ported to Steam (Windows). Its initial release was a disaster. They tried to make the graphics better by using filters (similar to what we see on emulators). And the game was literred with misaligned tiles. The port was so bad, it was news-worthy. Forbes commented: “From pretty awful graphical issues, such as tiling textures and quite a painful menu system, this port really doesn’t do this classic game justice.” They eventually patched it, and now the game can be played in its original beautiful & sharp pixels.
Fanbase Accomplishments
Due to the immense popularity of Chrono Trigger, talented fans have felt the need to give something back.
Chrono Trigger Resurrection
This is surely the most impressive and most promising remake ever devised by the fan community. These people were recreating Chrono Trigger in 3D! The graphics are gorgeous, even better than most Xbox games. This project began in early 2004 until September 2006 when Square Enix shut down the project with a cease & desist letter. Disappointing, huh? They even established the battle engine. Their trailer is on YouTube if you want to awe at how awesome this project was. Evidently, their trailer going viral is probably what caught Square Enix's attention to shut down it down. Check out their homepage if you want to learn some more about it.
Chrono Trigger Coliseum
Did you enjoy the coliseum in Final Fantasy 6? Released October 25, 2005, a patch was made that adds one to Chrono Trigger in 2300 AD. Something like this has never been done. It's one of the most major and significant feats of the classic gaming fanbase. You can download the patch at the link provided, or in my Downloads section.
Chrono Symphonic
Talented musicians who had immensely enjoyed the Chrono Trigger soundtrack had remade it into symphonic melodies. It's as if the soundtrack was prepared for a Chrono Trigger motion picture! It was very well-made. Except, personally, these songs are too mellow for my taste. They released this soundtrack on January 3, 2006. Check out their homepage to learn more and to download it.
Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes
This isn't some dumb little game made in RPG Maker. It's an extensive hack of SNES Chrono Trigger game. Yes. And it's a whole new game with new adventures and all. Here's the description from its ReadMe:
"Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes is a planned ROM hack sequel to Chrono Trigger that aims to follow the old adventurers on a new journey. Besides providing a fun experience, this project aims to enliven Chrono Trigger ROM hacking by displaying the power and possibilities of the program Temporal Flux, which can edit nearly every aspect of the game."
Intriguing, eh? Click here to view some screenshots from it. The Crimson Echoes beta was released in early 2006. However, it wasn't long until Square-Enix found out, and they gave the project the boot. In early 2011, a near-finished version of Crimson Echoes was leaked out onto the Internet. Another group grabbed the torch and continued work on the game where the previous group left off, fixing bugs and such. They renamed it to Flames of Eternity. You can download Flames of Eternity from my Downloads section.
Chrono Trigger Retranslation
The Chrono Trigger fan retranslation gives us a chance to experience Chrono Trigger the way it was meant to be. It's properly translated and 100% uncut and uncensored. Finally, we have a clearer portrayal of Chrono Trigger as intended by its Japanese creators (no thanks to Nintendo's strict censorship standards). It was released on September 28, 2007. You can download this patch from my Downloads section.
Chrono Trigger: Prophet's Guile
Like Crimson Echoes, this is another extensive hack of Chrono Trigger. It's a whole new game with new adventures and all. Here's the description from its ReadMe:
"Chrono Trigger: Prophet’s Guile is a fan game following the story of Magus’s rise to power in the Kingdom of Zeal after arriving in 12000 B.C. thanks to the distortion at his lair. In his bid to stop Lavos at the Ocean Palace, Magus must gain the trust of Queen Zeal and abolish all opposition. It’s about two regular Chrono Trigger chapters long, and full of surprises."
Awesome, huh? It was released on December 25, 2007. However, this game is much shorter than Crimson Echoes; expect this to be a 'quickie'. Click here to view some screenshots. You can download this patch from my Downloads section.
Prelude Story
Living in the seemingly peaceful kingdom of Guardia in 1000 A.D., the child Crono was chosen by guardian spirits to save the world from ultimate devastation. Though Doomsday will not happen until the year 1999, the ancient seeds of destruction were planted long ago by the evil Lavos. Your mission in the world of Chrono Trigger is to travel back and forth through time to change the course of history, 
and stop Lavos from succeeding in his dark plan. On your journey, you will battle monsters and meet many people in both the past and the future. Some will become your faithful and powerful companions, while others will give you clues by telling you stories. Pay attention to what they say.
The Storyline
The main character, Crono, awakens to a new day and goes to a fair. While there, he bumps into a girl with who he becomes friends with. They see a demonstration of a new invention made by Lucca (Crono's best friend) and her father. During the demonstration, something goes wrong and Marle (the girl) disappears. Lucca repeats the demonstration so Crono can disappear too and try to bring back Marle. What happened was that they were sent back through time. Crono rescues Marle and comes back to his time and finds out that Marle is a princess. He's accused of kidnapping her and is put in jail. He eventually breaks out with Lucca and Marle. The king's guards corner them, leaving the gang no other choice but to use Lucca's invention to send them through time. They end up in the future, and they soon discover the horrible fate of their world. From this point on, they go through several adventures in the past, present, and future trying to prevent this horrible event from happening.
Battle System
Enemies walking around - touching them will enter a battle
Chrono Trigger is a traditional turn-based JRPG with a twist. Battles don't take place in a separate sequence, they take place right where you're walking! Battles are not at random. You see enemies running around ahead of you. And if you're swift enough, you could run past them. Getting touched by an enemy enters a JRPG battle. Oftentimes, enemies surprise you with an ambush into a battle.
Sample of a dual combo attack
Characters learn special attacks, special abilities, and magic. Although you don't start the game with magic. You're given the gift of magic when you reach the End of Time (around 20% into the game). Chrono Trigger's highlight feature is the combination attacks. Certain special attacks and magic spells can be combined for an awesome combo attack. Characters learn combo attacks automatically as you continue using them together in battle. There are two-character combo attacks and triple-character combo attacks. Some of the strongest attacks in the game are those triple-character attacks!
Tips and Strategy
If you want the game to be easy, then stick with Marle because she's great for healing. I think the best group of characters is Crono, Marle, and Lucca. Marle and Lucca learn the most powerful Tech, the Double Tech "Antipode 3." Magic and physical attacks are very balanced in Chrono Trigger. Magic can be strong, but can also be weak because many enemies are strong against certain elements. Physical attacks will always be there for you to do average damage on enemies. Towards the end of the game, you may need to level up before some boss battles. As with any other RPG, make sure to always have sufficient supplies and save regularly. Going through the Black Omen is the best way to level up before the final battle with Lavos.
My Opinion
Chrono Trigger is one of those games that needs no introduction. It's so popular and so good that it's brought up in gaming communities practically daily. It's especially evident with all the fanbase accomplishments listed above. Not even Final Fantasy 6 gets that much present-day attention (although I wish it would).
Chrono Trigger is truly one of the greatest RPGs ever made. It's the all-time favorite RPG of many gaming fans. The storyline, graphics, battle system, animation, soundtrack - everything about the game is excellent. When Chrono Trigger came out, wow, RPG fans felt as if they didn't need any more RPGs, that Chrono Trigger was it, the RPG to end RPGs. Chrono Trigger even has a drag queen, lol. His picture is right there to the right. So yeah, Chrono Trigger is just one of those games that make people say "It's a freakin masterpiece, enough said."
