#03 - N-Europe: Let's Talk Games (Chrono Trigger)

And now for something completely different,

a timeless classic with an emphasis on time:

Grade: 0/100

Put those backs in them memorable quotes fellers!

Greatest JRPG ever

/thread ; nothing more needs to be said (if it does i'll repost)

Europe not getting this game originally was the single biggest travesty of the 16 bit era!

I first played this game in 2006 and it instantly became my favourite RPG of all time (and even to this day, Xenoblade is the only other RPG that I feel comfortable in putting on that same level... Strangely enough, despite representing almost the exact opposite approach in its design!)

It's disgustingly loveable! Every character is utterly developed, every piece of music is a masterpiece, it's perfectly paced (short and incredibly sweet), immensely replayable (and that's before we get into the FIFTEEN DIFFERENT ENDINGS!!! ) and stupendously fun to play, with a crazy battle system that constantly throws surprises and new concepts at you right up until the very end and even beyond! (Chrono Trigger speed runs are just ridiculously awesome and insane to watch!)

As an aside, I don't like the DS version for what it did to the script (how could they remove Frog's faux Shakespearean accent WHY WOULD YOU DOOOO THAT!?) or the addition of crappy, pointless and needless extra content that doesn't come even close to matching up in quality with the rest of the game). The extra anime cutscenes are also take them or leave them; they don't add or take anything away from the game, they're just there Get it on the SNES/Wii VC for the true CT experience!

So yeah. 100/100. A superlative game that has, forever shall and has even superceded, the test of time. It is the RPG that all other RPGs are measured by and probably will be for as long as time itself!

you know i never bought the DS version....i'm wondering if i should...if it were on the WiiU/3DS virtual console i would...this thread has acted in the same way mentioning Deus Ex does (when its mentioned someone reinstalls it and plays it) i want to replay it again soon..ebay time!

Also @Dcubed pretty much summed it up perfectly, its got the balance perfectly right, for me it holdsa special place in my heart due to the character design by Akira Toriyama, who's work i've always loved immensely

The greatest game I've never played.

Keep posting those views.

I've always wanted a remake of this! The time travelling and that nostalgic 90s feeling...

Got to the future. Chased some rats, tried to put a code in a machine...and ended up in a room 'far away' (hint).

I remember that grinding was what I needed to do to progress. And I hate grinding :-( enjoyed what I played though.

May finish it when I'm in an old folks home. The future sections will probably be eerily truthful by then.

Had a beautiful atmosphere though. And the music was immense.

	Audio

This was the game that made me find a SNES emulator back in... 2004, maybe? It was a long time ago. I had recently gotten into checking out online videogaming communities, and there was one name that kept popping up: Chrono Trigger.

After a friend introduced me to emulators, I made a point of finding a SNES one to play it. But since I didn't even have my own computer at the time, I decided I would explore this "pseudo-SNES" at an old, mostly unused computer at my dad's office (Windows 98!). Man, memories.

	Audio

Anyway, the game itself did not disappoint. There's plenty to like, here.

So, the first thing I noticed is that this game avoids traditional JRPG conventions in unexpected places. There's no random battles, the world map is simple and to the point, and you can still move while talking with NPCs! And you move so quickly, too.

Expanding on that encounter system: it's brilliant. It's not just a lack of random battles, it's a case of pre-set battles in each dungeon/location. Some of them you can avoid, others ambush you, others are part of a trap... and then you have a battle on the spot. No perspective change, no "Fwooosh!", just a battle, right there and then. It's all so seamless and natural, it's so good to never be interrupted by those "hiccups".

The game's plot seemed to be unimpressive at first, nothing that Doctor Who couldn't give us... until you reach the Trial. You, the player, will be held accountable for everything (Link would've been crucified, here).

Soon enough, you'll see a boss that works like a puzzle of sorts... And it's the first of many great bosses that make you think. You aren't just whittling down their HP, you actually have to pay attention to do so! Many RPGs will have a couple of bosses that work like this, but Chrono Trigger makes it the norm.

	Audio

As the game progresses, you find yourself entranced with the main plot. The future is in ruins due to unspeakable horrors wrought by an ancient curse, the middle ages are ruled by evil wizards, cavemen go to war with dinosaurs, and that mysterious "End of Time"... And all of it comes together better than you'd expect.

Near the end, we're treated with several sidequests that tie the loose ends together (while resolving several of the core cast's personal stories) and the thing is, we do care at that point.

And the different endings exist because... You can choose to fight the final boss at any point. That's pretty ingenious, an option that very few games offer. And as a result, you can just leave the plot... sort of half-resolved (leading to some silly stuff). It's so odd, and yet... also makes sense

(Though this only becomes a real option if you grind or use NewGame+, the option really is there)

What I'm trying to say is that Chrono Trigger might be the most immersive RPG I've played. No random battles, you can leave conversations at any point, bosses are genuinely challenging, you choose when and how to fight the final boss, you can actually fail sidequests, and even leave main plot points unresolved... Basically, it never really feels like you're on a pre-set path: it's your journey, your decisions.

All of this makes a game that has aged incredibly well. It does things that games nowadays still don't do, and it has such a great atmosphere, at no point does it feel dated (unless you dislike 16-bit graphics or something).

Graphically, it pretty much hits every spot. There is plenty of great 16-bit scenery, colour diversity, expressive sprites, fluid movements, and character design by Akira Toriyama (Trunks? No, that's Crono. No, Lucca is not Bulma, either).

And the music... if you haven't been hearing the music I've been leaving in this review, you're doing yourself a disservice. This soundtrack is amazing, and a fan-favourite for very good reason. It's probably the best OST that Yasunori Mitsuda made, and Nobuo Uematsu was helping.

	Audio

All of it considered, it is with this cheery "I-swear-it's-not-a-RickRoll" track that I give this brilliant game a

10/10

Wow. What a coincidence. I was only in the Wii shop channel during the week and nearly bought this then backed out and searched Ebay for the DS version. I must get it, I've been meaning to ever since it went on VC. I'm well aware of it's huge praise and lofty status amongst the Gods of SNES games. Unfortunately as ye well know this was never released on this side of the pond back in the day.

So I had to make do with Secret Of Mana. Still have it, though the map is now missing, must search the attic. Pure awesome sauce. What a masterpiece. By all accounts Chrono Trigger is even better. How is that even possible? Secret Of Evermore was good too but nowhere near Secret Of Mana. It's in my Top 20 of all time.

Chrono Trigger has to be up there with my favorite RPGs of all time. It would be my favorite SNES RPG but that belongs to Final Fantasy 6. Chrono Trigger certainly runs it bloody close though.

Before I rave on I guess I should say. I only played this game a couple of years ago now. With it not being released in Europe until fairly recently. Even if it was at the time I doubt I'd of bought it for my SNES. I only really played Mario, Street Fighter and Goof Troop in my initial outing with the system. Being such a young tyke.

I feel Chrono Trigger appealed to me when I heard of it's existence. (Back when the internet was in it's baby stages.) Was that it combined two things that I liked the most as a young teenager. RPG's and Dragonball Z. Well with the art style used anyway. The game looked very pretty.

A few things stand out while playing the game. The battle system was interesting. Different character combos would give you different combo attacks. Which I thought was very clever and made you think about which characters you wanted to use in battle.

This game also has some very memorable music. The one that stands out to me is Frogs Theme. On the subject of Frog he's by far my favorite character in this game. The guy splits open a cliff with his sword at one point.

Time Travel and having multiple endings was probably the most interesting aspect of this game. Though many endings can't be seen till you have new game+. So I see them more as bonus endings that you can hunt down. It's not like other games in the future that end differently depending on decisions you've made on your journey. Still a great addition though.

9/10: Classic

I've never played this through to completion. I went through the first few hours a couple of weeks ago and damn, it's very good.

One day.

One day...

Well seeing as I've reviewed the game, it seems almost wrong not to...

Enjoy!

Points: 900

Publisher: Square-Enix

Developer: Squaresoft

Released: 1995

System: SNES

While here in Europe we have been graced with a DS remake of Chrono Trigger in recent years, when it comes to the original we've never actually had the pleasure of playing this wondrous game owing to its release only in Japan and USA; until now that is. Yes the game that is considered by many to be not only one of the best SNES games ever made but also one of the greatest RPG's of all time is now available in its original form for the first time in Europe and it's all thanks to the Virtual Console along with Square-Enix finally seeing fit to release it.

After all these years I'm sure that many of you are wondering just how good the game is, assuming of course you haven't imported the game by now – which I did myself a few years back – well let me state right now that it is quite honestly one of the finest and more importantly most memorable RPG's that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There's just so much to love from the fantastic cast of characters, lavish locations, tightly scripted story and much more besides that all comes together in a uniquely charming way.

Breaking it down your party travel across a world map but unlike Final Fantasy there are no random encounters as these are saved for when you enter each area and though it's undeniable that time travel plays a prominent part in the game it's the battles themselves that really make the adventure. Utilising the ATB (Active-Time-Battle) system as a base there are some notable improvements namely the ability to use Techs which are specific moves that can do epic amounts of damage to enemies, these can be combined across party members for double and triple attacks which you'll be using a lot as there are some particularly fierce battles later on.

Many games within the genre are guilty of including random encounters at alarmingly annoying rates but here you can actually see the enemies before either battling them or choosing to avoid some; this is most refreshing also there isn't a huge amount of grinding needed, only if you so choose to which also speeds things along. Not that you'd want to rush through of course because you'll want to get strong to a point plus there's plenty to discover in the games vast world throughout the various time-zones plus thirteen different endings that are obtainable; this is an epic in the truest sense of the word.

From a visual standpoint Chrono Trigger is easily one of the most beautifully crafted games of its generation featuring a lavish amount of detail accompanied by colours so rich and vibrant that they make the world believable, taking it from being just 'another RPG' to an experience like no other. But of course this would still be all for nought if the music wasn't up to scratch but thankfully this never even enters your head for the aural accompaniments are astounding and the score - composed mainly by Yasunori Mitsuda along with Nobuo Uematsu – is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece which becomes the heart and soul of this unforgettable adventure.

Quite simply this is one of the most memorable RPG's you are ever likely to play on any console and for that reason alone it comes highly recommended, it's so well polished in all the areas you'd expect but also manages to surprise and delight in ways that you wouldn't have thought previously possible. This title is responsible for raising the bar within its genre far beyond reach of any who try to imitate it and remains testament to its excellence to this very day; if you've yet to play this then you should consider yourself fortunate that there is an experience so spectacular just waiting for you to download and enjoy, don't even consider the price-tag for the feeling of reward gained from playing is priceless.

Verdict : A truly terrific and timeless classic.

97/100

@Fused King: May I suggest making the next thread in this series in the General Gaming board? We could see more members posting (like Rummy, who I thought would say something regarding Sunshine).

@Blue Rogue: Welcome to the forums I can see from your name and avatar that you're a man of good videogaming taste Hope to see you around more.

I remember that grinding was what I needed to do to progress.

Really? I never thought that. Usually, some decent strategy is enough to get you through the game.

I'm not much of a RPG guy but i wanted to play this to see what all the fuss was about. I played it on the DS, and while I haven't played enough RPGs to say it's the best RPG ever, I can see why a lot of people say it is, it's very, very good.

It really was an ideal RPG for me, not too long, not too grindy, great story and characters, and no random battles.

I'm not really one to pay a lot of attention to game music either, but Chrono Trigger really stands out in that department with some really memorable music.

It's hard to think of anything bad about it really.

Well, this thread drowned quickly.

DAT investor meeting news!

Anyway, my thoughts:

Fond memories, veeeeeeeeery fond memories!

I played this for the very first time on the DS lite after having heard so many good things about it and because I had a craving for a good, long, JRPG.

It did not dissapoint.

From a music standpoint alone this game has provided me with countless hours of looking up remixes of its tracks, downloading the original tracks and even buying the official remix CD entitled 'The Brink of Time' presented to us by Yasunori Mitsuda. For that I am very grateful.

Through this game I also rediscovered that I really am a big fan of time-travel games, especially when it spans multiple times such as in The Day of the Tentacle and not just one á la Ocarina of Time.

Really great to see all the different ways you could impact the different times with certain (side)quests and the like.

I also immensly enjoyed the multiple twists and the fact that every time had its own dilemma and interesting characters. The brilliancy of having you partner up with characters from all these time periods was another treat

Favourite character has to be Frog. His story was quite interesting if I recall correctly.

I also remember it being quite hard at certain points (maybe because I played it on hard of that's at all possible) and I got stuck on more than 1 occasion. Certain boss battles do spring to mind, but can't quite visually recall them.

Presentation/atmosphere wise it is absolutely perfect in a lot of ways.

95/100, A Timeless Time Traveler

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I have to cut it short unfortunately, but I will update this post with the average scores and memorable quotes later on.

The next thread will be in the General Gaming Boards

Sorry @Fused King I haven't played this one so couldn't comment. I think a SNES RPG is gonna have a smaller audience on here.

I also remember it being quite hard at certain points (maybe because I played it on hard of that's at all possible) and I got stuck on more than 1 occasion. Certain boss battles do spring to mind, but can't quite visually recall them.

You mean THESE guys?!

Seriously... thanks to my save file situation I essentially had to start over which has meant that I've never finished it.

I'm sure guys like Sheikah would've posted a review on an RPG. Maybe they will retroactively do so once they notice this series is going on.

The pinnacle of JRPGs.

Mandatory:

I downloaded this straight after my last comment. Now it's just a matter of playing it. I know it's going to be great. I compare it to an expensive bottle of wine being saved for a special occasion but once it's consumed that's it. It's like Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, still saving it. I've played all the other Paper Marios and they're brilliant.

It's like Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, still saving it. I've played all the other Paper Marios and they're brilliant.

Oh boy, savour that experience my friend, savour it.

One of my favourite games of all time

Through this game I also rediscovered that I really am a big fan of time-travel games, especially when it spans multiple times such as in The Day of the Tentacle and not just one á la Ocarina of Time.

It's true. Time travel just makes everything better.

No really. Name anything in existence and add time travel onto it; it is now officially better! (Only Fools and Horses + time travel = era hopping antique scamming gone wrong!) (toast + time travel = moldy burnt bread that has spawned life and enslaved humanity)

Average Score

96.4

Criminally low.

I'm sure guys like Sheikah would've posted a review on an RPG. Maybe they will retroactively do so once they notice this series is going on.

Hell yeah. Sorry I'm late to the party.

This is the best game on the SNES, without doubt. Although my favourite ever game/RPG is FFVIII (probably more due to the time at which I played it - life was sweet), CT is easily a close second. Well, Majora's Mask is in that top list somewhere too.

This game took the Final Fantasy archetype and scrunched up random battles, made the characters rather non-serious and made the story far more interesting/makes you give a shit than previous RPGs. And it had the best soundtrack to a game yet. People are still remixing this shit to the day.

In many ways, you can look at FF6 and see a lot of precursor to CT in terms of visual style and general modernising of the genre. But CT perfected this and made it really fun. You can play a game like FF5, or those before them, and the games actually feel old. But you can play CT now, and because it does so much right it doesn't feel old at all.

Time travel/manipulation is always a risky plot device but it works really well here, and it makes you feel genuinely sad to be visiting the different timelines, assisting the common people and piecing together the story of how everything went to pot. But at the same time you feel empowered - you have the ability to change the future! The game is also full of epic moments that are totally unforgetable. Dat Magus twist, the fall of the 'comet', the discovery on that fateful computer terminal in the future. This was truly great stuff.

It's a real shame that Chrono Cross never made it to these shores because it's actually a really, really good game, and has a deep story that is just as sad and endearing. Anyone with a PS3 can setup a US account to get it. It's totally worth it.

CT deserves nothing less than a 10 (or 100). It's one of the best games ever made, so the scale would make no sense if it didn't sit at the top.