Chrono Trigger Review

By Simon Parkin Published 28 November, 2008

If I could turn back time.

Version tested: DS

Is the chance to play with time gaming's greatest gift to players? It's something no other entertainment medium offers and yet, when we rewind the last ten seconds of Prince of Persia, un-jumping a mistimed leap, it's the most natural thing in the world. In Race Driver GRID, a 150mph collision can be undone in an instant, fenders uncrumpling, engine rebuilding, broken faces rearranged with the squeeze of a trigger. In Braid, time can be inched forward and back, millisecond adjustments that solve four-dimensional puzzles impossible to experience outside of a videogame. And yet, with all this power - the power of a time lord, the power that inventors have hungered for throughout history - all we seem to use it for is fixing our petty mistakes.

Chrono Trigger's time-manipulation has a higher purpose. Here you hold in your hands a seismic force, one whose mastery can bring about wars or avert them, can wipe out entire lineages or birth them, can right the wrongs (or wrong the rights) of generations. It's a power that gives rise to new futures. In this world, a trivial act of kindness 600 years in the past changes the landscape of the present immeasurably, and you can be there to see it happen. And yet time travel is just the first of a hundred different ideas that make Chrono Trigger the greatest Japanese RPG ever made.

Released toward the end of the genre's golden age on the Super Nintendo, Chrono Trigger brought together Square's "Dream Team" of Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy, and Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon Quest, flanked by stars such as renowned anime artist Akira Toriyama and composer Nobuo Uematsu. Together they set to work on a JRPG that, in many ways, is nothing like a JRPG.

'Chrono Trigger' Screenshot 1

One of the most controversial changes in the new translation of the game is the removal of Frog's olde world accent. Traditionalists argue that, as the mediaeval knight's accent was never present in the Japanese original, this latest version is the purest, but we still miss it a little bit.

To begin with, the team kicked away the genre crutches that so rile its haters. Gone are the random battles, the tedious level grinding and the drawn-out battle animations. In their place, a breezy kind of combat, closer to Link than Cloud. Now you're free to visit the final boss at almost any point, ending the game whenever you're ready to be rewarded with one of fourteen different endings. Gone is the tedious, overblown storytelling, replaced by a tale told in the straightforward vocabulary of a classic children's book. The game's dialogue is universally accessible, its themes universally understood, its fantasy grounded in that truth that makes a good story a classic one.

The game opens in 1000 AD, introducing players to Crono (so named because removing the 'h' freed up much-needed cartridge space in the SNES original, although you can now rename him). Crono's best friend, science nerd girl Lucca, has invented a teleporter that, when tested for the first time, turns out to be a time machine. The duo travel back and forth between seven periods, building a ragtag team of friends drawn from as far back as 65 Million BC all the way forward to a post-apocalyptic 2300 AD. Together they fix the mistakes of the past, watching as their butterfly wing actions turn history-making tornadoes across the millennia.

'Chrono Trigger' Screenshot 2

While all of the bonus content from the PlayStation port is included in this version of the game, the crippling slowdown has been removed, making this DS version the definitive Chrono Trigger release.

The game world is small in terms of geography, so exploration is carried out in time rather than in space, a fascinating shift for a genre normally obsessed with travel. The themes of cause and effect characterise not only the main quest but also the side missions. For example, in Crono's time period, a greedy and foolish mayor runs the bustling port of Porre. Travel back in time and you can speak to one of his ancestral mothers. During this encounter you're given the option to give her an item for free. Do so and she vows to always bring up her children to believe in kindness and generosity. When you next return to Porre you'll find the mayor is now a charitable man, and his port is far more valuable than it was before. This wide-angle examination of cause and effect, always videogaming's primary theme, is mesmerising, even if it is sometimes over-simplistic and, necessarily, idealistic.

But that's not to say the game's too worthy. In one memorable scene early on, Crono stands trial for crimes you're sure you never committed. During the trial, the prosecution shows footage of your actions earlier in the game, running from stall to stall at a bustling fair, 'stealing' goods from trestle tables. It's the game poking fun at your habit of clicking on everything; an excellent and surprising joke that not only ridicules the JRPG conventions its makers helped establish, but foreshadows the game's wider themes in a lighthearted way.

The removal of the JRPG's traditional fussiness is best exemplified by the battle system. Whenever Crono encounters an enemy on-screen his party springs into formation and the battle is underway. There's no protracted transition screen or stentorian fanfare. The active battle system ensures that combat is fast-paced and interesting, and the 'techs', special moves that work in a range of different ways for different characters, provide just enough depth and strategy to make the system interesting over the long haul.

The game's narrative strength, and the impact of its more poetic moments, is heightened by one of gaming's best-loved soundtracks. Yasunori Mitsuda, a young composer at Square hired three years previous to Chrono Trigger's development, was so desperate for a project to call his own that he gave Sakaguchi an ultimatum: give me a game to score or fire me. Under the watchful eye of Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu (who penned a few of the game's melodies himself), Mitsuda worked so hard on the soundtrack that he made himself physically sick, a dedication of effort that's comes through in the texture and nuance of the work.

'Chrono Trigger' Screenshot 3

A useful 'Endings' tab in the enhanced menu screen lets you collect and watch all of the game's different endings. After each completion you can opt to start again with a New Game +, keeping hold of all of your hard-won stats.

So to the technical aspects of Chrono Trigger's port to DS. There are two modes: DS and Classic. The former places all of the menu options and a map on the touch-screen, clearing the game visuals of clutter, while the latter presents the original layout on a single screen. Many of the PlayStation port's additional features have been bundled in, including a bestiary, all-new anime-style cut-scenes, a music player and a treasure guide. There are a few new items and some new quest areas. These vary in quality but, without exception, fall short of the inventiveness of the original's missions. Finally, there's a new ending that attempts to tie the story of Chrono Trigger and its inferior PlayStation sequel, Chrono Cross, closer together. The additions are almost all welcome, but almost all unnecessary, save perhaps for the reworked translation that irons out some of the foibles of Ted Woolsey's original work.

The problem with remakes and ports for the critic, especially those of old beloved games, is emotional baggage. It's difficult to give a cold, measured critique of something you've loved since childhood. How can you give an objective appraisal when every time you hear the game's start-up melody your mind soaks happy in memories of warm endless school holidays, and that delicious, pure, all-encompassing escapism unique to children who play videogames? This game's story is also a part of my story, so it's impossible to get much distance between the two.

But for fans of the original game, there is no risk in coming to reassess those long-held opinions. Chrono Trigger is a masterclass in RPG design, its execution so far beyond the quality and poise of contemporary JRPGs it's embarrassing. It represents the work of a company at the very top of its field, a team of designers so confident with the rules that they helped establish that they felt free to subvert and invert them to glorious effect. While this is a game presented in simple 2D sprites and count-the-frames animations, its underlying maturity and creativity is somehow all the more potent for it. And in this DS update, everyone has the chance to turn back the clock to see how, in many ways, the Japanese RPG's brightest future still lies in its past.

10 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A regular contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, his work has also appeared in Edge, The Telegraph, Gamasutra and Boing Boing.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (88) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #1 3 years ago

    A definite must have then. Not that I had any doubts. I guess it really pays off now having never really played this.

  • Canyarion #2 3 years ago

    Hm... I probably owe it to myself as a gamer to finally play this... Maybe I can convince my brother to get it. ;)

  • andywilkie35 #3 3 years ago

    I'm absolutely all over this, can't wait

  • Les #4 3 years ago

    Never played it. Might get this after I've finished M&L Superstar Saga 1 & 2 first.

  • JetSetWilly #5 3 years ago

    I'll have some of that.

  • JinTypeNoir #6 3 years ago

    While the review does a good job of spelling out how good Chrono Trigger and that it's design still holds up today, I don't think its quite accurate to say Chrono Trigger is better designed than modern RPGs. A lot of people do like it as the best RPG ever, but you know, keep your expectations in check and all. Better to keep them realistic and enjoy Chrono Trigger than going in with some idea that it beats all modern RPGs to shame, which really isn't the case.

  • FirewalkR #7 3 years ago

    I played this for the first time 2 years ago I think (emulated). At the time I was in awe thinking: how can a 10 year old game still be SO GOOD? Best JRPG ever, easily, and one of the best games ever.

  • Kingofnothin #8 3 years ago

    Can't wait to play this again, brilliant game an absolute RPG masterclass!

  • DUFFMAN5 #9 3 years ago

    A good introduction to jrpg's ?
    It is a genre I would like to get into and the ds seems a great starting point. So what do you guys think please.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #10 3 years ago

    Gone are the random battles, the tedious level grinding and the drawn-out battle animations.

    Heavens. I might actually give this a try, then.

  • ZuluHero #11 3 years ago

    I love this game so much im tempted to go out and buy a DS for it :p

    Easily in my top 5 games of all time (no pun intended).

  • Snidesworth #12 3 years ago

    This is one of the few jRPGs with a battle system that does not cause me to shudder in revulsion when I think about it. It's quick, fun and has enough depth to remain interesting. The rest of the game is equally wonderful, especially the music.

  • JinTypeNoir #13 3 years ago

    A good introduction to jrpg's ?
    It is a genre I would like to get into and the ds seems a great starting point. So what do you guys think please.

    It's an excellent introduction. Easy to understand and play, a nice balanced difficulty level and of top notch quality through and through. If you play this, you should be able to jump into other games quite easily as well. Chrono Trigger would teach you a lot about how the genre generally works.

  • InsoFox #14 3 years ago

    I absolutely agree that this is the pinnacle of JRPG design so far. Most modern ones don't even hold a candle. I'm mystified as to why other JRPGs didn't copy the example of Chrono Trigger like hell.

    Duffman - this was the first JRPG I was able to really enjoy. I say give it a shot, but you may be disappointed if you find that no other JRPG you play afterwards can quite match up to it.

  • DUFFMAN5 #15 3 years ago

    Thank you chaps. I will buy it.

  • ChrisTop #16 3 years ago

    I only want to say that I really liked the last paragraph.

    (yay! news spamming!)

  • The_Inquisitor #17 3 years ago

    Loved Chrono Cross but didn't finish it, I played the original too but only as part of the US Final Fantasy chronicles and as such, I didn't finish it either. I may have to get this down the line.

  • Ceatlan #18 3 years ago

    Will this be released over here ?

    I know it's probably region free and I could order from abroad. However once I decide I'm going to purchase something I'm not particularly good at waiting to get it, especially if delivery is further away than tomorrow, so would like the opportunity to pick it from a shop if I want.

  • thewolfiv #19 3 years ago

    can i install the (original snes) rom on my wii?
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 12:05

  • RedPanda #20 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • Evolution #21 3 years ago

    So Frog just speaks like a normal person? Pfft, how boring.

  • DB2k #22 3 years ago

    Can someone who hasn't played it before post a paragraph please? I don't want to get it and find out I hate it and that the reviewer is a bit of rose tinted spec action overload.

  • Kazzahdrane #23 3 years ago

    Shame they got rid of Frog's dialect, that was quite charming. Played this via emulation years ago but never actually beat the game, so quite fancy importing this and having something to play on the train to the parents for Xmas. Given that there's no multiplayer functionality of any kind I don't see much point waiting for the EU release.

  • Muddtallica #24 3 years ago

    A well-deserved score; I am by no stretch of the imagination a JRPG fan, but I consider this hands-down one of the best games ever made, for all the reasons highlighted in this review. I am absolutely picking this one up...it'll be nice to own the game legally for the first time ever. :)

  • FirewalkR #25 3 years ago

    This might not be the best introduction to jrpgs because it will spoil other games for you. After Chrono Trigger, it's all downhill!!

  • bef #26 3 years ago

    Beautiful text!

    And on a related note: it's a shame how videogame journalism is still in such a state that this here site is the only online place were you can find eloquent, thorough articles.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 12:26

  • neilka #27 3 years ago

    There's no release date for Europe yet, so importing is your best bet.

  • Krelle #28 3 years ago

    I know there are a few of us that think Chrono Cross is better than Trigger. Reveal youselfs :)
    They are both 10s in my book, but if I had to choose one, id choose Cross (maybe becouse i played that first, i dunno)

    Other games on my best jrpg of all time would include
    Xenogears
    Vagrant Story
    Suikoden 2

    I cant really agree with that Trigger was/is the pinnacle of jrpg's. Id say the PSX and its era is still the best the genre has to offer, with SuperFamicon on second place.

  • Cadence #29 3 years ago

    When is this coming out in the UK??

  • InsoFox #30 3 years ago

    DB2k - I can't say I'm new to it, but put it this way:

    When I played this game it had already been out for years, I was playing it on an emulator because it had never even come out in this country. I wasn't a JRPG fan in particular, but I'd heard this was a good one. It's still one of my favourite games ever. I'm not getting this game because of nostalgia - I missed it first time round and my first play through was only a few years ago. I'm getting it because I loved it when I played it and I want to finally own a legit copy.

  • Krelle #31 3 years ago

    @DB2k:

    I understand your worries, dude. But you could, sort of, compare this to A Link to the Past and Super Mario World.
    Would you still appreciate those 2 games if you had never played them before? Hands down, Yes would be most ppls answer.

    If you have any interest in rpgs, you wont be dissapointed.

  • Floppy #32 3 years ago

    I never got to buy this on import all those years ago, and an original SNES cart is still expensive on eBay. I 'demoed' (*ahem*) this game the other day, and within minutes I'd ordered it from my trusty importer; as I can't wait for the 2009 UK release. I got stung in the '90s for the non-existant UK release, so was taking no chances of it happening again.

    One in the eye for those who think 'dodgy carts' are just for pirates. 'Demoing' led to a hard-cash sale Mr Nintendo! The DS is the only platform that doesn't offer demo downloads, and that has always annoyed me.

  • neilka #33 3 years ago

    The DS does offer demo downloads via the Nintendo Channel on the Wii.

  • leftlion #34 3 years ago

    I know the article says you can go to the end boss when ever you want to, but can someone give me an indication of how long this game would take to complete if playing it properly? I'm not sure i have enough time to invest in something that takes a long long time to finish.

  • gamotakon #35 3 years ago

    Sounds great! What about a PSP version, Squenix?

  • illusiondance #36 3 years ago

    like a suprising number of people here i never had the chance to play this beauty, so roll on euro release.
    hopefully wont have to wait another 15 years...

  • JinTypeNoir #37 3 years ago

    @Krelle

    Me! Well, not better, I just consider Cross and Trigger equal. Cross's story has a few points that are tragic in a way Trigger never is, but the ending is still a little muddled, so I consider them equal. As for games as good or better than Trigger, my list would be:

    Shin Megami Tensei III
    Seiken Densetsu 3
    Dragon Quest VI
    Moon
    Valkyrie Profile
    Vagrant Story
    Persona 2: Innocent Sin/Eternal Punishment
    Dark Chronicle
    Persona 4
    Front Mission 5
    Phantom Brave
    Suikoden III
    The Legend of Heroes VI Trilogy
    Shiren the Wanderer
    Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song
    Venus & Braves

    A small list, but Chrono Trigger IS that good.

  • SpaceDan #38 3 years ago

    The game opens in 1000 AD, introducing players to Crono (so named because removing the 'h' freed up much-needed cartridge space in the SNES original, although you can now rename him).

    That's a joke right?

  • goz #39 3 years ago

    SpaceDan: No that's true. Shortening the English names of characters and items was common practioce for translators in the 8- and 16-bit era as cart space was at such a premium.

    Japanese kanji allow much longer sentences to be expressed in far fewer characters than English, hence the discrepency between the two language versions.

    Obviously with this DS version, cart space is no longer an issue but, as default, Square decided to keep the name as Crono, for old time's sake I presume.

  • JinTypeNoir #40 3 years ago

    Err, I don't think the length of Japanese is the difference in programming (otherwise English to Japanese translated books wouldn't 9 times out of 10 have more pages than the originals, even with increased page density). I always thought that the way old games were programmed was that programmers could simply stick each of the symbols in code and then call them up for text boxes, but that such was somehow not as feasible for English letters and that was the reason.

  • Zomoniac #41 3 years ago

    Does it have turn-based battles?

    Does it have random battles?

    If I get a no to both these I shall order it now.

  • ZuluHero #42 3 years ago

    kind of

    and no. You see the monsters roaming around in the game world.

  • varsas #43 3 years ago

    @Zomoniac:

    From Wikipedia:
    Chrono Trigger's gameplay deviates from that of traditional RPGs in that, rather than appearing in random encounters, many enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemies on a field map initiates a battle that occurs directly on the map rather than on a separate battle screen.[7] This concept had previously been featured in such titles as Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy Adventure, but was uncommon at the time for RPGs outside the action RPG genre.

    ...

    Chrono Trigger uses an Active Time Battle system—a staple of Square's Final Fantasy game series designed by Hiroyuki Itō for Final Fantasy IV—named "Active Time Battle 2.0".[8] Each character can take action in battle once a personal timer dependent on the character's speed statistic counts to zero. Magic and special physical techniques are handled through a system called "Techs". Techs deplete a character's magic points (a numerical meter like hit points), and often have special areas of effect; some spells damage huddled monsters, while others can harm enemies spread in a line. Enemies often change positions during battle, creating opportunities for tactical Tech use. A unique feature of Chrono Trigger's Tech system is that numerous cooperative techniques exist.[7] Each character receives eight personal Techs which can be used in conjunction with others' to create Double and Triple Techs for greater effect. For instance, Crono's sword-spinning Cyclone Tech can be combined with Lucca's Flame Toss to create Fire Whirl. When characters with compatible Techs have enough magic points available to perform their techniques, the game automatically displays the combo as an option.

  • mark1 #44 3 years ago

    Never got the chance to play this on the SNES as I got a playstation instead!
    So I've decided to import it! Yay

    Should fill the VOID that Secret of Mana VC has left.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 13:32

  • Krelle #45 3 years ago

    You got a PSX instead of the Snes? Wow.

    I bought DVD instead of VCR, myself.

  • mark1 #46 3 years ago

    I have a SNES but bought the Playstation in 1995!

  • OrangeGoblin #47 3 years ago

    So where is the best place to import this from then? I promised myself I wouldn't be buying any more games this year, but I'm not sure I can wait...

  • McFly55 #48 3 years ago

    Just ordered it. Dont feel like waiting till "Early 2009"

  • Fixxxer #49 3 years ago

    Completed this on an emulator a couple of years back. I'd probably have given it an 8 out of 10 as I thought it lacked any real emotional impact. Still, the fact I did complete it should be recommendation enough.

  • mark1 #50 3 years ago

    @orange goblin I'm importing mine from yesasia as I don't really know of any other importers. Cost me just over £30 with the cheapest delivery option.

  • Rezident #51 3 years ago

    Chrono Trigger is fantastic and I'd love to play this again on my DS. But I played the emulated SNES version years ago and I'm not sure if I like the additional anime cutscenes though...

    Contrary to what the review says Chrono Cross is certainly *not* inferior to Chrono Trigger. Where CT is the best JRPG on the SNES, so is CC on the PS1. IGN gave it the highest accolades back in 2000. Contrary to what I expected CC is not a sequel in the literary sense, but a spiritual successor it definitely is.

  • thefold #52 3 years ago

    @McFly55
    You and me both, can't wait for it to arrive! I'll buy it again when it comes out here as well, I wish there were more RPG's as great as this one.

  • step #53 3 years ago

    @ mark1
    "Never got the chance to play this on the SNES as I got a playstation instead!
    So I've decided to import it! Yay"

    So why didn't you just play it on Playstation then? It was a crap port (inventory screen pausing hell!), but it was available.

  • Cid #54 3 years ago

    I'll be buying this when it hits Europe, and I've no doubt it'll be great. But I can't help but think it's one of those games that you had to play at the time to fully appreciate. And in that respect it'll probably end up disappointing me, what with everyone going around saying it's the greatest RPG ever an' all.

    Then again, I didn't play FFVI 'til 2002, and I thought it was immense even then.

  • Daryoon #55 3 years ago

    One of the loveliest things they included was an easily-found rare enemy that gave about 10x the usual magic-experience - just when you needed to level-grind Frog/Ayla so they actually had some techniques to use!

  • Solvalou #56 3 years ago

    Chrono Trigger is cool, but FFVI trounces it. :)

  • drewster #57 3 years ago

    Can we get Chrono Cross on PSN now? No, OK thought not...

  • shogo10 #58 3 years ago

    It is by far one the best games I have ever played and it really is sincerely one of those timeless games which don't age. Even if you hate jprgs you can't hate chrono trigger.

  • kinky_mong #59 3 years ago

    If this comes out during an inevitable game drought next year I will definitely pick it up. I'm not really a JRPG fan but the review points out that this got rid of most of the things that I don't like about them. My DS could do with something to play on it.

  • chub #60 3 years ago

    £26.50 with postage from Video Games Plus.

    Linky

  • Krelle #61 3 years ago

    I recommend play-asia.com (shipping about $3)
    Also heard yesasia is good, but ive never used it myself.

    Read the review now:
    Hmm, while I wont argue with the 10/10, the reviewer seems to try to make "excuses" all the time, saying its not really an rpg at all etc.
    For everyone who never played it and aint very fond of RPGs. It is an rpg! If rpgs aint your thing, dont get this. In the same way i wouldnt reccomend GranTurismo# to anyone who's not a fan of racing games.

    All in all a rather shitty review for a superb game.

  • Tio #62 3 years ago

    Is there any sort of Wi-Fi mutliplayer?, the trailer ( in Japanese ) seems to hint at there being some.

    Just curious realy.

  • Tomo #63 3 years ago

    I'm disappointed they didn't do more with the remake, but having finished it for the first time about a year ago I think I agree with the score.

    It really has aged superbly and the story is excellent as are the characters. Good stuff.

  • Gaol #64 3 years ago

    Import retailers I can vouch for: VG+, NCSX.

    Both fast and reliable.

    This game is ace, and the reviewr is quite right to point out how bad it makes current JRPGs look. I'd argue that the golden era extends to FFVII/Xenogears and the PS1 in general, but it's amazing how stagnant that area of gaming has become. FFXII was a good effort to do something new on the combat side but the story was atrocious.

  • Game_Runner #65 3 years ago

    It deserves a 11/10!

  • DB2k #66 3 years ago

    thanks for comments - I feel a Christmas import coming on

  • kutsurogu #67 3 years ago

    RE: Chrono Cross - myself and Mr. Parkin have always managed to steer clear of this argument whenever we're discussing RPGs, but I love it and he hates it. He's clearly wrong, and therefore shouldn't be allowed to give people his opinions for moneys.

    By which I mean: awesome review, buddy!

  • DarkBytes #68 3 years ago

    maybe

  • Slipstream #69 3 years ago

    I have always said, and will continue to do so...

    Chrono Trigger isTHE BEST game I have ever played, I really rate it that high.
    I first encountered it on a SNES emulation site because it looked somewhat interesting,,,it far exceeded anything I had ever played up to that point, this was in 2001, I would wake up early frequently to play this game.
    To experience the music, the story, the characters, hell the battle system is even great! Watching characters perform their dual or even TRIPPLE techs whilst the epic boss battle music played is an experience awarded only by this game!

    So many years down the line this game can still teach gamers valule lessons as to what a decent game actually is. I needn't tell you to stick with it because I'm pretty damned sure that you will anyway! To those of you that have yet to play Chrono Trigger game, wait for this one, because you will blown away.

    I am absolutley going to purchase a DS for this game!

  • Incredulous_Fish #70 3 years ago

    As someone who has never played Chrono Trigger, this review is absolutely terrible. Why should I be interested? I don't understand where that 10 came from after reading the text.

  • oupe #71 3 years ago

    @Incredulous_Fish

    Because it is one of the best balanced rpg games in history, the game play is very smooth, you're not bothered with difficult upgrade stats and schemes, it's fairly charming to look at, i could go on and on. It's a game that gets almost everything right. (with the exception of catching the rat/cat/whatever thing)

    Still, I liked FFVII better

    /runs

  • dk_rare #72 3 years ago

    One of the most moving reviews I have ever read. Chrono Trigger is our masterpiece, many will agree when I say that Chrono Trigger far surpasses anything the movie industry has ever come up with and it is right up there with the best of them such as Michelangelo in terms of human achievement.

    Sure some people might not understand Chrono Trigger, but it seems fairly clear to me that for a work of art to be truly perfect that some people HAVE to not understand it.

    And to think, some people are young or foolish enough to say that Halo is the best game ever, or that Citizen Kane is somehow the best story ever told (I did enjoy Kane, but nothing will ever immerse you and no story will hold you like Chrono Trigger did the first time you play it.

  • Krelle #73 3 years ago

    @dk_rare: lol, most people wont understand such subtle irony, dude.

  • UltimateWarrior #74 3 years ago

    This is the friendliest, most helpful selection of comments there has been on Eurogamer for some time. RPG fans and handheld gamers are a genuinely nice bunch.

  • Krelle #75 3 years ago

    please, call us Nerds

  • Camorrista #76 3 years ago

    Crono (so named because removing the 'h' freed up much-needed cartridge space in the SNES original[...]

    Cartridge space. XD

  • wonton #77 3 years ago

    I'm not a big fan of JRPGs but it's certainly the best RPG I have ever played.

    Also the second best JRPG I have ever played was Secrets of Mana, which also didn't have random encouters, and fast paced combat (not a 1 minute long summon in sight), no teen angst (yes both protagonists are teens but they are mute, unlike others who yap their faces off, someone rip their tongue out).

    See the pattern, Mr JRPG developer? Since those two games, most JRPGs just makes me annoyed: random encounters, excessive xp grinding, teen angst themes, cliched and uninteresting storylines, even the FFVII steampunk setting was a hell of a lot more interesting than Ivalice's rainbow color fantasy land, etc... Maybe I'm too westernized.
    Edited by 1 at 02/12/08 @ 15:20

  • cafferkey #78 3 years ago

    If like me many moons ago you spent £80 on a just released super nintendo US final fantasy VI cart, than a year later forked out another £90 on the super nintendo US chrono trigger cart than you would be doubly dissapointed.. Firstly because final fantasy VI is a far superior JRPG having the having better characters and script, but also secondly at the same time of purchasing import chrono trigger being able to possibley purchase the also just released yoshis island on japanese... And did'nt..

    Chrono trigger is a definate top squaresoft title but suffers more importantly from some JRPG Cliché...

  • zebedee #79 3 years ago

    "This wide-angle examination of cause and effect, always videogaming's primary theme" /chokes on pipe. You are joking aren't you? Aren't you? Sigh.

  • Scimarad #80 3 years ago

    I'm definitely buying this. I'm currently pretty hooked by the DS version of FF4.

  • EmiliasHorse #81 3 years ago

    Bloody ell.

    "Borrows" wife's DS and goes shopping


    Joy!

  • FenderMaster #82 3 years ago

    i played a rom of it two years ago, and must admit, it never really grabbed me.

    Personally Grandia and FFX are the pinnacle of the RPG genre, but roms neverreally capture the essence of playing on a real onsole, so I might just give this another chance...

  • Cloud-Strife #83 3 years ago

    Just picked it up 2day to see what all the fuss is about and I honestly can't put it down! The score is brilliant too!

  • webcider #84 3 years ago

    Chrono Trigger really suprised me.

    I played it first time on PSP Emulation. And there were lot of glitches and such resulting from poor emulation.
    But man does this game just deliver one of the most satisfied experiences ever. I will like some others declare that Chrono Trigger is the high mark for JRPG games. This game were so ahead of its time. And its just awesome they finally decided to give it another chance althrough sad they don't created a bit more out of it. The game still holds to the test of time.

    Some will agree and disagree. But i was totally moved by game when i played it in 2004 on a poor emulator.
    Would had never imagined Chrono Trigger would be immenseful and deliver such strong memories.

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #85 3 years ago

    Wow nearly 2 full pages and no one wrote; "better than Killzone 2"

  • koji_m #86 3 years ago

    Wow nearly 2 full pages and no one wrote; "better than Killzone 2"

    That "type" of gamers doesn't care about gems like these...

    Going to pick it up myself today, arrived in the shops here in Belgium

  • Gene-ius #87 3 years ago

    Am I the only person who noticed that this review is almost exactly the same as Edge's article on Chrono Trigger in their 100 Greatest Games special edition (page 98)? The language has been dumbed down, but there are too many similarities to ignore. If this is plagiarism, guys, shame on you.

  • Ez3kiel. #88 2 years ago

    This game is awful. Because it's shitty jRPG.