CHRONO TRIGGER (SNES)
The idea of crossover titles has become rather less exciting in recent times, perhaps due to the associated whiff of corporate opportunism, and the oft-hyped, rarely-realised end results. What about a meeting of minds between the creators of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest then? In 1995, some eight years before role-playing kingpins Squaresoft and Enix would merge, key figures from two of Japan’s biggest developers got together to craft an RPG based around time travel. The result, after three years of work, was Chrono Trigger. It proved a stunning endeavour, awash with new ideas, almost all of which would pay off in fine style. Fans who stuck with the Super Nintendo late into its cycle were treated to an absolute classic.
Devised by Final Fantasy producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest’s creator Yuji Horii and legendary artist Akira Toriyama, it’s easy to see why Chrono Trigger was such an exciting prospect for RPG fans. Considering the acclaim it garnered, and the reverence with which it’s treated by fans, it’s something of a miracle the game never saw a European release prior to the DS version in 2009.
Things begin in brisk and buoyant fashion as Crono, your typical, spiky-haired Squaresoft hero, heads to the Millennial Fair, a grand carnival celebrating humankind’s defeat of the Magus some 400 years previous. From the very outset, it’s clear Chrono Trigger isn’t following the herd. There’s no vows of retribution for a village burned, or a loved one murdered. The world is not on the brink of war. In stark contrast, things open in markedly light-hearted circumstances. You’re encouraged to hobnob with townsfolk, see the sights and indulge in the various fairground games. At the fair, Crono meets Tom-boy Princess Nadia (or Marle, as she becomes known), who is eager for adventure and not to be deterred by such uninteresting concepts as decorum. Towards the fringes of the fair, the pair meet up with eccentric inventor Lucca. She encourages them to try out her latest gadget, a time machine, and Crono is just the guinea pig she's been looking for. But here’s the problem: it actually works.
Combat takes place within the field of play, meaning Chrono Trigger is uniquely immersive among 16-bit RPGs
Catapulted back in time, the party eventually encounters a warp point that leads to the so-called End of Time. This becomes the hub of an adventure that spans six different time zones. Prehistoric, dark, and middle ages form the past quotient, whilst the present day is succeeded by the Day of Lavos (the end boss), and the future, which represents the fallout three hundred years on from the apocalyptic day of reckoning. Stopping Lavos becomes the priority, though this is easier said than done, with the party forced to pursue malevolent forces across time in order to prevent the entity’s resurrection.
We’re treated to a non-stop show of RPG ingenuity and innovation. Chrono Trigger ventures a raft of nice ideas that work so harmoniously, it’s a surprise they didn’t becoming more prominent in Squaresoft titles throughout the remainder of the nineties. There are no random battles, nor does combat break from the field of play when combat is instigated. Enemies can be seen on screen as you explore and with a bit of skill, some foes can be avoided entirely, through smart manoeuvring and quick timing. This makes things incredibly immersive, and play is never reduced to a simple trudge through an empty space. Whilst combat seems initially relatively simple, working different members into your three-person party proves rewarding, as fighting together earns pair-specific combination moves.
We’re treated to a non-stop show of RPG ingenuity and innovation. Chrono Trigger ventures a raft of nice ideas that work so harmoniously, it’s a surprise they didn’t becoming more prominent in Squaresoft titles throughout the remainder of the nineties. There are no random battles, nor does combat break from the field of play when combat is instigated. Enemies can be seen on screen as you explore and with a bit of skill, some foes can be avoided entirely, through smart manoeuvring and quick timing. This makes things incredibly immersive, and play is never reduced to a simple trudge through an empty space. Whilst combat seems initially relatively simple, working different members into your three-person party proves rewarding, as fighting together earns pair-specific combination moves.
Little touches help as well. The player can move the text boxes and battle menus between the top and bottom of the screen, so as not to have their view impeded. Talking to people also doesn’t route Crono to the spot. Changes to the party line-up can be accessed straight from the menu; the player doesn’t have to return to the End of Time or a save point with which to swap characters around. Bosses are some of the best to feature in a game of this kind, relying less on brute numbers and more on timing and observation, identifying patterns and weakpoints, and there are some tremendously enjoyable encounters.
Only a slightly lightweight story prevents Chrono Trigger matching contemporary masterpiece Final Fantasy VI. The concept was the complicated part, allowing the player to move between a number of different time zones, with actions in one often affecting consequences in another. There are a number of really nice sub-branches in the narrative, though generally-speaking, more extravagant discourses have been left on the back-burner, perhaps in order to avoid complications arising from the time-hopping. It’s an immense pleasure to play an RPG that feels so fantastically rapid, thanks in part to a relatively menu-light approach. As a by-product, characters perhaps lack the depth of those in contemporary Squaresoft RPGs, whilst lean cut-scenes do occasionally leave you at a loss as to where to head next. This can prove daunting in a world with so many destinations across the various time zones.
Only a slightly lightweight story prevents Chrono Trigger matching contemporary masterpiece Final Fantasy VI. The concept was the complicated part, allowing the player to move between a number of different time zones, with actions in one often affecting consequences in another. There are a number of really nice sub-branches in the narrative, though generally-speaking, more extravagant discourses have been left on the back-burner, perhaps in order to avoid complications arising from the time-hopping. It’s an immense pleasure to play an RPG that feels so fantastically rapid, thanks in part to a relatively menu-light approach. As a by-product, characters perhaps lack the depth of those in contemporary Squaresoft RPGs, whilst lean cut-scenes do occasionally leave you at a loss as to where to head next. This can prove daunting in a world with so many destinations across the various time zones.
FOCAL POINT: A FAIR TRIAL
It’s fair to say, back in 1995, we gamers weren’t used to having our exploration habits subjected to moral scrutiny. I mean, it’s just a given that you should enter people’s houses and take their stuff, right? One of the game’s most brilliant sequences comes in the form of Crono’s trial, where during the early stages of the game, he stands accused of ‘brainwashing’ Princess Nadia. You’ll watch in disbelief as a number of figures from the Millennial Fair take to the stand, testifying both for and against Crono. Picking up a seemingly innocuous item at the fair will lead to a man accusing Crono of stealing his lunch, whilst a young girl will vouch for the hero if you managed to find and return her missing cat. Buying the Princess candy, keeping her company and not appearing financially-motivated all count in his favour. These accounts will sway the jury’s verdict, and the more convincing you are, the more sizeable the reward that awaits Crono when the trial has played out.
Nevertheless, Chrono Trigger is a trend-setter through-and-through. Showcasing an early instance of the New Game+ idea, players can begin a new adventure from a post-completion save, with all the experience points, equipment and money accrued. Why is this significant? The Day of Lavos, the game’s final encounter, can be tackled almost as soon as you reach the End of Time. However, you’ll be pulverised if you charge in straight away, and therefore it’s necessary to press further into the story. However, with boosted characters, there’s the possibility of finishing the game at various different junctures and earning a host of different endings, which adds remarkably to the 25 or so hours you’ll need to finish the first playthrough.
The divergent time periods really allow Chrono Trigger to stretch its creative legs, with all manner of wonderful surprises in store for gamers. The magical kingdom of Zeal, a sequence of floating islands, is astounding. It’s evocative of Studio Ghibli’s work, capturing a sense of wonderment that’s so powerful an asset in fantasy gaming. Encountering prehistoric tribes, and the feast that greets the party’s arrival, is a joy. Chrono Trigger is the proverbial oil painting. It’s an incredibly beautiful game, successfully merging the vibrancy of Secret of Mana with the elaborate architecture of Final Fantasy. As well as featuring some incredibly beautiful locales, it makes great use of the SNES hardware, with the Alien-inspired futuristic era showing off some incredibly atmospheric, semi-transparent fog effects. There’s even a speedy race through the wastelands that makes fine use of Mode 7; it’s all very Mad Max.
The divergent time periods really allow Chrono Trigger to stretch its creative legs, with all manner of wonderful surprises in store for gamers. The magical kingdom of Zeal, a sequence of floating islands, is astounding. It’s evocative of Studio Ghibli’s work, capturing a sense of wonderment that’s so powerful an asset in fantasy gaming. Encountering prehistoric tribes, and the feast that greets the party’s arrival, is a joy. Chrono Trigger is the proverbial oil painting. It’s an incredibly beautiful game, successfully merging the vibrancy of Secret of Mana with the elaborate architecture of Final Fantasy. As well as featuring some incredibly beautiful locales, it makes great use of the SNES hardware, with the Alien-inspired futuristic era showing off some incredibly atmospheric, semi-transparent fog effects. There’s even a speedy race through the wastelands that makes fine use of Mode 7; it’s all very Mad Max.
There's a great sense of scale and occasion to Chrono Trigger's events, it never gets dull
Pre-placed battles lends the environments a sense of the dramatic. No cavern, no mountain path, no town ever feels like filler; there’s no padding at all. We may tire of saying it, but we’ll never tire of listening: it goes without saying, the soundtrack is extraordinary. Squaresoft’s music, as with so many of their games of the time, barely puts a note wrong, producing memorable BMGs to fit every occasion from the sombre to the euphoric.
Rarely is a game so thematically ambitious and yet so cohesive in the implementation of its ideas. It’s exactly the kind of quality we’d expect of Squaresoft: the supreme visuals, gorgeous soundtrack, slick controls and lavish design. Yet what makes it special is that so much of what you encounter is anything but conventional. Appropriately enough for a time-travel RPG, Chrono Trigger feels like it hasn’t aged a bit, and fans of Squaresoft’s incredible nineties output would be doing themselves a disservice not to play it.
Rarely is a game so thematically ambitious and yet so cohesive in the implementation of its ideas. It’s exactly the kind of quality we’d expect of Squaresoft: the supreme visuals, gorgeous soundtrack, slick controls and lavish design. Yet what makes it special is that so much of what you encounter is anything but conventional. Appropriately enough for a time-travel RPG, Chrono Trigger feels like it hasn’t aged a bit, and fans of Squaresoft’s incredible nineties output would be doing themselves a disservice not to play it.