Chrono Trigger: 25 Years and Still Going

25 years ago a company put together what they called their “Dream Team” to make their dream project. The resulting project was Chrono Trigger.

What was so special about Chrono Trigger? Well, everything. For years, decades even, people have been discussing the ins and outs of what makes Chrono Trigger an incredible experience. Knowing this, I’ve decided to take a different approach to show my appreciation of the game. So here are my top 10 things I love about Chrono Trigger.

10. Shiny things on the ground.

As you explore the world of Chrono Trigger, you will come across a sparkle or a shine in the grass. These are usually a special item that gives a permanent boost to an individual stat. I remember the feeling each time finding one of these and getting excited to increase Crono’s stats.

                                    

9. The impact Crono and the team had on the world.

Playing through the story, it becomes apparent that your actions shape future events. However, what if Team Crono didn’t interfere in the world. Would the reptites be the more dominant force? Would Magus slay Lavos in the middle ages? These are the questions that keep me up at night and keep me coming back. The detriments of these time travel shenanigans are explained in the sequel, Chrono Cross.

                                 

8. The endgame sidequests.

When you reach a certain point near the end of the game, Gaspar will let you know that by conquering the Black Omen, you can face off against Lavos (the last boss). However Gaspar will then go on to describe events happening across time in a cryptic way. So 25 years ago, when access to information was quite limited, it was awesome hunting down these quests and seeing how they change the story.

                                 

7. Magus

Magus is the anti hero we all deserve. We meet Magus as a young boy named Janus.
Even at a young age, he shows signs of precognition. We meet him later as a villain, a prophet, and eventually a party member. Magus brings snark, scythes, and is another shadow magic caster for the party, and not to mention he gives advice on how to restore a figure crucial to the story.

                                   

6. Climbing Death’s Peak (25 year old spoilers)

Crono is killed when he bravely faces Lavos. Thanks to advice from Magus, the team is led to Belthasar to find a way to resurrect Crono. Now begins the perilous journey to climb Death’s Peak to achieve the ultimate goal. This was a hard journey, and every aspect of this portion of the game helped define that. The ambiance of the area is a cold howling wind, the monsters are super tough, and there are a couple of mechanics that are unforgiving. Every obstacle is worth the struggle when you get to witness that scene where Crono is brought back to life.

                                

5. The cutscenes

Added in the PlayStation version of Chrono Trigger, we are introduced to a few different animated cutscenes that show up throughout the game. These cutscenes are gorgeously animated in Akira Toryama’s iconic style. When you find Marle in the middle and the cutscene triggers where you see Marle go to the cold dark place, it is beautifully done and really adds to that overwhelming dread. Seeing how these cutscenes play out is definitely worth giving this title another spin.

                           

4. The combat system.

Chrono Trigger has a relatively simple combat system on the base level. When you start peeling back the layers you find the depths the system provides, mainly double and triple techs. There are so many possibilities of party member combinations, and most of these party members have multiple double techniques with each other and a few share triple techniques. A double tech is a combination of two techs learned by two different characters. As an example, Crono’s lightning spell can combine with Ayla’s cat attack to make thunder chomp. Going one step beyond that is triple tech. Crono’s lightning two with Lucca’s fire two and Ayla’s triple kick compromise a technique called gatling kick. There are also triple techs that don’t involve Crono that are taught by holding magic stones found throughout the game. With this abundance of options, it really spikes the replay-ability of Chrono Trigger.

                         

3. Time line shenanigans.

Time travel will always be my favorite story telling archetype. The idea of altering the timeline and having lasting effects always draws me in, and no game does this better than Chrono Trigger. At any given point in the game, it was never about looking back for me: it was about what timeline am I helping next, and how can I save this current timeline? The moment I witnessed the day of Lavos and the team decides to save the world through time travel shenanigans, a part of me cheers internally, sometimes externally as well.

                           

2. The music, ambiance, and anything ear related.

The score to Chrono Trigger is just delightful. It scales perfectly with each scene. I will listen to the soundtrack at work and relive those feelings I felt when I witnessed the moments those songs accompanied. The intro to the battle music, the song that plays when you hand the seed over to the starving people of the future. Everything is a treat to ears, thanks to Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu.

                     

1. The visuals.

Chrono Trigger pushed the boundaries for graphic design on the Super Nintendo. Using a 32MB cartridge, it was able to display images that were much more detailed than most games on this generation of consoles. The sprites are able to convey so much emotion, and really drive home the moods that are presented in each scene. From random sparkles in water, to flags blowing in the wind, the dream team brought the world of Chrono Trigger to life with every little animation. I mentioned an iconic scene earlier, and there is another one that always brings fond memories to mind. When Marle breaks through the stained glass during the trial, it just looks gorgeous. The details, the colors, just everything about this scene is incredibly well done.

 

Chrono Trigger is my favourite game and will always hold a special place in my heart. I am currently working on a play-through on my iPad. If you are looking to play this, I recommend the Nintendo DS version or later, as they have more features and a more complete story that leads right into Chrono Cross.