Does Chrono Trigger Live Up to Its Own Hype?

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Chrono Trigger, making it a perfect opportunity for those who haven’t yet played this highly praised SNES role-playing game to give it a try. With many gamers today having never owned an SNES, PS1, or Nintendo DS, the younger generation may be asking themselves if Chrono Trigger truly lives up to its reputation.

Spoilers: the answer is yes, very much so.

Enthusiasts understand that the RPG in question was created by an exceptional group of developers, assembling talents like Nobuo Uematsu, Kazuhiko Aoki, and Hironobu Sakaguchi from Final Fantasy, alongside Yuji Horii and Akira Toriyama from Dragon Quest. Essentially, this game represents the fusion of these two highly regarded series, explaining why it has earned such a strong reputation.

In this game, you assume the role of Crono, a character seeking simple festival enjoyment. There, he encounters Marle, who turns out to be a princess, launching them into a journey that involves time-travel and challenging battles against formidable foes. Thankfully, his loyal companion Lucca joins him on this escapade, along with fellow party members hailing from various timelines; such as the chivalrous Frog or the cave-dwelling Ayla.

Experiencing Chrono Trigger offers a blend of influences that sets it apart. Fans of Final Fantasy will appreciate the engaging time-travel narrative and the quick Action Time Battle (ATB) system. For enthusiasts of Dragon Quest, the iconic art by Akira Toriyama and the game’s lighthearted humor are sure delights. You’ll find moments reminiscent of Looney Tunes throughout, with humorous slapstick elements skillfully incorporated into the 16-bit graphics of the SNES.

In this game genre, the battle system remains among the top choices due to its strategic depth. Not only does it require swift decision-making for attacks, but positioning is equally crucial. By anticipating an opponent’s movement accurately, players can eliminate them all using Crono’s Cyclone attack. However, delaying action too long could lead to enemies counterattacking the players.

Fortunately, the game introduced Tech Combinations as well. Occasionally, your main character can perform a joint attack with another member from the party. This results in powerful moves such as Crono and Frog’s X-Strike or Crono and Lucca’s Fire Whirl. Figuring out which teammates can combine their abilities is part of the excitement and encourages further experimentation once additional party members are acquired.

Though it requires some tactic to manage battles, Chrono Trigger stands out as a relatively straightforward RPG, making it an excellent starting point for gamers. The healing supplies are reasonably priced and no adversary appears excessively challenging, except for the later boss encounters. Moving back and forth to save points and gather healing items can occasionally cause enemy respawning, but this can be circumvented if players exhibit enough cleverness.

It’s disappointing that the beloved game Chrono Trigger isn’t more accessible to gamers, as it has much to offer. At present, players can only acquire this classic title through PC or mobile platforms. While it’s better than no access at all, it feels inadequate considering Square Enix’s handling of other games like Final Fantasy 7, which have multiple re-releases and a remake trilogy. One might hope that Chrono Trigger could also be brought to the Nintendo Switch platform.

Although Square Enix may not seem to showcase it as much love as other games, there’s no denying its worthiness. Some enthusiasts might hesitate due to fear of being let down by the hype, but they should take the plunge regardless. At its least engaging, this game offers a relaxing role-playing experience with an outstanding combat system.

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2025-03-11 14:14