✨If you want to see more of my retro reviews, check these out: 📌Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia - th-cam.com/video/ZT70UR2FG3k/w-d-xo.html 📌Radiant Historia - th-cam.com/video/8C6FTxpbsFI/w-d-xo.html 📌Skies of Arcadia - th-cam.com/video/CQDRMHDJutQ/w-d-xo.html 📌Xenosaga (3 Part Series) - th-cam.com/video/sAWtWkfJKbg/w-d-xo.html
@@LavaCreeperPeople "Music doesn't dictate how good or bad the game itself is, lol" Music (and voice acting) are the main reason I didn't want to play through xenoblade chronicles X
The songwriter worked so hard that he made himself physically ill!!! It was his first big project and wanted it to be PERFECT! His story alone is amazing!
One of my favorite details is how many custom animations are used to introduce encounters. Seeing them jump out of the environment, come in through a doorway, or animate a skeleton (not to mention the bosses), adds a subtle grounding effect to everything.
Chrono Trigger is one of those few games where you can sit down and enjoy it and regardless of how many times you play it. It is truly still ahead of its time even to this day. Glad you took the time to enjoy this one TKN!
What I think impresses me most about Chrono Trigger is just how succinct it is. When modern RPGs are routinely dozens of hours long, often hundreds of hours, Chrono Trigger's 20 hour run time is so refreshing.
Agreed. As JRPGs go, Chrono Trigger has relatively little mandatory grinding, and can be completed over the course of a 3-day weekend, if you don't have much else to do. That's rare among JRPGs, with the only other one that I can think of being Super Mario RPG.
@@Darkkfated I have well over 500 hours clocked on the game over my three purchases, due to the 15-20 hour main story, + grinding to 99, + getting every ending and every item, and then finally on the PC version, getting every achievement.
I heard nothing but hype for Chrono Trigger for 15 years. Nothing can live up to expectations after that high praise for that long. Unless you're Chrono Trigger apparently. The game actually managed to exceed my expectations, and I still played it through multiple times. Truly a masterclass.
My wife was in the same boat. She's had so many games overhyped for her, only to be disappointed when she tried them for herself. She'd heard Chrono Trigger overhyped her entire life, and isn't particularly a fan of JRPGs in general. I finally got her to give Chrono Trigger a shot a couple months ago, and it's now one of her all-time favorite games. If anything, she wonders why people didn't try to sell it even harder.
Same, I completely missed this one during the snes era, loved FF series and secret of mana, but didn't play this until 2016 and this game is just incredible.
I spent years trying to get my wife into playing Chrono Trigger. It's been one of my favorite games ever since I first played it during my school days. Well, a few months ago, I finally got her to give it a try. It's now one of her favorites of all time, too, despite not being a genre she typically enjoys. She binged through the whole game in no time, and became attached to the characters so quickly. Her love/hate relationship with Magus is hilarious to me. His constant condescension towards the party members (like mocking Chrono's death) infuriate her, but she loves how insanely powerful he feels in the party, and begrudgingly respects the fact that he's probably the strongest party member. Frog, of course, became her favorite character the moment he was on screen, and when he left the party for a while during the story, she was destitute. I could gush for hours about her reactions to so many moments from this game.
I used to play it once a year lol! Grew up on it from when I was a kid so that was a lot of playthroughs. But with so many games nowadays and adult life, unfortunately I don't play it as often anymore. But it is one of the most replayable jrpgs ever! :D
I'm turning 25 next month, so I wasn't even close to alive when Chrono Trigger came out. It's a game I've kind of wanted to play for a while, but I never really felt strongly enough to actually do it, yknow? Last December, I grabbed it on Steam and played it for the first time. Chrono Trigger really is as good as they say it is. 11/10 Masterpiece.
It always makes me happy to find people that haven't played through Chrono Trigger and yet still find the same joy that I did playing through it nearly 30 years ago. It is still my favorite game of all time. Other games have tried to take the crown, but none have yet dethroned it.
@@gigaya777i think the DS version is the only one that i haven't played, didn't know there were different versions aside from maybe color/sound/graphics.
@@jasonlauritsen5587 the Ds version is the most complete the second best is the PC port, lore-wise there is a little bit of lore in the monster arena, that content was cut in the PC port still those versions are better than the Snes one just because the SNES has less lore and things, if you like the Snes version you should play the hack name call Chrono Plus there you can even play in 1999 there are tons of extra content in this hack rom
@@jasonlauritsen5587 DS version added extra content and iirc 1 or 2 more endings, not that significant tho as the extra content was mostly a minigame loop.
@@jasonlauritsen5587 the PSX version added animated cutscenes, as well as some new endings to better connect with Chrono Cross. The DS version adds a new boss inspired by some Chrono Cross stuff as well as a couple new endings and everything the PSX version added.
Decided to try chrono trigger on emulator last night and now I'm on TH-cam trying to see if other people instantly fell in love with the game in 2024. I'm not disappointed
Man… I’m 42 now and bought this on release when I was 13. Must have beaten it about 100 times. Time really does fly by. I should really play this again, it’s been far too long.
Same. I'm also 42 and I bought it when it was first released on the SNES, and I played it countless times. To this day, it remains one of the best games I've ever played.
The trick is that it is not really about time travel (that is the dressing), which is part of why it stands the test of time. It is so much about identity, the human condition if you will, and we have been all about that since all recorded history, at least, and will likely continue to be all about that for quite some time.
This reminded me of how there was a Chrono Trigger fan remake that got C&D'd by Square Enix, I went to check on it and I can't believe it''s been _20 years_ since then, that's wild Chrono Resurrection was it's name
@@TheKisekiNut Yeah this was the early 2000's and they were working on a _3d_ fan remake of a game! Both a trailer and some leaked alpha build gameplay exists, also I *vagualy* remember there being a site for the project, but not 100% sure
I will bring up the Chrono Series needs the following additions:Chrono Trigger (The DS version) needs to be ported to NSwitch & PS4&5 & the original or if not better instrument samples should be restored. Chrono Trigger could benefit from a Remake if developed by competent Developers i’e 2DHD and adding some of the cut party members to your Team. And lastly Chrono Break. I’m praying that everything I mentioned becomes reality, and maybe I can forgive the closure of the fan remake:Chrono Resurrection.
Wow, you never played Chrono Trigger until now. That's crazy. in 1995 when I was 12 years old I went to the mall with my mom to buy Christmas presents. She gave me a $100 bill to buy presents for my family members. I ended up taking that money and finding CT for $95 at a Camelot music because it was over $100 with tax at Babbages at the time. It didn't take long for my mom to find out what I did and ground me for it, but she let me keep Chrono Trigger as long as I let friends borrow it while I was grounded. So my two best friends got to play through Chrono Trigger before I did, but the memories made were 100% worth it!
Now imagine playing this game on launch day, as an 12 year old kid with no hype going in, not realizing your about to play a piece of gaming history, needless to say I never forgot that feeling, this game taught me about friendship, forgiveness, not judging a book by its cover and the power of sacrifice, all at a very young age
You know that feeling of awe when you listen to a timeless song? Or when you read a classic epic? Or when you admire a beautiful painting? That feeling of "holy shit, humans can really shine when they want to"... Chrono Trigger does that to me. I mean, yeah, that may sound exaggerated, dramatic or whatever, but I really mean it. This game is a piece of art.
the story behind the making of the soundtrack is also a great story, like how a lot of it was written and then lost when a computer failed, how mitsuda was stressed to the point of sickness. Uematsu stepped in to assist on a few (really good) tracks like Tyran Castle, and if all that weren't enough, some parts of the ending theme were supposedly taken from a dream.
I keep my DS copy close at heart. I LOVE this game. Sometimes I'll play out the storyline where we don't get Crono back because I just love the more somber mood of that.
This game is insane, I remember playing this blind for the first time and it was quite the experience. Like a 3d chess puzzle but crafted with so much attention to detail, and my god the music. No wonder someone played the "Wind Scene" or w/e song on beer bottles on youtube years after the game had been out heh. It's a shame Chrono Resurrection was was canned by a Cease and Desist back then as well.
I still remember trading like 4 SNES games for chrono trigger at the local shop (because it was brand new and $120 here in canada)...it looked awesome, but little did I know that I was about to play a goated game. I had just finished final fantasy 3/6...and chrono trigger felt almost like a next gen RPG in comparison. You can actually see and avoid enemies? Active time battle? Double and triple combos? Several endings and new game +? My mind was blown. I got to see pretty much every ending (even the secret dev one)...but it's been decades...maybe I will revisit it again
Chrono Trigger is not only my favorite JRPG ever, but my favorite video game ever, period. It excels at absolutely everything it does, from its soundtrack and stunning visual effects (for a 16-bit game,) to its lovable, original and yet iconic playable characters, each of which experiences an arc of some sort as the game proceeds. I would even go so far as to say that for all the talented, brilliant people who worked on this game, it still stands out among the bodies of their other work. Yes. Even Toriyama. It has, to date, elevated every console it's ever been released on, and I can't say enough good things about it.
How fitting that a game themed about time is so timeless. I first played this on Steam in 2021, the only other SNES rpg I played in that year being Earthbound. And while Earthbound will always be my favourite SNES game, with Mother inspiring my favourite subgenre of all time, Chrono Trigger was an absolute blast from start to finish. It was so innovative and so complex, dealing with time travel at a time where it was treated as little more than a reason to show the past. It showed the implications of it. It was like a full series of Doctor Who packed into one 20-hour game. And it had the most some of the most dynamic turn-taker combat seen to this day with its unbelievably smooth field attacks. I do have one small criticism with the story that (spoilers): The fact Cronos dies an emotional death by sacrificing himself with a full cutscene and song... and you're able to simply go back and save him just by replacing him with a doll does seem a bit of a cop-out and cheapens his sacrifice slightly for me, as well as lowering the stakes if deaths can be undone by time travel. But even then, at least it's very clear from the start of the game that you can do this kind of thing, and this same feature is also used to show the game's greatness, by showing, ON-SCREEN, all the changes you make in the past that affects the future. Good old Ozzie! So yeah, amazing game, and so innovative not just for its time, but today!
Spoiler: I actually really like what they did with Crono - it's an optional quest, you don't actually need to revive him. The fact they had the balls to outright remove the main protag and gave the player the choice to bring him back was awesome to me.
@@TheKisekiNut Fair enough. It's probably not something that would be too popular today, but it really emphasises player choice and realistically shows what they would do if given the power of time travel.
@@giuseppeparry1365 I think one also has to consider that within the game itself, saving Crono is a big deal, not just something they can do with a bit of will and effort. Gaspar doesn’t have a ton of Chrono Triggers lying around; the implication is that he only had the one. To borrow a Doctor Who phrase, Crono’s death was a fixed point where two party members, Magus, Schala, and Zeal witnessed it and made irrevocable choices because of that moment. You could argue other events such as Lara’s accident could be the same, but the Chrono Trigger takes you not only to the specific point but also creates the time freeze. In at least one translation, Magus says he “never thought it possible.” The scary thing? The Black Omen exits because your team was there when Queen Zeal and Schala woke Lavos, Zeal Kingdom was destroyed, then the Gurus and Janus were sent through time. What happened to Schala and Queen Zeal in the original timeline? Unclear, but the pendant passed down over 13,000 years to eventually be worn by Marle. The Ocean Palace event is supposed to be when you stop Lavos and change the course of history, but instead you make Queen Zeal an immortal, Crono dies, and Schala *spoiler* gets lost in Time’s Eclipse, setting up the events of the superboss, Radical Dreamers, and Chrono Cross. Yet what does the party do with the Chrono Trigger, the most potent device in the history of time travel? Nothing if you don’t get it, but if you get it, the party (and player) save Crono, or Marle *spoiler* uses it herself to save Crono. You can’t blame them for their choices, but across literally millions of years and countless people in the existence of the world, was there a better, more deserving choice to be saved by Gaspar’s life’s work……?
I hate how cheap are the minds of people who think "Resurrecting a character cheapens the impact of the scene..." Don't you think it would be cheaper for them to NOT revive the character when they have the ability to do so? It means you're not looking into the story through the eyes of the characters, and you don't feel how they want to ressurrect that character. You're also indoctrinated with this sort of view that it "Cheapens the plot" Bunch of "Plot" cult cultists... unable to feel the story, able to only judge it like robots...
@@KeyleeTamirian Oh, don’t pretend you wouldn’t make the exact same criticism if it wasn’t anything else but a well-loved game. You’ll find very few people who don’t think undoing X reduces the impact of X. You notice how the vast majority of my comment was extremely positive about this game? If you get mad at someone for posting a glowing 9/10 review of a game instead of a perfect 10/10, I’d say that’s way more “cult-like” than someone who gives an honest review. And you’re actually disrespecting the game by doing that, because you just say the game isn’t allowed to be criticised. If I hear anyone get angry at anyone for DARING to make a single criticism about a game, I just roll my eyes and think, “Welp, they’re just a fanboy. Clearly, I can’t take any praise they have seriously.” Kiseki Nut politely replied and told me why he thinks the resurrection works. Very different to what you did, which was call me cheap, robotic and cult-like. So, just like the person in the example, I can’t take you seriously. “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to not do it if they could?” … I don’t think you understand the meaning of “cheap”. First of all, no, it wouldn’t. Because that would mean no game, show, film, book that has any element of time travel would ever be allowed to have any stakes. Secondly, EVERY piece of fiction where anyone’s resurrected a character is done “because they could do it.” That doesn’t stop it from being cheap. The question is WHY can they do it? Is it because of some theme of resurrection that’s clearly established much earlier in the story? Or is it because of a deus ex machina device (in this case, the Chrono Trigger) that’s conveniently only revealed AFTER the person dies? Let’s follow your rules for writing: 1. Character dies an emotional death. 2. Invent magical device that can conveniently revive people. 3. Well, it would be cheaper not to resurrect a character if we could, so now that step #2 gave us a device for resurrecting people, we can claim that we’re actually following the LESS cheap route, not that step #2 itself was incredibly cheap or anything. 4. RESULT: So, now we can kill as many characters we want for emotional impact safe in the knowledge we can immediately bring them all back and no-one will have any problem with it. Might as well kill off every character in every story and bring them all back again and again! Infinite free emotional impact with zero consequences, and thanks to step #3’s logic we can claim this is the LESS cheap route. Damn, this writing gig is easy! Doctor Who is a show entirely based around time travel, and quite a few of the Doctor’s companions have died. But the Doctor has time travel. Surely, he can find a way to save every single one of them? Except he doesn’t, because literally no-one wants that (well, tbf, he did do it once, and everyone hated it) because then the show would never have any stakes and you’d have no reason to care about anything. Same with ANY piece of media where time travel exists. Or imagine FFVII (spoilers): If Aerith was revived after her hard-hitting death scene. FFVII has a hole story about the Lifestream and souls continuing after death. Surely, they could write a way to bring her back? Except they don’t. Because that would be stupid and ruin one of the greatest videogame scenes ever made. Imagine if Chrono Trigger didn’t have a way to save Cronos. Would you be saying the same thing? Would you say it was cheap that they didn’t save him? Of course not. You’d be saying what an emotional final moment it was with Cronos and talking about the last scenes you had with him alive, etc., etc. Hell, the game even has an option to not save Cronos. So, by your logic, the game and characters are cheap for having that option? Like I said, this is an amazing game. I love almost everything about it. If you’re so mad that I gave it the abysmally low score of 9/10, you can look literally anywhere else for a perfect 10/10 review.
So happy you liked Chrono Trigger! It had such a big influence on me growing up and certainly helped shape my gaming and genre tastes. I sometimes wonder if nostalgia clouds my vision of this game so it's reassuring to hear a first time player praise it 30 years on. Love the channel, keep up the good work.
I'm glad you finally got to this and loved this game, TKN! I wasn't late to the genre so I always wondered if my reflexive love for Chrono Trigger and my considering it a masterpiece was some sort of nostalgia bias. I played it for the first time when I was 8 (how old I was when it released), and played it countless times since. I consider the game a masterpiece, and it's always great to see what a fresh set of eyes thinks about it. I look forward to much the same when you get to the Suikoden entries!
It delights me that my eternal favorite game, one whose premise is that of time, can be best described as being devoid/outside of that very abstraction.
A lot of Chrono Trigger’s extra endings were only truly reachable in New Game+ mode (which, while common now, was a Chrono Trigger innovation). Also, the SNES original did not have the animated cutscenes. Other notes about CT - the final dungeon (the Black Omen) is completely optional. You should play it, sure, as it’s a great final dungeon, but you don’t have to. Second-once you get to a certain point in the game (the End of Time) on a normal play through (and from the very beginning of the game on a New Game+ play through), you can fight the final boss at pretty much any time (it’s probably suicide to fight the final boss super early in a normal play through, but it’s possible).
The craziest thing is that such a beloved classic hasn't been milked for everything it's worth with merch, spinoffs, TV shows, OVAs, etc etc. (like FF7 was, for example) On the one hand I wish it was because we all want more of it. On the other hand that makes it that much rarer and and more special.
I'm glad this is the case as SquareEnix is creatively bankrupt now. The people who made this game isn't there any longer. I'm more likely to buy a game from Mistwalker.
@@erikahuxley yeah idk, I heard the Mario RPG remake was good, but yeah I know SE has major problems at this point. Wasting their ressources on "ethics departments", for one.
I see that Ar Tonelico at the beginning, and I approve good sir. It's also great that you finally got to experience Chrono Triggger. It's one hell of a game.
I have my daughter playing it this summer !I'm excited for her !! When I was a kid I didn't think anyone played this game but me. The internet wasn't big then and local kids all talked about final fantasy ... It blew my mind how popular it turned out this game was when I got older it will always be hands down my favorite game of all time lol I used the victory theme music for my wedding after our first kiss this game is and will always be a masterpiece
Thanks for this, you've inspired me another playthrough. It's been about 10 years since the last one. It's one I seem to keep coming back to every once in a while because of nostalgia and it always manages to be a great time even after like 15 playthriughs!
Best JRPG of all time, absolutely. So happy i got my boys to play it and they deeply love it, despite modern games. This and Legend of Zelda Link to the Past are timeless top tier games. And the OST still just grips me and has not been dethroned
Recently started replaying this after the news of Akira Toriyama passed away and the game is still a gold standard In JRPG the artstyle and look of the game are still extremely smooth and a good.turn based game is a reward in itself as much as I'd want to see a 2D HD remaster I think this game deserves a full on Remake.
I play this game on my phone regularly, I remember playing it as a child, never beat it (too hard as a child) but always thought about it, then, in 2020s, I bought it for my phone. I can say, this is my absolute favorite PS1 generation game followed by Valkyrie Profile & then Final Fantasy 6.... A full-on remake of any of the three would be a dream come true, especially for Chrono Trigger; something akin to Sandland but with much better, fluid movements & deeper combat mechanics than FF7 Rebirth, & an ooen-world worthy of being called the best open-world ever with deep exploration, basically, i hope they go all out on a remake where it explises the entire industry
I've heard some iffy things about the mobile port, how is it for you? I always played on snes or ds but those consoles just aren't as convenient anymore. I'd love to have it on my phone as it's my favorite game of all time.
@@mewichigo3410 it's fine for me. Although, I can't really tell the difference as I have not played other versions back-to-back. I played the original on PS1 decades ago, & now the mobile. It's as I remembered it. If it's your favorite game of all time, for $10, I definitely have it on the phone, & whenever you get a chance, please mention a Chrono Trigger remake wherever you're discussing Chrono Trigger. I want one baaad. Sandland made me a believer in a remake
@@eltren6120 Thanks for your response! And yes I've been begging for a CT remake for years 😭😭😭 The Octopath engine would be so perfect for it, I really hope Square listens to their fans!
Played through this game again after nearly a decade this year, I was playing it and then toriyama passed away😔 rip sir! The game is just as incredible as I remember. The characters are so fully fleshed and battle mechanics are fun
A ton is also owed to Yuji Horii, who wrote the majority of Chrono Trigger's scenario before the start of the game's production. This this is basically 3/4 a Dragon Quest game!
I had the same experience over a decade ago. I was born in 92 and never got around to playing it until I was almost 18. It was already pretty old at that point and figured it'd be alright but worth checking out since it was a classic. Any time I wasn't sleeping, eating, or etc, I played for the next two or three days until I beat it, even going for all the ultimate weapons to extend the experience. Never done that before or since in a JRPG. The story, battle system, artwork... it's all perfect.
A well made doc. I couldn’t agree more. I reviewed Chrono Trigger when it released in the DS. I have owned every incarnation that has seen a console release. Chrono Trigger is EASILY the greatest JRPG of all time, and may even be the greatest GAME of all time. I have loved this one since it first released in 1995, and still do, to this day. Often, I’ll just go to sleep to the soundtrack playing in the background. This is one for the ages and is begging to see a modern rerelease. Thank you for your perspective. ❤❤❤❤❤ Instant subscriber based on this video alone. I can’t wait to see your other content.
Like any other true work of art, my experience of the story changes over time. This concept of the game remaining viable well into the future is exceptionally real when you consider the multitude of differing characters realizing their purpose, and involving us in their quest to flip the world back around. It's hard to say if the developers knew what they had upon completion of CT. Their willingness to take risks and give no fuc*s paid off well. As a 10 year old paying CT for the first time, my friends and I knew CT was special compared to other games, but we really couldn't have known the extent. I was grateful then as a kid to experience playing CT, and that respect and gratefulness has only strengthened with age. I find it necessary to replay CT at least once every 5 years.
Its cool to see someone new to this game come in to it fresh and still have the respect for it those of us who played at it launch still have for it. Its definitely one of the top 10 most iconic games of all time..
@Nietzsche_017 Chrono Cross exists, but it's only loosely related. It doesn't feature time travel (deals with alternate realities instead) or any of the Chrono Trigger characters.
This was one of my first major RPGs, other than Breath of Fire and Mario RPG. I love this game to the point i still have it memorized. Every other year or so I will crank through this thing and enjoy every bit of it and wonder why some RPGs just ...lack by comparison. Why Square Enix has yet to remake this beauty and give it the HD remake we would all go absolutely bonkers for, I do not know
I’m finishing cold steel 3 today, thank you, luxin, and Scott for introducing me to Trails. It’s brought me so much happiness, and I can’t wait to share them with my son when as he grows up. Thank you thank you thank you. Fan for Life
I played Sea of Stars when it released and felt like a game finally listened to Chrono Trigger. We're all still around the campfire talking about friendship magic.
Irrelevant question but whats that game you used the battle footage of before the first minute mark? On topic, I LOVE Chrono Trigger, alongside Secret of Mana they were my gateway drug into jrpgs back when I was a young lad!
I remember seeing the promo materials in Toys R Us for Chrono Trigger when I was a little kid. I recall standing in front of the display and being blown away that there were so many endings (which is how they were marketing the game). I wanted it so badly, but my parents couldn’t afford a new release game back then. I got it a few years later, and it became a favorite. My brother still has the original SNES cartridge. It was games like this, Secret of Mana, and so many others that gave me a love for gaming that I still have to this day. I’m so glad its popularity hasn’t waned.
I am suspired you didn't mention the music in the game, the OST is so great, I have it in my spofity. I will be playing it again on my phone after I have completed FF6 (might be a while)
This game came out exactly 10 years before my birthday, so I always make sure to do something related to it by then; whether it's starting/finishing a new save file or drawing some art!
Good video. It’s interesting seeing people’s different takes on the game. Andrew Bluett, another TH-camr, noted he thought the story/protagonist wasn’t really that engaging but the gameplay systems held up well. A lot of people gave him crap for the take but I felt similarly. To each his own, for me I prefer Chrono Cross over Trigger but I guess it’s nice to see others appreciate older games in this messy landscape of the current video game industry.
Seeing Lunar in the beggining of the video made me happy, not many people talk about it nowadays, but Lunar 2 is probably in my top 5 list of best JRPGs I've ever played!
Chrono trigger is one of the few games I played in my childhood that I will stand by until I'm dead and buried in the ground. i'm not a retro gaming fiend. I don't believe retro means better. But Chrono Trigger? Man is it a game I will never forget. A game that truly stood for everything I loved about gaming as a kid.
I see you're quoting Aidan Moher at the beginning of the video. His book "Fight, Magic, Items" on the history of JRPGs is really well-documented and a joy to read
I was playing chrono trigger when it was released in us. Since i live in germany that wasnt an easy feet in 95/96. I think i got it in december to my birthday. It was on of the games i tressure till today and always will revisit from time to time. It will never get old. If you have the chance and are into RPG`s you need to play this game. Its hands down one of the greatest RPG`s of all time!
I'm pretty sure that i learned Toriyama's name because of Chrono Trigger, as the instant i saw the 1st cinematic, i knew that it had to be the same guy who made DBZ. But this was over 20 years ago n i didn't have internet and lived on a farm, so it would have taken me a while to get a hold of the resources to find out for sure.
I first played Chrono Trigger back in 1996 and to this day it is still one of my all time favorite RPG's. It wasn't my first RPG(that was FFIV, released as FFII on SNES in America), but it is absolutely in my top 3. I wouldn't mind seeing it remade with today's graphics, IF, and ONLY if, they could do it without changing the story or the gameplay at all, just the graphics.
Thinking about all of this I initially wanted to say that Chrono Trigger is the only OG JRPGs that I still remember most of the story of three decades later, then I realized that it is the only OG JRPG that I still remember most of the multiple stories from.
Just played and completed this game for the first time in the past week, and I can confirm that it would hold up even if released today. Or last week, anyway.
Corridors of Time is the highlight of the OST for me. It somehow gets across the feel of Zeal to me. It's perfect. I love that it gets used in Logic's mixtape Used to Hate it as well.
This was my first taste at a jrpg. I watched my aunt play it and thought I couldnt play this game. Played it myself and had to pre order the ds version. It is a game that will turn you into a gamer even if your not.
I just finished up another playthrough a couple weeks ago, and even though I do have mad nostalgia for the game, all the story beats still hit just as hard. The battles are still snappy and fun, especially for turn-based/classic ATB style fights. The graphics hold up better than any other SNES RPG. The music, THE MUSIC! One of few game OSTs I listen to while working. It's basically a perfect game.
I don't think you'll like Chrono Cross quite as much, but I'd still recommend it. Just don't let yourself get sucked into the "gotta catch em all", because CC committed the sin of having many playable characters but giving the vast majority of them very little characterization or plot integration. Also about the alternate endings in CT, I understood what you said as suggesting that many endings are accessible on a first playthrough for a more hardcore player. That's mostly false. The numbers make it so there are essentially two viable endings in the first playthrough, with a few specific actions you can do that change some small details. It's technically possible to do all but one ending in the first playthrough, but with the way the numbers work in the game, it's hard to even conceive of how much grind would go into winning the game early on, let alone at the first opportunity.
It didn't take long for me to consider Trails in the Sky a 'spiritual successor' to Chrono Trigger, but I'm glad that the OG is getting some much-deserved attention.
I played this game when I was getting into retro games during college. Simply put: It was my favourite game ever (at the time). I've since played more modern titles that have surpassed that, although I would still rank it in my top 10. But it was mostly due to personal connections to those titles rather than a strict criteria, plus I thought it was unfair to judge this game as better since I never actually finished it and used to put classic media on such high pedestals. But what I will always remember, is how easy it is to understand and get sucked into the beginning of the game - Making it the most memorable gaming experience you will ever have the first time or in repeated playthroughs!
It’s pretty cool how the combat system in this game greatly influenced the latest Final Fantasy 7 Remake games’ combat system. It’s pretty similar in structure
Aha you got around to playing it. It's damn near the perfect JRPG. Almost 30 years after it's release and it's still a top tier game that can go toe to toe with modern games.
I never defeated the final boss in my first playthrough. Nor have I played it since but I still love this game and will certainly return to it one day.
"Even outside of that dream team, there are so many big hitters of the genre who went on to establish their own legacy who were involved with Chrono Trigger. Like, this is unreal the amount of talent that contributed to this game." There's a reason it was called "Project Dream" internally - getting this many insanely talented people in one room at one time is something so good it HAD to be a dream. That's literally their reason.
✨If you want to see more of my retro reviews, check these out:
📌Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia - th-cam.com/video/ZT70UR2FG3k/w-d-xo.html
📌Radiant Historia - th-cam.com/video/8C6FTxpbsFI/w-d-xo.html
📌Skies of Arcadia - th-cam.com/video/CQDRMHDJutQ/w-d-xo.html
📌Xenosaga (3 Part Series) - th-cam.com/video/sAWtWkfJKbg/w-d-xo.html
The OST really elevates the entire game for me.
Arguably a top 5 all time.
God-tier soundtrack, quite boring game
(Music doesn't dictate how good or bad the game itself is, lol)
It's crazy to think that the composer at one point lost all his work on the soundtrack due to a computer failure during development.
@@LavaCreeperPeople "Music doesn't dictate how good or bad the game itself is, lol"
Music (and voice acting) are the main reason I didn't want to play through xenoblade chronicles X
The songwriter worked so hard that he made himself physically ill!!! It was his first big project and wanted it to be PERFECT! His story alone is amazing!
One of my favorite details is how many custom animations are used to introduce encounters.
Seeing them jump out of the environment, come in through a doorway, or animate a skeleton (not to mention the bosses), adds a subtle grounding effect to everything.
Chrono Trigger is one of those few games where you can sit down and enjoy it and regardless of how many times you play it. It is truly still ahead of its time even to this day. Glad you took the time to enjoy this one TKN!
RIP Toriyama-sama. You helped make some of time's finest games. Thank you!
What I think impresses me most about Chrono Trigger is just how succinct it is. When modern RPGs are routinely dozens of hours long, often hundreds of hours, Chrono Trigger's 20 hour run time is so refreshing.
And if you WANT hundreds of hours, you can New Game + as many times as you want until you have everything you might want/need.
Agreed. As JRPGs go, Chrono Trigger has relatively little mandatory grinding, and can be completed over the course of a 3-day weekend, if you don't have much else to do. That's rare among JRPGs, with the only other one that I can think of being Super Mario RPG.
@@Darkkfated I have well over 500 hours clocked on the game over my three purchases, due to the 15-20 hour main story, + grinding to 99, + getting every ending and every item, and then finally on the PC version, getting every achievement.
I heard nothing but hype for Chrono Trigger for 15 years. Nothing can live up to expectations after that high praise for that long. Unless you're Chrono Trigger apparently. The game actually managed to exceed my expectations, and I still played it through multiple times. Truly a masterclass.
My wife was in the same boat. She's had so many games overhyped for her, only to be disappointed when she tried them for herself. She'd heard Chrono Trigger overhyped her entire life, and isn't particularly a fan of JRPGs in general. I finally got her to give Chrono Trigger a shot a couple months ago, and it's now one of her all-time favorite games. If anything, she wonders why people didn't try to sell it even harder.
Same, I completely missed this one during the snes era, loved FF series and secret of mana, but didn't play this until 2016 and this game is just incredible.
@@Binxalot Sounds like me. Absolute masterpiece.
I spent years trying to get my wife into playing Chrono Trigger. It's been one of my favorite games ever since I first played it during my school days. Well, a few months ago, I finally got her to give it a try. It's now one of her favorites of all time, too, despite not being a genre she typically enjoys. She binged through the whole game in no time, and became attached to the characters so quickly. Her love/hate relationship with Magus is hilarious to me. His constant condescension towards the party members (like mocking Chrono's death) infuriate her, but she loves how insanely powerful he feels in the party, and begrudgingly respects the fact that he's probably the strongest party member. Frog, of course, became her favorite character the moment he was on screen, and when he left the party for a while during the story, she was destitute. I could gush for hours about her reactions to so many moments from this game.
I've played through this masterpiece once per decade since it was released. Next year will be the fourth.
At this rate, you’ll see all the endings by 2115! Noice.
@@Rorshacked Hehe! 😀
I used to play it once a year lol! Grew up on it from when I was a kid so that was a lot of playthroughs. But with so many games nowadays and adult life, unfortunately I don't play it as often anymore. But it is one of the most replayable jrpgs ever! :D
I'm turning 25 next month, so I wasn't even close to alive when Chrono Trigger came out.
It's a game I've kind of wanted to play for a while, but I never really felt strongly enough to actually do it, yknow? Last December, I grabbed it on Steam and played it for the first time.
Chrono Trigger really is as good as they say it is. 11/10 Masterpiece.
Those are rookie numbers
It always makes me happy to find people that haven't played through Chrono Trigger and yet still find the same joy that I did playing through it nearly 30 years ago. It is still my favorite game of all time. Other games have tried to take the crown, but none have yet dethroned it.
When I played this on the DS. I renamed Cronos to Mcfly, the robot to T-800 and the Epoch to the Deloran.
You played one of the best version lf the game, ds version added a lot of content
@@gigaya777i think the DS version is the only one that i haven't played, didn't know there were different versions aside from maybe color/sound/graphics.
@@jasonlauritsen5587 the Ds version is the most complete the second best is the PC port, lore-wise there is a little bit of lore in the monster arena, that content was cut in the PC port still those versions are better than the Snes one just because the SNES has less lore and things, if you like the Snes version you should play the hack name call Chrono Plus there you can even play in 1999 there are tons of extra content in this hack rom
@@jasonlauritsen5587 DS version added extra content and iirc 1 or 2 more endings, not that significant tho as the extra content was mostly a minigame loop.
@@jasonlauritsen5587 the PSX version added animated cutscenes, as well as some new endings to better connect with Chrono Cross. The DS version adds a new boss inspired by some Chrono Cross stuff as well as a couple new endings and everything the PSX version added.
Decided to try chrono trigger on emulator last night and now I'm on TH-cam trying to see if other people instantly fell in love with the game in 2024. I'm not disappointed
Yup play it on an emulator once e try few years. Unfortunately I seen vimms lair took a big hit on roms glad I grabed all my games a few years back
Man… I’m 42 now and bought this on release when I was 13. Must have beaten it about 100 times. Time really does fly by. I should really play this again, it’s been far too long.
This is my story as well. At 13, I went to the game store to buy Killer Instinct, and saw CT and bought it instead, and that was all she wrote.
Same. I'm also 42 and I bought it when it was first released on the SNES, and I played it countless times. To this day, it remains one of the best games I've ever played.
I'm 41 but Chrono only landed on Brazil when I was 17.
Hell of a ride.
Love how a game about time travel has stood the test of time! truly one of the greats really glad you enjoyed the game.
The trick is that it is not really about time travel (that is the dressing), which is part of why it stands the test of time. It is so much about identity, the human condition if you will, and we have been all about that since all recorded history, at least, and will likely continue to be all about that for quite some time.
This reminded me of how there was a Chrono Trigger fan remake that got C&D'd by Square Enix, I went to check on it and I can't believe it''s been _20 years_ since then, that's wild
Chrono Resurrection was it's name
I remember seeing that a while back, what they did get to show was impressive.
@@TheKisekiNut Yeah this was the early 2000's and they were working on a _3d_ fan remake of a game! Both a trailer and some leaked alpha build gameplay exists, also I *vagualy* remember there being a site for the project, but not 100% sure
I am happy you've liked the game. CT is amazing, and its soudtrack is timeless, unforgettable. Touches me to this day like no other can
Certain moments, like entering Zeal & getting that whole soundtrack pairing, & Schala's theme... unforgettably magical & nostalgic
It really one of the best games of all time. I dont really want a remake, but i want access to it on more platforms.
I play it on my tablet with a SNES emulator.
I will bring up the Chrono Series needs the following additions:Chrono Trigger (The DS version) needs to be ported to NSwitch & PS4&5 & the original or if not better instrument samples should be restored.
Chrono Trigger could benefit from a Remake if developed by competent Developers i’e 2DHD and adding some of the cut party members to your Team.
And lastly Chrono Break. I’m praying that everything I mentioned becomes reality, and maybe I can forgive the closure of the fan remake:Chrono Resurrection.
Wow, you never played Chrono Trigger until now. That's crazy. in 1995 when I was 12 years old I went to the mall with my mom to buy Christmas presents. She gave me a $100 bill to buy presents for my family members. I ended up taking that money and finding CT for $95 at a Camelot music because it was over $100 with tax at Babbages at the time. It didn't take long for my mom to find out what I did and ground me for it, but she let me keep Chrono Trigger as long as I let friends borrow it while I was grounded. So my two best friends got to play through Chrono Trigger before I did, but the memories made were 100% worth it!
This screams '90s, and I love it.
Now imagine playing this game on launch day, as an 12 year old kid with no hype going in, not realizing your about to play a piece of gaming history, needless to say I never forgot that feeling, this game taught me about friendship, forgiveness, not judging a book by its cover and the power of sacrifice, all at a very young age
“Chrono Trigger’s story is not complex.”
The Chrono Cross devs: “Yeah we did the opposite.”
CT is my favorite game of all time. Thanks for this video!
You know that feeling of awe when you listen to a timeless song? Or when you read a classic epic? Or when you admire a beautiful painting? That feeling of "holy shit, humans can really shine when they want to"... Chrono Trigger does that to me. I mean, yeah, that may sound exaggerated, dramatic or whatever, but I really mean it. This game is a piece of art.
the story behind the making of the soundtrack is also a great story, like how a lot of it was written and then lost when a computer failed, how mitsuda was stressed to the point of sickness. Uematsu stepped in to assist on a few (really good) tracks like Tyran Castle, and if all that weren't enough, some parts of the ending theme were supposedly taken from a dream.
I was a teenager when this game came out and is still one my all time favorites
I keep my DS copy close at heart. I LOVE this game. Sometimes I'll play out the storyline where we don't get Crono back because I just love the more somber mood of that.
This game is insane, I remember playing this blind for the first time and it was quite the experience.
Like a 3d chess puzzle but crafted with so much attention to detail, and my god the music. No wonder someone played the "Wind Scene" or w/e song on beer bottles on youtube years after the game had been out heh. It's a shame Chrono Resurrection was was canned by a Cease and Desist back then as well.
I still remember trading like 4 SNES games for chrono trigger at the local shop (because it was brand new and $120 here in canada)...it looked awesome, but little did I know that I was about to play a goated game. I had just finished final fantasy 3/6...and chrono trigger felt almost like a next gen RPG in comparison. You can actually see and avoid enemies? Active time battle? Double and triple combos? Several endings and new game +? My mind was blown. I got to see pretty much every ending (even the secret dev one)...but it's been decades...maybe I will revisit it again
Chrono Trigger is not only my favorite JRPG ever, but my favorite video game ever, period. It excels at absolutely everything it does, from its soundtrack and stunning visual effects (for a 16-bit game,) to its lovable, original and yet iconic playable characters, each of which experiences an arc of some sort as the game proceeds. I would even go so far as to say that for all the talented, brilliant people who worked on this game, it still stands out among the bodies of their other work. Yes. Even Toriyama. It has, to date, elevated every console it's ever been released on, and I can't say enough good things about it.
I'm just gonna go ahead and click that thumbs up 15 seconds into the video becuase I already know your greatness at delivering solid content :)
How fitting that a game themed about time is so timeless.
I first played this on Steam in 2021, the only other SNES rpg I played in that year being Earthbound. And while Earthbound will always be my favourite SNES game, with Mother inspiring my favourite subgenre of all time, Chrono Trigger was an absolute blast from start to finish. It was so innovative and so complex, dealing with time travel at a time where it was treated as little more than a reason to show the past. It showed the implications of it. It was like a full series of Doctor Who packed into one 20-hour game. And it had the most some of the most dynamic turn-taker combat seen to this day with its unbelievably smooth field attacks.
I do have one small criticism with the story that (spoilers):
The fact Cronos dies an emotional death by sacrificing himself with a full cutscene and song... and you're able to simply go back and save him just by replacing him with a doll does seem a bit of a cop-out and cheapens his sacrifice slightly for me, as well as lowering the stakes if deaths can be undone by time travel.
But even then, at least it's very clear from the start of the game that you can do this kind of thing, and this same feature is also used to show the game's greatness, by showing, ON-SCREEN, all the changes you make in the past that affects the future. Good old Ozzie!
So yeah, amazing game, and so innovative not just for its time, but today!
Spoiler:
I actually really like what they did with Crono - it's an optional quest, you don't actually need to revive him. The fact they had the balls to outright remove the main protag and gave the player the choice to bring him back was awesome to me.
@@TheKisekiNut Fair enough. It's probably not something that would be too popular today, but it really emphasises player choice and realistically shows what they would do if given the power of time travel.
@@giuseppeparry1365 I think one also has to consider that within the game itself, saving Crono is a big deal, not just something they can do with a bit of will and effort. Gaspar doesn’t have a ton of Chrono Triggers lying around; the implication is that he only had the one. To borrow a Doctor Who phrase, Crono’s death was a fixed point where two party members, Magus, Schala, and Zeal witnessed it and made irrevocable choices because of that moment. You could argue other events such as Lara’s accident could be the same, but the Chrono Trigger takes you not only to the specific point but also creates the time freeze. In at least one translation, Magus says he “never thought it possible.” The scary thing? The Black Omen exits because your team was there when Queen Zeal and Schala woke Lavos, Zeal Kingdom was destroyed, then the Gurus and Janus were sent through time.
What happened to Schala and Queen Zeal in the original timeline? Unclear, but the pendant passed down over 13,000 years to eventually be worn by Marle. The Ocean Palace event is supposed to be when you stop Lavos and change the course of history, but instead you make Queen Zeal an immortal, Crono dies, and Schala
*spoiler*
gets lost in Time’s Eclipse, setting up the events of the superboss, Radical Dreamers, and Chrono Cross.
Yet what does the party do with the Chrono Trigger, the most potent device in the history of time travel? Nothing if you don’t get it, but if you get it, the party (and player) save Crono, or Marle
*spoiler*
uses it herself to save Crono.
You can’t blame them for their choices, but across literally millions of years and countless people in the existence of the world, was there a better, more deserving choice to be saved by Gaspar’s life’s work……?
I hate how cheap are the minds of people who think "Resurrecting a character cheapens the impact of the scene..."
Don't you think it would be cheaper for them to NOT revive the character when they have the ability to do so?
It means you're not looking into the story through the eyes of the characters, and you don't feel how they want to ressurrect that character.
You're also indoctrinated with this sort of view that it "Cheapens the plot" Bunch of "Plot" cult cultists... unable to feel the story, able to only judge it like robots...
@@KeyleeTamirian Oh, don’t pretend you wouldn’t make the exact same criticism if it wasn’t anything else but a well-loved game. You’ll find very few people who don’t think undoing X reduces the impact of X.
You notice how the vast majority of my comment was extremely positive about this game? If you get mad at someone for posting a glowing 9/10 review of a game instead of a perfect 10/10, I’d say that’s way more “cult-like” than someone who gives an honest review.
And you’re actually disrespecting the game by doing that, because you just say the game isn’t allowed to be criticised. If I hear anyone get angry at anyone for DARING to make a single criticism about a game, I just roll my eyes and think, “Welp, they’re just a fanboy. Clearly, I can’t take any praise they have seriously.”
Kiseki Nut politely replied and told me why he thinks the resurrection works. Very different to what you did, which was call me cheap, robotic and cult-like. So, just like the person in the example, I can’t take you seriously.
“Wouldn’t it be cheaper to not do it if they could?” … I don’t think you understand the meaning of “cheap”. First of all, no, it wouldn’t. Because that would mean no game, show, film, book that has any element of time travel would ever be allowed to have any stakes.
Secondly, EVERY piece of fiction where anyone’s resurrected a character is done “because they could do it.” That doesn’t stop it from being cheap. The question is WHY can they do it? Is it because of some theme of resurrection that’s clearly established much earlier in the story? Or is it because of a deus ex machina device (in this case, the Chrono Trigger) that’s conveniently only revealed AFTER the person dies?
Let’s follow your rules for writing:
1. Character dies an emotional death.
2. Invent magical device that can conveniently revive people.
3. Well, it would be cheaper not to resurrect a character if we could, so now that step #2 gave us a device for resurrecting people, we can claim that we’re actually following the LESS cheap route, not that step #2 itself was incredibly cheap or anything.
4. RESULT: So, now we can kill as many characters we want for emotional impact safe in the knowledge we can immediately bring them all back and no-one will have any problem with it. Might as well kill off every character in every story and bring them all back again and again! Infinite free emotional impact with zero consequences, and thanks to step #3’s logic we can claim this is the LESS cheap route. Damn, this writing gig is easy!
Doctor Who is a show entirely based around time travel, and quite a few of the Doctor’s companions have died. But the Doctor has time travel. Surely, he can find a way to save every single one of them? Except he doesn’t, because literally no-one wants that (well, tbf, he did do it once, and everyone hated it) because then the show would never have any stakes and you’d have no reason to care about anything. Same with ANY piece of media where time travel exists.
Or imagine FFVII (spoilers):
If Aerith was revived after her hard-hitting death scene. FFVII has a hole story about the Lifestream and souls continuing after death. Surely, they could write a way to bring her back? Except they don’t. Because that would be stupid and ruin one of the greatest videogame scenes ever made.
Imagine if Chrono Trigger didn’t have a way to save Cronos. Would you be saying the same thing? Would you say it was cheap that they didn’t save him? Of course not. You’d be saying what an emotional final moment it was with Cronos and talking about the last scenes you had with him alive, etc., etc.
Hell, the game even has an option to not save Cronos. So, by your logic, the game and characters are cheap for having that option?
Like I said, this is an amazing game. I love almost everything about it. If you’re so mad that I gave it the abysmally low score of 9/10, you can look literally anywhere else for a perfect 10/10 review.
So happy you liked Chrono Trigger! It had such a big influence on me growing up and certainly helped shape my gaming and genre tastes. I sometimes wonder if nostalgia clouds my vision of this game so it's reassuring to hear a first time player praise it 30 years on. Love the channel, keep up the good work.
I'm glad you finally got to this and loved this game, TKN! I wasn't late to the genre so I always wondered if my reflexive love for Chrono Trigger and my considering it a masterpiece was some sort of nostalgia bias. I played it for the first time when I was 8 (how old I was when it released), and played it countless times since. I consider the game a masterpiece, and it's always great to see what a fresh set of eyes thinks about it. I look forward to much the same when you get to the Suikoden entries!
It delights me that my eternal favorite game, one whose premise is that of time, can be best described as being devoid/outside of that very abstraction.
A lot of Chrono Trigger’s extra endings were only truly reachable in New Game+ mode (which, while common now, was a Chrono Trigger innovation). Also, the SNES original did not have the animated cutscenes. Other notes about CT - the final dungeon (the Black Omen) is completely optional. You should play it, sure, as it’s a great final dungeon, but you don’t have to. Second-once you get to a certain point in the game (the End of Time) on a normal play through (and from the very beginning of the game on a New Game+ play through), you can fight the final boss at pretty much any time (it’s probably suicide to fight the final boss super early in a normal play through, but it’s possible).
I am very glad this video was recommended to me. This is one of the best reviews for CT I've ever seen. Expertly done, man. Subscribed.
The craziest thing is that such a beloved classic hasn't been milked for everything it's worth with merch, spinoffs, TV shows, OVAs, etc etc. (like FF7 was, for example)
On the one hand I wish it was because we all want more of it. On the other hand that makes it that much rarer and and more special.
I'm glad this is the case as SquareEnix is creatively bankrupt now. The people who made this game isn't there any longer. I'm more likely to buy a game from Mistwalker.
@@erikahuxley yeah idk, I heard the Mario RPG remake was good, but yeah I know SE has major problems at this point. Wasting their ressources on "ethics departments", for one.
I see that Ar Tonelico at the beginning, and I approve good sir. It's also great that you finally got to experience Chrono Triggger. It's one hell of a game.
I’m glad I still own the DS version. Toriyama’s art style lives on ❤
I have my daughter playing it this summer !I'm excited for her !!
When I was a kid I didn't think anyone played this game but me.
The internet wasn't big then and local kids all talked about final fantasy ...
It blew my mind how popular it turned out this game was when I got older it will always be hands down my favorite game of all time lol I used the victory theme music for my wedding after our first kiss this game is and will always be a masterpiece
Same! I felt alone in my love for this game only to find out so many had the same experience
I played FF7 at launch, but I'm currently playing Chrono Trigger for the first time, and I'm loving it ❤.
Thanks for this, you've inspired me another playthrough. It's been about 10 years since the last one. It's one I seem to keep coming back to every once in a while because of nostalgia and it always manages to be a great time even after like 15 playthriughs!
Best JRPG of all time, absolutely.
So happy i got my boys to play it and they deeply love it, despite modern games.
This and Legend of Zelda Link to the Past are timeless top tier games.
And the OST still just grips me and has not been dethroned
Recently started replaying this after the news of Akira Toriyama passed away and the game is still a gold standard In JRPG the artstyle and look of the game are still extremely smooth and a good.turn based game is a reward in itself as much as I'd want to see a 2D HD remaster I think this game deserves a full on Remake.
The only thing with these new mobile versions is that the menus all look like shite. It takes me out of it.
I play this game on my phone regularly, I remember playing it as a child, never beat it (too hard as a child) but always thought about it, then, in 2020s, I bought it for my phone. I can say, this is my absolute favorite PS1 generation game followed by Valkyrie Profile & then Final Fantasy 6.... A full-on remake of any of the three would be a dream come true, especially for Chrono Trigger; something akin to Sandland but with much better, fluid movements & deeper combat mechanics than FF7 Rebirth, & an ooen-world worthy of being called the best open-world ever with deep exploration, basically, i hope they go all out on a remake where it explises the entire industry
I've heard some iffy things about the mobile port, how is it for you? I always played on snes or ds but those consoles just aren't as convenient anymore. I'd love to have it on my phone as it's my favorite game of all time.
@@mewichigo3410 it's fine for me. Although, I can't really tell the difference as I have not played other versions back-to-back. I played the original on PS1 decades ago, & now the mobile. It's as I remembered it. If it's your favorite game of all time, for $10, I definitely have it on the phone, & whenever you get a chance, please mention a Chrono Trigger remake wherever you're discussing Chrono Trigger. I want one baaad. Sandland made me a believer in a remake
@@eltren6120 Thanks for your response! And yes I've been begging for a CT remake for years 😭😭😭 The Octopath engine would be so perfect for it, I really hope Square listens to their fans!
Chronotrigger is an SNES generation game. They did a rerelease for PS1 with the animated cut scenes added.
Chronotrigger is a masterpiece.
Played through this game again after nearly a decade this year, I was playing it and then toriyama passed away😔 rip sir! The game is just as incredible as I remember. The characters are so fully fleshed and battle mechanics are fun
A ton is also owed to Yuji Horii, who wrote the majority of Chrono Trigger's scenario before the start of the game's production.
This this is basically 3/4 a Dragon Quest game!
Now if only Cole Palmer appears as a playable character in a Chrono Trigger sequel ;). Your happy worlds will collide!
One of the very rare “Perfect” games ever made in all of gaming history, genuinely. Masterpiece doesn’t do it justice.
Tight storytelling is the key here. Tell a great story with good mechanics in a short period with amazing graphics and music.
I had the same experience over a decade ago. I was born in 92 and never got around to playing it until I was almost 18. It was already pretty old at that point and figured it'd be alright but worth checking out since it was a classic. Any time I wasn't sleeping, eating, or etc, I played for the next two or three days until I beat it, even going for all the ultimate weapons to extend the experience. Never done that before or since in a JRPG. The story, battle system, artwork... it's all perfect.
The GOAT. Chrono Trigger, Legacy of Kain, Metal Gear, I had an amazing childhood.
Chrono Trigger was the first RPG i ever finished, and nothing since has topped it. It is absolute perfection and my favorite game of all time.
A well made doc. I couldn’t agree more. I reviewed Chrono Trigger when it released in the DS. I have owned every incarnation that has seen a console release. Chrono Trigger is EASILY the greatest JRPG of all time, and may even be the greatest GAME of all time. I have loved this one since it first released in 1995, and still do, to this day. Often, I’ll just go to sleep to the soundtrack playing in the background. This is one for the ages and is begging to see a modern rerelease.
Thank you for your perspective.
❤❤❤❤❤
Instant subscriber based on this video alone. I can’t wait to see your other content.
Like any other true work of art, my experience of the story changes over time. This concept of the game remaining viable well into the future is exceptionally real when you consider the multitude of differing characters realizing their purpose, and involving us in their quest to flip the world back around. It's hard to say if the developers knew what they had upon completion of CT. Their willingness to take risks and give no fuc*s paid off well. As a 10 year old paying CT for the first time, my friends and I knew CT was special compared to other games, but we really couldn't have known the extent. I was grateful then as a kid to experience playing CT, and that respect and gratefulness has only strengthened with age. I find it necessary to replay CT at least once every 5 years.
Those anime cutscenes were introduced for the PS1 port of the game as part of the Final Fantasy games being re-released on that console
Its cool to see someone new to this game come in to it fresh and still have the respect for it those of us who played at it launch still have for it. Its definitely one of the top 10 most iconic games of all time..
im praying so hard this game gets a SO2 remake treatment.
Ultimately it doesn't need much. A little polish to the visuals perhaps, but the core of the game is fine.
@Nietzsche_017 Chrono Cross exists, but it's only loosely related. It doesn't feature time travel (deals with alternate realities instead) or any of the Chrono Trigger characters.
Il@@chemicals8582it features some CT characters but bery vaguely. Lucca and Schala (somewhst) appear.
@@chemicals8582 IIRC, Scala is in it, and it's the timeline where the dinos won? Something like that.
Literally just started this back up 2 days ago.
It really has aged like fine wine
battle OST is also so great
This was one of my first major RPGs, other than Breath of Fire and Mario RPG. I love this game to the point i still have it memorized. Every other year or so I will crank through this thing and enjoy every bit of it and wonder why some RPGs just ...lack by comparison. Why Square Enix has yet to remake this beauty and give it the HD remake we would all go absolutely bonkers for, I do not know
rip akira toriyama. his design just oozed familiarity and comfort. he was a genius at creating fun cool looking characters in his signature style.
I’m finishing cold steel 3 today, thank you, luxin, and Scott for introducing me to Trails. It’s brought me so much happiness, and I can’t wait to share them with my son when as he grows up. Thank you thank you thank you. Fan for Life
I played Sea of Stars when it released and felt like a game finally listened to Chrono Trigger.
We're all still around the campfire talking about friendship magic.
Irrelevant question but whats that game you used the battle footage of before the first minute mark?
On topic, I LOVE Chrono Trigger, alongside Secret of Mana they were my gateway drug into jrpgs back when I was a young lad!
Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono trigger will be my all time favorites. Everything about them is great. Soundtrack, Story, pacing. They got it all.
I remember seeing the promo materials in Toys R Us for Chrono Trigger when I was a little kid. I recall standing in front of the display and being blown away that there were so many endings (which is how they were marketing the game). I wanted it so badly, but my parents couldn’t afford a new release game back then. I got it a few years later, and it became a favorite. My brother still has the original SNES cartridge. It was games like this, Secret of Mana, and so many others that gave me a love for gaming that I still have to this day. I’m so glad its popularity hasn’t waned.
I am suspired you didn't mention the music in the game, the OST is so great, I have it in my spofity. I will be playing it again on my phone after I have completed FF6 (might be a while)
OST was indeed solid, but I only give mention to the ones that 'really' stand out to me. CT's was great, but doesn't measure up to my personal tastes.
This game came out exactly 10 years before my birthday, so I always make sure to do something related to it by then; whether it's starting/finishing a new save file or drawing some art!
Good video.
It’s interesting seeing people’s different takes on the game.
Andrew Bluett, another TH-camr, noted he thought the story/protagonist wasn’t really that engaging but the gameplay systems held up well. A lot of people gave him crap for the take but I felt similarly.
To each his own, for me I prefer Chrono Cross over Trigger but I guess it’s nice to see others appreciate older games in this messy landscape of the current video game industry.
Seeing Lunar in the beggining of the video made me happy, not many people talk about it nowadays, but Lunar 2 is probably in my top 5 list of best JRPGs I've ever played!
Chrono trigger is one of the few games I played in my childhood that I will stand by until I'm dead and buried in the ground. i'm not a retro gaming fiend. I don't believe retro means better. But Chrono Trigger? Man is it a game I will never forget. A game that truly stood for everything I loved about gaming as a kid.
I see you're quoting Aidan Moher at the beginning of the video. His book "Fight, Magic, Items" on the history of JRPGs is really well-documented and a joy to read
It's great to see the perspective of players used to more contemporary games. Thanks
You haven't played this game unless you played it with the OG translation.
This game came out the year I was born and I hadn't played it until just now and it's by far one of my favorite RPGs
Also the party is a non-harem harem. Three (hot) females, one human male. Crono's only "competition" is a frog, a robot, and a vampire-looking dude.
Yes but also don't underestimate women's love for vampire-looking dudes(???)
@@babithehuman2505 Haha touché
Magus is a hottie. Also so is Glenn in human form, Lucca herself gives him a wolf whistle!
I just started a new playthrough using and MSU1 patch and it is amazing. Exact same game I love with a fully orchestrated soundtrack.
This has been my favorite game of all time since the first day I played it, someone shortly after it launched. Just phenomenal on every level.
I was playing chrono trigger when it was released in us. Since i live in germany that wasnt an easy feet in 95/96. I think i got it in december to my birthday. It was on of the games i tressure till today and always will revisit from time to time. It will never get old. If you have the chance and are into RPG`s you need to play this game. Its hands down one of the greatest RPG`s of all time!
I'm pretty sure that i learned Toriyama's name because of Chrono Trigger, as the instant i saw the 1st cinematic, i knew that it had to be the same guy who made DBZ. But this was over 20 years ago n i didn't have internet and lived on a farm, so it would have taken me a while to get a hold of the resources to find out for sure.
Ar Tonelico mention sighted, this man has incredible, impeccable taste. God Tier. Truly a scholar of his field.
it was the golden age of gaming!
I first played Chrono Trigger back in 1996 and to this day it is still one of my all time favorite RPG's. It wasn't my first RPG(that was FFIV, released as FFII on SNES in America), but it is absolutely in my top 3. I wouldn't mind seeing it remade with today's graphics, IF, and ONLY if, they could do it without changing the story or the gameplay at all, just the graphics.
Thinking about all of this I initially wanted to say that Chrono Trigger is the only OG JRPGs that I still remember most of the story of three decades later, then I realized that it is the only OG JRPG that I still remember most of the multiple stories from.
Just played and completed this game for the first time in the past week, and I can confirm that it would hold up even if released today. Or last week, anyway.
Corridors of Time is the highlight of the OST for me. It somehow gets across the feel of Zeal to me. It's perfect. I love that it gets used in Logic's mixtape Used to Hate it as well.
Masterpiece of a game. I was cleaning out the garage recently and found the strategy guide I had for this game, still in good condition.😅
This was my first taste at a jrpg.
I watched my aunt play it and thought I couldnt play this game. Played it myself and had to pre order the ds version.
It is a game that will turn you into a gamer even if your not.
I just finished up another playthrough a couple weeks ago, and even though I do have mad nostalgia for the game, all the story beats still hit just as hard. The battles are still snappy and fun, especially for turn-based/classic ATB style fights. The graphics hold up better than any other SNES RPG. The music, THE MUSIC! One of few game OSTs I listen to while working.
It's basically a perfect game.
I don't think you'll like Chrono Cross quite as much, but I'd still recommend it. Just don't let yourself get sucked into the "gotta catch em all", because CC committed the sin of having many playable characters but giving the vast majority of them very little characterization or plot integration.
Also about the alternate endings in CT, I understood what you said as suggesting that many endings are accessible on a first playthrough for a more hardcore player. That's mostly false. The numbers make it so there are essentially two viable endings in the first playthrough, with a few specific actions you can do that change some small details. It's technically possible to do all but one ending in the first playthrough, but with the way the numbers work in the game, it's hard to even conceive of how much grind would go into winning the game early on, let alone at the first opportunity.
Yeah, the other endings are meant for NG+
Yes it has. Just played it for the first time and it was absolutely incredible. If I had played this back in the day it would have blown my mind ha
Welcome to the club, bro.
It didn't take long for me to consider Trails in the Sky a 'spiritual successor' to Chrono Trigger, but I'm glad that the OG is getting some much-deserved attention.
I played this game when I was getting into retro games during college. Simply put: It was my favourite game ever (at the time). I've since played more modern titles that have surpassed that, although I would still rank it in my top 10.
But it was mostly due to personal connections to those titles rather than a strict criteria, plus I thought it was unfair to judge this game as better since I never actually finished it and used to put classic media on such high pedestals. But what I will always remember, is how easy it is to understand and get sucked into the beginning of the game - Making it the most memorable gaming experience you will ever have the first time or in repeated playthroughs!
It’s pretty cool how the combat system in this game greatly influenced the latest Final Fantasy 7 Remake games’ combat system. It’s pretty similar in structure
Aha you got around to playing it. It's damn near the perfect JRPG. Almost 30 years after it's release and it's still a top tier game that can go toe to toe with modern games.
I never defeated the final boss in my first playthrough. Nor have I played it since but I still love this game and will certainly return to it one day.
"Even outside of that dream team, there are so many big hitters of the genre who went on to establish their own legacy who were involved with Chrono Trigger. Like, this is unreal the amount of talent that contributed to this game." There's a reason it was called "Project Dream" internally - getting this many insanely talented people in one room at one time is something so good it HAD to be a dream. That's literally their reason.
The fact that I could play this as old ass adult and feel like a kid by the end of it speak volumes.
I wish more turn based games had this type of turn based system. It is possible to get multiple actions before a enemy and sometimes a teammate moves.
At tonelico, I see you’re. A man of culture