There is a reason people my age wax and wane about the mid-1990s. Videogames were coming into their own, and excellent and memorable games were produced. It stands as the threshold of change, as animations were evolving from pixilated sprites to polygonal figures. One of those games on this cusp of change was Chrono Trigger for the SNES. It was then ported to the PlayStation a few years later and now to the Nintendo DS. So what is the point of bothering a game 15 years old? Simple. It is one of the best role-playing games ever made. Period.
How can such a bold statement be made? Back in the day, it was held in high regard for a multitude of reasons.
First, it has a great plot. Three teenagers stumble across a gate, a portal that connects one period of time to another, and travel into future, which is in shambles due to an alien creature known as Lavos. So they decide to travel through time and stop this vicious creature once and for all. Of course, I have glossed over and skipped many details. But that’s the bare bones. In fact, it is a lot of fun due to how quickly the game moves. It quickly ranges from an innocent, light-hearted adventure to a serious quest to save the world. And what makes it even cooler is the memorable cast. Need I write more?
Second, the gameplay is traditional. Yeah, at first glance it works like every other RPG. Your character’s action meter “charges,” and they act. But here’s the kicker: The action can get intense. Battles are not completely random as you’ll see them on the map well in advance, and battles will take place right then and there. There was no need for a battle screen, and most of the encounters are avoidable. Then there’s the way combat unfolds. Characters can double- and even triple-team the enemy, allowing for even more potent attacks. It also helps speed things along. No game before it or even after it has fully taken advantage of this idea.
Third, the soundtrack is downright awesome. This is due to Nobuo Uematsu’s skills as a composer. Music ranges from the mellow flute music of a town, the tingles of xylophones for a mysterious and magical vibe with tinges of Eastern music, tense strings for a haunted castle, and tribal beats from an ancient culture. There are many more memorable themes, and they are still fun to hear all these years later.
Fourth, there are the graphics. While it may not look like much by today’s standards of high-definition discs and televisions that can show the sweat of actors and athletes, it was state-of-the-art back then. Sprites were large and detailed. They ran smoothly and emoted and revealed their personality as the game went on. Monsters are just as memorable, from the tiny blue imps to those annoying trolls with hammers to robotic opponents from the future. And the final battle is one of the creepiest events in gaming history.
So how does the DS version fit into all of this? Well, the graphics have been reduced in size to fit into its small screen. In fact, it looks just like its SNES and PlayStation siblings. What I don’t like about it is how scrunched in it all feels. Little details that looked downright cool on a television are now lost. Some of the character animations have been removed, such as the technique animation when a character heals on the menu screen. And the map, which is seen on the touchscreen, is useless. It is difficult to get lost.
Gamers can switch between the classic controls and the addition of touchscreen controls during combat. Classic mode covers a bit more space, slightly obscuring the limited screen. Though it isn’t as big a deal as it seems if you’re used to it. The touchscreen works just as well and is just as clean. The problem with it is that it removes your eyes from the action.
What really drives me nuts about this game is the translation. I confess I’m used to the old version. I’ve read and re-read it several times over the years, almost to the point of being able to quote lines. The DS version throws most of what I remember out and rewords it. I still remember the castle scene in which Marle, the princess, leaves the castle to run away from home. In the original translation, she yells out: “I despise you!” to her father. This not only shows off her education but her awareness of how he’s been acting as of late. And now, I can’t remember the modern equivalent of it except that it feels toned down. There was an intelligence to the writing that made the game feel innocent and yet pushed the player forward as well.
But even with my gripes of the DS version of Chrono Trigger doesn’t stop me from recommending it. It’s still a fun game all these years later. It’s still heart-warming. This is the game that influenced a generation of gamers. The only reason not to pick this game up is if you own either the SNES or PlayStation version. Of course, Best Buy, Gamestop, K-Mart and other vendors have been selling it for $20. Thus, even if you own the game, it is even a more palatable purchase. So go buy this game and find the magic that made gamers fall in love with it in the first place.
