Chrono Trigger is a
16-bit single-player
console RPG. It was released for the
SNES in
Japan in March of 1995, then in
America later that year. 1999 saw the rerelease of this game in Japan, this time ported to the
PlayStation, with added
FMV scenes drawn
anime-style by
Akira Toriyama. A year later a sequel was released on the PlayStation, called
Chrono Cross. Finally, in 2001, we get the rerelease stateside in the
Final Fantasy: Chronicles compilation, packaged together with
Final Fantasy IV.
At the beginning of the game, Crono, our protagonist, wakes up to his mother's summons.
"Crono..."
"Crono!"
"Good morning, Crono!"
Today the Millenial Fair is open, celebrating the thousandth anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom. Crono rushes over, to meet his friend Lucca. On his way through the fair, he meets a beautiful young lady named Marle, who Crono readily agrees to spend the day with. They make their way towards the north end of the fair, where Lucca's device is set up.
Lucca announces to the crowd that her strange-looking machine is actually a telepod, that can transport people instantly over any distance. No one believes in the safety of such a machine, but Crono demonstrates, and proves its feasibility. When Marle attempts to transport, however, her pendant interfears with the process, and sends her to an unknown destination. Crono picks up the pendant and followes her.
He arrives in the middle of a forest, and after a short walk realizes that he is in fact in the same place, his hometown Truce, but has been teleported to a different time...
The story remains deep and engaging throughout the entire game, which lasts for anywhere between 30 and 100 hours, depending on how thorough you are. There is also a New Game + option, which allows you to play through the game again, with some differences that heighten its replay value.
The gameplay itself wonderfully balances simplicity and innovation. Over the course of the game your characters learn "Tech". These cover everything from special attacks to healing to spells. There are also Dual- and Triple-techs, which allow two or three of your characters to attack simultaneously, combining to form a greater effect.
This game even has wonderful music, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu. It is available separately on a three-disk soundtrack.