Chrono Trigger

Originally released back in 1995 on the SNES, Chrono Trigger received universal acclaim and was held up as one of the finest games of the generation. But thanks to a criminal decision by Nintendo, it failed to reach UK shores on the SNES, and UK gamers had to wait until Final Fantasy Chronicles's release on the PSone in 2001. Its release on the DS then marks the first chance for Nintendo aficionados to experience the game. After all this time, I guess the first question that needs to be asked is has it aged well? The answer, as you will see, is a fairly surefire yes.

At its core, Chrono Trigger is a JRPG that breaks new ground for the genre. The storyline is a perfect instance of this. You meet a girl called Marle at the Millenial Fair, who is then caught in a time portal, sending her back four hundred years. Since Chrono, your character, is involved in her disappearance, he decides to go back in time to rescue her. This unravels a plot that will determine the future of the universe, moving between time frames from pre-history (65,000,000 BC) to a dystopic future (2300 AD). While the story seems straightforward, the simplicity with which it's told allows it to steer clear of one of JRPGs' biggest faults: over-wordy dialogue. This minimalistic dialogue effortlessly fills out the characters as well as furthering the narrative, while the inclusion of FMV cutscenes included in the PSone version also help immersion. Drawn by the same artist behind the Dragon Ball Z cartoons, they are suitably stylish, adding to the filmic quality of the narrative.

With the exception of these cutscenes, there has been little to no improvement of Chrono Trigger's original, 1995 graphics. But this is no criticism - generally its presentation has held up well over the years. For one, the art direction is inspired, with a mixture of bleak and colourful environments, and a plethora of screen-filling bosses. Only the overworld, which looks a little sparse and basic, shows up its mid-90s roots, but this is only a minor complaint. The presentation is aided by the musical score, which provides a suitable accompaniment to the action. Changes to the story’s mood are reflected by the music, which effortlessly veers between down-key piano accompaniments and bass heavy themes. For a game from the SNES era, its overall atmosphere is excellent.

One of the most praised features of Chrono Trigger back then was its battle system, which remains just as fresh and innovative today. Battles take place in the game’s environments, allowing a smooth transition between combat and exploration. Furthermore, battles tend to be optional, so you can continue to plow through the narrative, instead of the 'level grinding' that drags down the pace of similar RPGs. Besides the battles - which take up approximately half of the gameplay - exploration is a key element of the game. Somewhat unique to its time period, you can pursue a number of diverging paths in Chrono Trigger. You can then see how your actions at the start of the game contribute to a different outcome of the story. These outcomes are depicted in the game’s fourteen unlockable endings, one exclusive to the DS version. Given gaming's current movement towards how choices affect the experience, Chrono Trigger certainly was years ahead of its time.

Overall, this is a faithful conversion of a classic, with little movement away from foundations of the original game. However, there are a few features exclusive to this version. First of all, the battles and the statistics are split between the two screens, giving it an uncluttered design. Secondly, there are a couple of side quests specifically developed for the DS, including two new dungeons. While they are adequate in their own right, they fall short of the standards of the dungeons in the main quest. Lastly, there is a Pokemon-style side quest that sees you training up a monster for battle. Shallow and entirely irrelevant to the main quest, this is the weakest aspect of the game. Although these features do not detract from the whole, they are disappointing: those who have already beaten Chrono Trigger may not find much to attract them to this version.

Saying this, those coming in new to this game will find a lot to admire, and not just due to nostalgia. Much of Chrono Trigger's gameplay puts a lot of modern games to shame, while its design choices are still as fresh today as they were back in 1995. It should be hard to proclaim a game as one of the best of all time but with Chrono Trigger it's a hard claim to resist. Full of touches that make you smile, the sweeping narrative and the cast of likeable characters make it a hard game to put down. Many games can disappoint given the weight of expectation attached to them, but Chrono Trigger manages to surpass these expectations, cementing its place as a must-have title on the DS.