So I've been playing through Chrono Trigger...

[1337 1]

...as I thought I'd buy it, considering the amount of people who seemed to have loved it (a trend I especially noticed here on these very forums), and have almost finished it (just got the last boss to beat).

But after all the hype about how good it was, I'm left feeling a bit...I don't know, confused? The game was good, don't get me wrong, and I've got no real qualms with it.

But it sounded like it was some kind of titan of gaming; something that will be remembered through all history as THE Chrono Trigger. I've played through it, and its just a really good game.

Can someone maybe tell me why it got its status; I'm sure I'm missing something. Maybe it was better in its time? Or...

[Dj Mokram]

Maybe it was better in its time? Or...

^This.

It's like any other oldies, really. Love'em so much because it's part of (& associated with) fond childhood memories.

But mostly because at the time, we felt they were the best games evermade.

...I need to play Secret of Mana right now.

[I-n-j-i-n]

To me, it's only a bit overhyped simply because I beat it at least 20 times. At least 4 times from level 0..

That said, it's all about High Definition gaming for me. Thankfully, the 360 has a ton and the PS3 will have a few more soon.

[Cerrax]

I never even touched Chrono Trigger until about a year and a half ago and I loved it.

The story is really what kept me playing. The gameplay is not my favorite and the graphics (while amazing for 16-bit console) aren't anything earth-shattering. The music is pretty sweet too. But really the story is what kept me playing through it. Its one of the few games that if it was done properly would be an excellent movie.

[Millipede]

I think Chrono Trigger really had the whole package of graphics, sound, storyline etc.

Playing this back in 1995 would have been mind blowing. Back then a lot of the elements

in the game were completely new to people. Now, anyone who's played an rpg before has

seen them, so going back and playing Chrono Trigger doesn't seem as exciting.

...I need to play Secret of Evermore right now.

*fixed^

[ZealPath]

I'd say most of it is because it was better in it's time, it was the first game I'd played that dealt with time travel, and it was solid across the board in terms of graphics, sound, music, and story. The hype for CT back in the day was major, magazines like Nintendo Power were promoting the hell out of it, and everyone was pretty eager to see what it was all about. One thing I remember about it is that it attracted the interest of some friends of mine who couldn't get into the Final Fantasy series at all, so it was also a bit of a "pop rpg," drawing people the genre might normally not have.

It was and is a hell of a game, but as far as why it will be remembered, I'd say it's more for what it was back then than what it amounts to now (which is still a pretty darn good game, but not exactly cutting edge). It's not quite at the point where we could compare it to say, trying to appreciate a DOS game in today's age of online amazing graphics extravaganzas, but as time goes on, I guess it will be harder and harder to appreciate.

So if you grew up with it, chances are it will hold a special place in your gaming heart for the great graphics, sound, and music that it brought to the table at the time. The story was pretty good too, and that may be one thing that it beats some newer games at. It was complicated enough to be compelling, without the extreme complexity/you'll be damned if you can explain it type of story that it's sequel, Chrono Cross had.

[Triad Orion]

It was nothing short of amazing in its time, and the fact that it has held up so well even today is testament of that. It's one of the few games that can objectively be considered something that has aged very, very well. Not many other games can claim that. Even other great games of generations past don't necessarily age well.

For example, GoldenEye 007 for the N64 was an amazing game for its age, but time has really taken its toll on it. These days, it's a clunky and pretty clumsy shooter and while it still holds an important place in gaming history, most people are who play it do so out of nostalgia rather than because it's still a triple-A title for its genre.

On the other hand, Chrono Trigger remains a top-notch RPG even today. Though it doesn't have the sprawling storylines and gorgeous graphics of say, Final Fantasy or the Tales series, its gameplay remains solid, its characters likable, its music memorable, and its story compelling. Though it is dated in technology today, despite of this, people still play it. And even those who don't have nostalgia for it try it and still at the very least appreciate the game.

And almost fifteen years after its original release? That shows a real masterpiece of video gaming.

[MkVaff]

Can someone maybe tell me why it got its status; I'm sure I'm missing something. Maybe it was better in its time? Or...

I was actually confused back when I played it as well (I played through it as soon as it came out on Super NES). There was all this hype for it, it took forever to get the damn game done and then it came out and I was impressed I guess, but not as drawn into the experience as I was with Final Fantasy 2 and 3 (in the US). I always thought that the original Chrono Trigger was such a weird idea (that square nevertheless did well) that the parts were better than the sum. It had good music, graphics, characters, etc... but to me it never really quite fit together. It just became an inconsistent mish mosh of ideas for the sake of variety and keeping things fresh I guess.

That's just me though, I'm in the minority when it comes to my feelings on the game I guess, but I definitely agree with finishing it wanting either more or... something else.

[Meteo Xavier]

Well of course if you play it NOW, nearly 15 years after it was released, you're going to be left wondering what was so hot about it. As it stands today, I don't think CT would cut it alongside modern JRPGs, but back in 1995-1996, nobody, and I fucking mean nobody, had pulled off the JRPG quite like that.

Thats why we still talk about it.

[Zephyr]

People love it because it was an awesome part of their childhood, it's still a great game, but there's so many other "just good games" to play, so unless this one has reminiscent value to you it might not live up to expectations.

[Penfold]

People love it because it was an awesome part of their childhood, it's still a great game, but there's so many other "just good games" to play, so unless this one has reminiscent value to you it might not live up to expectations.

I played it a few years ago for the first time, and it really resonated with me. Everybody's different; for some who love the game it's nostalgia, but not for others (like myself).

[Flare4War]

It's really just remembered by a vast amount of people for how good it was in it's time. Same goes for most older games. If a game corresponds with a nice time in your childhood or the good o'le days it makes you like it even more.

For example I'll always remember Ninja Gaiden Black as one of the best games ever made even though Ninja Gaiden II trumps it in nearly every way. Black just reminds me of a time in my life when things were fun and easy with my bachelor buddies, so it gets extra merit in my score card.

[herograw]

While it's a good game in the first place, nostalgia is a big factor. As soon as I saw this thread memories started to stream back. I remember the first time I reached the end of time and foolishly tried to fight lavos right away. Good times...

[Thin Crust]

Lol, I was thinking about making a thread like this. I'll be honest, I tried playing it, but it didn't work for me. Seriously, I'm at Shala and trying to defeat that boss that um... I don't even remember, but there were two of them and you faced them earlier. I put it down without even trying to level up and beat them. And it's been sitting downstairs half finished ever since. (about 8 months) Guess it was just before my time. My parents never got me a game console until the end of the ps1 era back in middle school. That's why pre-ps1 just doesn't interest me that much. Sure I've played ff1, ff2(never beat), ff4, ff6, (all ported) and though I think ff1 and ff4 were the best of the old days, they never got my too excited as the current games.

now that that's out of the way, everybody can kill me now.

[Bigfoot]

The music is what does it for me and Chrono Trigger. Great game as a kid, but the music is what I really loved about the game. When I started playing it after buying it on the DS, I was nothing but smiles. I almost wish there was a soundtrack bundled with it.

[Toadofsky]

I didn't play Chrono Trigger till about 2 years ago, on an emulator. Back when I played Super NES, I didn't really get into RPGs, I thought they were boring. Of course, I was like 8, and I would mostly play platformer games. The only RPG I played heavily was Super Mario RPG (which I think is what got me to start playing them).

Anyhow, I agree, you associate (in your mind) those good feelings when you play from a certain game in the past, and if you ever go back to play it, sometimes it will either,

A, not be as good as it was...

B, still have that spark.

I have to say though, that some games I didn't play until a few years ago. Super Metroid, Earthbound, and Chrono Trigger were a few games I didn't initially like in the beginning, but now, they're my top favorite games.

[Meteo Xavier]

Back when I played Super NES, I didn't really get into RPGs, I thought they were boring. Of course, I was like 8, and I would mostly play platformer games.

Interestingly enough, this reminds me of when I started playing FFIV at 6 and I kept trying to play it like Super Mario.

[XZero]

After several failed attempts to find a copy during high school, I played it via an emulator. I absolutely loved it. I remember going out and picking up the Final Fantasy Chronicles guide because it had the Chrono Trigger section in it.

I would echo what others have said: graphics were great for the time, storyline was and is enjoyable, and music... oh that music. Magnificent. The point where I really felt like I loved the game was actually the first time I heard the Corridors of Time song play when I stepped out of the teleporter on the floating islands. Beautiful, and that image will forever be ingrained in my mind.

[Hyperion5182]

...as I thought I'd buy it, considering the amount of people who seemed to have loved it (a trend I especially noticed here on these very forums), and have almost finished it (just got the last boss to beat).

But after all the hype about how good it was, I'm left feeling a bit...I don't know, confused? The game was good, don't get me wrong, and I've got no real qualms with it.

But it sounded like it was some kind of titan of gaming; something that will be remembered through all history as THE Chrono Trigger. I've played through it, and its just a really good game.

Can someone maybe tell me why it got its status; I'm sure I'm missing something. Maybe it was better in its time? Or...

It was hands down one of the top five games of the Era. Its story and general quality were above what anyone expected for the time. It rivaled Final Fantasy Six in enjoyment factor. Many came and gone after that. And still until recently there have not been truly serious challengers to the position this game took so long ago. Chrono Trigger's music is unbelivable for the timing of the original game. It was magnificent for a 16 bit system and to this day its soundtrack is one of the more remixed ones.

At the time that it happened Sega had no serious RPG's The genre was taking off at unbelievable speeds with the successes of other games and this one raised a bar the benchmark by which all future games would be judged. When you come across a game like this when its still new it tends to have a permanent effect on you. In your case you experienced it post FF7 and other games so your bar was set differently.

It is a benchmark of gaming.

[Gollgagh]

Heh, my first experience with Chrono Trigger was with the PSX version. I loved the hell out of it, even post FF7. (Honestly, I think I like it more than FF7, but that's neither here nor there.)

Either I am extremely tolerant of loading times or ya'll are some impatient people, 'cause I don't remember the load times being that bad. Of course, if I went back to it now, it might drive me crazy.

[DJMetal]

Heh, my first experience with Chrono Trigger was with the PSX version. I loved the hell out of it, even post FF7. (Honestly, I think I like it more than FF7, but that's neither here nor there.)

Either I am extremely tolerant of loading times or ya'll are some impatient people, 'cause I don't remember the load times being that bad. Of course, if I went back to it now, it might drive me crazy.

I'm just the same. I'm actually still playing through it, because the "Golem Twins" boss is physical resistant and I don't use any casters...so I'm having problems =D. But yeah...the occasional load spike doesn't bother me any, and even today, I can see what made this one of THE games.

[BooDidley7]

I think there's a simple elegance about certain 'old schoo' RPG's that's been lost over time.

For about a decade now, I have had a really hard time sitting through just about any RPG because there seems like there's always too much garish bullshit going on and the stories are never interesting enough to justify giving me about 5 minutes of input in the first hour while having to sit idly by the rest of the time. I can't stand sitting through 3-lines of bland spoken dialogue, when it would've taken me 2 seconds to read it. There's plenty more I can say, but I don't feel like getting into it.

I didn't play CT until 2002 and was sorry I waited so long. And recently, I played through the DS version. What's great about it? The music is still utterly amazing. There's no random battles (but occasionally forced encounters). The cast is likable and diverse, although I wish Chrono actually had a mind of his own and said something. The action is fast for a turn-based battle system. The game doesn't bog you down with a million different accessories, a million different spells, or 100 different people you feel obligated to talk to when visiting a village, who say nothing remotely interesting. Keeping it simple keeps the pace taught.

There's an epic scope to your journey that is rivaled by few journeys in gaming. You go from medievalish times, to BC, to a floating sky utopia, to a post-apocalyptic world (which was done before it was in every game), to the end of time.

Finally, the story, while not flawless, was well done, made nice use of the time travel aspect/consequences, and ultimately when you see how it plays out at the end of Chrono Cross, has even more impact. Too bad Chrono Cross's own story/characters were such a mess...

But I can see how someone who only started playing RPG's from say, FF VII on, could have trouble appreciating some of it.

[SpanishFly]

I agree that Chrono Trigger has something that, perhaps ironically, holds up with time. And playing it before I played Chrono Cross made everything in Cross have such a bigger impact (hell, I still have the original SNES Chrono Trigger that I bought in 95). Though, I disagree about Cross being a mess, I love that game just as much as CT, I just see it as "done differently" as opposed to judging it the same as CT.

[Tex]

I only played it 4 years ago and beat it a couple years back.

Sometimes, I find this game odd because it looks like it was made using RPG Maker or whatever. Still, there was some great effort involved to make it.

Toriyama did some good artwork for the game. I like the way he drew the portrait of the characters. His design for spaceships is kinda cool.

However, I had a hard time trying to enjoy CT due to its over-appreciation. I tend to avoid games that are too popular because I feel it is a bit forced playing them for its reason, especially when they are related to RPG gaming.

Personally, I rarely find RPG games genuinely enjoyable (save for a few exceptions).

[MojoHamster]

My thoughts on why CT was and is an awesome game:-

Combination - No part of the game was lacking. Gameplay - check, storyline - check, music - check, some of the best artwork seen on the snes - check.

The non-linear storyline and the replay value of NewGame+ were pretty unseen at the time too. I mean, a game where you can beat it with the main character dead or not. To kill Magus or not...(I killed him the first time, I was a vengeful Frog! *ducks)

I certainly think the Music and Story of Chrono Trigger will remain quite timeless. If you look throughout history, good books and good music tend to stand the test of time better than some other things.

Without a doubt the Battle system of Chrono Trigger will age badly when considered out of context. Game mechanics are constantly evolving for the 'Aging RPG Consumer'. As developers introduce us to ever more intricate and interesting combat systems those of the past become rudimentary. When Final Fantasy 13 arrives I imagine it will look back at Chrono Trigger as Chrono Trigger would of looked at text based adventures.

You know the ones.

"You're in a dark room."

Your options are

, [bACKWARDS] and [DENNIS]. (poor Thy Dungeonman rip-off by me).

So I do hope if they ever do a big scale remake of CT they completely rework the battle system.

One thing I find did stand the test of time in CT is the way you come across battles. It was refreshing that they did away with those annoying random encounter screens. An important part of any RPG is immersion and I always found the screen suddenly flashing and your party being teleported to a different screen counter to that.

I actually played CT I think...1999 or 2000. It was definitely after I had played Final Fantasy 8 (I will probably be forever hated for being one of those rare people who favoured 8 over 7 - there's usually someone with a superiority complex around here waiting to pounce). Despite my immense enjoyment of FF8, it really did not dampen what was to become a love affair with CT.

To be honest I think that it's a compliment that you say even now that CT is a really good game even by today's standards. A lot of retrogaming, I pick up for a couple games and dump it as the aged rubbish that it is. I wasted a lot of money in Double Dragon as a kid but...one time thru to machine gun willy has done the job as an adult. Also Super Double Dragon 4 for the Snes has waay cooler moves (like 28 per character!)

Ultimately what everyone is saying is, Chrono Trigger is in the Canon of Gaming Literature. It should always be judged in its context. All games that follow it will draw from it. It has undoubtedly inspired this and future generations of RPGs to come.