When the great stars of a certain area come together to work as a team, we often say that a “Dream Team” has been formed there. In the world of game production, it is no different. The greatest example of a game developed by a dream team was the Japanese RPG “Chrono Trigger” – クロノトリガー (Kurono Torigaa, in Japanese), where several geniuses, including designers, musicians, and programmers, came together to build an epic and unprecedented game.
In this article, we will talk about one of the best and most important video games of all time, which was able to combine futuristic themes (such as time travel) with fantastic adventure, mini-games, multiple endings, and a medieval world. We are talking about Chrono Trigger, a turn-based RPG released in 1995 for Super Famicom (Super Nintendo), a 16-bit console that was very successful both in Japan and Brazil during the 1990s.
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About the game
With a striking soundtrack, charismatic characters, varied maps, and easy gameplay, Chrono Trigger was a Japanese RPG developed initially for SNES (Super Nintendo/Super Famicom), later having versions for PlayStation, computer, and mobile devices. Chrono Trigger revolves around Crono, the protagonist of the plot.
Basically, the story of the game begins with Crono going to a festival. There, his friend Lucca is inaugurating her latest invention: a teleportation machine. Just before, Crono bumps into a blonde young woman named Marle and accidentally knocks down her necklace. The two argue, but quickly join forces to attend the inauguration of the machine invented by Lucca. From there, the story begins, with numerous events involving time-space travel, battles, encounters with supernatural beings, robots, and so on.
Released in mid-March 1995 by the former Square Soft (the name given to the company before it merged with rival Enix to form Square Enix) – the same company responsible for Final Fantasy, Parasite Eve, Xenogears, Secret of Mana, among other RPGs – Chrono Trigger was extremely innovative for its time, considering that there were no longer the infamous “random encounters” with monsters, a common fact in games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Unlike the mentioned games, Chrono Trigger gave the opportunity to see enemies on the map, allowing players to ignore them or better prepare to face them, reducing player fatigue from excessive unnecessary confrontations.
Another important novelty was the introduction of the concept of “multiple endings,” making the game longer and also promoting the “replay factor” in gameplay. Counting all versions of the game, there are about 14 possible endings (some fans claim there are 16), depending on the path taken in the timeline. Additionally, there is the possibility of combining attacks between characters during a battle.
Besides that, there is also a good amount of mini-games within the game.
About the “Dream Team”
“Dream Team” is an English expression that designates the gathering of the most skilled individuals in a certain area. In Chrono Trigger, the Dream Team formed by Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragon Ball and illustrator of Dragon Quest), Yuji Horii (creator of Dragon Quest), Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), and Yasunori Mitsuda (composer of Inazuma Eleven, Xenogears, Xenosaga, Front Mission, Chrono Cross, and Mario Party), brought together the biggest names in role-playing games at the time.
Note: Read our article about Dragon Quest by clicking here!
The game’s soundtrack, for example, is undoubtedly one of the best of all time. The variety of songs, as well as the excellent choice of each one and their fit into specific scenes, contributes to the game not aging. The 2D graphics are of excellent quality, with a wide variety of colors, scenarios, and movements. Each of the maps and characters has its own characteristics that identify and make them unique. The charisma of Frog, Ayla, Robo, Magus, and other supporting characters is so great that it makes us believe we are facing an anime.
Similar games
- Dragon Quest
- Final Fantasy
- Seiken Densetsu (games from the “Mana” series, such as Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana)
- Breath of Fire
- Lufia (Estpolis Denki)
- Phantasy Star
- Terranigma
- Illusion of Gaia
- Tales of Phantasia
- Chrono Cross
- Secret of Evermore
- Soul Blazer
- Star Ocean
- Brain Lord
- Romancing SaGa
- Suikoden
- EarthBound
Possible Remake?
Recently, after the wave of remakes, remasterings, re-releases, and new versions of games like Final Fantasy 7, Secret of Mana, and Dragon Quest, it is speculated that a remake of Chrono Trigger may be announced in the near future. However, there was a project on YouTube with 3D scenes of a possible new version (unofficial) of the game, called “Chrono Break.” The project, unfortunately, did not prosper and, it seems, was canceled.
You can check it out by watching the video below:
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