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Submit Your Thoughts On Chrono Trigger For The Deepest Dive! (Patreon)

Published:
2020-01-20 19:39:39
Imported:
2026-06

Content

It's time, everybody. Hopefully you've been playing Chrono Trigger along with us, and now we're looking for your specific thoughts on the game up until you reach the End of Time after the future section! Please don't spoil anything that comes after that. So leave a comment below with anything that has stood out from your first 3-4 hours with the beloved JRPG, from your favorite moment to most expensive weapon... anything specific. Let's analyze the heck out of this game.

The first installment of The Deepest Dive on Chrono Trigger will air on Wednesday, January 22nd on MinnMax's YouTube channel and the audio version will be in the exclusive podcast feed for $5 supporters. 

For a recap of what we're doing here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrpPz3uC4PM

Comments

Lazarus A

This has been my first time playing any JRPG, but I feel invested so far. I had a poster of it on my bedroom wall when I was 11 because an Australian Nintendo magazine did a cover story preview, but it was never actually released here on SNES. It first came out here in 2009 on the DS. Playing through now I recognise all the characters from that poorly-drawn poster. Umm, so thoughts... well... seeing Robo get beaten up by his former buddies had more of an emotional impact than anything in Rise Of Skywalker. - Larry Ash, Adelaide, South Australia

Tactical Dreamer

Hi guys! I started the game on active mode but changed to wait in the last hour of the first chunk and found it exponentially more enjoyable. Are you playing active or wait? Thanks, Chris Bartlett

It's Hugo's Nook

Quick question to the panel: who did you decide to leave in the End of Times and why? I myself left Merle, as she seemed more of a healer focused and I liked that Robo could do that but also had great combos with Chrono. Plus she didn’t make much of an impact on me thus far. And Lucca is adorable, she will stay with me the whole trip.

Brian Schutta

I noticed this for the first time while playing this game for the umpteenth time, but after you rescue the queen in 600AD, the Chancellor mentions that they "must include a stricter justice system in this kingdom to ensure such fiends never threaten the royal family's safety again." So that means that the trial that happens for you in 1000AD is a result of the events of you saving the queen and Chancellor in 600AD. I wonder if there are more minute events in the story similar to that and if I'll notice them as I'm playing this game as an adult now? I'm also curious if other players escaped from the prison in 1000AD, or if they had Lucca save them from their execution?

Peter Fontana

Hey crew. This is my first time playing. As a fan of JRPGs this game has been a blemish on my gamer report card, naturally when you guys gave me an excuse to play it I jumped at the opportunity. I’m playing on Steam with an Xbox One controller. So I guess I’ll start with the very start of the game. One thing right of the bat is somewhat finicky controls. Analog stick is an immediate no-no, and even with dpad it took some getting used to character speed. I don’t know what version of the translation the Steam version has but it seems very good so probably not the original. So I don’t know if anyone else felt this, but it seems like this game expects you to draw your own conclusions a lot of the time. I was initially confused by the lack of direction after meeting Marle. Turns out the game really just wanted you to waste some time. There were a couple of other key points where I felt like the game didn’t exactly tell me what to do. This is refreshing but also took me off guard initially. Okay, so, the battle system. It stresses me out honestly. My natural inclination with JRPGs is to think about my moves pretty carefully, taking my time and making the optimal moves with what I have. This game, however, has a timing element to it that forces me to act quickly, because not attacking is wasting time and is allowing enemies to build up their attack. One thing that really trips me up, coming from newer RPGs like Persona 5, is the fact that each turn menus reset. What I mean by that is if the previous turn in Persona 5 I had targeted a particular enemy with Ryuji using one of his persona’s abilities, when it got back around to Ryuji the menu cursor would still be hovering over that ability and he would still be targeting that specific enemy. In Chrono Trigger this is not the case, which adds to my stress when I’m trying to act as quickly as possible. I want to also point out a puzzle in the jail segment, after you’re put on trial. You initially start out in a cell, and after tricking and killing the guards you can clearly see that the cell next to you has some chests in it. Naturally I want that stuff. However the cell door gets stuck when you try to open it. So obviously you need to get above or below it to get in. Above is the only option so you try that cell and it gets stuck again. Initially I’m frustrated but now I’m thinking there’s something fantastic in these chests. Further up we go, and it turns out you need to find a hole in the wall that leads outside the building, and you have to climb down the side of the building to get into the cell above the chest cell, in which there’s a hole that leads further down into, finally, the cell with the chests. I think one had a nice big chunk of money and the other had a pretty good weapon. All of that is to say I think that’s pretty clever design. It got me checking every corner of the place, and it’s subtly teaching me to really look at the background art to find both extra goodies and sometimes the path forward. The last thing I’ll talk about is the racing mini game during the future segment. So I think the racing mini game is actually a bit/joke. If I’m not mistaken in this era of gaming the mandatory racing mini game was a bit of a trend and I think this is a bit of a spoof of that, seeing as it is wildly different in tone to the rest of the future segment and incredibly easy. It’s pretty innocuous and doesn’t really bother me too much but ultimately...it’s kinda bad. Especially when it’s sandwiched between some of the more tragic stories we’ve seen thus far (the group of survivors that live indefinitely but always hungry and Robo’s realization that he’s a defective killing machine). Can’t wait to continue on, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well it actually holds up with nostalgia removed from the equation.

Joe Juba

Hello MinnMaxers! A few things that struck me in the early hours: 1. I'm most familiar with the SNES version of this game, but I'm playing on DS right now. While I like most of the changes (like having a clean, uncluttered battle screen), some of the retranslated dialogue is bugging me – specifically Frog's more conventional line delivery. I know it's not in line with the original Japanese, but I thought his Renaissance-Festival-style speech in the old version reinforced his commitment to chivalry and honor. Plus, it helps set him apart as a unique hero of his age. Now, he just seems to talk like a regular dude, except he's a frog. What are your thoughts on this? 2. I don't know how this is programmed under the hood, but each runner in the footrace at the Millennial Fair presumably has a 1 in 4 chance of winning each time. Even so, I ALWAYS pick Green Ambler. Do you have a favorite you bet on every time? 3. I cannot believe this the first full game that Yasunori Mitsuda scored. Right out of the gate, he made one of the best game soundtracks of all time (though I think Mitsuda topped it with Chrono Cross).

Russell Christian

Where do I start with what is by far the greatest RPG ever. I think what sticks out to me is something I think people rarely talk about. When we talk about choice in games most would say bring up KOTOR, Mass Effect, and New Vegas as the best examples. I argue that not only is `this like the first game where choices matter but more complex and subtle than most modern games. The best example in this section is the Trial of Crono section where your little actions in the beginning are Judged. Yeah I know regardless of if you are innocent or guilty the game plays out the same. This event was definitely a teaching aid to let you know your actions will change how the game plays out later with a possible 13 ending. I love this game and glad to have it keeping my busy until FF7.

FallDown Bear

Hey MinnMax, this is my 1st playthrough of Chrono Trigger. The 1st thing that I noticed that I really liked liked was that battles take place in the environment where you run into the enemies. I think that really helps with the immersion of the game instead of the screen wiping and going to a battle screen. The other moment that stood out to me was in the sewers they have the fake save point that turns out to be an ambush. I have never seen that in a game before and it really surprised me. Looking forward to playing through the rest of this game and seeing if they have any more little moments like that.

Mark Ramirez

Frog is the best. I feel like so often if an animal character is in a game, it’s just an animal that helps you. But frog is a cursed man-turned anthropomorphic frog. We need more animal-cursed people in RPG’s. I feel like frog’s character has been fleshed out more than other characters and has a lot of growth throughout the game.

Andrew vala

I didn’t think I’d join this Deepest Dive, but I was digging through a box of cords and happened to find a dusty Steam Link and thought, “Hey, I have a use for this!” Sixteen updates and an hour later, I’m happily revisiting this classic after a 15 year absence. I’d rather be playing this on the Switch, but there’s a certain sense of satisfaction after cobbling together this rube-goldberg monstrosity and having it actually work. The only downside to this is I’m using a Pro Controller, and the A and B inputs are swapped with the screen prompts. I played through to the End of Time in one sitting like this and now I don’t know if changing it back is going to make it better or worse. Swapped in Shakopee

Andrew vala

This is only my second time playing Chrono Trigger, but I was shocked at how quickly this game seems to get you into the action. There’s no exposition dump like in FF6 or tutorial prompts every few seconds-Chrono’s mom tells you to get your lazy ass out of bed and you’re out into the open world map a minute later. Depending on how much you dork around at the fair, you’re traveling through time and battling enemies in less than 20 minutes. I’m struggling to recall other RPG’s of this era getting the game moving this fast. Compared to current games and how tutorialized the first couple hours seem to be, this was noticeable and greatly appreciated.

Ben Cooper

Hello Ben and Max guys! First time Chrono player here and I can see why it was such a beloved game. Although I'm not a big fan of active turn based combat (always get flustered with selecting attacks while the enemy is instantly attacking) I am enjoying it immensely. Question for the group, did anyone not steal the old man's food? I spent far too much time fighting that robot over and over then going and grabbing a snack between bouts and come to find out later that it would bite me in the backside with the trial. Did everyone get a perfect case and not have to go to jail? Loving this deep dive and have been grinding in the future until we have our next end point set in stone.

Jose Gabriel

Hello MinnMax. I wasn’t even born yet, when this game came out, not for another 1 year, 6 months and 2 days (I am 23 btw). I mostly grew up on 3D games, but respected the legacy 8/16 bit games. It is only now however that I take a deep dive into GI 3rd greatest rpg of all time. The cutscenes are surprisingly effective. The two that stood out for me are 1. The court scene where in minute actions you did innocently may swayed the decision of the jury which I found hilarious and 2. Robo getting the s*** kicked out of him. I loved how the game gave you the freedom to try and intervene. I guess the only thing I don’t like so far is the layout of the battles. I would have preferred good guys on one side and enemies on the other. Looking forward to continuing this game! Peace!

betoq92 .

Hey Ben and CLC im playing for the first time on my SNES Mini. I actually spent 2 hours just in the opening fair betting on races fighting Gato and playing the bell game to get the lode sword. DID I WASTE MY TIME? Also that soda drinking game is impossible.

Roberto Zayas

Few impressions: 1) The pixel art and music has aged INCREDIBLY well - and I'm playing the SNES version on a 65" screen!!! 2) In the future, I found myself randomly pushing buttons and levers without rhyme or reason. Luckily, "stuff somehow worked." 3) I was distraught by the other robots beating up Robo. I felt powerless and was surprised that a 16-bit game in 2020 was able to convey those emotions. 4) I have a hard time believing that Marle and her ancestor look (and sound) THAT MUCH ALIKE! 5) So far feeling a bit underwhelmed by the lack of uniqueness and utility of wearables, weapons, and usable items. 6) Autosave has spoiled me... I died once and lost significant progress because I forgot to save. 7) Last but not least, Frog is cool. That's all for now!!! :)

Deep Space Trace

The music is awesome of course, but I had an amazing experience that reinforced the serendipitous timing of playing the game for the first time for this deepest dive. I went to PAX South in San Antonio this weekend and one of the main attractions was a concert on Friday night with a performance by Mariachi Entertainment System, a local mariachi band that played video game tunes. They rocked out the main Chrono Trigger theme as well as the song from the Guardia Millennial Fair and the crowd went nuts. Being able to recognize the songs was a joy, and the rest of the show was incredible, too. I would have never known what they were playing if I hadn’t started the game for the first time with you all. Thanks for enriching my PAX experience, MinnMax!

Bdun912

I am one of those people that has started this game a few times over the years and quit. I have never even made it to the cut off point for this deepest dive and...I didn’t again. I know a lot of people like the simplicity but without the nostalgia, everything feels a bit rushed. I started on vita and then tried my phone so I do have to wonder if being able to play this on something like like the switch would help. My hands are constantly cramping and I’m running into things while Crono shakes his head.

Yarrow

Hey MMers! The boss battles are really well done! Something as simple as the dragon tank where you can take out the head to stop the healing, and wheels to stop it's charge attack (it's nice there is a note in the room beforehand gives some hints) Or more subtle like Yakra only counterattacking if he is not close to you, so you can cheese that by only attacking one at a time when he is close. These mechanics make the fights feel much more unique and not just like you're spamming your powerful attacks on an enemy until it's hp depletes. IT tied in with the combat system immediately made it one of my favorites in JRPGs.

Yarrow

A couple of things about the story that really got me. 1) The Trial of Chrono: I wasn't expecting some of my early decision, especially ones so small as bringing a girl her cat and eating food on a table to come back in a big way in the story. It was hilarious how the trial played out and really gave even small things a lot of importance behind them which I don't think a lot of game do, even to this day. 2) When Robo is attacked by the R Series robots for malfunctioning: This scene hit me really hard. The music is so perfect and the fact that you can try to jump in to help, but keep getting pushed back, really hit the somber tone they were going for. I felt so bad for Robo and being able to move but not help made me feel helpless. He hadn't been in the party long, but that scene made me connect with Robo and he immediately became one of my favorites.

Andrew vala

I’ll just dump a bunch of thoughts here, hopefully something helps the discussion? Akira Toriyama’s design aesthetic in this game is a real treat and I remember geeking out when the animated cutscenes were added for the PS 1 release back in 2003, but every time I see the green imps in Truce Canyon I can’t help but think, ‘Those Saibamen have butt heads.’ I’m appreciating the level of visual humor in the game, especially the moment right after the dragon tank boss fight. Shortly after your party defeats the tank, the Chancellor runs out with a couple of guards to fix it, but before they can do anything the tank explodes. The trio is thrown into the air and a portion of the bridge is destroyed, preventing our heroes from making their escape. However, the Chancellor and his cronies form a desperate human chain across the gap allowing Chrono and Lucco to casually walk across their backs and out of the castle. It’s such a dumb, Wile E. Coyote gag but it gave me a good chuckle. Why the heck haven’t more recent 2D RPG’s mimicked this battle system?! I love FF6, but this system feels so much more engaging. Is this particularly difficult to program or are other developers somehow hesitant to copy this system? Some of the enemies’ battle animations also contribute to making the battles feel more alive. The Final Fantasy games have some gorgeous enemy designs, but they are pretty static whereas the green imps sticking their tongues out at your in the middle of a fight is endearing. It’s an unnecessary touch that makes this game that much more memorable. Is anyone else bummed out by the bleakness of 1000 A.D.? The story and artwork start off so lighthearted. Once it looks like you’ve finally assembled your party and are about to embark on a grand adventure through time, you’re dropped into a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is facing a slow, inevitable extinction. Bravo for upending conventions, but I feel like you haven’t had enough time to invest in the world and its characters before it’s all ripped away. We haven’t gotten to this section yet, but I wonder if they should have introduced 65 million AD first. I think letting the player invest in the world more would make Lavos' introduction much more impactful. As it stands, the transition into the future feels jarring. Is the bleak future of 1000 AD and Lavos' devastation introduced too early or do like how the story is paced so far?

Ross Winyard

Hey Ben and the MinnMax Crew, This is my first time playing Chrono Trigger, I’m playing the DS version and I have to say I’m loving it so far! Stand out moments to me so far would have to be the trial, which was hilarious (I was found guilty thanks to eating that old guys lunch) and the dragon tank boss, but as this is a deepest dive I figured I’d comment on some of the smaller details that I have noticed... I spent at least a minute opening and closing the curtains in Crono’s bedroom, did anybody else do this? The fact that they took the time to animate this action, along with the corresponding change in lighting really stood out to me in what is a 25 year old game and cemented early on the care that the developers put into each and every part. I love the almost imperceptible shake of Cronos head every time you attempt an action that you cannot achieve. Also, screw the drinking game at the fair. More than 7 jars is impossible right?

Roronoa Serenoa (sam)

I love the dialogue for NPCs. It seems like everyone has either something to contribute to the world building or is just generally funny. They also change as you progress through the story. I love the scene in Guardia Castle between the Master of Kitchens and The Commander. Its something you can easily miss and fleshes out two random characters.

Yarrow

Had a bit more stuff to talk about, so hopefully this can spark some discussions! 1) The fake save point whenever you are trying to be sneaky in the sewer, was a good trick played and I haven't seen other games utilize the save point as a mechanic like that. 2) I like how the vendors, and by extension the money, are used in this game. Most games, vendors just sell worthless stuff, but I have on multiple occasion bought weapons or potions to have on me. With the money, I feel things feel appropriately priced and that you never have to go out of your way to grind just so you can buy an extra shelter if you need one. 3) The sprite work in this game is top notch. Square did a fantastic job giving life and emotion to the characters and environments. I love how you can tell when Marle is annoyed, or they way Chrono acts suprised. The personality is really well conveyed with these, which is hard with sprites. 4) Piggybacking off of the last point, I do have a complaint. I feel that traversing the world can be difficult at times. Some areas are hard to tell where I can go through or what I could interact with. For example, I thought the conveyors during the factory were actually pods that held the robots. I was playing the Steam version so I don't know if it would have been better or worse on SNES.

Joey Markham

I love how this game starts off with basically a bunch of accidents and it’s not until a few hours playtime that you start the “save the world from Lavos” quest. It’s a sort of build up that you don’t see in a lot of games, yet Chrono Trigger found ways to make the game compelling the whole time even before ever starting the big main mission.

Jay Grizz

I was extremely grateful when fighting 4 enemies and i chose to attack the right two with Crono's attack that gets all nearby enemies. One of my other squadmates killed one of those 2 enemies and the game automatically re-selected the left two enemies to maximize damage. Little things like this are really impressing me since I just finished my first ever jrpg two weeks ago (ffvii) and it was way clunkier in combat and gameplay. I am enjoying the systems of this game much more.

Jonathan Quevedo

I only got to start tonight because of a big fighting game tournament but the only thing I want to bring up is if you go to the mayor's mansion in poirre at the beginning his kid says "Dad loves money more than he loves me", you can cluck like a chicken for 10G for the mayor, there is a piano playing monster named joe in the tavern called “Snail Stop”

DangerZone

I really enjoyed the trail sequence. Since this is my first time playing Chrono Trigger I had no idea a game of this age would take my actions into account. When I was first able to explore the festival I did my normal RPG routine of searching everything and picking up as much as I can. I helped the girl find her cat but I also stole the old man's lunch. It was so cool to see those throwaway actions be used in the story. I even loved that it replayed the events in black and white, just like an anime would! I really enjoy this game so far.

Seth Walker

Chrono Trigger has long been my favorite JRPG of all time. The lack of attention that Square Enix has paid this universe over the decades since its release has always perplexed me. It's on the level of Nintendo ignoring the Mother franchise. The thing that has always stood out to me about the opening of the game is how it seamlessly blended fantasy and scifi into enticing package that immediately gripped me and made the game feel different from the scads of fantasy themed RPGs of the era. The medevil setting blended with the Star Trekkian technology Lucca is toying around and the immediate jump into time travel which to me also seemed to be handled in a very Star Trek fashion makes this game something special. It plays with all the tropes of the RPG genre the silent Male protagonist (Crono), the stoic night figure (Frog), the plucky princess in disguise (Marle), and the best friend character (Lucca). What it does with these well worn tropes though is provide some of the best written versions of these archetypes that have graced the genre. It also has a wonderful battle system that due to how it is presented felt more real than what Final Fantasy games at the time were giving us. The fact that it doesn't shift to a separate screen with the party all standing in a line, instead opting to show your characters encounter the enemy, move into a battle stance, and move around the field as the battle plays out connected me to the fights in a more organic way than other RPGs. And of course... the music. Between this game and its sequel they have two of the finest game soundtracks ever produced on their hands.

VictoryNub

Hi Ben and crew. I'm playing on DS, so I hope you can talk about the bonus content that they added to this version at some point. I'd like to pay special attention to the jury sequence. First the good parts: the perspective that was used for the jury room itself is very unique. You can make out individual features of the people witnessing the trial, and the warped design of the floor creates the illusion that the court room is large and oppressive. And the song that plays during the trial is one of the better ones on an already stellar soundtrack, in my opinion. Now, the bad parts: the trial was clearly designed to secretly punish the player for their natural curiosity in the opening moments of gameplay. Eating the old man's lunch, not helping the kid find her kitty, and generally being a jerk ends up making the trial a clear attack on your character. If you know all the tricks and play nice, however, the trial is short and devoid of any real merit. It is clear what direction the designers wanted the trial to go. And someone call a doctor for those poor jurors; they all appear to be suffering from hydrocephalus!

Shawn Mills

Its been a long time since I played Chrono Trigger, the one part that stuck in my mind was the courtroom scene and how the game judges you for small things you did at the beginning. I was glad to see that moment still held up and I got in trouble for accidently trying to sell Marle's necklace.

Jeorin

Sadly at the hospital with my dad, and all my discussion notes are at home. Will hopefully be able to post them some time tonight. I do remember at least one: how great would an enertron be in real life? Sleeping wastes so much time!

Adam W

Hey Ben, it’s my first time playing Chrono Trigger.. I’m less than 30 mins in and I already see a Star Wars reference? I go into the Tent of Horrors and choose to spend 10 silver points. I am presented with 3 knights, named Wedge, Biggs, and Piette. Now I’m not sure how Piette could be a Star Wars reference but weird names like Biggs and Wedge can’t be a coincidence right? (For Suriel, Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles were rebel pilots in the original trilogy)... Guess what, in the middle of writing this comment I googled “piette Star Wars” and Admiral Piett was an imperial officer! BAM mystery solved. Can’t wait for the rest of this game!

Adam W

Also the drinking contest is stupid easy on the IOS port and I can’t seem to win it on DS...

Felix Nicholls

Hey Ben and the CTCs. I would like to take a moment to appreciate the flamethrower Tech ability. I have no idea how or why, but the flamethrower proved to be my most reliable tactic in the past section of the game and well into the future. A scene that perfectly describes what I’m talking about happened right at the moment where those priestesses turn into horrifying nagas. As I reeled from my phone in shock and awe, I pressed... ‘flamethrower’. At this, one of the nearby nagas just...well...died. It did take the majority of the horror out of the situation, but it made me feel badass all the same. What are your go-to tech abilities?

MickManga

Mick here and I wanted to say it's exciting being part a deep dive for the first time. Here's my little thing that's super specific. I enjoy the ps1 version for the translation. The way Frog talks here compared to the ds version makes me super happy and was a disappointment when he no longer spoke in old English in the ds version.

Jeorin

Finally home and can post my thoughts on CT finally. 1: the concept of a milennial fair is weird. I assume they have smaller fairs from time to time using the same fairgrounds. 2: if you went into the kitchen in 600ad and talked with the chef there is a little scene between the chef and the guard captain. This is expanded on in a later story point. Talking with every npc in rpgs can really yield some special moments. 3: so the trio viewing the lavos footage creates a time paradox, in that if they kill lavos they couldn't have seen the footage that motivated them to kill it. But what about the paradox of Marle coming to the past shreds her because the queen is going to die, but she still inherited her necklace that sent her back in time. Why would she appear and disappear at those specific points without the timeline going sour for Crono and Luca? 4: frog heals with slurp... gross. 5: I love how the game has story logic behind the 3 character party limit. Many games never explain why you can only bring x number of people along.

Bob Buel

Ok so at the fair at the beginning, when you first walk into the town, 2 different looking knights, a cat and a green reptite are running around the square. This is my 3rd playthrough of this game and everytime I played previously, for whatever reason, I assumed the green reptite was a person in costume. But now, listening to some other people in town talk about how monsters coexisting with humans, and citing specifically that weird piano playing monster thing in the bar that no one seems to take any issue with, I don't know anymore. As far as I can tell, the game doesnt really officially say either way so...what do you think?

Jared Natsis

SLAP THE BASS: There is so much I could say about the amazing music in this game, but one thing I want to point out is how amazing composer Yasunori Mitsuda’s bass lines are. We often think of CT music as emotional or epic, but Mitsuda adds another amazing layer of goodness: GROOVE. The one bass part that always hits me is Secret of the Forest. (Link for listening: https://youtu.be/2r1iesThvYg ) It’s hard to pick a “best song” in this soundtrack, but this one is at least one of the 3 or 4 in contention. The entire track is incredible, but the bass line is absolutely what takes it to the next level. In the beginning, the upper voices, normally used for melody, are doing an ostinato figure (i.e. constant repeated pattern), and the bass line gets the spotlight to set the tone of the first part of the song—and as a result, it dictates the flow of the entire rest of the song. The bass is then integral to the loop of the song, closing it out with the sickest sequence. Mitsuda’s bass lines shine throughout the soundtrack, as in the regular battle theme (think about the intro) and songs later like Tyranno Lair. It’s one of his composer hallmarks that still is recognizable in his compositions today, and his bass writing influence his felt in modern JRPG composers like Yasunori Nishiki, who scored Octopath Traveler. Never stop slapping, Yasunori-San.

Joe Holaska

In the context of the time period during which this game was released, the graphics are really remarkable. I've played Chrono Trigger several times over the last twenty years, but one thing I want to point out is the design of Guardia Forest. The shadows underneath the trees convey that there is a canopy above the screen, and it adds a level of realism to the forest and the world that other contemporary games lacked. Also, just a little fun detail. People evidently noticed that Robo's Theme sounds like Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." Years later, Yasunori Mitsuda was being interviewed by an outlet and the interviewer played the song for him. Mitsuda said that was the first time he had ever heard it. Relatedly, Mitsuda allegedly worked so hard on the soundtrack for Chrono Trigger that he developed stomach ulcers.

Bob Buel

So at the festival, in a random unnamed NPC's home, it is a man and a woman in a small, quaint home. When you talk to the women she only has one line of dialogue and it really stuck out to me. She says "Something tells me I'm as happy now as I'll ever be." This is probably meant to just convey the fun and excitement of the fair going on in town, but looking at it now it has an oddly dark tone to it. Like this is it and it's all downhill from here. Especially from the player perspective where soon you know the threat that is looming over the entire planet and this NPC is unknowingly correct that for her and the rest of the planet, some not so great things might be in store. I'd be so curious what the original text pre-translation was, to see if the tone was different.

Cormic

Hey all, I'm playing the original on the SNES. Chrono Trigger is my favorite game of all time, and something I think about every time I play it is how amazing the sprite work in the game is. I feel like the sprites accurately represent Toriyama's designs. The OST is something I listen to all the time. In the portion we've played so far the 2 songs that stick out to me are the Millennium Fair music, which convey a sense of peace and joy. It shows all the people celebrating the coming of the new millennium and living care-free lives. Frog's theme is the other stand out track, it utilizes horns and other wind instruments, which I feel fit his time well. His theme also seems to express confidence, or conviction in his way of thinking, which fits Frog's character. I love the ATB system in Square Enix games. Chrono Trigger takes that to a little bit of a different level, and allows enemies to move about the battlefield. This allows you to hold back attacks until enemies are bunched up and then unleash a tech that will hit them all. Speaking on techs, double techs are fantastic, it shows a trust that the characters hold in each other, that allow them to combine their strengths effectively to execute a more powerful move. (It's also telling later that Magus can't tech with anyone). The Dragon Tank boss fight is one of my favorites in the game, the whole sequence leading up to it is incredible, and nerve wracking, in a good way. This battle introduces the idea of targeting different areas on a boss, and it does it in a good way, clearly saying what would be a good idea to target first. The end of that battle when Chrono plunges his sword into the tank to finally destroy it is on of the most iconic images of this game to me. In the future, I've always felt the jet bike race was unnecessary. I felt like it was there just to show some mode 7. The future zone is also great, it gives the characters a sense of what they are going to be fighting to prevent. Might add more this later as I think of things I want to bring up, I hope everyone is enjoying the game!

Christopher Reardon

Hey MinnMax Crew, I thought ya'll (and especially Ben) would be interested to hear how I'm playing this game, since I don't have a PC or console capable of doing so. I'm playing the Android version on my phone, casting it to my tv via Chromecast, and using a Dualshock 4 synced to my phone. It was a bit of a complicated setup but it works surprisingly well.

Jason (Sif Moonweaver)

This is a no brainer but the way they use music is so well done in Chrono Trigger! I really liked in the Cathedral when Lucca is about to be attacked and then Frog drops down and saves her while his theme kicks in. The entire OST is fantastic! Also did anyone else have trouble with the simon says game at the carnival (the one that costs 40 points that rewards you with the Chrono doll)? I remember that being super easy but struggled with it this time for some reason. My other favorite thing at the fair are the races. You can sort of "block" other racers by staying in front of them. It doesn't always help but it can allow you to let your choice win the race sometimes!

Juan Ibarra

I hate turn-based RPG's, but Chrono Trigger interests me enough so I don't get too burnt out. The great music and the emphasis on story is what keep me playing. The moment where I knew this game was something special to keep playing was during the trial. That blew my mind when I first started this game a few years ago and still has me shocked to this day,

Jeorin

Oh yeah, during the fair race, you can massively slow down racers by mashing the action button on top of them. It's a sure way to win unless you pick the slowest runner.

echocircuit

First time playing Chrono Trigger (I'm on DS), and I am blown away by how different and special it is right from the beginning. My first clue was when I had to wait an arbitrary amount of time to see the new invention, and when it was finally ready, Marle decides it's time for candy. If you try to walk away, she complains. If you try to talk to her, she says she's not decided yet. So you just sit there and wait. It was something so simple and so real, and it still just makes me laugh thinking about how ridiculous it is in the context of a video game. I also enjoyed the overly dramatic soldier in the castle at 600 A.D. waiting for food. I thought he was passed out drunk or dead, so I talked to him and he responded with, "I'm dying... of hunger!" Then he pops right up and goes to town eating his food when it comes out. Just hilarious. I'm excited to continue playing and find all these random little one-off touches. Also, it's hard to beat this soundtrack. The music for the bestiary menu is just too grooving for menu music. And my wife always thinks I'm about to get into a dance battle when the battle music comes on.

Michael Nelson

I've played through Chrono Trigger multiple times over the last 15 or so years and I'm always caught off guard by how quickly it let's you get into the action. After a quick wake up call from your mom you're free to explore the Millenial Fair, journey to the southern continent, or just grind in the forest until you can afford that sweet sweet lode sword. I love the quick start up and I think that's why Trigger edges out its SNES rpg contemporaries in my mind.

Moya

I walked down the aisle to the Frog's Theme. The ring bearers entered to "Peaceful Days", the music that plays when you are headed to the Millenial Fair. Only my wife's cousin pointed it out later.

Eric Merrill

Hey am I late? Can anyone hear me? Im going to play along and comment anyways, my comment: the rats that steal your health potions; when I saw them I instinctively pressed A when I got close to one and it said “a tonic was stolen.” I thought “Wow! What a little secret I found! I can steal tonics from these dumb rats!” Needless to say I quickly ran out of tonics and had to go o. A little shopping run halfway through that area. Thanks MinnMax I hope you read my comment!