A Quest through Time: A Chrono Trigger Retrospective

A Quest through Time: A Chrono Trigger Retrospective

Forever my favorite

I can’t exactly pinpoint when I was first introduced to Chrono Trigger but, like many kids my age (yeah I was a kid in the 90’s) the war between Sega and Nintendo couldn’t be ignored. I had opted for the Sega Genesis instead of the Super Nintendo and I grew up with so many awesome games it’s hard to pick a favorite. However? The Super Nintendo was not without merits of its own and I was lucky to have friends that owned the Super Nintendo and we would often exchange systems for the weekend (it was a wild time back then) and then discuss what we enjoyed about the other systems at school. One of the Super Nintendo’s crowning achievements was/is a game called Chrono Trigger. I was not familiar (at all) with the concept of Role-playing Games or RPG’s as they’re commonly referred to (there’s also JRPG’s but that’s another story) so when I was introduced to this game to say I was a bit hesitant is an understatement. I was used to run and gun, shooters, puzzle, fighting and even sports games (though I was not the biggest sports fan to be honest) so the thought of playing an RPG seemed very foreign to me. I still didn’t try until after I dabbled in Super Mario RPG for a few days and kind of became familiar with the mechanics behind the genre that had eluded me for years up until that point. I was well aware of Final Fantasy on NES but never actually played those games. One day I finally decided to put the cartridge in (yes that was a thing back then) and turn it on. I was instantly greeted with a swinging pendulum accompanied by some lovely music and then…..the intro began. Wow!!! The Chrono Trigger theme melted my face while showing me a taste of things to come and to say it left an impression is also an understatement. I still remember the feeling of being woken up by Chrono’s mother. It’s so peaceful and uneventful which is really interesting given the massive adventure that awaits the player just around the bend. The characters are so unique and distinct that picking a favorite amongst them is difficult. Chrono (The titular character. A silent protagonist who is also a great swordsman in his own right), Merle (A tomboy and adventurer who also happens to be a princess whose bloodline is intricate to the story in a much deeper way than one might expect), Lucca (The Scientist who is always on the hunt for the next technological advancement), Frog (Or Glen, a mighty and powerful knight who’s abilities with a sword rival Chrono’s), Robo (Or Prometheus, a Robot who is not only powerful but gentle and sensitive to humanity after he is reactivated by Lucca), Ayla (A prehistoric woman who not only is tough as nails but leads her village with a ferocity that is commendable) and last (but definitely not least) there’s Magus (Or Janus, A powerful being with magical abilities and a strong sense of justice who is arguably the most important character in the game). Chrono Trigger involves not only epic battles and magical abilities that are awe inspiring (for being on the Super Nintendo) but there’s also time travel and multiple endings!!! Chrono Trigger not only introduced me to RPG’s but it left such an impression that no other game in that genre has impacted me the same to this day!!! I often find myself listening to the soundtrack while writing, meditating, Working Out, Cooking and pretty much doing anything. It’s that good!!! I can’t give this game enough praise so in closing I just want to say that Chrono Trigger is the Greatest RPG game ever made in my opinion. I know some will not agree and have their own favorites but this one is mine. Do yourself a favor and give this game a go!!! I know it will leave an impression on you the same way it did to me!!!!