Chrono Trigger was released on the Super Nintendo in 1995 (and remade for the Playstation in 2001 as part of the Final Fantasy Anthologies collection), and became an instant classic. It became (and remains today) a very popular game, forever raising the bar for time-travel storylines. The game displayed some excellent Super Nintendo graphics, and has become one of the most widely known and loved RPGs to date.

System: Super Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Year made: 1995
Raw Score: 10/10

Story
Chrono Trigger is has one of the best time-travel storyline's I've ever experienced. No matter how crazy the time-travel gets (and it will get pretty crazy), the narrative remains comprehensible and approachable. I never had any trouble keeping of what was going on in Chrono Trigger's universe, no matter how many times I re-wrote history. It also does an excellent job with its various settings; making each time period feel distinct.

The story is light-hearted, but not afraid to get a little gritty (Crono could be killed if you screw up), unpredictable, intriguing, well-written, and does an excellent job of making the player feel like he or she is changing the world.
10/10
Characters
Chrono Trigger has six playable character, all of which are extremely likable, interesting, and useful in combat. Each one has an interesting personality, demonstrated through their expressions, combat antics, and well-written dialogue.

Crono's personality, however, is diminished somewhat by the fact that he's a silent protagonist. Now Surge (in Chrono Cross) was also a silent protagonist, but for some reason that didn't bother me quite as much. Maybe it's because he wasn't bursting with emotion and energy like Crono (Crono's facial expressions and movements do indicate his mood even if he doesn't speak), maybe it's because people are usually explaining what's going on to him and it makes sense for him to quietly listen. I don't know. It was just ok for him not to talk, for some reason.

Despite the fact that Crono never speaks, he still manages to be an interesting character. While this is impressive, think of how much more he could be if he spoke? It just feels a tad like a missed opportunity to me (and you did, or you wouldn't be reading this).
9.9/10
Gameplay
At one point in Chrono Trigger, I waked through a village in 1000 AD that was full of creatures that loathed humans. Later, I later visited that city again in 600AD and did a few optional quests that made the people there like me. When I flickered back to 1000 AD, everything was completely different. The city was in a different place on the map, the city looked completely different, the NPC's in the city all had radically different dialogue and personalities, different items were available in the shop, literally everything had changed. I expected thing to change when I did the quests in the past, but the sheer scale of the changes - the staggering number of subtle details that my foray into the past had altered - blew me away.

Right then I didn't feel like I'd just completed a quest that caused 1000 AD to switch to a different map, I felt like I'd actually changed something fundamental about the world. I hadn't watched a cutscene of my character changing the world, or been informed by an NPC that I'd something to change the world, I actually chose to do something and watched the aftereffects unfold. I *sniff* mattered.

This is where Chrono Trigger's gameplay impresses me most; the countless subtle shifts and attention to detail that bring the experience to life. I was playing the ancient Super NES version of the game (not the Playstation remake where they updated the graphics and added cutscenes) and I was still completely drawn-in. Watching that 16-bit town change it's attitude has become one of my favorite gaming memories. Most games want to make me feel like I'm changing the world, Chrono Trigger frequently succeeds.

And, while that alone is worth the price of admission, I mustn't neglect the battle system. The turn-based combat is simple, but bursting with personality. Each character has unique abilities that suit their personalities, and different combinations of party members will give you access to different team attacks. Catchy music plays as your team (from various different time periods) unleashes magic, primitive rock throwing, crossbow bolts, laser beams, and rockets on your enemies. This is one of the few random-encounter-based RPG's where I found myself going out of my way to fight for purposes other than level-grinding.
10/10
Lasting Appeal

Chrono Trigger offers a long narrative that will keep engaged from start to finish. It's not as long as many of today's more recent RPG's, but that's fair considering the hardware limitations of the SNES. It also allows you to hunt down seven different alternate endings in New Game + but most of them are silly and clearly non-cannon. The real benifit of New Game + (at least for me) is the ability to go through the game again quickly, and relive the excellent story and the surprisingly detailed time-travel shifts.
10/10
Visual
The graphics have aged surprisingly well (except maybe for the world map). The amazingly colorful 16-bit universe carries a certain charm that reflects the light-hearted storyline and lovable characters. The character sprites are also animated in such a way that their actions convey a lot of emotion (good thing too, or we'd never know how our silent hero was feeling). I know, I know, it seems like I should compare it unfavorably to the full 3D and gritty realism of today's games, but somehow the game's colorful old-school graphics just...work. I would even say that some of the sprites convey emotion better than the realistic 3D models and inconsistent voice-acting of today.

I'm actually a little disappointed that the Playstation version has updated graphics and cut-scenes...
10/10
Audio
There's a reason why YouTube-ers still sometimes make MIDI's: they can be incredibly catchy.
10/10
Overall
Chrono Trigger is an instant classic in every right; a delightfully light-hearted adventure that remains the best and most imaginative time-traveling storyline I have ever seen. The game remains one of the most cherished RPGs of all time.
10/10

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