I am one of those kids who played Chrono Trigger while very young. Growing up I was bullied a lot, but connecting with the cast (especially with Frog that I happened to share a name with), and following their adventures really helped me, and expanded both my mind, and my heart. To this day, I replay it every year. Fast forward to now, and where am I in life, and what sort of person am I? Well I am a software developer, and have indeed been called thoughtful pretty much forever through my life. One thing I forever have kept is it possible to make the world a better place, even a little bit, today. The willingness to put aside former differences and reach out to those that are different to me, to learn, and to understand I only see glances of everyone elses complex lives. I am overjoyed to hear you say that this game made you wish you could have played it when you were young, and recommend it to parents for their children. And the need to immerse yourself in the game is an important point. I have friends that I have been trying to get to play it for ages, but it's so easy to get distracted and lose track of what's happening. It is in my mind a true classic, but that is definitely a flaw with the game. And although I love this game deeply I understand that it has flaws and there is valid criticism of the game. That is something that is important to accept, as I don't think you can truly love something until you accept it as it truly is, and not the idealized form that you have created. Some flaws could or should definitely be eliminated. Others give a sense of character, and I think those flaws can make the game better for people like me, even if it is an issue for others. I rather have an imperfect game that I love deeply, then a perfect one that I can't get that same level of attachment to. Even if it let more people experience it. Finally, I wanted to end off by talking about the music of the game. It is legitimately one of the best soundtracks I have heard. And this is important for me especially. I have partial aphantasia - meaning I cannot visualize in my head. however I can play sounds in my head, and let me tell you Chrono trigger's soundtrack is an excellent choice. Its strong melodies are easy to recall, with powerful emotional effects from the music, the story of the game, and in my case, tears of nostalgia. It's always a bit easier to handle those parts of life you don't want to (out of fear, out of lack of energy, or other reasons) when you play Frog's theme. Thanks for anyone who read my long comment, but I am delighted to have a chance to engage at a bit of a deeper level with one my favorite games, then most spaces allow. Many gaming forums and reddits really stick at a pretty shallow level, and that is a disservice to many great games.
Beat this game last year. Loved every second. 70 hours is a lot of time in chrono trigger! I beat it in around 26 hours I think. I didn't spend any time grinding for levels though. Great review
The RPGs of the Super Famicom/SNES have a legendary, ethereal quality to them that I used to just ascribe to nostalgia but as I play more and more of them that I didn't have access to as a kid I now realize just comes from the perfect line up of genre, platform, and developers who were all racing to make the biggest best one they could fit on the cart. This, along with FINAL FANTASY VI and EARTHBOUND are like the holy trinity of this moment in time
@@williammcguire130 I have had a strong affinity with the 'classic' RPGs, from the time I started gaming, and Playstation made it easy for me to delve into their back catalogue of PS1 games in particular (all the older FFs!). But I also went to other platforms accessible to me (like GBA) and have a lot of favourites there too (Golden Sun etc.). Fortunately, we have seen a lot of remasters in recent years, allowing me and many others easy access to these retro gems. Like the Earthbound version available on the Switch (via online sub only, sadly) - I own 3 versions of Earthbound and they all at some point bugged out on me! The Switch one so far has been problem free. 🤞🏻
So glad you’ve reopened the comment section of one of my favorite videos from you! Now would be the perfect time to start saving up to get my Hands on a copy of Chrono trigger DS cause they are rather expensive, but seem really worth it
I dropped the game for whatever reason (I don't recall) and this upset my friend who had played this as a child. Nostalgia really does significantly elevate a game's importance in our mind, and I think that we must all notice this when we have conversations with others who greatly enjoy a game that we don't find particularly amazing. I've had a similar experience with Breath of Fire II, a game that I fell in love with as child, and I was upset that my friends didn't think it was that good. You're absolutely right with this insight. I really like your insight on how games do serve the purpose of expanding a child's grasps on concepts and introducing them to ideas that are so new and bizarre to them. My friend who played Chrono Trigger as a child grew up as a thoughtful individual who is now into the sciences, whereas I, who as a child played Breath of Fire II (a game with religion and gods as a focal point), grew up to be into the philosophies. Great video.
Very nice take on rankings. I also had to learn that a lot of "best games ever" don't appeal to me. I have very specific requirements and also no-go criteria for games. I do rankings, but I am well aware that they only appeal to me. And they help me to narrow down my collection to under 100 games. I don't need games in my collection I will never play through.
Oh yea. This game was extremely significant to my childhood. Im sure its directly effected my personality, and my life wouldnt be the same had i never played it. That would probably sound weird, except for the overwhelming amount of people who feel the same way. I wouldn't expect someone to have the same experience playing it today. However i still think anyone who loves rpgs, retro, or even general gaming should play Chrono Trigger. There are a handful of very special games I believe are significant to gaming history. Chrono Trigger is one of those games. I mean, im not a weirdo about it. Sometimes a few hours into a game it hits you 'this aint for me', and should probably play something else. Its ok to not like Chrono Trigger. I cant understand it, its like calling the sky green to me, but this game kinda raised me lol! Im gonna be emotional about it. Oh. Thank you for the perspective. Seriously. Its easy to label Chrono Trigger a masterpiece like its a math formula. Seeing it as a work of art that happened to find me at just the right time is something i should appreciate. Its a beautiful miracle.
Chrono Trigger is definitely one of my "Desert Island" games, first played it in my late teens/early 20's when it had been a number of years since release, never played it on the original platform as we never had an SNES. Arguably some of the best if not THE best (though obviously that will be subjective) music to come out of the SNES (Lead/one of the composers apparently gave himself ulcers from working so hard on it), memorable characters, an at the time very unique time travel mechanic effecting the ending, good map design and all the different character combo techs as you mentioned (my favorite, though I'm not sure if it was a combo was Frog's bringing down a giant techno-color frog on enemies - a very impressive effect). I own the PS1 and DS re-releases and have it loaded onto my SNES Mini. Would be interesting to see a modern sequel where you play older versions of the original characters/their children combating some new threat (maybe Lavos released some piece of itself before it died that has just been gestating over the years). There have been rumors that a sequel/remaster of "Chrono Cross" is being worked on, can't comment on the veracity.
I never got into Chrono Trigger, I however did get into Chrono Cross (which got a remaster recently). While others criticized Chrono Cross for the fact that it didn't have an as strong story as CT and that it was not really a sequel to the previous game which may be true what really moved me in Chrono Cross was its amazing music. I still listen to Chrono Cross songs to this day on nearly a daily basis as it has IMO one of the best, if not the best music track list of any game, if you haven't listened to the OST I can highly recommend it (granted not all of the songs are great almost half of them made it onto my favorite list).
You’re absolutely right! A lot of it is child nostalgia. Chrono Trigger was extremely formative to me along with Final Fantasy 6, and at the time the idea of your silent protagonist being vulnerable like Chrono ultimately is was wild. I would open my save from the Kingdom of Zeal on my SNES to play the background music while I went to bed.
Good morning! My understanding is that Chrono Trigger was indeed the first game to offer New Game+. If it wasn’t it was, at least, the first to popularize it. 😃
I own the DS version as well. I enjoyed the game, and love the soundtrack, but my heart belongs to Chrono Cross, which I played first. I like its more reflective tone about the choices we make in life - even if the story is a bit of a mess. A game you might like if you haven't tried it yet (I'm new to the channel) is Radiant Historia which features time travel but is a little more serious tonally. It came out on the DS originally and then on the 3DS as a remastered version with extra content.
I finally got around to watching this video, but not because I was ignoring you. See, UA-cam didn't notify me you had responded to my comment on your "How I Got into Gaming" video. I was checking that video manually because I was looking for a factoid I thought you might have shared in it and found my comment, and the responses to it. Anyway, yes. One of the best games I've ever played. And while I was excited to play Chrono Cross back when it came out, I didn't get the chance to at first. I own it now, but not the remake. Just the original PS1 discs. I still haven't really played it because the stuff I've heard about the story has been jarring and upsetting (for me). Plus I keep getting distracted by other things. Other games. And having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, doesn't help with this. I keep coming back to Chrono Trigger, though. I replay it now and then. We didn't have many games for the consoles we had when I was a kid, so I played whatever we had as much as possible. Twice I have gotten my save file to where I had all the characters at level 99, which unlocks a special form for Spekkio (the guy who teaches magic). He changes form depending on what level Crono is. At level 99, he's a Red Nu. He's got all sorts of scary attacks - he's got Luminaire, Dark Matter, Flare, Glacier Toss, Hallation, and a variety of other attacks. And he's got more hit points than Lavos's final form (the core has 50k hit points - Spekkio has twice that, at least). And dodges all physical attacks. He's appropriately difficult to beat considering that you should be level 99. It's worth it to see him sputter in disbelief after the battle.
Ah yes ... UA-cam failing with the notifications on comments and replies. Now consider: that happened to you with one comment. I experience this daily with hundreds of comments. It's a real headache for UA-camrs and tbh drives me nuts. (Just my average rant about UA-cam! 😄)
I'm going to have to disagree on this one. Yes, Chrono Trigger was influential to many a childhood but you could say that about any SNES game and really almost any videogame. You can say you didn't enjoy it in the way others did and that's fine but frankly Chrono Trigger's legacy these days is not primarily based on nostalgia. Many people have played the game for the first time as adults, myself included. Obviously it isn't the most riveting story you'll ever see with an adult lens but Chrono Trigger knocks it out of the park in almost every aspect while also not giving you an overly bloated story, which is something the majority of the games on this channel can't say. And I'll add in that the music is especially iconic and stunning no matter when you hear it first. I'm not saying you have to agree with my statements here but I think it's quite reductive to put this framing on Chrono Trigger of all games as though every other game here doesn't have the same potential for nostalgia and its effects on perception. It's not simply peoples' childhoods that hold this game up; the extremely concise and quality game design, its undeniable influence on the industry with ideas like NG+ and unforgettable soundtrack are more than enough to show why this game holds its spot in the hall of fame for the industry, for any perspective.
I am one of those kids who played Chrono Trigger while very young. Growing up I was bullied a lot, but connecting with the cast (especially with Frog that I happened to share a name with), and following their adventures really helped me, and expanded both my mind, and my heart. To this day, I replay it every year.
Fast forward to now, and where am I in life, and what sort of person am I? Well I am a software developer, and have indeed been called thoughtful pretty much forever through my life. One thing I forever have kept is it possible to make the world a better place, even a little bit, today. The willingness to put aside former differences and reach out to those that are different to me, to learn, and to understand I only see glances of everyone elses complex lives.
I am overjoyed to hear you say that this game made you wish you could have played it when you were young, and recommend it to parents for their children. And the need to immerse yourself in the game is an important point. I have friends that I have been trying to get to play it for ages, but it's so easy to get distracted and lose track of what's happening. It is in my mind a true classic, but that is definitely a flaw with the game.
And although I love this game deeply I understand that it has flaws and there is valid criticism of the game. That is something that is important to accept, as I don't think you can truly love something until you accept it as it truly is, and not the idealized form that you have created. Some flaws could or should definitely be eliminated. Others give a sense of character, and I think those flaws can make the game better for people like me, even if it is an issue for others. I rather have an imperfect game that I love deeply, then a perfect one that I can't get that same level of attachment to. Even if it let more people experience it.
Finally, I wanted to end off by talking about the music of the game. It is legitimately one of the best soundtracks I have heard. And this is important for me especially. I have partial aphantasia - meaning I cannot visualize in my head. however I can play sounds in my head, and let me tell you Chrono trigger's soundtrack is an excellent choice. Its strong melodies are easy to recall, with powerful emotional effects from the music, the story of the game, and in my case, tears of nostalgia. It's always a bit easier to handle those parts of life you don't want to (out of fear, out of lack of energy, or other reasons) when you play Frog's theme.
Thanks for anyone who read my long comment, but I am delighted to have a chance to engage at a bit of a deeper level with one my favorite games, then most spaces allow. Many gaming forums and reddits really stick at a pretty shallow level, and that is a disservice to many great games.
Thank you, I really enjoyed reading your comment, and what you have to say about flaws is very true indeed.
Beat this game last year. Loved every second. 70 hours is a lot of time in chrono trigger! I beat it in around 26 hours I think. I didn't spend any time grinding for levels though. Great review
The RPGs of the Super Famicom/SNES have a legendary, ethereal quality to them that I used to just ascribe to nostalgia but as I play more and more of them that I didn't have access to as a kid I now realize just comes from the perfect line up of genre, platform, and developers who were all racing to make the biggest best one they could fit on the cart.
This, along with FINAL FANTASY VI and EARTHBOUND are like the holy trinity of this moment in time
I've had several people recently all implying that I somehow write off Chrono Trigger as a nostalgia trip. Which is ofc far from the truth.
@@Food4Dogs I hope my comment didn't read like that was what I was implying, it was just a general observation of games from that generation
@@williammcguire130 I have had a strong affinity with the 'classic' RPGs, from the time I started gaming, and Playstation made it easy for me to delve into their back catalogue of PS1 games in particular (all the older FFs!). But I also went to other platforms accessible to me (like GBA) and have a lot of favourites there too (Golden Sun etc.). Fortunately, we have seen a lot of remasters in recent years, allowing me and many others easy access to these retro gems. Like the Earthbound version available on the Switch (via online sub only, sadly) - I own 3 versions of Earthbound and they all at some point bugged out on me! The Switch one so far has been problem free. 🤞🏻
So glad you’ve reopened the comment section of one of my favorite videos from you! Now would be the perfect time to start saving up to get my Hands on a copy of Chrono trigger DS cause they are rather expensive, but seem really worth it
I dropped the game for whatever reason (I don't recall) and this upset my friend who had played this as a child. Nostalgia really does significantly elevate a game's importance in our mind, and I think that we must all notice this when we have conversations with others who greatly enjoy a game that we don't find particularly amazing. I've had a similar experience with Breath of Fire II, a game that I fell in love with as child, and I was upset that my friends didn't think it was that good. You're absolutely right with this insight.
I really like your insight on how games do serve the purpose of expanding a child's grasps on concepts and introducing them to ideas that are so new and bizarre to them. My friend who played Chrono Trigger as a child grew up as a thoughtful individual who is now into the sciences, whereas I, who as a child played Breath of Fire II (a game with religion and gods as a focal point), grew up to be into the philosophies. Great video.
Thank you. Love the story of your friend and yourself and what paths you took in life.
Very nice take on rankings. I also had to learn that a lot of "best games ever" don't appeal to me. I have very specific requirements and also no-go criteria for games. I do rankings, but I am well aware that they only appeal to me. And they help me to narrow down my collection to under 100 games. I don't need games in my collection I will never play through.
Oh yea. This game was extremely significant to my childhood. Im sure its directly effected my personality, and my life wouldnt be the same had i never played it. That would probably sound weird, except for the overwhelming amount of people who feel the same way.
I wouldn't expect someone to have the same experience playing it today. However i still think anyone who loves rpgs, retro, or even general gaming should play Chrono Trigger. There are a handful of very special games I believe are significant to gaming history. Chrono Trigger is one of those games.
I mean, im not a weirdo about it. Sometimes a few hours into a game it hits you 'this aint for me', and should probably play something else. Its ok to not like Chrono Trigger. I cant understand it, its like calling the sky green to me, but this game kinda raised me lol! Im gonna be emotional about it.
Oh. Thank you for the perspective. Seriously. Its easy to label Chrono Trigger a masterpiece like its a math formula. Seeing it as a work of art that happened to find me at just the right time is something i should appreciate. Its a beautiful miracle.
Chrono Trigger is definitely one of my "Desert Island" games, first played it in my late teens/early 20's when it had been a number of years since release, never played it on the original platform as we never had an SNES. Arguably some of the best if not THE best (though obviously that will be subjective) music to come out of the SNES (Lead/one of the composers apparently gave himself ulcers from working so hard on it), memorable characters, an at the time very unique time travel mechanic effecting the ending, good map design and all the different character combo techs as you mentioned (my favorite, though I'm not sure if it was a combo was Frog's bringing down a giant techno-color frog on enemies - a very impressive effect). I own the PS1 and DS re-releases and have it loaded onto my SNES Mini. Would be interesting to see a modern sequel where you play older versions of the original characters/their children combating some new threat (maybe Lavos released some piece of itself before it died that has just been gestating over the years). There have been rumors that a sequel/remaster of "Chrono Cross" is being worked on, can't comment on the veracity.
Yes, we'll have to wait to see if there's any credibility to the rumours.
I never got into Chrono Trigger, I however did get into Chrono Cross (which got a remaster recently). While others criticized Chrono Cross for the fact that it didn't have an as strong story as CT and that it was not really a sequel to the previous game which may be true what really moved me in Chrono Cross was its amazing music. I still listen to Chrono Cross songs to this day on nearly a daily basis as it has IMO one of the best, if not the best music track list of any game, if you haven't listened to the OST I can highly recommend it (granted not all of the songs are great almost half of them made it onto my favorite list).
Your looking healthy , stay warm... and get back in that game.
You’re absolutely right! A lot of it is child nostalgia. Chrono Trigger was extremely formative to me along with Final Fantasy 6, and at the time the idea of your silent protagonist being vulnerable like Chrono ultimately is was wild. I would open my save from the Kingdom of Zeal on my SNES to play the background music while I went to bed.
Good morning! My understanding is that Chrono Trigger was indeed the first game to offer New Game+. If it wasn’t it was, at least, the first to popularize it. 😃
I'm about to buy a copy for my 3DS, I'm excited because I've been in need of a good RPG
Good luck, ChronoTrigger can be rather pricey these days, but it's so worth having. 😀
I own the DS version as well. I enjoyed the game, and love the soundtrack, but my heart belongs to Chrono Cross, which I played first. I like its more reflective tone about the choices we make in life - even if the story is a bit of a mess.
A game you might like if you haven't tried it yet (I'm new to the channel) is Radiant Historia which features time travel but is a little more serious tonally. It came out on the DS originally and then on the 3DS as a remastered version with extra content.
Yes, Radiant Historia is a favourite with me, good choice.
I'll be doing more DS/3DS coverage, hopefully in the not too distant future.
I finally got around to watching this video, but not because I was ignoring you.
See, UA-cam didn't notify me you had responded to my comment on your "How I Got into Gaming" video. I was checking that video manually because I was looking for a factoid I thought you might have shared in it and found my comment, and the responses to it.
Anyway, yes. One of the best games I've ever played. And while I was excited to play Chrono Cross back when it came out, I didn't get the chance to at first.
I own it now, but not the remake. Just the original PS1 discs. I still haven't really played it because the stuff I've heard about the story has been jarring and upsetting (for me). Plus I keep getting distracted by other things. Other games.
And having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, doesn't help with this.
I keep coming back to Chrono Trigger, though. I replay it now and then. We didn't have many games for the consoles we had when I was a kid, so I played whatever we had as much as possible.
Twice I have gotten my save file to where I had all the characters at level 99, which unlocks a special form for Spekkio (the guy who teaches magic). He changes form depending on what level Crono is. At level 99, he's a Red Nu. He's got all sorts of scary attacks - he's got Luminaire, Dark Matter, Flare, Glacier Toss, Hallation, and a variety of other attacks. And he's got more hit points than Lavos's final form (the core has 50k hit points - Spekkio has twice that, at least). And dodges all physical attacks.
He's appropriately difficult to beat considering that you should be level 99. It's worth it to see him sputter in disbelief after the battle.
Ah yes ... UA-cam failing with the notifications on comments and replies.
Now consider: that happened to you with one comment. I experience this daily with hundreds of comments. It's a real headache for UA-camrs and tbh drives me nuts. (Just my average rant about UA-cam! 😄)
I just subscribed your channel you deserve it
Welcome.
@@Food4Dogs thnx
I'm going to have to disagree on this one. Yes, Chrono Trigger was influential to many a childhood but you could say that about any SNES game and really almost any videogame. You can say you didn't enjoy it in the way others did and that's fine but frankly Chrono Trigger's legacy these days is not primarily based on nostalgia. Many people have played the game for the first time as adults, myself included. Obviously it isn't the most riveting story you'll ever see with an adult lens but Chrono Trigger knocks it out of the park in almost every aspect while also not giving you an overly bloated story, which is something the majority of the games on this channel can't say. And I'll add in that the music is especially iconic and stunning no matter when you hear it first. I'm not saying you have to agree with my statements here but I think it's quite reductive to put this framing on Chrono Trigger of all games as though every other game here doesn't have the same potential for nostalgia and its effects on perception.
It's not simply peoples' childhoods that hold this game up; the extremely concise and quality game design, its undeniable influence on the industry with ideas like NG+ and unforgettable soundtrack are more than enough to show why this game holds its spot in the hall of fame for the industry, for any perspective.