|
Tom Nolan
United States
Burlington
Vermont
-
Reminiscent of the operatic themes of Final Fantasy VI, Crono Trigger takes depth of character, detailed graphics, and more than anything musical setting to a whole new level.
If classic style console RPGs are your thing this game will engage even the most "New School" of gamers.
Game Play
Very much the norm of RPGs of the 1990s. The game has all the standard scenes a world map view, towns and dungeons to explore, and fight scenes. One significant difference from other games of the era is that fights happen within the standard view, and there are never random encounters on the world map. Most fights begin when the player walks near an actual enemy on the screen. The mechanics of the fights are the same standard select your action schtick. The one fun innovation is the use of group moves through which characters can all use their action at the same time to create 2 or 3 character combo moves.
Graphics and Sound
Even with the anime cut scenes added in the PS1 version the game still looks like nothing more than an (all be it top of the line) old fashioned SNES RPG. The Graphics were excellent at the time of course, and they still have a certain anime charm.
The music is a whole different story. Although pumped out in midi quality, the score composed by Mitsuda adds to the distinct feels of the each character and time period. There is so much music it filled almost three cds when released in 1995. I loved the music so much as a kid that I taped it off the TV with my old cassette deck. Each character has a theme that returns as their plot develops.
Story
The real reason to play Crono Trigger is the story and when I say story I mean the wonderfully developed characters. Robo's loneliness, Frog's quiet love for the queen, and Magus's sad quiet childhood and the emotional stories that (though some won't admit it) RPGers crave. This game will awaken an empathy in the player rivaling Dom Giovanni or Les Misérables.
To Sum Up
A great game with a plot that can't be beat. Though it shows its age in graphics, the musical score and mind blowing characters make it more than still worthy of play today.
-
James Lowry
United States
Sunnyvale
California
-
I assume you're just talking about the original SNES version and/or the PSX port? Do you have any thoughts on the DS version (graphically speaking)?
-
Tom Nolan
United States
Burlington
Vermont
-
Good question, but that is way too new school for me. My wife might kill me if I bought a DS. Anyone have any screen shots?
-
Ian Kelly
United States
Longmont
Colorado
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hexachlorophene J. Goodfortune, Kidnapper-At-Large, and Devourer of Tortoises par Excellence, at your service.
If you can read this, then this sentence is false.
-
The DS version is a solid port of the SNES version that adds anime cutscenes (I think the same cutscenes used in the PS1 version, but I never played that), some new optional end-game content, one new ending, and an improved translation. The top screen looks pretty much exactly like the SNES version. The bottom screen can be used to access the menu system and enter battle commands with the stylus (which I actually like -- it's a bit faster than selecting commands with the D-pad). The DS version also doesn't have the terrible freeze problem when entering combat that drove many gamers away from the PS1 version.
-
Drew Spencer
United States
Tucson
Arizona
-
FWIW, according to the guys on the Retronauts podcast, the DS port is the best version available, followed by the original SNES, followed by the PSX version, which they describe as horrible.
I have the DS port, and it is excellent. The graphics and music are unchanged from SNES. It has the anime cutscenes, which I believe can be skipped or even turned off. Use of the touch screen for a menu both during battles and at other times makes everything better.
-
|
|
