Chrono Trigger
Latest
Rumor: Chrono Trigger's new monster battling feature
The latest information about Chrono Trigger's new DS-specific features originates from a pretty unusual place: the port's Japanese Toys R Us product page. At least, that's according to NeoGAF's duckroll, who wouldn't seem to have any reason to lie. However, the information does not appear on the product page now, which means that it was probably removed.Duckroll reports that the game allowed you to breed and train around 50 monsters in the game's previously unspecified "Arena Mode," with the goal of battling them and winning rare items. You can even fight your friends via (probably local) wireless. From more mysterious sources come details of two new dungeons: "Dimensional Distortion," in which players must travel through time, changing The End of Time as they complete segments, and "Dragon's Sanctuary," in which players must complete a number of quests within the dungeon and across different time periods.%Gallery-27682%
Chrono Trigger DS features optional SNES play mode
For fans of Chrono Trigger, the news that the game would be ported to the DS was like finding an extra toy in your box of cereal. Or, actually, it was probably a bigger deal than that. Like, a lot bigger. But, what about those purists that don't like touch-screen controls changing up the game? Well, Square Enix will be including a single-screen mode, which you can see to the right of this text. The bottom screen will display health information for the enemies you're currently engaging, so it still plays a role in the game. Are touch-screen controls really that big of an issue, though?%Gallery-27682%
Video, in case you forgot what Chrono Trigger looks like
Have you noticed that Chrono Trigger looks awfully familiar? Okay, you have, and most of you don't care (because it's Chrono Trigger we're talking about here, after all) ... but that begs the question of whether or not we want to watch Chrono Trigger videos.The answer? Of course we do. It's Chrono Trigger we're talking about here, and it's coming to the DS! Bring on the videos! We have the three latest right here. Not enough for you? If you're really desperate for new-old content and can't wait for the game's release, then we recommend watching a speed run and reading the game's script.
One step closer to Chrono Trigger: the boxart
Wow, we sure called this one. Like the rest of the game, the boxart for the DS version of Chrono Trigger is very similar to the original. Of course, in some cases, less (effort) is more, and this just may be one of them. Was there any way Square Enix could have improved on Chrono Trigger's boxart? %Gallery-27682%[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Chrono Trigger turns back DS clock on November 25
Thanksgiving this year will include both turkey and time travel, a magical cocktail made possible by Square Enix. The company said that it'll ship its DS throwback to SNES favorite Chrono Trigger in North America on November 25, just two days before families sit down for the annual feast.Giving players plenty to keep them busy while fighting off the adverse effects of tryptophan, Chrono Trigger's DS debut promises new dungeons, touchable controls and an arena mode. Additionally, as the RPG keeps with the original's pixelated sense of style, Square Enix has all but ensured that Thanksgiving 2008 will play out much the same way as it did some thirteen years prior, as we ignore seldom seen family members in favor of the more interesting trio of Crono, Lucca and Frog.
Chrono Trigger gets date for North American release
It looks like the early December release that GameStop predicted is false. Chrono Trigger will be hitting North American shores a week earlier, on November 25th. The rest of the press release is kind of bare, with the exception of one thing: Arena mode.At the end of the features section, it reads that "brand-new dungeons" and "an Arena mode" will "add exciting new dimensions to this timeless classic." Is this the two-player mode that we're all in the dark about? Sounds like it to us, meaning Chrono Trigger could allow for co-operative play in these new dungeons, as well as some kind of versus mechanic in this Arena mode. We might be reaching a bit, though, with the reality of it most likely being the new dungeons are only accessible from the single-player campaign and the Arena mode will let you and a friend do a boss rush or something.%Gallery-27682%
Chrono Trigger's wireless mode to support 2 players
When not debating the potential price tag for Chrono Trigger, you can pretty much find us scribbling hearts with Chrono Trigger in them within the confines of our sketchbook. To say we're excited would be quite the understatement. And now we're even more excited that we have a sliver of new info about the proposed wireless mode that was revealed last month.Sadly, that's really all we have right now. The wireless mode will support two players, but in terms of what those two players will take part in is anyone's guess. We're kind of leaning toward co-op play, like possible in Secret of Mana. Either that or some kind of dungeon rush mode or whatever.%Gallery-27682%[Via Siliconera]
Point/Counterpoint: The worth of Chrono Trigger DS
One of the biggest titles to release on the DS this year is none other than Chrono Trigger DS. But, is it worth the $40 that Square Enix is demanding gamers cough up in order to enjoy this RPG classic on their handheld? The DS Fanboy staff has drawn a line in the sand and been split down the middle, with each side presenting a solid argument that effectively states their case. Instead of letting this get violent and taking it out into the streets, we've decided to turn to our computers and take it out into the virtual streets of the DS Fanboy blog. So, read on and then decide for yourself if Chrono Trigger DS is really worth the price of admission. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } %Gallery-27682%
Chrono Trigger not bound for Europe this year
As with most of Square Enix's release dates, it's best to put a clarifying asterisk next to it. For Infinite Undiscovery, that simultaneous worldwide release was actually a 9-day span. For Final Fantasy XIII, it's PS3 Only ... in Japan (at least for now). Let's revisit the end of that Chrono Trigger DS teaser: "2008. Winter.* (Except for Europe)." Those across the pond will have to wait until Early 2009, according to Square Enix (via CVG). All we can offer is condolences and some screenshots that -- surprise -- look exactly like the 1995 rendition.[Via DS Fanboy] Gallery: Chrono Trigger
No Chrono Trigger for Europe this year
But rest assured European gamers, you are getting Chrono Trigger DS. It just won't be hitting your shores for awhile now, as the window for the game's release has been pushed back to "early 2009." One would assume that to be Q1, but you all know what your teachers told you about assuming. So who's looking forward to the DS update of this classic RPG? Some consider it to be the greatest game ever made, you know.%Gallery-27682%
Chrono Trigger: new screens of an old game
Technically, you could have seen almost every screen of Chrono Trigger that a magazine or website would be able to share, on account of the game having been released for several years. If it's not an image of the map/interface screen found on the touchscreen, or of the new dungeon, then it's basically a screen of a Super NES game.However, you may be able to infer from the fact that we are publishing this post that we consider Chrono Trigger awesome enough for us to share screens with you no matter their age. Besides, even after twelve years, it's still a very nice-looking game.%Gallery-27682%
Gamestop reveals Chrono Trigger date, price?
Square Enix hasn't said anything official about the release date or pricing of the Chrono Trigger port yet. We held out hope for a budget price, since it's a port, and since the $20 price point for Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme, both new games, proves that Square Enix can charge less than $40 for a game now and then.Not this time, apparently! According to a Gamestop listing (which is even linked from the site's front page), Chrono Trigger will come out December 1 at the familiar $40 price point. Not that Chrono Trigger isn't worth $40. Just ask eBay!
Square Enix trademark elicits confusion over Chrono Trigger DS
Square Enix trademarked something fairly odd during E3 last week. What was it? Echoes of Time. Logical reasoning points to a subtitle for Chrono Trigger DS, but with Square Enix never stating the title was temporary, we're left to wonder.We'll admit that Chrono Trigger: Echoes of Time has a nice ring to it. But, is it really for the DS remake? Or, does Square Enix have something else up their sleeve?%Gallery-27682%
E308: DS Fanboy's E3 Endgame Evaluation
In its second year as a diminished behemoth, E3 still manages to be packed full with news, media, and more. While there wasn't much from Nintendo themselves for the DS this year, third parties are still incredibly strong and we're faced with more games than we can possibly handle. We're also pretty sure we saw almost all of them at E3 this year. Relive the entire experience right from the convenience of this post! Check out our choices for show highlights right here, or hit the break for the full rundown of our E3 coverage. Of course, we're still adding things, and will be over the next few days; keep up by clicking the E3 graphic in the sidebar. GTA: Chinatown Wars shooting up the DS in winter! Transfer data from Animal Crossing: Wild World to new Wii game Highlights from Nintendo's keynote Rhythm Heaven bumped by Cammie Dunaway's wrist Konami booth tour DS Fanboy reacts to the Nintendo keynote Three DS news items you may have missed Chrono Trigger's controls explained (and hands-on) DS Fanboy enters the Retro Game Challenge Rhythm Heaven is the best musical microgame collection at the show
E308: Chrono Trigger's controls explained
While, for the most part, Chrono Trigger on the DS looks just like Chrono Trigger on the SNES, some liberties have been taken to make the use of the new, screenier hardware. I snapped this control scheme diagram from the Chrono Trigger demo station, figuring there may be someone out there interested in how it would play on the DS.Oh, and I played it. The big revelation here is the touchscreen movement. The touchscreen (which displays an automap of the room you're in) basically acts as a big analog stick: hold the stylus toward the right of the screen and Crono moves right; hold it farther toward the edge and Crono moves faster. Tap, or run into something, to make Crono interact. It's awesome if you want to have a really hard time performing basic movement operations in Chrono Trigger. But the traditional button controls remain more than adequate. It doesn't really mar the fact that it's OMG CHRONO TRIGGER. And battling on the touchscreen is perfectly fine -- you just touch buttons on a menu.In other Chrono news, an SE rep told me that the translation (yes, it was the English version!) was new! And according to a statement given to Spencer Yip, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release. Gallery: Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger: A noble spirit embiggens the smallest screens
We can only put up with tiny scans and crazy Japanese writing for so long before we go Chrono crazy. Thankfully, we've nabbed a select number of high-quality screens and created a genuine, bonafide, one-hundred percent awesome Chrono Trigger gallery.Again, they look pretty much identical to the original SNES version, but remember that for a good portion of the world, there never was a first time around for Chrono Trigger. New to some, old (yet inspiring) to others -- but either way, it's a kickass batch of images from one of the greatest games ever made.%Gallery-27682%
Chrono Trigger goodies, just in time to appeal to your sense of nostalgia
With the recent announcement of Chrono Trigger DS, the DS Fanboy staff have been salivating for weeks now. In fact, we've all tied buckets around our necks, to save our precious t-shirts from being drenched. Life is all about adapting.If you find yourself in the same crazed state of mind as us, desperate to get your hands on the final product, know some cool Chrono Trigger collectibles just went up on eBay. They're a set of keychain figurines and some Prism cards. The keychains are especially nice, but cost about twice the going rate on a SNES Chrono Trigger cart.Source - KeychainsSource - Prism cards[Via Gamesniped]
DS Daily: Chrono price point
Let's have another discussion about Chrono Trigger, because it's a sad day when we stop talking about such a wonderful game. Most of you seem to be okay with Square Enix's decision to port the original SNES game to the DS, but just how much are you willing to pay for it?Normally, Square Enix's DS titles cost $40 (with some exceptions). Yet, we can't see something like this costing as much as say, a totally revamped Final Fantasy IV. If the company had just brought the game to the Wii's Virtual Console, it would only cost $8 (but, it wouldn't have been portable). Then again, if you buy the orignal from eBay, you can expect to pay some big bucks. So, consumer whores (and how!): how much should Chrono Trigger DS retail for? What is a fair pricing scheme?
This Chrono Trigger trailer speaks our language
We posted a trailer a few days back that let us bask in the glory that is Chrono Trigger DS, and it was wonderful. There was just one, teensy weensy problem, though -- it was in Japanese. Yet, now you can enjoy the trailer in English by watching the video above, or head on over to the official (North American) website to see it in higher quality. Normally we'd say it's not worth the effort for a few text changes here and there, but then again, we're not normally writing about Chrono Trigger DS.We recommend that those of you who find yourselves chronically obsessed with Chrono Trigger sit down and give it a watch.[Thanks, T.J.!]
Chrono Trigger scans trigger only wonderful memories
The DS version of Chrono Trigger is an almost direct port of a thirteen-year-old SNES game, with nary a pixel out of place. In other words, a quick visit to Google Images should be enough to see what we're getting on our handhelds later this year, but we're still going to link these Chrono Trigger Famitsu scans because guess what: it's frakkin' Chrono Trigger on the DS.Hit up Gamekyo for the full scans, and let's hope we see more of the second screen and/or the Wireless Play mode in the next batch.
