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''Chrono'' series

ContentsArticlesOverview 1

Chrono series 1

Characters 7

List of characters in Chrono Trigger 7List of characters in Chrono Cross 14

Music 30

Music of Chrono Trigger 30Music of Chrono Cross 38

Games 46

Chrono Trigger 46Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki 62Chrono Cross 69Final Fantasy Chronicles 79Chrono Break 83Chrono Resurrection 86

ReferencesArticle Sources and Contributors 90Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 92

Article LicensesLicense 93

1

Overview

Chrono series

Chrono

Genres Console role-playing game

Developers Square Enix (formerly Square)

Publishers Square Enix (formerly Square)

The Chrono (クロノ) series is a video game franchise developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square).It began in 1995 with the time travel console role-playing game Chrono Trigger, which spawned two continuations,Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross. A promotional anime called Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar and twoports of Chrono Trigger were also produced. As of March 31, 2003, Chrono Trigger was, with 2.65 million units,Square Enix's 12th best-selling game (based on copies shipped); Chrono Cross was, with 1.5 million units, the24th.[1] The games have been subject to extremely positive reviews.

Concept and creationChrono Trigger was produced in 1995 by Kazuhiko Aoki and directed by Akihiko Matsui, Yoshinori Kitase andTakashi Tokita. The development of the game was dubbed the "Dream Project", because it was headed by a "DreamTeam" composed of supervisor Hironobu Sakaguchi, of Final Fantasy fame, as well as freelance supervisor YuujiHorii and character designer Akira Toriyama, both of Dragon Quest fame.[2] Yuuji Horii worked on the generaloutline of the story; as a fan of time travel fictions, such as the TV series Time Tunnel, he focused on a theme of timetravel for Chrono Trigger.[3] The outline was then finalized by story planner and script writer Masato Kato.[4]

In 1996, Masato Kato and several other members of the Chrono Trigger staff worked on a minor project for theSuper Famicom Satellaview extension, titled Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki. Initially, the game was intendedto be a short, original text-based adventure developed in three months with almost no planning. Nevertheless, by theend of the development, Masato Kato had connected the game's plot and characters to Chrono Trigger, turning it intoa side story. Since the platform of the game was not mainstream, the connections were however left blurred onpurpose and were not advertised on the game's release.[5]

In 1999, a continuation of Chrono Trigger, titled Chrono Cross, was announced. Although the "Dream Team"members did not participate in Chrono Cross, the game was developed mostly by the same staff as the firstinstallment.[6] In terms of basic system and gameplay, producer Hiromichi Tanaka made it clear that the newinstallment was not a sequel to Chrono Trigger; rather, the game designers' approach was to make the "gameplayevolve with the hardware", creating a completely new game while restructuring the former style so as to maximizethe performance of the console.[7] The gameplay focuses on the theme of parallel worlds rather than time travel,although the latter is still deeply involved in the game's plot. In terms of storyline, Chrono Cross was described bydirector and scenario writer Masato Kato as "not a Chrono Trigger 2", but "a result of a pulled trigger", "anotherChrono".[8]

''Chrono'' series 2

Games

Chrono TriggerChrono Trigger is a console role-playing game which was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System onMarch 11, 1995 in Japan and on August 22, 1995 in North America. The game's story follows a group of youngadventurers led by Crono, who are accidentally transported through time and learn that the world will be destroyed inthe distant future. Vowing to prevent this disaster, they travel throughout history to discover the means to save theplanet. Chrono Trigger was ported to the PlayStation in 1999 as a standalone title in Japan and in 2001 as part of theFinal Fantasy Chronicles compilation in North America.[9] [10] A third version was released for the Nintendo DShandheld platform on November 20, 2008.[11] It is regarded today as one of the greatest games ever made.[12]

Additionally, three Chrono Trigger-related applications were released the same year for the Super FamicomSatellaview extension. Chrono Trigger inspired several sequels and expansion packs or add-ons; the first were threetitles released for the Satellaview in 1995. They included Chrono Trigger: Jet Bike Special, a racing game based on aminigame from the original; Chrono Trigger: Character Library, featuring profiles on characters and monsters fromthe game; and Chrono Trigger: Music Library, a collection of music from the game's soundtrack. The contents ofCharacter Library and Music Library were later included as extras in the PlayStation rerelease of ChronoTrigger.[13]

Radical DreamersRadical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki (literally "The Jewel that cannot be Stolen") is a Japanese-exclusivetext-based game released in 1996 through the Super Famicom Satellaview extension. The player takes on the role ofSerge, a young adventurer accompanied by Kid, a teen-aged thief, and Gil, a mysterious masked magician. It is aside story to Chrono Trigger wrapping up a loose end from its predecessor's plot.[5]

Chrono CrossChrono Cross was released on the PlayStation on November 18, 1999 in Japan and on August 15, 2000 in NorthAmerica.[14] The story is partly a remake of Radical Dreamers, and as such replaces it as Chrono Trigger'ssuccessor.[15] The protagonist Serge, faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, struggles to uncoverhis past and meets Kid, a thief seeking the mysterious Frozen Flame artifact. Serge and Kid's fate are ultimatelyrevealed to find their roots in the events of Chrono Trigger.

Chrono BreakChrono Brake and Chrono Break are the names of two trademarks owned by Square Co.; the first applied in Japanon November 5, 2001,[16] and the second registered in the United States on December 5 of the same year.[17] Theregistrations were preceded by a press report in which Hironobu Sakaguchi mentioned that the Chrono Cross teamwas interested in developing a new game in the Chrono series, and that script and story ideas were beingconsidered.[18] However, Square did not publish further news, and the American trademark Chrono Break waseventually dropped on November 13, 2003.[19]

Dimensional Adventure Numa MonjarDimensional Adventure Numa Monjar (時空冒険ヌウマモンジャ～ Jikū Bōken Nūmamonjā, lit. "Time and SpaceAdventures: Numa Monjar") is a 16-minute humoristic and promotional Chrono Trigger anime which was broadcastat the Japanese V-Jump Festival of July 31, 1996. It was created by Production I.G, and written by Hiroshi Izawaand Akihiro Kikuchi, while Itsuro Kawazaki served as director, Tensai Okamura as animation director, and RihoNishino as character designer.[20] [21]

''Chrono'' series 3

The anime takes place in the same setting as Chrono Trigger during the night before the beginning of the game'sevents. It follows two monsters from the game, a Nu and a Mamo (called Kilwala in the English version of thegame), voiced by Chafūrin and Mayumi Tanaka respectively, through various adventures. These all take place in the"Millennial Fair", the festival at the beginning of Chrono Trigger, which in the anime has been infested by a festivegathering of monsters coming through portals. They meet several characters from the game, including Johnny andGonzalez (called Gato in the English version of the game). The anime ends with a scene from the following morningafter the monsters have all left, in which Crono and Lucca can be seen. The credits show Nu and Mamo parodyingscenes from the game.[22]

The anime was followed by a manga series of the same name published in V Jump starting in 1996. The seriesfollows Mamo and Nu, who are joined by Johnny and Spekkio (in the form of a frog), as they continue theiradventure through time. They meet various characters from Chrono Trigger along the way, including Masamune,Lavos, Gaspar, Ozzie, Slash and Flea. In 1998, the chapters of the series were released as a tankōbon.[23]

MusicThe music of the Chrono series was mainly composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Chrono Trigger was the first game forwhich he had served as composer. However, after Mitsuda contracted stomach ulcers, Final Fantasy composerNobuo Uematsu was brought onto the project to compose ten songs.[24] At the time of the game's release, thequantity of its tracks and sound effects were unprecedented.[25] Additionally, a one-disc acid jazz arrangement calledThe Brink of Time was also released. Mitsuda went on to compose the soundtrack for Radical Dreamers, which wasnever commercially released as an album.In 1999, Yasunori Mitsuda, now a freelance composer, returned to score the soundtrack for Chrono Cross after beingcontacted by Masato Kato.[9] Mitsuda decided to center his work around old world cultural influences, includingMediterranean, Fado, Celtic, and percussive African music.[8] Xenogears contributor Tomohiko Kira played guitaron the beginning and ending themes. Noriko Mitose, as selected by Masato Kato, sang the ending song, "RadicalDreamers ~ Le Trésor Interdit".[9] Mitsuda was happy to accomplish even half of what he envisioned.[8] Certainsongs were ported from the score of Radical Dreamers, while other entries in the soundtrack contain leitmotifs fromboth Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers.[9]

In 2006, Yasunori Mitsuda arranged versions of music from the Chrono series for Play! video game music concerts,presenting the Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross main themes, as well as "Frog's Theme", and "To Far AwayTimes".[26]

Reception

Aggregate review scores

Game GameRankings Metacritic

Chrono Trigger (SNES) 95%[27] —

Radical Dreamers — —

Chrono Cross 92%[28] 94 out of 100[29]

Final Fantasy Chronicles 87%[30] 89 out of 100[31]

Chrono Trigger (DS) 95%[32] 92 out of 100[33]

The Chrono series has been very successful in game rankings and sales. Chrono Trigger sold more than 2.36 million copies in Japan and 290,000 abroad, reaching two million in sales in only two months.[34] [35] It ended 1995 as the

''Chrono'' series 4

third best-selling game of the year behind Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy'sKong Quest.[36] The game was met with substantial success upon release in North America, and its rerelease on thePlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles package topped the NPD TRSTS PlayStation sales charts forover six weeks.[14] [37] [38] The Chrono Trigger DS remake has shipped 490,000 copies in Japan and 220,000 inNorth America as of December 2008.[39] Chrono Cross also sold well, shipping 850,000 and 650,000 units in Japanand abroad respectively.[34] It was re-released once in the United States as a Greatest Hits title and again as part ofthe Japanese Ultimate Hits series.[40] [41]

Chrono Trigger has placed highly on all six of multimedia website IGN's "top 100 games of all time" lists—4th in2002, 6th in early 2005, 13th in late 2005, 2nd in 2006, 18th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008.[42] [43] [44] GameSpotincluded Chrono Trigger in "The Greatest Games of All Time" list released in April 2006, and it also appeared as28th on an "All Time Top 100" list in a poll conducted by Japanese magazine Famitsu.[45] [46] Nintendo Power's100th issue placed it eighteenth on their "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time",[47] and in their twentiethanniversary issue named it the fifth best Super Nintendo game.[48] Chrono Cross was also well-received byreviewers; GameSpot awarded the game a perfect 10, one of only six games in the 40,000 games listed on Gamespotto have been given the score, and its Console Game of the Year Award for 2000.[49] IGN gave the game a score of9.7, and Cross appeared 89th in its 2008 Top 100 games list.[44] [50]

The music of the series has been very highly regarded and enjoyed wide popularity. IGN termed the Chrono Triggersoundtrack "one of the best videogame soundtracks ever produced" and said that the music was a large part of thegame's ability to "capture the emotions of the player". It furthermore called the soundtrack "some of the mostmemorable tunes in RPG history".[37] The game itself won the "Best Music in a Cartridge-Based Game" award inElectronic Gaming Monthly's 1995 video game awards.[51] The soundtrack for Chrono Cross won the Gold Prize forSony's PlayStation Awards of 2000.[52] IGN, in their review of the game, termed the soundtrack "a brilliant score"that "does wonders in stirring the emotional strings of the players as they're playing through the game".[50] In aseparate piece about Japanese RPG composers, IGN named Yasunori Mitsuda the second best out of ten behindNobuo Uematsu.[53]

External links• "Chrono Trigger official website" [54]. Archived from the original [55] on 2007-10-19.• "Chrono Cross official website" [56]. Archived from the original [57] on 2007-10-01.

References[1] "Square Enix IR Roadshow Document" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ jp/ ir/ e/ explanatory/ download/ 0404-200308040000-01. pdf)

(PDF). Square Enix. 2003-08-04. . Retrieved 2006-07-06.[2] Business Wire (2001-04-17). "Square Announces the Release of Final Fantasy Chronicles: Final Fantasy IV & Chrono Trigger for the

PlayStation Game Console in July 2001" (http:/ / findarticles. com/ p/ articles/ mi_m0EIN/ is_2001_April_17/ ai_73302271/ ). Press release. .Retrieved 2007-05-20.

[3] "Yuji Horii interview" (http:/ / www. playmagazine. com/ index. php?fuseaction=SiteMain. showGamePage& Game_ID=169). playMagazine Online (http:/ / playmagazine. com/ ). Fusion Publishing. . Retrieved 2007-02-16.

[4] "This month's friend... Masato Kato" (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/ friends/ kato. html). Our Millennial Fair (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz.com/ ). CocoeBiz. November 1999. . Retrieved 2007-02-16.

[5] "Chrono Cross — GamePro.com Interview, Fan Questions" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/ features/ 6818/chrono-cross-gamepro-com-interview-fan-questions/ ). GamePro. IDG Entertainment. 2000-11-24. . Retrieved 2007-05-19.

[6] Sato, Yukiyoshi Ike (1999-07-20). "Chrono Trigger Staff Remains" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ news/ 2450841. html). GameSpot. CNETNetworks. . Retrieved 2007-05-20.

[7] "Chrono Cross Development Team Interview and Contest" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/ features/ 6764/chrono-cross-development-team-interview-and-contest/ ). GamePro. IDG Entertainment. 2000-12-01. . Retrieved 2007-05-19.

[8] Kato, Masato (1999-12-18) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack (liner notes). DigiCube. SSCX-10040.[9] Studio BentStuff, ed (1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Ultimania_Developer_Interviews. html). Square Enix. pp. 476–477. ISBN 4-925075-73-X. .

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[10] Shoemaker, Brad (2001-06-06). "Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation Review" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/finalfantasychronicles/ review. html?om_act=convert& om_clk=gssummary& tag=summary;read-review& page=2). GameSpot. . Retrieved2008-12-27.

[11] "IGN: Chrono Trigger Returns!" (http:/ / ds. ign. com/ articles/ 885/ 885741p1. html). IGN. 2008-01-02. . Retrieved 2009-06-01.[12] Shoemaker, Brad (2006-04-17). "The Greatest Games of All Time: Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ features/ 6147770/

index. html). GameSpot. . Retrieved 2009-06-01.[13] Whiteman, Daniel. "Other Games and Anime" (http:/ / www. rpgplanet. com/ chrono/ og_index. shtml). GameSpy. . Retrieved 2009-06-04.[14] "Game Rankings: Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ ps/ 196917-chrono-cross/ index. html). Game Rankings. . Retrieved

2007-07-27.[15] "Weekly Famitsu: Interview with Chrono Cross Developers" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Weekly_Famitsu. html).

Chrono Compendium. 1999. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.[16] "Industrial Property Digital Library" (http:/ / www. ipdl. inpit. go. jp/ homepg_e. ipdl). Industrial Property Digital Library. Japan Patent

Office. 2002-07-26. . Retrieved 2007-05-20.To find the Chrono Brake patent, search "Japanese Trademark Database" for "chronobrake". Click Index to find the result, and click the link.

[17] "Chrono Break Latest Status Info" (http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ servlet/ tarr?regser=serial& entry=76345716). Trademark Applications andRegistration Retrieval (http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ ). United States Patent and Trademark Office. 2003-11-13. . Retrieved 2006-06-01.

[18] Ahmed, Shahed (2001-07-03). "New Chrono game in planning stages" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ news/ 2782608. html). GameSpot.CNET Networks. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[19] Staff (2004-01-13). "Chrono Break Dies" (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ news/ Q1-2004/ 011304a. html). RPGamer. Crave Online. .Retrieved 2009-06-01.

[20] Production I.G staff. "時空冒険ぬうまもんじゃ～" (http:/ / www. production-ig. co. jp/ contents/ works_sp/ 0330_/ index. html) (inJapanese). Production I.G. . Retrieved 2007-05-20.

[21] "Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar" (http:/ / www. production-ig. com/ contents/ works/ 07_/ 000133. html). Production I.G. .Retrieved 2007-05-20.

[22] Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar. Production I.G. July 31, 1996.[23] Caramel Mama (1998). 時空冒険ヌウマモンジャー. Shueisha. ISBN 4088590228.[24] Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1.[25] Averill, Alan (1995). Nintendo Power July, 1995. Nintendo. p. 52.[26] Driker, Brandon (2006-05-30). "Play! A Video Game Symphony" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ contentview. php?contentid=352). N-Sider. .

Retrieved 2006-05-30.[27] "Chrono Trigger — SNES" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ snes/ 563538-chrono-trigger/ index. html). GameRankings. . Retrieved

2008-02-18.[28] "Chrono Cross — PS" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ ps/ 196917-chrono-cross/ index. html). GameRankings. . Retrieved 2008-02-18.[29] "Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. metacritic. com/ games/ platforms/ psx/ chronocross?q=Chrono Cross). Metacritic. . Retrieved 2008-02-18.[30] "Final Fantasy Chronicles — PS" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ ps/ 477343-final-fantasy-chronicles/ index. html). GameRankings. .

Retrieved 2008-02-18.[31] "Final Fantasy Chronicles" (http:/ / www. metacritic. com/ games/ platforms/ psx/ finalfantasychronicles?q=Chrono Cross). Metacritic. .

Retrieved 2008-02-18.[32] "Chrono Trigger — DS" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ ds/ 950181-chrono-trigger/ ). Game Rankings. 2008. . Retrieved 2009-01-01.[33] "Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. metacritic. com/ games/ platforms/ ds/ chronotrigger?q=chrono trigger). Metacritic. . Retrieved 2009-01-01.[34] Staff (2003-08-04). "Square Enix IR Roadshow Document" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ jp/ ir/ e/ explanatory/ download/

0404-200308040000-01. pdf) (PDF). Square Enix. . Retrieved 2006-07-06.[35] Averill, Alan (1995). Nintendo Power June, 1995. Nintendo. p. 36.[36] "販売本数ランキング" (http:/ / gameranking. jp/ ranking-sale/ ?0+ 1995). ゲームランキング. . Retrieved 2009-04-28.[37] "IGN: Final Fantasy Chronicles Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 166/ 166322p1. html). IGN. 2001-07-04. . Retrieved 2006-05-07.[38] Wollenschlaeger, Alex (2001-08-15). "Final Fantasy Chronicles Tops Sales Charts Six Weeks in a Row" (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/

news/ Q3-2001/ 081501d. html). RPGamer. Crave Online. . Retrieved 2009-06-01.[39] "Results Briefing Session for the Nine-Months Period of the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2009" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ eng/ pdf/

news/ 20090216_01en. pdf#page=19) (PDF). Square Enix. 2009-02-16. pp. 22. . Retrieved 2009-03-01.[40] "Chrono Cross Joins Greatest Hits Line" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 097/ 097578p1. html). IGN. 2001-08-21. . Retrieved 2009-06-03.[41] Winkler, Chris (2006-04-28). "Square Enix Adds 16 to Ultimate Hits Series" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ news/ 2006/ 1219. html). RPGFan.

. Retrieved 2006-07-01.[42] "The Top 100 Games Ever" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2006/ 001-010. html). IGN. 2006. . Retrieved 2007-08-08.[43] "The Top 100 Games Ever" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2007/ ign_top_game_18. html). IGN. 2007. . Retrieved 2008-02-02.[44] "IGN Top 100 Games 2008 – 2 Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2008/ ign_top_game_2. html). IGN. 2008. . Retrieved

2009-03-13.[45] "The Greatest Games of All Time" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ gamespot/ features/ all/ greatestgames/ index. html). GameSpot.

2006-04-17. . Retrieved 2006-05-06.

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[46] Campbell, Colin (2006-03-03). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100" (http:/ / www. next-gen. biz/ index. php?option=com_content&task=view& id=2401& Itemid=2). Next Generation. . Retrieved 2006-05-07.

[47] "Nintendo Power's 100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time". Nintendo Power (100): 91. September 1997.[48] "Best of the Best". Nintendo Power (Future US) 231:  73. August 2008.[49] Vestal, Andrew (2000-01-06). "GameSpot: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronocross/ review. html).

GameSpot. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[50] David Zdyrko (2000-08-15). "IGN: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 162/ 162503p1. html). IGN. . Retrieved

2006-07-24.[51] "Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1996.[52] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/

feature?pager. offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com. . Retrieved 2008-02-08.[53] Sullivan, Meghan (2008-12-18). "IGN: Top Ten JRPG Composers" (http:/ / music. ign. com/ articles/ 937/ 937683p5. html). IGN. .

Retrieved 2009-05-13.[54] http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071019020123/ http:/ / www. nintendo. com/ gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-677[55] http:/ / www. nintendo. com/ gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-677[56] http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071001215417/ http:/ / www. square-enix-usa. com/ games/ CC/[57] http:/ / www. square-enix-usa. com/ games/ CC/

7

Characters

List of characters in Chrono Trigger

From left to right: Robo, Lucca, Marle, Frog, Crono

This is a listing of notable charactersfrom the video game Chrono Trigger,a console role-playing game releasedin 1995 by Square Co. (now SquareEnix) for the Super NintendoEntertainment System video gameconsole. In keeping with the timetravel theme of the game's storyline,the characters hail from different erasof a fictional history, ranging fromprehistoric times to a post-apocalypticfuture.

Creation and influences

From left to right: the daughter of a fairy king, a tin robot (top), a monsterman (bottom), an inventor girl, the male protagonist, a demon king, a

primitive girl, and an old sage

The characters of Chrono Trigger were designedby Akira Toriyama based on sketches from thestory planner Masato Kato. The developmentteam wanted a diverse cast to reflect the variouseras visited by the player; while working on thein-battle actions of the game, they decided toinclude a playable character that was neitherhuman nor robot.[1] Kato drew sketches for acast of eight playable characters, comprising amale protagonist, the daughter of a fairy king, atin robot, a monster man, an inventor girl, ademon king, a primitive girl, and an old sage.[2]

Pig and monkey characters were alsoconsidered.[1] Six of the initial ideas werereworked by Toriyama, while the old sagecharacter was scrapped and the monster manreplaced with Toriyama's own frog mandesign.[2]

In addition to the artwork for the main cast, Toriyama designed the non-playable characters and the monsters of thegame,[3] though Hironobu Sakaguchi contributed the idea of the singing robot Gato.[1] The development staff studied

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 8

all the drawings Toriyama made for the game and tried to be as faithful to his lighthearted style as possible. Inparticular, humoristic names were chosen for several characters. The staff noted that this kind of humor would havebeen impossible in the Final Fantasy series.[1] Some of the names used in the English localization of the game wereinspired by Biblical characters, including Belthasar, Gaspar, Melchior, and Magus. However, Kato did not especiallyhave the Bible in mind when writing the story and was not aware of the names created by the translator TedWoolsey.[4]

Playable characters

Crono

Crono is the spiky-haired protagonist of the game. His name is spelled Chrono (クロノ Kurono) in Japanesematerials. He lives in the village of Truce with his mother. A chance encounter with Marle at the fair begins a seriesof adventures and uncovers a pre-millennial evil. In 12000 BC, when the party is confronted with Lavos in the OceanPalace of the Kingdom of Zeal, Crono dies sacrificing himself to save his friends. With time travel, the player canmanage to replace Crono in the moment before he dies with a copy received from the Millennial Fair in 1000 A.D,saving his life. The PlayStation and Nintendo DS versions of Chrono Trigger includes an FMV scene at the end thatshows Crono and Marle getting married. While a second FMV depicts the fall of Guardia Kingdom in the year AD1005, it is unknown what happened to Crono during this event.Crono is a silent protagonist. He uses a katana as a weapon and learns to use "Lightning" magic ("Sky" in theoriginal Japanese version). In the initial design sketches, Crono was a "bad kid" wearing goggles and a cape.[2]

Concerning his death in the game, Kato noted that his policy has always been "to try and create games that runcounter to users' expectations, surprise them".[5]

Marle

Marle, is the princess of Guardia, spelled Marl (マール Māru) in Japanese materials. Her real name is PrincessNadia (Marledia in the original Japanese version), and she is often at odds with her father, the king. Bored of royallife in the castle, she slips out to the Millennial Fair in Truce. Here, she meets Crono and tries out Lucca's teleporter,which reacts with her pendant and creates a time warp, sending her to the Middle Ages and kicking off the events ofthe game. Her family line is victim of unsuccessful plots to overtake the kingdom, once in the Middle Ages and oncein the Present time, by the shapeshifting monster Yakra (ヤクラ Yakura) and his descendant Yakra XIII. ThePlayStation and Nintendo DS versions of Chrono Trigger includes an FMV scene at the end that shows Crono andMarle getting married. While a second FMV depicts the fall of Guardia Kingdom in the year AD 1005, it is unknownwhat happened to Marle during this event.Marle uses a crossbow as her weapon; when she gains the ability to use magic, she learns to use "Ice" elemental andhealing spells. In the initial character sketches, she was the daughter of a fairy king and had shorter hair.[2]

Lucca

Lucca (ルッカ Rukka) is Crono's childhood friend. Using her intelligence and creativity, Lucca invented manydevices, such as a battle-training robot named Gato ("Gonzales" in the Japanese version) and a short-range teleporter.This device caused Marle to go back in time, leading inevitably to the start of the game. Lucca is directly responsiblefor the playability of another character in the game - Robo, whom she finds and repairs in the future. In the endingFMV scene of the PlayStation and Nintendo DS versions, it is seen that Lucca eventually created a mini-robotmodeled after Robo. In the same scene, Lucca finds an infant with a pendant, and takes her in. That child is acharacter in the sequels of Chrono Trigger.Lucca battles with a gun and hammer, and when spells become available she learns to cast "Fire" magic. In the initialcharacter sketches, Lucca had a "wilder personality" and wore seemingly-opaque glasses and a bow tie.[2]

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 9

Frog

Frog is an anthropomorphic frog knight from the Middle Ages era. He is called Kaeru (カエル, literally "Frog") inJapanese materials. He was born as a human, named Glenn and a friend of the knight Cyrus. After witnessing Cyrus'death at the hands of Magus and being transformed into a frog, Frog vowed to avenge Cyrus by killing Magus.During the game, he obtains the Masamune, an ancient sword whose offensive capabilities against magic users isMagus's major weakness. Frog can later put Cyrus' ghost to rest, regaining his courage and clearing his conscience.Frog wields a broadsword and can learn "Water" and, like Marle, healing magic. His design in the final version ofthe game replaces that of a monster man character from the initial character sketches.[2] In Ted Woolsey's Englishtranslation, Frog speaks in a grandiose, pseudo-Shakespearean manner, using words such as 'thou'. 'thee'. and 'shalt'.No one else from his era speaks that way, nor does he use it himself as the young or adult Glenn. In the retranslationfor the DS version, Frog's manner of speech is closer to modern, yet antiquated, English and no longer adopts theaccent of the earlier versions. Likewise, in the Japanese version, he does not speak with the accent and instead talksrather rudely.[6]

Robo

Robo (ロボ Robo) is a futuristic robot. He was rendered dormant by the apocalypse in AD 1999, but is found andrepaired by Lucca in the year AD 2300. Upon his reactivation, Robo has no memory of his prior mission and joinsthe party. In a sidequest, Robo is branded a traitor by his maker, Mother Brain (マザーブレーン Mazāburēn), arogue computer who opposes humans and desires a utopia of robots. Robo is forced to kill his long-lost, brainwashedcompanion robot Atropos XR, before he manages to shut down the computer. In another side quest, Robo canvolunteer to spend four hundred years restoring Fiona's forest. During this time, Robo ponders the existence of an"entity", a dying being who wished Crono and his friends to witness its life throughout time.Robo uses his robotic arm as a weapon and can use laser attacks which mimic "Shadow" magic, as well as othertechs that mimic "Fire" and "Lightning" skills. He is considered unable to use magic because he is not organic and,therefore, did not descend from the magic-using people of Zeal. In the initial character sketches, he had a differentdesign and was larger.[2] In the Japanese version, Robo has a unique speech; he speaks with bits of katakana in hissayings and has trouble with pronunciations. Most of the robots talk in all katakana, with the exception of Johnny.

Ayla

Ayla is the chief of a prehistoric tribe. Her name is spelled Eira (エイラ) in Japanese materials. She is engaged in aconflict with Azala (アザーラ Azāra), the leader of the Reptites who lead the effort to destroy the human race toprove their superiority. Ayla and the party eventually defeat Azala in the Tyrano Lair, and Azala dies from theimpact of Lavos crashing into the place. In the ending anime cutscene of the PlayStation version, Ayla is seenbrashly forcing engagement on Kino, her suitor and Marle's ancestor.She relies on unarmed combat and physical prowess in battle. Ayla cannot use magic because she was born beforehumans became capable of doing so. Due to her being from a prehistoric era she speaks in a stereotypical-cavemanmanner, using broken English.Ayla's character seems most likely derived from the blond hair, blue eyed, Cro-Magnon era heroine of the samename in the Earth's Children series of novels by author Jean Auel.

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 10

Magus

Magus is the lord of the fiends of the Middle Ages. He is called Maoh (魔王 Maō, literally Demon King) inJapanese materials. Depicted as an antagonist for a large part of the game, Magus is eventually revealed to be theadult self of Janus (ジャキ (Jaki) in the Japanese version), the young prince of Zeal in 12,000 BC. After anencounter with Lavos as a boy, he had been sent through a time gate to the Middle Ages, where he was adopted bythe Mystics and became their leader. After the fall of Zeal, the player can choose to fight Magus or spare him,allowing him to reluctantly join the party. In the DS version of the game, a version of Magus appears in the newscenario, stating that the player's party may or may not be from the same dimension as his. He finds Schala at theTime's Eclipse, integrated into Lavos as the Dream Devourer. Failing to save her, Magus is cast away by Schala anddiscards his memories in a fit of desperation. Though he lost his memories, Magus feels that he must remember whathe had desired to find.Magus fights using a scythe, as well as a combination of all magic types, including his own exclusive "Shadow"magic. Contrary to the other characters, he does not learn any dual techs, and accessories must be found to unlockseveral triple techs. His three main generals in the Middle Ages are Ozzie, Slash, and Flea (called Vinegar(ビネガー Binegā), Soysau (ソイソー Soisō), and Mayonnai (マヨネー Mayonē) in the Japanese version). In asidequest, the player can visit the place they took refuge in after the fall of Magus' castle, and defeat them again.

Main non-playable characters

Lavos

Lavos (ラヴォス Ravosu/Rabosu) is the game's primary villain, and is an alien parasite with immense destructivepowers, which crash landed in the year 65,000,000 BC. Lavos slept for millions of years, gaining power until AD1999, when he emerged and put the world into an apocalyptic state. While traveling to AD 2300, Crono, Marle, andLucca see a video of the Day of Lavos of AD 1999, and decide to prevent it somehow. It is eventually revealed thatLavos came to Earth with the intention of draining its energy so that it could produce genetically enhanced spawn,which would then continue the cycle on other planets.The DS version adds an optional final boss to the game, the "Dream Devourer", which is the result of theassimilation of Schala by the defeated Lavos at Time's Eclipse. In the North American version of the game, it isclaimed that Lavos directly influenced all technology and life on the planet, evolving the planet's life forms tocultivate it, and make itself stronger.[7] However, the line is absent in the Japanese version, with Lavos being a morepassive parasite instead.Early in the game, the characters believe that Lavos created the time Gates. However, they come to a differentrealization in one of the sidequests, in Fiona's Forest: due to the timing of when the gates appeared and theirsignificance, the gates may have been created by some other entity reliving its life cycle, flashing back overimportant memories in its past, which were tied to Lavos.

GurusThe Guru of Life Melchior, the Guru of Time Gaspar, and the Guru of Reason Belthasar are three highly intelligentfigures of authority originally living in the Kingdom of Zeal in 12000 BC. Their original Japanese names are Gasch(ガッシュ Gasshu), Hash (ハッシュ Hasshu), and Bosch (ボッシュ Bosshu). Their English names are taken fromthe traditional names given to the Magi who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. WhenQueen Zeal became obsessed with harnessing the energy of Lavos, the Gurus tried to stop her, which ultimatelyresulted in Lavos sending each of them into different eras of the future: Melchior to AD 1000, Belthasar to AD 2300,and Gaspar to the End of Time.

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 11

The player encounters them in their respective eras or in 12000 BC and receives valuable items and advice fromthem. Melchior's main creation is the Masamune, which has a symbiotic relation with twin magical creatures namedMasa and Mune (known in Japan as Gran (グラン Guran) and Leon (リオン Rion)). The two have a "big sister"named Doreen, who has a liking for dreams. Gaspar's main creation is the "Time Egg", also known as the "ChronoTrigger", a mysterious item capable of effective miracles. Gaspar lives in the End of Time with Spekkio(スペッキオ Supekkio), the self-proclaimed "Master of War" who introduces the art of Magic to Crono and histeammates. Belthasar's main creation is the Epoch, a time travelling machine.

Schala

Schala (サラ Sara) is the daughter of Queen Zeal and the older sister of Janus. She was raised in the Kingdom ofZeal in 12000 BC, when mankind was separated between the Enlightened Ones, who are able to use magic, and theEarthbound Ones, who are not. She is one of the few Enlightened Ones sympathetic towards the Earthbound Ones.Schala was forced by her power-hungry mother, Queen Zeal, to use her magic powers in order to try and control theenergy of Lavos with the Mammon Machine. She disappeared after the Ocean Palace disaster. In the DS version, sheis revealed to have been assimilated by the defeated Lavos in the Time's Eclipse, as in the sequel Chrono Cross. Thecreature can be fought, as the "Dream Devourer", which unlocks a new ending.

DaltonZeal's general and high-ranking advisor of the magical Kingdom of Zeal, Dalton is depicted as an overall comicallyinept character, once even breaking the fourth wall when he complains about the wrong music playing in thebackground. He is not entirely loyal to Queen Zeal, he wants to have Lavos' power for himself, Dalton has an armyof Golems that he uses to attack the party. He also uses the plane, The Blackbird, as a flying fortress. After the rise ofthe Ocean Palace and the disappearance of Zeal's royal family, Dalton sees himself as the new king of the DarkAges. He abducts the party shortly after Crono's death and imprisons them in The Blackbird. He is also responsiblefor modifying The Epoch with the ability to fly for his own purposes. Ultimately, Dalton disappears by accident in aportal he himself opened. In the DS remake, Dalton later resurfaces at the Dimensional Vortex and attacks the partyone more time. When defeated, he vows revenge and disappears again after stating he will raise the world's greatestarmy in Porre and defeat Guardia. A caped silhouette is seen briefly during the attack on Guardia Castle in theending FMV from the PlayStation and DS versions of the game, and Masato Kato has stated that the armies of Porrereceived assistance from "beyond the regular flow of time" in their invasion of Guardia.

Zeal

Queen Zeal (ジール Jīru) is the ruler of the kingdom of the same name in 12,000 BC. Her recent change from kindand loving to evil and manipulative seems to be linked to her sudden interest in Lavos, whom she wishes to use toachieve power and eternal life. Zeal's court of Enlightened Ones includes her magician and general, Dalton, heryoung son, Janus, her unwilling daughter, Schala, and the mysterious Prophet (actually Magus in disguise). Zealbecomes the antagonist for a period of the game and eventually becomes the catalyst for the death of Crono. Shecommissions to have the Mammon Machine built for direct communication to Lavos, as well as to help the creatureachieve more power. Eventually, Zeal raises her Ocean Palace and lives in the Black Omen for several thousandyears, even into the post-apocalyptic world of 2,300 AD. She is eventually freed from her possession by Crono andcompany when they infiltrate the Black Omen and now lives in peace.

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 12

Other appearances

In Radical Dreamers

Magus appears in Radical Dreamers as Gil, a shadowy and handsome member of the Radical Dreamers thievinggroup. He is depicted as masked and mysterious, though gentle and cultured.[8] He has the ability to slip in and out ofthe shadows of the night at will.[9] In the game, Schala's fate is explained as she is seen reincarnated in the presenttime as a girl named Kid. Gil is mentioned in Chrono Cross in an easter egg designating the events of RadicalDreamers as having taken place in an alternate dimension. In the English version of this easter egg, Gil is referred toas "Magil".

In Chrono Cross

In Chrono Cross, Crono, Marle, and Lucca make appearances as ghost children. Kato stated that Crono and Marle'sfate "is not thoroughly explained in Chrono Cross" but that the two were likely involved in "some kind of incident"related to the invasion of their kingdom by the Porre army.[10] He further explained that an intervention "fromoutside the original flow of history" had helped Porre build their military, though the details were left out of ChronoCross as they did not directly relate to the sequel.[4]

On the other hand, Lucca plays a role in the backstory of Chrono Cross, being involved in the "Project Kid" centralto the game's plot and presumably killed by the antagonists Lynx and Harle. An artificial intelligence namedPrometheus also plays a part in the plot and is eventually erased by FATE, a supercomputer based on Mother Brain.Masato Kato implied in an interview that this character is the same as Chrono Trigger's Robo, whose real name wasalso Prometheus.[4]

Magus was slated to appear in Chrono Cross. Several designs were considered for his appearance, including oneclose to his Chrono Trigger design, one as a teenage boy, and one as a masked magician called Guile.[11] However,as development of the game progressed and the number of playable characters increased, the staff decided it wouldbe too difficult to integrate his complex relationship with Schala into the plot. Consequently, Guile's backstory asMagus was removed and his design was altered to look paler. Kato noted that Magus' non-appearance in the game is"in a way, […] a pity".[4]

Though he died in Chrono Trigger, Belthasar reappears alive and well in Chrono Cross due to the changed futurecreated by Crono's actions. Belthasar initiated "Project Kid", a complicated series of events that would lead to thesaving of Schala and the annihilation of the Devourer of Time, thus saving the universe. The Devourer of Time is theresult of the defeated Lavos assimilating Schala in the darkness beyond time. In "New Game+" mode, Ozzie, Slash,and Flea also make an appearance as hidden bosses, nicknamed the "mystical knights".

In other mediaGaspar and Johnny appear in the board game Koi Ha Balance: Battle of Lovers released on the Satellaview system.The promotional anime Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar centers on the adventure of a Kilwala and a Nu(ヌゥ), a mysterious type of creature which in Chrono Trigger was found in all time periods, usually sleeping. Gatoand Johnny also appear in Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar. In Xenogears, Lucca has a brief cameo appearancein the village of Lahan. Masato Kato revealed in interviews that Lahan is one of the locations he designed for thegame, which could explain why Lucca appears in it.

List of characters in ''Chrono Trigger'' 13

ReceptionGamePro ranked Lavos the 34th most diabolical video game villain of all time.[12]

External links• Characters [13] page on the Chrono Compendium wiki

References[1] V-Jump staff, ed (June 1995) (in Japanese). Chrono Trigger: The Perfect (http:/ / berriblue. blogspot. com/ 2009/ 01/

chrono-trigger-v-jump-interview-v-jump. html). V-Jump Books Game Series. Shueisha. pp. 263–269. .[2] Studio BentStuff, ed (January 20, 2009) (in Japanese). Chrono Trigger Ultimania. Ultimania. Square Enix. pp. 584–585.

ISBN 978-4-7575-2469-9.[3] V-Jump Festival staff. (July 1994). V-Jump Festival '94 Presentation (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ V-Jump_Interview_1.

html). [Videotape]. Shueisha. .[4] GamePro staff (November 24, 2000). "Chrono Cross - GamePro.com Interview, Fan Questions Part 3" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/

features/ 7033/ chrono-cross-gamepro-com-interview-fan-questions-part-3/ ). GamePro. pp. 1–2. . Retrieved April 20, 2009.[5] GIA staff (July 24, 1999). "Chrono Cross interview" (http:/ / terror. snm-hgkz. ch/ mirrors/ thegia/ sites/ www. thegia. com/ news/ n990724b.

html). Gaming Intelligence Agency. . Retrieved April 20, 2009.[6] Compare original and translation for this line– Frog: "P, perish the thought, lass! By the way, whither the blue-haired one?" to Japanese–

カエル「バ、バカヤロー！ それより、あお白いツラした マントのヤローは、いなかったか！？" to the retranslated version– Frog:"D, dumbass! More importantly, that pale-faced caped bastard wasn't there!?" Chrono Trigger. Squaresoft, 1995. Translation retrieved fromChrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Translation_Differences), June 20, 2006.

[7] As Magus puts it, "We were created only to be harvested. All people... and all living things..."[8] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: The top half of his face is covered with a mask at

all times. I've never even seen what he really looks like. At times, it seems as though I'm hanging around someone from another world --traveling with this pack is definitely an interesting experience. Kid's quiet about her past too, but it's like I know her entire life story comparedto how little I know about Magil."

[9] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Vera: From what I've heard, this mysterious figure whocould allegedly slip in and out of the shadows was the subject of many whispers throughout the manor, long after this incident had come topass."

[10] GamePro staff (November 24, 2000). "Chrono Cross - GamePro.com Interview, Fan Questions" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/features/ 6818/ chrono-cross-gamepro-com-interview-fan-questions/ ). GamePro. . Retrieved April 20, 2009.

[11] DigiCube staff, ed (December 24, 1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross: A View of the World—"Missing Piece". DigiCube. p. 114.ISBN 4-925075-72-1.

[12] http:/ / www. pcworld. idg. com. au/ article/ 210911/ 47_most_diabolical_video-game_villains_all_time/[13] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Characters. html

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 14

List of characters in Chrono CrossThe following are characters from the PlayStation game Chrono Cross.

Table of contents

• 1 Cast creation and influences• 2 Playable characters

• 2.1 Main characters• 2.2 Acacia Dragoons• 2.3 Residents of Arni• 2.4 Residents of Termina• 2.5 Residents of Guldove• 2.6 Demi-Humans• 2.7 Magical Dreamers• 2.8 Bio-technology related• 2.9 Residents of Porre• 2.10 Fiend and fairy• 2.11 Extra characters• 2.12 Fantastic creatures

• 3 Non-playable characters• 4 Merchandise• 5 References

Cast creation and influencesChrono Cross was initially set to have 64 playable characters. Chrono Cross director and scenario writer MasatoKato eventually conceived 45 characters, which were then drawn by character designer Nobuteru Yūki. Thebackgrounds of some minor characters were left to members of the staff.[1]

Playable characters

Main characters

Serge

Serge (セルジュ Seruju) is the silent protagonist of Chrono Cross. Like several other console RPG main characters,Serge's dialogue isn't shown on screen. He is an uncomplicated youth from Arni Village, a small fishing town on thesouth part of the El Nido Archipelago's central island. His journey begins when he is abruptly swept through adimensional rift into Another World, in which he meets a young thief named Kid. This sets the wheels in motion thatwill determine the truth behind Serge, his relationship with Lynx, and the future of the parallel worlds.In his youth, Serge had been attacked by a panther demon. To save his son, Serge's father Wazuki attempted to sailto Marbule to find a cure for the panther's poison. He and Miguel set out during a storm and ended up in the Sea ofEden, and entered Chronopolis. There, Serge was exposed to the Frozen Flame and healed. After the storm passed,Serge was listed by the Prometheus Circuit as an "Arbiter", the highest security level of Chronopolis and was theonly life form able to access the flame, hindering FATE's ability to control El Nido. It is revealed later that Schalasensed Serge's cry throughout time and used her magic to create the storm which led him to Chronopolis. In order toaccess the flame and stop the Prometheus Circuit, allowing FATE to have total control over El Nido, FATE needed aphysical form, and uploaded its mind into Wazuki, as well as changed Wazuki's appearance to that of a humanoidpanther since Serge developed a phobia toward felines after the panther attack. In Another World, Serge wasdrowned by Lynx in the year 1010 A.D. at the age of seven. The Home World was in fact created as a result of Kidtraveling back in time after the events of Chrono Cross to save Serge from Lynx.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 15

Serge uses the "swallow", a combination of two wide, curved blades on opposite ends of a pole resembling the tailfeathers of a common bird, the swallow (apparently, a kind of double-bladed eku). After beating Dario later in thegame, Serge can obtain the corrupted Masamune. To keep out of trouble, the spirits of Masa, Mune, and Doreen thencombine with Serge's sea swallow to form the Mastermune, the same swallow featured on the CD cover of ChronoCross. Because of this, the sea swallow cannot be sold or disassembled for parts as others' starting weapons can.In the Satellaview sequel to Chrono Trigger, Radical Dreamers, Serge is a traveling musician and part of the band ofthieves, the Radical Dreamers. Serge, however, is no longer silent and shows a greater affection for Kid than he doesin Chrono Cross.

Kid

Kid (キッド Kiddo) is a protagonist in the game, a member of the band of thieves known as the Radical Dreamers.She first comes to Serge's aid when he is attacked by Karsh, Solt, and Peppor on Cape Howl. Depending on theplayer's choices, she may then join the party there, later, or not actually join the party at all for the entire gameduration. Whether Kid joins the party on Cape Howl or not, she directs Serge in the direction of Termina, ViperManor, and her evil foe Lynx. This sparks her extensive role in the storyline.It is revealed late in the game that Kid was raised in an orphanage owned by the scientific genius of Chrono Trigger,Lucca. It is also revealed that Kid is actually the daughter-clone of Schala. During the fall of Zeal, Schala wasthrown into Lavos's dimension. She became one with the alien parasite, and in the wake of its defeat became theentity known as the Devourer of Time. In the darkness beyond time, Schala heard the cries of Serge in 1010 A.D.when he is drowned by Lynx, and asexually gave birth to a daughter clone of herself sometime during 1004 A.D.Lucca finds this baby and raises her in her orphanage. An added movie sequence in the PlayStation and Nintendo DSre-releases of Chrono Trigger shows Lucca finding Kid. Kid then joins Serge in the adventure of Chrono Cross, andthen travels back in time to save Serge from being drowned by Lynx. In the ending credits, she seemed to be seenwandering in some unspecified modern locations and a photograph shows her older and married to Serge.Alternate characters named Serge, Kid, Lynx, and Riddel appear the Chrono Trigger side story Radical Dreamers.In Chronopolis in Chrono Cross, there is an excerpt from Radical Dreamers in a computer module. If this module isread, the side story is suggested to be taking place in a distinct dimension other than Chrono Cross' one.[2] She isseen to be Australian, as indicated by her use of several Australian slang terms such as bugger, bloke, and sheila.

Lynx

Lynx, known as Yamaneko (ヤマネコ Yamaneko, "Wildcat") in the Japanese version, serves as one of severalantagonists in Chrono Cross. A feline demihuman, Lynx is Kid's archenemy. Lynx appears to have insight onSerge's current situation, far more than Serge does himself. He is known to be seeking the legendary Frozen Flame,and at the start of the game, he has been living among the Dragoons of Viper Manor. For reasons unknown to Serge,Lynx is actively seeking him out.Lynx is merely using the Dragoons to acquire the Dragon Tear from Viper Manor. Lynx and Serge cross paths a fewtimes, with Lynx repeatedly making cryptic references to things as of yet unknown to the player, such as Serge'sstatus as a "Chrono Trigger". As stated in the previous game and later in Chrono Cross, the definition of a ChronoTrigger is "pure potential"; to be more accurate, the potential for altering history according to one's dream. In adramatic sequence in Fort Dragonia, Lynx manages to possess Serge's body and to trap Serge in his own, effectivelybecoming Dark Serge. The game continues from there, the player using Lynx's body and his skills. Dark Sergequickly becomes a scourge, tarnishing Serge’s reputation, and placing Kid under a spell, forcing her to follow him.Once back in his Home dimension, Serge in Lynx's body realizes that Lynx once inhabited Home World as well; he served as an agent of the militarist nation of Porre and helped overtake El Nido. As such, he is highly unpopular among the residents of El Nido. Still, Lynx has not been seen for many years as he had actually led the Acacia Dragoons to be trapped in the Dead Sea while searching for the Frozen Flame. Lynx is not actually seen, but it is

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 16

confirmed by series creator Masato Kato in the Ultimania Guide that Lynx did go to the Dead Sea with Harle anddied there. After the player succeeds in giving Serge a new human body (he is literally "reborn" as his true self), theplayer enters the Chronopolis and defeats Dark Serge and FATE.Near the end of the game, Lynx is revealed to have been Wazuki, Serge's father, brainwashed by FATE. When theyoung Serge was bitten by a panther demon, Wazuki and his friend Miguel sailed to meet the Sage at Marbule. Theviolent storm caused by Schala threw them off course and they ended up in the Sea of Eden. Due to the storm,FATE, the supercomputer which controls Chronopolis, shut down temporarily. Serge was healed by the FrozenFlame but was at the same time chosen as the Arbiter of Time between Lavos and the beings of the planet. Wazuki'smind was eroded by his fears, catalyzed by gazing into the Flame. Wazuki and Serge returned to Arni, while Miguelremained trapped as FATE rebooted. Despite their return, Wazuki's mind eventually succumbed to FATE; he wasturned into the physical manifestation of Serge’s greatest fear, a humanoid panther, and was instructed to drownSerge in order for FATE to regain control of the Frozen Flame. However, it was not sufficient, as the Flame'schamber is sealed by another defense mechanism. In 1015 A.D., Lynx and his assistant Harle attempt to persuadeLucca into unlocking the defense mechanism, Prometheus. As Lucca does not comply, they burn down her home andorphanage. This event can be witnessed later in the game, through time travel. Serge watches the scene and meetsKid, before returning to his own time.In Radical Dreamers, Lynx is the main antagonist. He resides in Viper Manor, and is the adoptive father of Riddel.In this version, Lynx is already in possession of the Frozen Flame, but is also looking for the Chrono Trigger (TimeEgg). In one of the alternate scenarios of the New Game + mode, Lynx's true form is a green alien octopus called theMartian Conjurer, as revealed by Gil; and in another, it is revealed that he had an illegitimate daughter named Sheathat he sacrificed for occult practices (which is presumably part of the reason he murdered Lucca and destroyed Kid'shome in this dimension). In some of these alternate scenarios, Lynx dies.

Harle

Harle (ツクヨミ Tsukuyomi) is a minor antagonist with ambiguous motives; while she strays closely towardsredemption, circumstances and her own destiny will not allow it. In the US version of the game, her speech is writtenwith a French accent and is often interspersed with French words.As her name suggests, Harle is a harlequin jester. Harle, in the beginning, appears primarily as a gadfly, taunting anddistracting Serge and his party, and interfering with their plans, intermixed with flirtations directed at Serge. Shewears full costume throughout the game, including a large horned hat and heavy facepaint. Her physical disguise andpainted smile convey symbolically to the viewer that she is playing a role. She has some similarities and connectionsto the character Kid.Early in the game, Harle works with Lynx against Serge and his party. However, she eventually befriends Serge,which confuses the player as to where her interests lie. After Lynx switches bodies with Serge, Harle finds Serge inthe bizarre, cartoonish world in which he has found himself and tries to convince him that he is really Lynx and hasnever been Serge. When he emerges into solid reality (in the Home World), Harle accompanies "Monsieur Lynx" ashe struggles to discover the fate of Kid and find another Dragon Tear to return to normal. Shortly before Sergerecovers his true form, Harle departs from the group with decidedly mixed feelings and resumes her own mysteriousquest. The party meets up with her one last time, inside the Chronopolis. There, finally deciding to change her ways,she tries to convince Kid to leave the Frozen Flame be, for reasons that were unknown. Kid takes the Frozen Flameanyway, thus unintentionally breaking the seal of the six Dragons, allowing them to merge into the legendary DragonGod to wreak havoc upon humans as it had once before; Harle then snatches the Frozen Flame and leaves, never tobe seen again.Later, the Time Prophet reveals that she was really the "Dark Moon Dragon" created by the six Dragons under the cover of a storm that knocked out FATE's motherboard system 18 years prior. From then on her mission was to spy on Lynx and find a way to release their seal—meaning that Harle was never aligned with Lynx, and that she serves

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 17

the Time Devourer, but she was having second thoughts. By the time she found the Frozen Flame in Chronopolis sheknew what would happen to both her and Serge, so she attempted to guard it from Lynx and Kid, but failed; her fateafter the Dragon God's rebirth is not clearly revealed, although one of the endings reveal that she did not merge withthe Dragon God, as the other dragons did.It is suspected by some that Harle is a dark reflection of Kid. They share vital stats, her facial structure seems almostidentical to Kid's beneath her heavy makeup, and when speaking to the psychic in Termina, both characters receivethe same fortune. It is revealed near the end of the game that Harle shares a link with the Time Devourer, themutated form of Schala, Kid's "mother". The nature of the link between the two characters remain speculatory, butthe existence of this link was confirmed by series creator Masato Kato in the Ultimania Guide.[3]

Acacia Dragoons

General Viper

General Viper (蛇骨大佐 Jakotsu Taisa, lit. Colonel Snakebone) is the governor of El Nido and leader of theAcacia Dragoons. Before the events of the game, he served on the Zenan continent from 1,003 A.D. on and waspromoted to General. He later retired from the military and returned to El Nido.[4] [5] In Another World, Viper iscollaborating with Lynx in the hope of discovering the Frozen Flame. At Fort Dragonia, Viper attacks Serge and hisallies for opposing his plans, but Lynx betrays him and stabs him in the back with a knife. Saved by Karsh, Zoah,and Marcy, Viper later joins Serge's team while aboard the S.S. Invincible in Another World.Viper was opposed to Fargo in some unexplained event in 1,011 A.D., in which Fargo's lover Zelbess died. Bothmen have detested each other since.[5] [6]

Karsh

Karsh (カーシュ Kāshu) is one of the four Acacian Dragoon Devas. He accompanied Dario on an expedition to theIsle of the Damned to search for the legendary sword Masamune, but the expedition resulted in Dario's supposeddeath. In Another World, Karsh is sent by Lynx to find Serge, and is accompanied by the Shaker Brothers. Thanks toincompetence of the Shaker Brothers, Karsh is defeated and returns to Viper Manor. Following the relocation to Ft.Dragonia, Karsh joins with fellow devas Zoah and Marcy to stop Serge from reaching the fort. Serge defeats them,but they follow him to the fort and arrive just in time to discover the aftermath of the battle, and save General Viper'slife. When Serge returns to Another World in Lynx's body, Karsh, Zoah, and Marcy join forces with him. Later, theyreturn to the Isle of the Damned, where the Shaker Brothers accuse Karsh of murdering Dario and attempt to executehim.

Zoah

Zoah (ゾア Zoa) is one of the four Acacian Dragoon Devas, and has a tendency to SHOUT, presumably because henever takes his helmet off. Zoah is first encountered by players attempting to infiltrate Viper Manor via the ShadowForest (Nikki's storyline) where he (along with the Shaker Brothers) attempts to stop the party as they sneak into atree that leads to the Manor's well. He then joins fellow devas, Karsh and Marcy in an attempt to prevent Serge fromreaching Ft. Dragonia, but Serge fights his way past them. After he enters the fort, they follow him and discover thatLynx has betrayed and wounded General Viper. They manage to save him, and later, Zoah joins forces with Serge,who at this point is in Lynx's body.

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Marcy

Only 9 years old, Marcy (マルチェラ Maruchera, Marcella) is one of the four Acacian Dragoon Devas, and isFargo's daughter, as well as Nikki's sister. She fights against Serge in the library of Viper Manor, and a second timejust prior to Serge's entry into Ft. Dragonia. During the second battle, she is accompanied by Karsh and Zoah. Sheabhors Serge and Kid and vows to defeat them one day. However, she later has a change of heart, and joins Serge'steam. She tends to speak with valley girl phrases.

Glenn

Glenn (グレン Guren) is a knight of the Acacia Dragoons based in Viper Manor in the El Nido Archipelago. Glenncan be paralleled with his namesake, Glenn aka Frog from Chrono Trigger. Like Frog, he, too, is a knight and asidekick to a legendary hero (as Frog was to Cyrus) which, in this case, is his own brother Dario of the AcaciaDragoons. Later in the game, he also wields a legendary blade, the Einlanzer in single and dual varieties. Furtherparallels between the two include the famous X-strike from Chrono Trigger which in this game is performedbetween Glenn and Serge. Despite all the obvious links between the two characters, they are not related. Frog is fromthe Middle Ages, while Glenn exists in 1020 A.D. It has been confirmed in official publications that this Glenn isnamed by Garai after the original hero from Chrono Trigger, but that they are not the same person. With bothEinlanzers equipped he is one of the most physically powerful characters in the game.

Riddel

Lady Riddel (リデル Rideru) is the daughter of General Viper and the Lady of Viper Manor. After Serge's firstbattle with Lynx, she is taken hostage by Kid, but her ordeal does not last long as Lynx throws a poisoned dagger atRiddel but meant for Kid, which Kid intercepts, effectively accomplishing his objective. Her captors jump off abalcony and are rescued by Korcha. Riddel remains at the manor, even after General Viper relocates to FortDragonia. When the manor is taken over by the Porre Military, Riddel becomes a captive, but Serge returns in Lynx'sbody, and rescues her. She then joins forces with Serge. She is also a key member in obtaining Serge's second bestweapon (though arguably his first), as she must be present in the party for the battle to obtain the Mastermune to takeplace. This also makes it possible to obtain Glenn's second ultimate weapon, along with his style change, by going toTermina in Another World with Glenn in the party and interacting with the sword there, which will initiate a scenewhich will cause Glenn's style to be altered.

Radius

Radius (ラディウス Radiusu) is a character who directly confronts his enemies on several occasions. In the HomeWorld, he is the village elder of Arni Village, the hometown of Serge. In Another World, he is hiding on an islandknown as Hermit's Hideaway. In both worlds, he has been retired from the Acacia Dragoons for 4 years. Radius fromHome World is shocked one day to discover that his mortal enemy Lynx is in the village, and talking with Serge'smother. He immediately demands that Lynx step outside, where they fight. As the fight progresses, however, Radiussenses that there is no malice in "Lynx's" attacks, and realizes that his opponent is not Lynx at all.

Residents of Arni

Leena

Initially, Leena (レナ Rena, Rena) is a primary female ally to Serge, but she is soon replaced by Kid. In the Home World, she is a close friend of Serge, and at the beginning of the game she sends him to collect Komodo Dragon scales. They meet up at Opassa Beach, but Serge is suddenly drawn into an alternate dimension (Another World). There, he encounters a different Leena, who does not recognize him because the Serge in Another World died years before. However, this Leena soon believes that this Serge needs help due to the fact that Serge says he is the boy who died ten years ago, and joins forces with him (assuming Kid is not recruited immediately following the first

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 19

Shaker Brothers battle).

Poshul

Poshul (ポシュル Poshuru) is a talking pooch with a lisp that is the first recruitable character in Chrono Cross. Sheis also the only character who can accompany Serge on his first trip to "Another World." She refers to Serge as"Sergie-poo". Poshul is the only character that can be recruited in either world, but only one Poshul can be recruited.She can either be recruited by giving her a key item, or will join with Leena.

Residents of Termina

Zappa

Zappa (ザッパ) is a blacksmith from the town of Termina. Karsh, one of General Viper's 4 Dragoon Devas, is hisson. The Zappa from the Home World joins forces with Serge, and when he is united with the Zappa from AnotherWorld, they can work together, allowing Serge to forge the Rainbow weapons—the strongest weapons in the game,with the exceptions of the dual Einlanzers and of the Mastermune (in practice). Zappa has a Scottish accent.

Pierre

Pierre (ピエール Piēru) is one of three possible guides that can be recruited in order to gain entry Viper Manor. Ifhe is recruited, Serge must enter Viper Manor through its gate, which involves defeating several guards and theShaker Brothers, who are this time accompanied by Ketchop. Pierre speaks with a French accent, although at timeshe seems to drop it. He is something of a dandy. A character named Pierre appeared in Chrono Trigger as a lawyer atCrono's trial, but there is no evidence to suggest any connection between the two Pierres. However, Pierre's finaltech skill, "Slap of Cyrus", references Cyrus, the "great hero" from the Middle Ages in Chrono Trigger.He is a parody of Tata, from Chrono Trigger, somewhat of a false hero.

Skelly

Skelly (スカール Sukāru, Skull) is a skeleton clown whose bones are scattered around the archipelago. The playermust re-assemble him so that he may visit his grandmother. Depending on when you reassemble him, you will haveto go through a few events before you can come back and recruit him into your party.

Van

Van (バンクリフ Bankurifu, Vancliff) experiences inconsistency amongst his two personas; this is likely done toemphasize the differences between the two dimensions. In Another World, he and his family are rich and live in amansion in Termina. In the Home World, however, his family is poor and they live in a small house occupying theexact same spot as the mansion. To make things worse, Van's father is under threat of eviction. The Van from theHome World joins forces with Serge after hearing that he is searching for the Frozen Flame. Van and his father,Gogh, are named after the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Like the real-life painter, Van and his fatherpossess artistic talent and have unhappy lives. Van's alternate personas are just one of the examples of how particularaspects of the game differ drastically, while the world stays roughly the same as a whole. While the circumstancesare different, Van is not happy either way. In Another World, Van's father is too occupied with acquiring morewealth to pay attention to his son. In the Homeworld, Van and his father struggle to make ends meet.

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Greco

Greco (ジルベルト Jiruberuto, Gilberto) is a former wrestler, who performs several religious duties in the town ofTermina, most of which are linked to death. His hut is located just east of the main portion of the town, along thebay. He wears a mask and cape similar to that of a luchador, and he also uses Spanish words as part of hisvocabulary. Prior to the events of the game, his best friend, a man named Ghetz, was killed in some sort of accidentwhich Greco may or may not have been involved, but the experience led him to his current path in life. Before theopportunity in which he may be recruited, he is actually on an exorcism assignment in Fossil Valley, presumably toget rid of Skelly, whose possessed skull is found there by Serge. When Greco can be recruited, the player witnesseshim performing a funeral service. His U.S. name, especially combined with Ghetz's young sister, whom he watchesover, Romana, is a pun on Greco-Roman wrestling, while his Japanese name is a reference to wrestler AstrudGilberto.

Residents of Guldove

Korcha

Korcha (コルチャ Korucha) is a troublemaker in the town of Termina, but when Kid is poisoned, he is there torescue her as she falls from a Viper Manor balcony. He becomes enamoured with Kid, and helps Serge find theHydra Humour needed to cure her. During a negotiation over the use of his boat, Korcha surprisingly proposes toKid, but no answer is given at the time.

Macha

Macha (ママチャ Mamacha, Mamacha) is a playable character in Chrono Cross, with red innate abilities. She hastwo children, Korcha and Mel. She offers to assist Serge if the player chooses not to save Kid.Macha uses kitchen utensils as weapons, as well as her own rear end in one of her special attacks.

Mel

Mel (メル Meru) is Korcha's adopted little sister, and she is known for doodling with her crayons and having littleto do with anyone around her. When Kid recovers from her poisoning at the hands of Lynx, Mel steals her elementsduring the night, but leaves behind evidence indicating that she is the thief. Korcha outsmarts Mel, and with Serge'shelp, surrounds her, and she is forced to return Kid's elements to her.

Orcha

Orcha (オーチャ Ōcha) is the cook at Viper Manor, and remains there when the Acacians relocate to Ft. Dragonia.The Porre Military made him ingest Quaffid seeds, and then transformed him into the Hell's Cook to have himtorture Riddel, but he is defeated by Serge, when he arrives in Lynx's body. He reverts to normal, and joins forceswith Serge. Despite the fact that he talks similar to Korcha and has a similar name, there is no evidence that the twoare related, nor do they even appear to know each other.

Orlha

Orlha (オルハ Oruha) is a resident of Guldove, she is a bartender at the bar under the element shop, and when thePorre military arrives to take over the island, she puts up a strong resistance using "Drunken Kickboxing" stylefighting. Finally, Serge arrives, and because he is in Lynx's form, the Porre officers identify him as an ally. He thenfights with and defeats Orlha, but he also commands all of the Porre soldiers to leave, thus preventing her from beingtaken prisoner. Orlha then joins forces with him when he returns to his original form. She had a twin sister, Tia,whom she spent most of her life trying to find. However, it was only in the other world she found her sister, dying.Though Orlha felt sad about it, Tia remained at her sister's side in spirit, and, in her final tech, she attacks with thespirit of her sister behind her.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 21

Doc

As his "name" suggests, Doc (ドク Doku) is a doctor, practicing in his hometown of Guldove. When Kid ispoisoned by Lynx's dagger, she ends up under his care. He tells Serge that he cannot save Kid without HydraHumour, and she has but days to live. If Serge decides to leave Kid to her fate, Doc can be recruited. Doc fights witha dagger, but his upgrade is Shot. Doc speaks in surfer lingo, and his tech skills reference this as well.

Steena

Steena (スティーナ Sutīna) is Direa's pupil from Guldove and helps Serge find the "Chrono Cross", as well asassisting him in recovering his former body back after its was switched with Lynx's. She is careful to never revealtoo much about herself to Serge, but she is known to guard the Dragon Tear in Guldove. Her tech skills involve hersummoning the souls of characters who are known to have died during the game, this includes her mentor, Direa, theHydra from the marshes, and Glenn's father, Garai.

Demi-Humans

Irenes

Irenes (イレーネス Irēnesu) is a mermaid, and hails from the town of Marbule. In the Home World, her main goalis to convince Fargo to help save Marbule from the creatures that have taken up residence in the town. Irenes's sister,Zelbess, fell in love with Fargo. Tragically, Zelbess died. Because of that, Fargo became vindictive againstdemihumans and forced them to work as slave labour on his cruise ship, ironically named after Zelbess. Irenes stilllives in Marbule, alone, and weeps at night for her sister. When Serge comes to see her, she sees a way out of her sadpredicament and follows him to the S.S. Zelbess. All of the vowels in her dialogue have umlauts on them.

Janice

Janice (ジャネス Janesu, Jyaness) is a rabbitgirl monster trainer aboard the S.S. Zelbess. To recruit her, Serge(usually in Lynx's body when attempting this, though the monster selection is smaller then) must defeat her threetimes in a tournament which pits monster against monster. Serge's selection of monsters is the same as Sprigg'sDoppelgang selection, which can be expanded by having Sprigg kill monsters using physical attacks or the equippingof the Forget-Me-Not Pot on other characters to gain monsters for Sprigg to morph into. Being a rabbit-girl, Janicewields Carrot-weapon, which are exclusively used by her, and her final tech skill references the trademark phrase ofBugs Bunny, "What's Up Doc?" while having nothing to do with the character Doc in the game.

Magical Dreamers

Nikki

Nikki (スラッシュ Surasshu, Slash) is a guitarist in the Magical Dreamers, a musical troupe of which the dancerMiki is also a member. The Nikki native to Another World is one of the three guides to Viper Manor from which theplayer can choose early in the game. His Home World counterpart is later encountered in an effort to cleanse themonster-infested island of Marbule. Nikki attempts to obtain Fargo's aid in this endeavor and in the process learnsthat Fargo is his father and, by extension, that Marcy is his sister. He recruits Serge (who at the time is in Lynx'sform) to help him secure Fargo's assistance and subsequently performs the Song of Marbule to reveal the otherwiseinvisible monsters inhabiting the island. With his name, and his rocker persona, he might be a reference to MotleyCrue bassist, Nikki Sixx.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 22

Miki

Miki (ミキ) is a famous dancer, known throughout the El Nido Archipelago. In Another World, she is on tour withNikki, while in the Home World, she is a performer aboard the S.S. Zelbess. Fargo stands in the way of this goaluntil the Fargo from Another World is brought in to confront his Home World self. The S.S. Zelbess is brought toMarbule where Miki takes part in a performance, in which the Song of Marbule is played to render the strangemonsters vulnerable. Then Serge, still in Lynx's body lands in Marbule and defeats the monsters restoring Marbule.Miki subsequently joins with Serge after he finds her on the S.S. Zelbess, bored after the performance. It is hintedthat Miki loves Nikki, but it is not reciprocated.

Bio-technology related

Luccia

Luccia (ルチアナ Ruchiana, Lutianna) is a scientist, first seen conducting experiments on live animals in ViperMansion. Though she seems to be fairly evil and possibly mad, she does the main characters a good turn, and laterturns out to be quite helpful. She has purple hair and an impressive intellect. She has a German accent, wears amonocle, is aligned to the Black element, and uses shots and cards.After fighting Lynx in Viper Manor, Serge may return there and head upstairs to find Luccia, who has become verytaken with a mysterious plant. Impressed with Serge's battle skills exhibited earlier in the game against her mutantBulb plants, she may join him. Later on, the player can explore the sewers under the manor and locate a strangemonster that greatly resembles a Metroid to gain her final tech skill. It is unknown if this resemblance is intentional.After Kid is revived, Luccia tells her that Lucca was a former colleague of hers — one who probably would havesurpassed her in terms of her scientific work, if not for her disappearance. She did, however, leave one letter inLuccia's possession, addressed to Kid. Among other things, she tells Kid that she was already aware of theconsequences for tampering with the time stream, and that she is prepared to face what might happen to her.

NeoFio

NeoFio (改良種フィオ Kairyōshu Fio, lit. Improved Breed Fio) is the result of one of Luccia's experiments, and isbrought to life by Luccia after Serge obtains the Life Sparkle, located in the Hydra Marshes. As soon as NeoFiocomes to life, she joins Serge's group of allies.

Pip

Pip (ツマル Tsumaru, lit. Plush) is a very cute creature that Luccia had been experimenting on in her laboratory. IfSerge decides to help him escape the laboratory by unlocking his cage, he can later be recruited aboard the S.S.Invincible. It is also interesting to note that Pip is the only character in the game that can be recruited while Serge isin his original form and will rejoin the party after Serge becomes Lynx. As he participates in more and more battles,Pip will undergo transformations. Depending on what color elements are used while he is in battle, he may transforminto an angel, a devil, or just a stronger version of his normal self. In addition, his innate element may change.However, due to Pip's stat changes from his transformation being stored in RAM, they only last as long as the systemremains on. This leads to Pip's stats generally being far lower than they should later in the game.There is no alternate version of Pip.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 23

Residents of Porre

Norris

Norris (イシト Ishito, Ishito) is a commander in the Porre Military that has overtaken Termina in Serge's HomeWorld. His weapon of choice is a gun. He is the leader of the Black Wind, a kind of undercover investigations teamwithin the Porre Army. He was assigned to infiltrate the Dragoons, but his assignment ended in mystery. He tried todestroy Grobyc and the StrongArm by provoking an explosion in a lab, but ended up killing only a scientist, Luccia'sbrother. In one of the endings, it is revealed that he is the "kind stranger" that delivered Hydra Humour to Kid in theevent you choose not to save her.When Serge, in Lynx's body, visits the Viper Manor Ruins, Norris realizes that the feline demihuman is not the realLynx and offers his assistance to Serge and the party.

Grobyc

Grobyc (ギャダラン Gyadaran, Gyadrun) is a cyborg officer of the Porre Military, the enemies of the Acacians.When Serge tries to rescue Riddel from Viper Manor, Grobyc confronts them in the main hallway. He is defeated,but the Porre Soldiers activate their secret weapon: Guillot. Guillot goes berserk and attacks Serge, but is defeated. Itthen reactivates and chases Serge into the library, where another battle ensues. Guillot falls again, and again getsback up, but by now Grobyc, who admires strength, sees that Serge is indeed strong. When the machine jumps onto achandelier, in an attempt to reach Serge again, Grobyc brings down the chandelier to destroy Guillot. He then helpsSerge escape, and joins forces with him. Grobyc spelled backwards is "cyborg".

Fiend and fairy

Sprigg

Sprigg (スプリガン Supurigan, Sprigun) is a resident of the Dimensional Vortex, where Serge is sent after tradingbodies with Lynx. After he gains entry into her house, she agrees to help him gain entry into the tower on the hillabove her house, and joins forces with him in order to find a way out of the Dimensional Vortex. Together withHarle, they succeed, emerging in the Hydra Marshes of the Home World. Sprigg's most unusual ability isDoppelgang, which allows her to transform into certain monsters once they have been defeated by her with normalattacks, or anyone later carrying the Forget-Me-Not Pot. Sprigg must be in her own form in order to remembermonsters. Monsters she beats while Doppelganged will not be remembered. Additionally, monsters that Sprigg hasDoppelganged can be used against Janice in the Grand Slam battles on board the S.S. Zelbess, giving the player anadvantage over their obviously cheating opponent. According to the Ultimatia, she is a fiend.

Razzly

Razzly (ラズリー Razurī) is a fairy, and is native to Water Dragon Isle in the Home World. She is found in HomeWorld's Hydra Marshes, having been captured by Madame Pentapus, who intends to eat her, but Serge, fallingthrough a hole in the ceiling of Pentapus's lair created by a defeated Wingapede, fall directly on top of Pentapus,knocking her unconscious. They notice Razzly, who is trapped in a cage, but Pentapus comes to and a battle ensues.Serge defeats the Pentapus and manages to set Razzly free. She then joins forces with Serge. When Razzly speaks,she replaces the words "fairly" and "very" with the word "fairy".If you choose not to save Kid, Razzly is not available. There is only an empty cage in Madame Pentapus's lair,indicating that Razzly has already been eaten.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 24

Extra characters

Guile

Serge first encounters Guile (アルフ Arufu, Alf) contemplating his plans in a bar in Another Termina. Guile is oneof the three characters only able to be recruited during Serge's search for a guide to Viper Manor. He is a mysteriousmagician, who made a bet with Termina's fortune-teller that he could successfully bring back an item from ViperManor, Guile is only too willing to accompany Serge on his journey. Later on, the player can revisit thefortune-teller with Guile to obtain a free weapon for him.Guile is notable for his strength with magic and his Tech Skills, but is different from other characters in that hisElement Grid is backwards, providing fewer spots at first for the lesser Element levels and more spots for laterlevels. As a result, he proves to be a very powerful mage, particularly at the end of the game.Along with Kid and Harle, Guile is one of the few playable characters who does not appear in the parallel world.This does not confirm that there is no "other" Guile, however, as the magician Sneff from Home World recognizesAnother Guile as being part of the Magic Guild, so it is more likely that the character exists in both worlds.While there is no official link between the characters of Guile and Magus, there has been speculation that the two arethe same character due to their somewhat similar appearances. They also both hover the ground while moving. Thishas been debunked in official interviews stating that Magus was intended to be in the game but was hard to fit in theplot and was replaced by Guile. Similarly, the character Gil or Magil from Radical Dreamers was confirmed to beMagus in disguise, watching over Kid. Recently, the unofficial speculation has continued again due to the NintendoDS port of Chrono Trigger, in which a new New Game + ending shows Magus losing his memory sometime afterthe game's events. There is no official comment on the matter, and it is currently not known if this a retcon that tiesinto Guile, sets up his life as Gil, or another thing entirely.Guile's Japanese name, Alf, may be a reference to Magus' pet when he lived in the Kingdom of Zeal in Antiquity(12000 BC), which was a purple cat named Alfador. Actually it has now been confirmed that Guile was supposed tobe magus, but he was changed at the last second by the creators, as they thought it would be too much for the storyline.

Fargo

Fargo (ファルガ Faruga, Farga) is a ship's captain and Nikki and Marcy's father. In Another World, he captains apirate ship, the S.S. Invincible. Serge stumbles across the ship in the fog south of Hermit's Hideaway and, onceaboard, is challenged by Fargo to various tests of strength. In Home World, Fargo is the captain of a cruise ship, theS.S. Zelbess, and is a cheater in his own casino. Serge arrives in Lynx's body and must first expose Fargo'sunderhand tactics before he is able to locate the Sage of Marbule. Fargo exudes a very "macho" persona, andoccasionally speaks with pirate dialog.

Sneff

Sneff (スネフ Sunefu) is a performance magician indentured to Fargo in the Home World, since he has aconsiderable gambling debt to the captain. Only after Serge (in Lynx's body) removes the handle from Fargo'scheating device is Sneff able to defeat Fargo and earn his freedom. Sneff is missing his front teeth, and thus is unableto pronounce some sounds. He pronounces "three" as "free" and "teeth" as "teeff."

Leah

Leah (リーア Rīa) is an orphan living on the isolated island known as Gaea's Navel. She helps guide Serge to the Green Dragon, and after he defeats it, she joins forces with him. Leah's appearance is somewhat similar to Ayla from Chrono Trigger. While Leah's English ability isn't as broken as Ayla's (a fact which can be attributed to the different American localization teams between the two games), she has a tendency to add an -um suffix to some words in her speech. She came from some village, and tells Serge she got to be there after a "land anger". At the end of the game,

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 25

during the character's closing speeches after beating the final boss, Leah states that she will name her daughter 'Ayla,'which means 'new song of land". It is strongly suggested that she was somehow transported to the current timelinefrom the past and returns there after the Time Devourer is defeated. The fact that she randomly reveals that shewould like to name her daughter "Ayla" suggests that she is in fact the mother of the character of the same namefrom Chrono Trigger.

Fantastic creatures

Mojo

Mojo (ラッキーダン Rakkī Dan, Lucky Dan) is a human-sized voodoo doll, who encounters Serge in thebasement of one of Serge's neighbor's houses. Mojo is seen as an idol by the neighbors, although this changesquickly after he joins the party. Although he equips a glove, he attacks his enemies with the large nail he is impaledon. Eventually, he falls into despair as he realizes that as a voodoo doll, he was created for the sole purpose ofbringing people pain. With the group's help, he realizes that his origins do not matter, it is the actions he takes in thepresent that define who he is. At this point, he dedicates himself to spreading happiness throughout the world, andhis name becomes Mojoy (ハッピーダン Happī Dan, Happy Dan), a play on 'More Joy'.

Starky

Starky (星の子 Hoshi no Ko, lit. "Child of the Stars") initially appears as Mega-Starky, a huge alien, that Sergemust fight when arriving on Home World Sky Dragon Isle in Lynx's body with a Star Fragment. Once defeated, heshrinks into his true self, and tries to steal the Star Fragment, but is caught and joins forces with Serge in order tofind all of the Star Fragments, which are pieces of his damaged ship. When he discovers that his ship is intact inAnother World, he retrieves his anti-gravity device which he then attaches to the back of Serge's boat so that he cangain access to Terra Tower.

Draggy

Draggy (龍の子 Ryū no Ko, lit. "Dragon Puppy") is initially an egg, which can be found in Fossil Valley, and iftaken to Ft. Dragonia in the Home World, he can be hatched immediately following the battle with Dark Serge,though he can be recruited as early as the point at which the Porre boat is obtained. The incubator machine is foundby taking the elevator down, instead of up, which would lead to the part of the fort found in the dream sequence. Assoon as he is hatched, he joins forces with Serge. In being a literal baby dragon, his dialog usually replaces r's withw', mimicking a child's way of speaking, for an obvious example, he calls himself a "Dwagon".

Funguy

Funguy (キノコ Kinoko, lit. Mushroom) is the father of Leena's friend Lisa, who runs the element shop in Termina.Finding him in the forest near Viper Manor, and feeding him a strange mushroom (which he thinks is a delicacyfrom Guardia) will cause him to turn into a mushroom-like humanoid, and he will join forces with Serge in the questto find the Frozen Flame, hoping that the legendary artifact will be able to change him back to human form. Whenfinding his counterpart in the opposite world, it is shown that his counterpart mysteriously fell ill, most likely aroundthe time Funguy transformed.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 26

Turnip

Turnip (カブ夫 Kabuo, lit. Male Turnip) is first discovered growing in the ground outside of the Hermit'sHideaway after cooling the ground in said area in Another World with the Ice Breath or Ice Gun. When he is pulledout of the ground (by Poshul) he joins forces with Serge. His mannerisms and animations resemble Frog fromChrono Trigger, in another nod to that famous character. Turnip is actually the incarnation of a sleeping AcaciaDragoon's dream.

Non-playable characters

BelthasarBelthasar returns as the mastermind behind the game's events. In the previous game, he started to go insane andeventually died when he was warped to 2300 A.D. as a result of the incident caused by Lavos at the Ocean Palace.However, after Crono's party changed the dark future into a brighter one, he landed in that new future instead. There,he constructed Chronopolis and discovered the Time Devourer. He then created Project Kid and planned out theevents necessary to lead to the Time Devourer's destruction. After setting up the experiment that would causeChronopolis to go back in time, he departed to the modern era of 1020 A.D. to watch his plan unfold. He speaks tothe party a few times, eventually giving them the Time Egg necessary to find and challenge the Time Devourer andsave Schala. Belthasar was the Guru of Reason in the ancient Kingdom of Zeal in the game Chrono Trigger.

DarioDario is Glenn's older brother. He, along with Zoah, Marcy, and Karsh are part of the Four Acacian Dragoon Devas.One day he was sent to the Isle of the Damned along with Karsh to find the Masamune. When they found theMasamune, Dario recklessly took the sword out of the ground, succumbing to the Masamune's evil influence. Hethen attacks Karsh in a rage, slashing at him without mercy. Karsh defends himself, trying to get through to Dario.Dario comes through just long enough to tell Karsh to kill him. Karsh reluctantly strikes him down, feeling horribleguilt. The Shaker Brothers, Solt and Peppor, believed that Karsh killed Dario in cold blood. However, through aseries of events, the truth is revealed.When Serge and friends go to the Forbidden Island in the Homeworld, they find Dario survived and is supposedlyrecovering. However, by bringing Riddel, who was engaged to marry Dario, to the Forbidden Isle to talk to Dario, itreveals that he is still under the influence of the Masamune, and that it has returned to its "original" owner. Byfighting a very tough battle, Dario is released of the Masamune's evil hold and the Masamune is once again purified.After Masa and Mune admit that they fell asleep, allowing the Masamune to turn evil, their big sister Doreen (metbriefly in Chrono Trigger) appears and scolds the brother. She then decides to join them and the three fuse withSerge's Sea Swallow to become the Mastermune. Dario can then be found at that world's Viper Manor, heading asuccessful project of restoring it to its former glory.

Crono, Marle, and LuccaCrono, Marle, and Lucca - These heroes of the original game appear as childlike apparitions at the Dead Sea, in anillusion at Terra Tower, and upon Opassa Beach, the site of the dimension split. While they chide Serge at the DeadSea, they instruct him otherwise, notifying him of the Chrono Cross Element, his role in stopping the TimeDevourer, and other important points of history. Whether Crono and Marle died in the fall of Guardia Kingdom is amystery;[1] it is unknown whether they are true ghosts or are merely projections of an unknown source.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 27

Devourer of TimeThe Devourer of Time is the creature resulting from Lavos absorbing Schala. Lavos returns as the main villain, butdoes not appear until the end. By accident during Chrono Trigger, Schala was banished to the darkness of time,where later, the remnants of the defeated Lavos arrived and began absorbing the former princess of Zeal to create anew being. The resulting life-form — the Time Devourer — would have been capable of devouring all spacetimeonce matured. Though unknown to Serge for most of his quest, the entire events concerning the dimensions and thecreation of El Nido were set in motion to empower him to defeat the Time Devourer and free Schala. Using theChrono Cross, he accomplished this mission. The Time Devourer was decisively defeated and Schala saved, thoughSchala's later fate is unknown due to an ambiguous ending. A live action girl shown to wander in some unspecifiedmodern locations, although this was confirmed by Kato to not necessarily be Schala or Kid but rather an unrelated"what if there was a Schala in our world" moment. In the Chrono Trigger DS port, the Devourer of Time is shown ina less advanced stage of its evolution, named the Dream Devourer.

Dragon GodThe Dragon God was a biological plasma machine created by the Dragonian race that existed in an alternateuniverse, where the Reptites survived and became the dominant race on Earth. When the city Dinopolis was suckedinto the same dimension as Chronopolis, a battle ensued. In the end, the Dragonians lost the war, their city sunk intothe sea, and the Dragon God itself was splintered into six beings, which became the Dragon gods that were sealedover the islands. Some like the Sky Dragon and the Water Dragon were worshiped as deities while others were inhiding. They used Serge and his party to destroy FATE so they could break the seal and become one again. Theycreated Harle to ensure it, though she was reluctant. However, it was revealed that the Dragon God was absorbed bythe Time Devourer long ago during its separation (this is why it is listed as TimeDevourer in the battle against it).

FATEFATE is a supercomputer which was created by Belthasar in the distant future. Constructed from Mother Brain, asuper computer in the Apocalyptic Future of 2300 AD. No longer driven insane from the avoided cataclysm, thanksto Crono and the gang, and merged with Robo now known as the Prometheus Circuit. FATE is self-aware and canoperate alone. Referred to as the Goddess of Fate by the people of El Nido, FATE operates as an unseen villain untillate in the game.Following the Time Crash, FATE would not risk discovery of Chronopolis or the Flame by populations of the past,which could compromise her creation in the future. It took every measure to prevent this, sealing off the Sea of Eden.FATE created the islands comprising El Nido through terraforming. They were populated by the Chronopolisscientists and their descendants, brainwashed to be able to live a peaceful life in FATE's 'paradise'. FATE begandistributing 'Records of Fate' (floating green tetrahedrons) across El Nido, which the denizens consulted daily.Unbeknownst to the human subjects, FATE used the Records to subconsciously control the minds of the El Nidopopulation, subtly manipulating each person's individual judgement to stop them from leaving El Nido andinterfering with history. Using machines to run Chronopolis, FATE was able to monitor El Nido with efficiency andhalt any tampering.When the young Serge came into contact with the Frozen Flame, the Prometheus Circuit, a stand-alone program,sealed it away so not even FATE could access it. Unable to draw power from the Flame, FATE's control over ElNido was effectively severed. It single-mindedly set itself to remove all obstacles. During the events of the game,Lynx schemed to be able to possess Serge's body, since that would allow him to enter the Flame's door (whichrecognizes only the body of its "arbiter"). Lynx succeeded and indeed managed to release the Flame's lock. It isrevealed that FATE's desire was to use the Flame to reincarnate itself into a real, and new, living species.Lynx/FATE was defeated by the real Serge, however, before she could realize her dream.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 28

In Chrono Trigger, FATE's original form was of the holographic artificially intelligent Mother Brain, whichgoverned the future's robot population. Because the Day of Lavos will no longer occur (following the first game),this event is erased from existence.

Masa, Mune, and DoreenMasa and Mune, the spirits of the Masamune, appear at the end of the Dario sidequest. After falling asleep in thepast, the Masamune became corrupted, causing immeasurable chaos among certain characters. Upon the sidequest'scompletion they apparently realize and replace Serge's initial oar with the Mastermune. If equipped when Serge usesthe technique "Flying Arrow", they appear in their combined form behind him.Doreen joins Masa and Mune when the Masamune is reduced to ashes and transforms Serge's Sea Swallow into theMastermune.

MiguelMiguel is Leena's father as well as a close friend of Wazuki. When Serge was bitten by a panther demon, heaccompanied Wazuki on a voyage to Marbule in search of a cure. However, a bad storm causes the boat he wastravelling on to be veered to Chronopolis. Once arrived he was instructed to bring Serge to the Frozen Flame andwas consequently healed. Wazuki returned with Serge to Arni Village, but Miguel remained as FATE's guardian.Once Serge reaches the end of Chronopolis in the Home World, Miguel explains that every decision and divergencethat one doesn't make, a future that never existed, ends up in the Dead Sea. The results of events in Chrono Triggerled the destruction of the then future and consequently ended in the Dead Sea.After his defeat, the Dead Sea crumbles and Serge is saved by the Sky Dragon.

Mystical knightsOzzie, Slash, and Flea, the "Mystical knights", appear in a special boss fight accessible on a New Game+. Sprigg canlearn to transform into any member of the trio after dueling them. As Slash, she can perform the "Z Slash" triple techwhen teamed up with Serge and Kid.

The Shaker Brothers

The Shaker Brothers, Solt and Peppor, whose main purpose is to provide gameplay tips. Obviously referencing thespices salt and pepper, Solt is a tall, thin character with long blonde hair. Peppor is short and stocky, and wears hishair in a buzz cut. They speak in a strange manner, using redundant emphasis like "painfully painful" and "obviouslyobvious." "Let's shake it to them" means an attack, while "let's shake it out of here" means they are going to flee.There is one serious battle against them, on the Isle of the Damned, when they confront Karsh about thedisappearance of Dario.If you choose the Pierre branch early in the game, you will meet and fight against another strange character whoseems releated to the Shaker Brothers, Ketchop. Ketchop is huge, and packs a mighty wallop for so early in thegame. Ketchop's only words are shouted references to sauces, like "TOMATO!" Ketchop is another character andduring the battle, will pick Solt up and bash Peppor with him.

List of characters in ''Chrono Cross'' 29

MerchandiseA number of figurines representing the characters have been commercialized.

References[1] "Chrono Cross — GamePro.com Interview, Fan Questions Part 3" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/ features/ 7033/

chrono-cross-gamepro-com-interview-fan-questions-part-3/ ). GamePro. IDG Entertainment. 2000-11-24. . Retrieved 2007-04-27.[2] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square Electronic Arts). Level/area: Chronopolis. (2000-08-15) "Kid: Radical Dreamers...!? And me name's on here,

too! What the bloody hell is goin' on? And here's a passage with me and me old mates. / Kid: ...... This seems to be an archive from a differenttime than our own. Aside from the two worlds we already know about... there may be other worlds and times which exist..."

[3] Studio BentStuff, ed (1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania. Square Enix. ISBN 4-925075-73-X.[4] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square Electronic Arts). Level/area: Viper Manor, Another World. (2000-08-15) "Karsh: The general is the head of

the Viper clan and has governed these islands for generations. But that's not all. When he was ordered to take up a new post on the maincontinent, he made quite an impact as the leader of the Acacia Dragoons and was promoted to general. He has retired from the army since thenand currently serves as the lord of El Nido."

[5] "Chronology of Chrono Cross" (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania. Ultimania. Square. 1999. p. 463. ISBN 4-925075-73-X.[6] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square Electronic Arts). Level/area: SS Invincible, Another World. (2000-08-15) "Fargo: Viper!!! Let's settle this

old score once and for all!!! Prepare yerself!!! / Viper: ...... Is that you, Serge? Fargo, our duel will have to wait. I need to have a talk withSerge."

30

Music

Music of Chrono Trigger

Composer Yasunori Mitsuda at a 2007 concert

The Chrono series is a video game franchise developed and publishedby Square Enix (formerly Square). It began in 1995 with the timetravel console role-playing game Chrono Trigger, which spawned twocontinuations, Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross. The music ofChrono Trigger was mainly composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, with afew tracks composed by regular Final Fantasy composer NobuoUematsu. The Chrono Trigger soundtrack has inspired four officialalbum releases by Square Enix: a soundtrack album in released byNTT Publishing in 1995 and re-released in 2004, a greatest hits albumpublished by DigiCube in 1999, published in abbreviated form byTokyopop in 2001, and republished by Square Enix in 2005, an acidjazz arrangement album published and republished by NTT Publishingin 1995 and 2004, and a 2008 orchestral arranged album by SquareEnix.

The original soundtrack has been hailed as one of the best video gamesoundtracks ever made, and the Original Sound Version album met with similar applause. The reception for the otheralbums has been mixed, with the releases finding both fans and detractors among reviewers. Songs from thesoundtrack have been played at various orchestral concerts, such as the personal arrangements by Mitsuda for thePlay! A Video Game Symphony concert series. Chrono Cross music has also been extensively remixed by fans, andsuch remixes have been included in both official and unofficial albums.

Creation and developmentChrono Trigger was scored primarily by Yasunori Mitsuda, with assistance by veteran Final Fantasy composerNobuo Uematsu. A sound programmer at the time, Mitsuda was unhappy with his pay and threatened to leaveSquare if he could not compose music.[1] Final Fantasy developer Hironobu Sakaguchi, one of the three designersfor the upcoming Chrono Trigger, suggested he score the game, remarking, "maybe your salary will go up."[2]

Mitsuda reflected, "I wanted to create music that wouldn't fit into any established genre...music of an imaginaryworld. The game's director, Masato Kato, was my close friend, and so I'd always talk with him about the setting andthe scene before going into writing."[1] Mitsuda has said that he was unsure of how to start, saying that he "must'vetried to start writing the music 4 times" and that it took "a month and a half" before he knew how to compose themusic for Chrono Trigger.[3]

Mitsuda slept in his studio several nights, and attributed certain songs, such as "To Far Away Times", to inspiring dreams.[2] He later attributed this song to an idea he was developing before Chrono Trigger, reflecting that the song was made in dedication to "a certain person with whom I wanted to share a generation."[4] Mitsuda tried to use leitmotifs of the Chrono Trigger main theme to create a sense of consistency in the soundtrack.[5] He also suffered a hard drive crash that lost around forty in-progress tracks.[6] After Mitsuda contracted stomach ulcers, regular Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu joined the project to compose ten songs and finish the score.[1] Mitsuda returned to watch the ending with the staff before the game's release, crying upon seeing the finished scene.[6]

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 31

Mitsuda considers Chrono Trigger a landmark title which helped mature his talent.[7] While Mitsuda later held thatthe title piece was "rough around the edges," he maintains that it had "significant influence on my life as acomposer."[4] At the time of the game's release, the number of tracks and sound effects was unprecedented, causingthe soundtrack to span three discs in its 1995 commercial pressing.[8]

Albums

Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version

Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version

Soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda

Released March 25, 1995

Genre Video game music

Label NTT Publishing

Producer Yasunori MitsudaMitsunobu Nakamura

Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version is a soundtrack of the music from Chrono Trigger, produced by YasunoriMitsuda and Mitsunobu Nakamura. The soundtrack spans three discs and 64 tracks, covering a duration of 2:39:52.It was published by NTT Publishing on March 25, 1995 and re-published on October 1, 2004.[9]

The majority of the tracks were composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, while ten tracks were contributed by NobuoUematsu after Mitsuda contracted stomach ulcers.[1] Noriko Matsueda composed one track, "Boss Battle 1", whichwas arranged by Uematsu. The soundtrack tunes have been described as covering a wide variety of moods, from"simple, light-hearted tunes" like "Spekkio" to "sad themes" like "At The Bottom of Night" and "darker themes" like"Ocean Palace".[9]

The album was well-received by reviewers such as Liz Maas of RPGFan, who termed it "well worth its price" andnoted that the tracks were very memorable and "always fit the mood in the game".[9] IGN termed it "one of the bestvideogame soundtracks ever produced" and said that the music was a large part of the game's ability to "capture theemotions of the player". It furthermore called the soundtrack "some of the most memorable tunes in RPGhistory".[10] The game itself won the "Best Music in a Cartridge-Based Game" award in Electronic GamingMonthly's 1995 video game awards.[11]

Track listing All music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, except where noted.

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 32

Disc one

No. Title Music Length

1. "A Premonition" (予感) 0:34

2. "Chrono Trigger" (クロノ・トリガー) 2:01

3. "Morning Glow" (朝の日ざし) 0:58

4. "Peaceful Days" (やすらぎの日々) 2:48

5. "Green Memories" (みどりの思い出) 3:51

6. "Guardia's Millennial Fair" (ガルディア王国千年祭) 3:17

7. "Gato's Song" (ゴンザレスのお歌) 0:42

8. "Strange Occurrences" (不思議な出来事) 1:43

9. "Yearnings of the Wind" (風の憧憬) 3:22

10. "Good Night" (おやすみ) 0:08

11. "Secret of the Forest" (樹海の神秘) 4:46

12. "Battle" (戦い) 2:29

13. "Guardia Castle - Pride & Glory~" (ガルディア城 ～勇気と誇り～) 3:28

14. "Huh!?" (んっ！？) 0:05

15. "The Cathedral" (マノリア修道院) 1:13

16. "A Prayer for the Wayfarer" (道行くものへ 祈りを・・・) 0:11

17. "Light of Silence" (沈黙の光) Nobuo Uematsu 2:23

18. "Boss Battle 1" (ボス・バトル１) Noriko Matsueda, Uematsu(arrangement)

1:58

19. "Frog's Theme" (カエルのテーマ) 1:49

20. "Fanfare 1" (ファンファーレ１) 1:16

21. "The Trial" (王国裁判) 3:44

22. "The Hidden Truth" (隠された事実) 0:59

23. "Critical Moment" (危機一髪) 2:39

Total length: 46:33

Disc two

No. Title Music Length

1. "A Desolate World" (荒れ果てた世界) 3:24

2. "Mystery from the Past" (過去の謎) Uematsu 0:07

3. "Site 16" (16号廃墟) 1:34

4. "Those Without the Will to Live" (生きる望みをすてた人々) Uematsu 3:07

5. "Lavos’s Theme" (ラヴォスのテーマ) 5:10

6. "The Last Day of the World" (世界最期の日) 1:25

7. "Johnny of the Robo Gang" (暴走ロボ軍団ジョニー) 2:21

8. "Bike Chase" (バイクチェイス) Uematsu 1:35

9. "Robo's Theme" (ロボのテーマ) 1:32

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 33

10. "Derelict Factory" (工場跡) 3:09

11. "Battle 2 (unreleased track)" (戦い2 （UNRELEASED TRACK）) 2:10

12. "Fanfare 2" (ファンファーレ２) 0:07

13. "At the End of Time" (時の最果て) 2:31

14. "Jolly Ol' Spekkio" (愉快なスペッキオ) 2:48

15. "Fanfare 3" (ファンファーレ３) 0:05

16. "Creeping through the Sewers" (地下水道) Uematsu 2:24

17. "Boss Battle 2" (ボス・バトル２) 2:41

18. "Primeval Mountain" (原始の山) Uematsu 3:07

19. "Ayla's Theme" (エイラのテーマ) 1:24

20. "Rhythm of Earth, Wind, and Sky" (風と空と大地のリズム) 1:51

21. "Burn! Bobonga! Burn!" (燃えよ！ボボンガ！) Uematsu 2:12

22. "The Fiendlord's Keep" (魔王城) 0:29

23. "Strains of Insanity" (錯乱の旋律) 1:40

24. "Magus Confronted" (魔王決戦) 3:30

Total length: 50:33

Disc three

No. Title Music Length

1. "Singing Mountain (unreleased track)" (歌う山 （UNRELEASED TRACK）) 3:05

2. "Tyran Castle" (ティラン城) Uematsu 3:49

3. "Depths of the Night" (夜の底にて) 2:31

4. "Corridor of Time" (時の回廊) 3:01

5. "Zeal Palace" (ジール宮殿) 3:57

6. "Schala's Theme" (サラのテーマ) 2:48

7. "Sealed Door" (封印の扉) Uematsu 2:47

8. "Ocean Palace" (海底神殿) 3:23

9. "Crono & Marle - A Distant Promise" (クロノとマール ～遠い約束～) 1:56

10. "The Epoch - Wings of Time" (シルバード ～時を渡る翼～) 3:23

11. "Black Omen" (黒の夢) 3:04

12. "Determination" (決意) 0:56

13. "World Revolution" (世界変革の時) 3:48

14. "The Final Battle" (ラストバトル) 4:07

15. "Festival of Stars" (星の祝祭) 2:44

16. "Epilogue - To My Dear Friends" (エピローグ ～親しき仲間へ～) 2:34

17. "Outskirts of Time" (遥かなる時の彼方へ) 5:46

Total length: 53:46

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 34

Chrono Trigger Arranged Version: The Brink of Time

Cover artwork for Chrono TriggerArranged Version: The Brink of Time

The Chrono Trigger Arranged Version: The Brink of Time is an album of acidjazz rearrangements of the music from Chrono Trigger, composed byYasunori Mitsuda and arranged and performed by Hiroshi Hata, HidenobuOotsuki, and Gizaemon de Furuta. The soundtrack spans one disc and 10tracks, covering a duration of 52:47. It was published by NTT Publishing onJune 25, 1995, and reprinted on October 1, 2004.[12]

The Brink of Time came about because Mitsuda wanted to do something thatno one else was doing, and he noted that acid jazz and its related genres wereuncommon in the Japanese market.[5] It was the first album for whichMitsuda had to work with live recordings.[13] The cover art of the albumdepicts a plate of fried eggs between a fork, knife and glass, while the insidebooklet depicts a rooster which was specifically brought into the studio for

the photo shooting. Several eggs had to be fried before the designers could settle on the correct shape.[14] Mitsudahas stated that Ootsuki's arrangement technique left a strong impact on him and notably influenced his next score, thesoundtrack to Front Mission: Gun Hazard.[13]

The album received mixed reviews from critics. Freddie W. of RPGFan, while calling the album "pretty good"overall, said that several of the tracks including "Zeal Palace" and "Warlock Battle" were "absolutely horrible" dueto the "disgustingly bad" distorted guitars. He cited the overuse of guitars as the worst part of the album.[12] Simon ofSquare Enix Music Online had a different reaction; he enjoyed the guitars in the songs and said that the album had"skill, class, and a feel that's relatively original". He concluded, however, that he could not seem to "connect" withthe album, and that the CD was "very much down to personal taste — a love or hate arrangement".[15]

Track listing

No. Title Length

1. "Chrono Trigger" (クロノ・トリガー) 6:13

2. "Secret of Forest" (樹海の神秘) 6:10

3. "Zeal Palace" (ジール宮殿) 4:46

4. "Warlock Battle" (魔王決戦) 3:46

5. "Chrono Corridor" (時の回廊) 7:15

6. "Undersea Palace" (海底神殿) 4:09

7. "World Revolution" (世界変革の時 ~ラストバトル) 6:03

8. "The Brink of Time" (時の最果て) 2:45

9. "Guardia Millennial Fair" (ガルディア王国千年祭) 6:28

10. "Outskirts of Time" (遥かなる時の彼方へ) 5:08

Chrono Trigger Original SoundtrackChrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, also referred to as "Chrono Trigger '99" or "Chrono Trigger PSX OST", is agreatest hits album featuring 21 tracks from Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version and nine arranged tracks fromthe release of Chrono Trigger for the PlayStation. The arranged tracks come from the cutscenes added to the game,while Tsuyoshi Sekito composed four new pieces for the game's bonus features which weren't included on thesoundtrack.[5] The album was released by DigiCube on December 18, 1999 to coincide with the PlayStation releaseand re-released by Square Enix on February 23, 2005. The album is 1:14:12 long and spans 30 tracks.[16]

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 35

A version of the album was re-published by Tokyopop in North America as Chrono Trigger Official Soundtrack:Music From Final Fantasy Chronicles on August 21, 2001, to coincide with the release of the Final FantasyChronicles collection of Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger. The first 21 tracks of the album out of 25 wereidentical to Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, while the next three tracks corresponded to tracks 22, 23, and 29 ofthe Original Soundtrack and the final track was the same as the first track of Brink of Time. This version of thealbum is 1:13:03 long.[17]

Original Soundtrack received mixed reviews by critics. Ryan Mattich of RPGFan termed it "an excellent selection ofmusic", primarily due to the arranged tracks, saying that the Original Sound Version album's tracks were better thanthis version's as they were looped and thus played longer.[16] Patrick Gann was disparaging of the North Americanversion of the CD, however, saying that its shortened tracklist destroyed the main reason to buy the album.[17] DonKotowski of Square Enix Music Online was dismissive of the Original Soundtrack album, saying that while theOriginal Sound Version tracks truly represented the "best of" the game's soundtrack, the arranged tracks were "eithertoo short, too much like the original, or lifeless compared to the original", giving no incentive to purchase the albumover the Original Sound Version.[18]

Track listing

No. Title Length

1. "A Premonition" (予感) 0:36

2. "Chrono Trigger" (クロノ・トリガー) 2:33

3. "Peaceful Days" (やすらぎの日々) 2:45

4. "Guardia Millenial Fair" (ガルディア王国千年祭) 3:18

5. "Wind Scene" (風の情景) 3:21

6. "Mystery of the Forest" (樹海の神秘) 4:47

7. "Frog's Theme" (カエルのテーマ) 1:17

8. "The Kingdom Trial" (王国裁判) 3:45

9. "Lavos' Theme" (ラヴォスのテーマ) 5:10

10. "Reckless Robo Gang Johnny" (暴走ロボ軍団ジョニー) 1:43

11. "Robo's Theme" (ロボのテーマ) 1:31

12. "The Brink of Time" (時の最果て) 2:32

13. "Delightful Spekkio" (愉快なスペッキオ) 2:47

14. "Decisive Battle with Magus" (魔王決戦) 2:44

15. "Corridors of Time" (時の回廊) 3:02

16. "Zeal Palace" (ジール宮殿) 3:58

17. "Sara's Theme" (サラのテーマ) 2:44

18. "Undersea Palace" (海底神殿) 3:20

19. "World Revolution" (世界変革の時) 3:52

20. "Epilogue ~To Good Friends~" (エピローグ ~親しき仲間へ~) 2:26

21. "To Far Away Times" (遥かなる時の彼方へ) 4:15

22. "Chrono and Marle (Arrange Version 1)" (クロノとマール ~遠い約束~ (Arrange Version 1)) 0:38

23. "Chrono Trigger (Arrange Version 1)" (クロノ・トリガー (Arrange Version 1)) 2:03

24. "Ayla's Theme (Arrange Version)" (エイラのテーマ (Arrange Version)) 1:31

25. "Frog's Theme (Arrange Version)" (カエルのテーマ (Arrange Version)) 2:00

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 36

26. "Chrono Trigger (Arrange Version 2)" (クロノ・トリガー (Arrange Version 2)) 0:35

27. "Chrono Trigger (Arrange Version 3)" (クロノ・トリガー (Arrange Version 3)) 0:27

28. "Sara Theme (Arrange Version)" (サラのテーマ (Arrange Version)) 1:40

29. "Ending ~ Burn! Bobonga! ~ Frog's Theme ~ To Far Away Times (Arrange Version)"(エンディング~燃えよ！ボボンガ！~カエルのテーマ~遥かなる時の彼方へ (Arrange Version))

1:04

30. "Chrono and Marle (Arrange Version 2)" (クロノとマール ~遠い約束~ (Arrange Version 2)) 0:39

Chrono Trigger Orchestra Extra SoundtrackChrono Trigger Orchestra Extra Soundtrack is an album of orchestral arrangements of Chrono Trigger songs,arranged by Natsumi Kameoka. Published by Square Enix on November 20, 2008 exclusively as a pre-order bonusof the Nintendo DS port of Chrono Trigger, this soundtrack consists of two tracks, "Chrono Trigger ~OrchestraVersion~" and "Chrono Trigger Medley ~Orchestra Version~", the latter spanning the songs "A Premonition","Guardia's Millennial Fair", "Yearnings of the Wind", "Frog's Theme", "Battle with Magus", "Epilogue ~To GoodFriends~", and "To Far Away Times".[19] Mitsuda expressed difficulty in selecting the songs for the orchestralmedley, eventually picking a song from each era and certain character themes.[4] While both tracks involve a fullorchestra, "Chrono Trigger" is more heavily horn-based, while "Medley" relies more on stringed instruments.[20] TheCD itself came in a single sleeve with a short note from primary composer Yasunori Mitsuda. The album as a wholehas a length of 6:18, with "Chrono Trigger" lasting 2:07 and "Medley" having a length of 4:11.The album has been described as showing that Mitsuda was "well ahead of the curve" when he composed theChrono Trigger soundtrack.[20] IGN described "Chrono Trigger ~Orchestra Version~" as having a heavy 1970'sinfluence and as being "a testament to Mitsuda's compositional skills", while calling "Chrono Trigger Medley~Orchestra Version~" "playfully romantic" with "a fairy tale element" in the beginning of the song that latertransforms into "an entirely more grandiose arena".[20] Patrick Gann described the soundtrack as "awesome" and saidthat "Kameoka is really good at orchestral arrangement".[19] His primary complaint was the length of the album, ashe wished it had been a full album instead of a "mini-album" of only two tracks.[19]

Legacy

Rony Barrak during the Chrono symphonic suiteat the Play! concert

The main theme of Chrono Trigger was played at the fifth of theOrchestral Game Music Concerts in 1996, and released on anaccompanying album.[21] Mitsuda has arranged versions of music fromChrono Trigger for Play! A Video Game Symphony video game musicconcerts in 2006, presenting the main theme, Frog's Theme, and ToFar Away Times.[22] Music from the game has also been performed inother video game concert tours such as the Video Games Live concertseries and in concerts by the Eminence Orchestra.[23] Music fromChrono Trigger and Cross made up one fourth of the music in theSymphonic Fantasies concerts in Cologne in September 2009 whichwere produced by the creators of the Symphonic Game Music Concertseries and conducted by Arnie Roth.[24] [25] The concerts featured asuite of music from both games interspersed together with the songs from Trigger comprising "A Premonition","Battle with Magus", "Chrono Trigger", "Peaceful Days", "Outskirts of Time", "Frog's Theme", and "To Far AwayTimes", as well as a boss battle suite that featured "Lavos’ Theme".[26] "Crono's Theme" was performed at the PressStart -Symphony of Games- 2007 concerts in Yokohoma and Osaka, Japan, and a suite comprising music from

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 37

Chrono Trigger and Cross was performed at the Press Start -Symphony of Games- 2008 concerts the following yearin Tokyo and Shanghai.[27] [28]

Music from Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version has been arranged for the piano and published as sheet musicby DOREMI Music Publishing.[29] Chrono Trigger's soundtrack has been heavily remixed by fans, sparking severalalbums. These include the officially licensed Time & Space - A Tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda, released by OneUpStudios on October 7, 2001 and containing 18 remixes over a span of 1:00:58, with a second version of the albumreleased on June 17, 2003. Another popular album release was Chrono Symphonic, an unofficial download-onlyalbum release by the remix website OverClocked ReMix on January 3, 2006 containing 25 remixes over 2"discs".[30] Selections of remixes also appear on Japanese remix albums, called Dōjin, and on English remixingwebsites such as OverClocked Remix.[31]

External links• Yasunori Mitsuda's official website [32]

• Chrono Compendium Music [33] - Listing of track information, official releases, fan albums, rearrangements andremixes

References[1] Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1.[2] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/ feature?pager.

offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com. . Retrieved 2008-02-08.[3] Mitsuda, Yasunori (1995-01-21). "Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version liner notes". NTT Publishing. PSCN-5024.[4] "Chrono Trigger DS" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ December_2008_-_CT_DS_Video_Interview_with_Yasunori_Mitsuda.

html) (Flash). Square Enix. . Retrieved 2009-03-13.[5] "Yasunori Mitsuda Talks Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. originalsoundversion. com/ ?p=915). Original Sound Version. 2008-11-24. .

Retrieved 2009-03-13.[6] Famitsu, ed (July 2008) (in Japanese). Chrono Trigger DS (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

July_2008_Weekly_Famitsu_Interview_with_Yasunori_Mitsuda. html). Famitsu. pp. 67–70. .[7] Gay, James (2006-10-13). "Yasunori Mitsuda Interview" (http:/ / palgn. com. au/ article. php?id=5478). PAL Gaming Network (http:/ / palgn.

com. au/ ). . Retrieved 2007-05-22.[8] Averill, Alan (July 1995). Nintendo Power. Nintendo. pp. 52.[9] Maas, Liz (2002-05-19). "Chrono Trigger OSV" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ctosv/ index. html). RPGFan. . Retrieved

2009-04-16.[10] IGN staff (2001-07-04). "IGN: Final Fantasy Chronicles Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 166/ 166322p1. html). IGN. . Retrieved

2009-04-30.[11] "Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1996.[12] W., Freddie (2000-06-10). "Chrono Trigger: The Brink of Time" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ctbot/ index. html). RPGFan. .

Retrieved 2009-04-23.[13] Procyon Studio staff (April 2000). "This month's friend… KALTA" (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/ friends/ KALTA. html). Procyon

Studio. . Retrieved 2008-07-22.[14] Mitsuda, Yasunori (April 2002). "Questions from April, 2002" (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/ qanda/ qanda_04-02. html). Procyon Studio.

. Retrieved 2008-07-22.[15] Simon. "Chrono Trigger: Brink of Time :: Review by Simon" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ reviews/ simon/ chronotriggerarr.

shtml). Square Enix Music Online. . Retrieved 2009-04-30.[16] Mattich, Ryan (2000-06-10). "Chrono Trigger OST" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ct99ost/ index. html). RPGFan. . Retrieved

2009-04-23.[17] Gann, Patrick (2006-10-05). "Chrono Trigger Official Soundtrack: Music From Final Fantasy Chronicles" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/

soundtracks/ ctchronicles/ index. html). RPGFan. . Retrieved 2009-04-23.[18] Kotowski, Don. "Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack :: Review by Don" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ reviews/ don/

chronotrigger99. shtml). Square Enix Music Online. . Retrieved 2009-04-30.[19] Gann, Patrick (2009-01-05). "Chrono Trigger Orchestra Extra Soundtrack" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ctex/ index. htm).

RPGFan. . Retrieved 2009-04-16.[20] D., Spence (2008-12-09). "Chrono Trigger Orchestra Extra Soundtrack Review" (http:/ / music. ign. com/ articles/ 937/ 937082p1. html).

IGN. . Retrieved 2009-04-16.

Music of ''Chrono Trigger'' 38

[21] Orchestral Game Concert 5 (1996-01-21). Sony. SRCL-2739.[22] Driker, Brandon (2006-05-30). "Play! A Video Game Symphony" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ articleview. php?articleid=518). N-Sider]. .

Retrieved 2009-04-30.[23] Johnson, Stephen (2009-04-13). "Video Games Live to play E3" (http:/ / g4tv. com/ thefeed/ blog/ post/ 694671/

Video-Games-Live-To-Play-E3. html). G4TV. . Retrieved 2009-04-28.[24] "Concert program for download" (http:/ / www. symphonicfantasies. com/ post/ 176557691/

the-concert-program-for-symphonic-fantasies-is). Symphonic Fantasies. 2009-09-01. . Retrieved 2009-11-02.[25] "The Concert Programs :: Symphonic Game Music Concerts" (http:/ / www. vgmconcerts. com/ main. php?section=about& subs=the

concert programs& lang=english). Merregnon Studios. . Retrieved 2009-08-11.[26] Sorlie, Auden (2009-09-17). "Feels Like A Dream: Symphonic Fantasies Report" (http:/ / www. originalsoundversion. com/ ?p=4845).

originalsoundversion.com. . Retrieved 2009-09-21.[27] "Press Start -Symphony of Games- 2007" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ concerts/ pressstart2007. shtml). Square Enix Music Online.

. Retrieved 2010-03-25.[28] "Press Start -Symphony of Games- 2008" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ concerts/ pressstart2008. shtml). Square Enix Music Online.

. Retrieved 2010-03-25.[29] "Doremi Music Web Site" (http:/ / www. doremi. co. jp/ Doremi/ ATC01. do) (in Japanese). DOREMI Music Publishing. . Retrieved

2008-09-14.[30] "Album: Chrono Trigger: Chrono Symphonic" (http:/ / www. ocremix. org/ album/ id/ 7/ chrono-trigger-chrono-symphonic/ ). OverClocked

ReMix. . Retrieved 2009-04-30.[31] "Game: Chrono Trigger (1995, Square, SNES) - Remixes" (http:/ / www. ocremix. org/ game/ chrono-trigger-snes/ remixes/ ). OverClocked

ReMix. . Retrieved 2009-04-30.[32] http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/[33] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Music. html

Music of Chrono Cross

Composer Yasunori Mitsuda at a 2007 concert

The Chrono series is a video game franchise developed and publishedby Square Enix (formerly Square). It began in 1995 with the timetravel console role-playing game Chrono Trigger, which spawned twocontinuations, Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross. The music ofChrono Cross was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, the main composerof Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers. Chrono Cross has sparked asoundtrack album, released in 1999 by DigiCube and re-released in2005 by Square Enix, and a greatest hits mini-album, published in2000 by Square along with the North American release of the game.Radical Dreamers, the music of which heavily inspired the soundtrackof Chrono Cross, has not sparked any albums, though some songs fromits soundtrack were reused in Chrono Cross. An album ofarrangements of Chrono Cross songs was first announced by Mitsudain 2005; its release data has been pushed back several times since then,and it is now intended to be released to coincide with the tenthanniversary of the game in 2009.

The original soundtrack album has been hailed as an excellent video game music album, while the Chrono CrossMusic Selection mini-album has garnered little attention. Songs from the soundtrack have been played at variousorchestral concerts, such as the personal arrangements by Mitsuda for the Play! A Video Game Symphony concertseries. Chrono Cross music has also been extensively remixed by fans, and such remixes have been included in bothofficial and unofficial albums.

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 39

Creation and developmentMitsuda returned as the lead composer for 1999's Chrono Cross after composing its prequel, Chrono Trigger. Afterbeing contacted to compose the score by the game's director Masato Kato,[1] Mitsuda decided to center his workaround old world cultural influences, including Mediterranean, Fado, Celtic, and percussive African music.[2] Tocomplement the theme of parallel worlds, he gave the songs for the two worlds of the game, Another and Home,respectively dark and bright moods.[1] Mitsuda was happy to accomplish even half of what he envisioned.[2] Onceproduction concluded, Mitsuda played Chrono Cross to record his impressions and observe how the tracksintermingled with scenes.[2]

Radical Dreamers was a 1996 text-based Visual Novel set as a gaiden, or side story, to Chrono Trigger. It wasreleased to complement its predecessor's plot, and later served as inspiration for Chrono Cross.[3] The music ofRadical Dreamers was written by Yasunori Mitsuda.[2] The soundtrack includes several ambient pieces, includingthe sound of water running in a fountain and wind accompanied by strings. Players can listen to the game's 15 songsby accessing a hidden menu in one of the game's scenarios.[4] The soundtrack has never been released as a separatealbum.Several themes and musical patterns from Radical Dreamers were later adapted for Chrono Cross on the suggestionof Masato Kato; many appear unchanged except for new instrumentation.[2] Appearing in Chrono Cross are "Gale","Frozen Flame", "Viper Manor", "Far Promise ~ Dream Shore" (as part of "On the Beach of Dreams - AnotherWorld" and "The Dream that Time Dreams"), "The Girl who Stole the Stars", and "Epilogue ~ Dream Shore" (as partof "Jellyfish Sea").[2] Other entries in the soundtrack contain leitmotifs from Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers.The melody of "Far Promise ~ Dream Shore" features prominently in "The Dream That Time Dreams" and "Voyage- Another World".[1]

Albums

Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack

Chrono Cross OriginalSoundtrack

Soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda

Released December 18, 1999June 29, 2005

Genre Video game music

Length 2:53:51

Label DigiCubeSquare Enix(re-release)

The Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack of the music from Chrono Cross, composed by YasunoriMitsuda. The soundtrack spans three discs and 67 tracks, covering a duration of 3 hours. It was published byDigiCube on December 18, 1999, and reprinted by Square Enix on June 29, 2005.[5]

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 40

Xenogears contributor Tomohiko Kira played guitar on the beginning and ending themes. Noriko Mitose, selectedfor the role by Masato Kato, sang the ending song "Radical Dreamers ~ Unstolen Jewel ~".[1] Ryo Yamazaki, asynthesizer programmer for Square Enix, helped Mitsuda transfer his ideas to the PlayStation's sound capabilities.[2]

The soundtrack has been described as having "some of the most haunting melodies known to man".[5] The "HomeWorld" tracks from the soundtrack have been termed "emotional", "driving" and "striking", while the "AnotherWorld" tracks are described as "slower", "dreamier", and more "serene" then their counterparts.[6]

The soundtrack won the Gold Prize for Sony's PlayStation Awards of 2000.[7] It reached #72 on the Japan Oriconcharts on its first print and #174 when reprinted.[8] [9] It was praised by reviewers such as Patrick Gann of RPGFan,who called it his favorite video game music soundtrack of all time and especially praised the vocals in "RadicalDreamers ~ Unstolen Jewel ~".[5] This high opinion was echoed by Don Kotowski of Square Enix Music Online,who called it "one of Mitsuda's best, both in and out of [the] context" of the game and said that it "surpasses hisChrono Trigger soundtrack". He singled out "Scars of Time" and "Radical Dreamers" as especially worthy ofpraise.[6] IGN, in their review of the game, termed the soundtrack "a brilliant score" that "does wonders in stirringthe emotional strings of the players as they're playing through the game". IGN praised the technical sound quality ofthe soundtrack as well, though they did comment that for them no specific tracks stood out as especiallymemorable.[10] In a separate piece about Japanese RPG composers, however, IGN called "Scars of Time" and "ArniVillage - Home World" as two of Mitsuda's most memorable tracks in naming him the second best out of ten behindNobuo Uematsu.[11]

Track listing

Disc one

No. Title Length

1. "Chrono Cross ~ Scars of Time ~" (CHRONO CROSS ~時の傷痕~) 2:29

2. "Between Life and Death" (死線) 2:38

3. "Arni Village - Home World" (アルニ村 ホーム) 3:23

4. "Fields of Time - Home World" (時の草原 ホーム・ワールド) 3:26

5. "Lizard Dance" (トカゲと踊れ) 2:41

6. "Reminiscing ~ Uneraseable Memory ~" (回想 〜消せない想い〜) 3:25

7. "On the Beach of Dreams - Another World" (夢の岸辺に アナザー・ワールド) 2:22

8. "Arni Village - Another World" (アルニ村 アナザー) 3:32

9. "Ephemeral Memory" (うたかたの想い) 2:51

10. "Lost Fragment" (失われた欠片) 3:12

11. "Drowned Valley" (溺れ谷) 2:00

12. "Termina - Another World" (テルミナ アナザー) 2:43

13. "Departed Souls" (去りにし者ども) 3:43

14. "Forest of Illusion" (影切りの森) 3:25

15. "Viper Manor" (蛇骨館) 2:54

16. "Victory ~ A Gift of Spring ~" (勝利 ~春の贈り物~) 0:56

17. "A Child Lost in Time" (時の迷い子) 3:24

18. "Guldove - Another World" (ガルドーブ アナザー) 3:26

19. "Hydra's Swamp" (ヒドラの沼) 3:10

20. "Fragment of a Dream" (夢のかけら) 1:35

21. "Voyage - Another World" (航海 アナザー・ワールド) 2:32

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 41

22. "Ghost Ship" (幽霊船) 2:00

23. "Death Volcano" (死炎山) 3:39

24. "Fortress of Ancient Dragons" (古龍の砦) 3:54

25. "Grief" (悲愴) 0:20

Total length: 69:40

Disc two

No. Title Length

1. "Beginning of a Dream" (夢のはじまり) 0:42

2. "A Narrow Space Between Dimensions" (次元の狭間) 2:47

3. "Termina - Home World" (テルミナ ホーム) 3:38

4. "Dragon Knight" (龍の騎士) 3:01

5. "Voyage - Home World" (航海 ホーム・ワールド) 3:22

6. "Guldove - Home World" (ガルドーブ ホーム) 3:58

7. "Marbule - Home World" (マブーレ ホーム) 2:55

8. "Zelbess" (ゼルベス) 2:42

9. "The Splendidly Grand Magic Troupe" (天晴驚愕大奇術団) 1:31

10. "Nap" (まどろみ) 0:13

11. "Chronomantique" (クロノマンティーク) 3:18

12. "Dilemma" (窮地) 2:47

13. "Optimism" (楽天) 2:19

14. "Isle of the Dead" (亡者の島) 3:11

15. "Dead Sea/Tower of Destruction" (死海・滅びの塔) 3:10

16. "Prisoners of Fate" (運命に囚われし者たち) 3:26

17. "A Light for Lost Hopes" (あらかじめ失われし、ともしび) 0:32

18. "Island of the Earth Dragon" (土龍の島) 3:16

19. "Navel of the World" (世界のへそ) 2:59

20. "Gale" (疾風) 2:00

21. "Victory ~ A Cry in Summer ~" (勝利 ~夏の呼び声~) 0:53

22. "Marbule - Another World" (マブーレ アナザー) 3:00

23. "Magic from the Fairies" (妖精のくれた魔法) 0:13

24. "Etude 1" (エチュード1) 0:12

25. "Etude 2" (エチュード2) 0:14

26. "Magical Dreamers ~ The Wind, Stars, and Waves ~" (MAGICAL DREAMERS ~風と星と波と~) 2:02

Total length: 58:21

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 42

Disc three

No. Title Length

1. "Garden of God" (神の庭) 2:45

2. "Chronopolis" (クロノポリス) 4:12

3. "Fate ~ The God of Destiny ~" (FATES ~運命の神~) 3:10

4. "Jellyfish Sea" (海月海) 2:55

5. "Burning Orphanage" (炎の孤児院) 2:44

6. "The Girl Who Stole the Stars" (星を盗んだ少女) 3:48

7. "The Dream that Time Dreams" (時のみる夢) 4:01

8. "Dragon's Prayer" (龍の祈り) 5:57

9. "Terra Tower" (星の塔) 2:26

10. "Frozen Flame" (凍てついた炎) 2:54

11. "Dragon God" (龍神) 3:21

12. "Dark Realms of Time" (時の闇にて) 0:42

13. "Life ~ A Distant Promise ~" (生命 ~遠い約束~) 6:32

14. "Reminiscing ~ Uneraseable Memory ~" (回想 ~消せない想い~) 1:39

15. "Radical Dreamers ~ Unstolen Jewel ~" (RADICAL DREAMERS ~盗めない宝石~) 4:25

16. "Fragment of a Dream" (夢のかけら) 2:00

Total length: 53:31

Chrono Cross Music Selection

Chrono Cross Music Selection is a mini-album of Chrono Cross music that was released in North Americaexclusively as a bonus for pre-ordering Chrono Cross. The five-track disc was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, andwas published by Square along with the game on August 15, 2000. It has a length of 15:47.[12] Although the releaseof the album sparked rumors that it would be followed by a North American release of the full soundtrack album,Square Enix has not to date published Chrono Cross OST outside of Japan.[12]

Patrick Gann enjoyed the album, calling it a "little American gem of VG music", but noted that there is no reason topurchase it now that the full soundtrack is just as easy to obtain, especially given its short length.[12] Brad Stabler ofSoundtrack Central was more negative in his review, deriding it as "a cheap prop" and recommending that buyersinstead look for the full soundtrack.[13]

Track listingNo. Title Length

1. "Chrono Cross - Scars of Time -" 2:30

2. "The Bend of Time" 2:47

3. "Chronomantique" 3:17

4. "Magical Dreamers - Wind, Stars, and Waves-"

3:33

5. "The Girl who Stole the Stars" 3:44

Total length: 15:47

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 43

Arranged albumIn 2005, Mitsuda announced a new arranged album of Chrono Cross music was scheduled for release in July of thatyear.[14] It did not materialize, though at a Play! A Video Game Symphony concert in May 2006, he revealed it wouldbe out "within the year" and would feature acoustic music.[15] Later in 2006, Mitsuda alleged that the album wouldactually be released in 2007.[16] Recently, Yasunori Mitsuda has posted a streaming sample of a track from theupcoming Chrono Cross arranged album.[17] Though no official release date has been announced, Mitsuda has morethan once stated that the album is now planned to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the game's original release in2009.[17] Mitsuda claims that the album is "nearly done", but that it may not be possible to release it before the yearis out.[18]

Legacy

Rony Barrak during the Chrono symphonic suiteat the Play! concert

Mitsuda has personally arranged versions of music from Chrono Crossfor Play! A Video Game Symphony video game music concerts in2006.[19] Music from the game has also been performed in other videogame concert tours such as the Video Games Live concert series and inconcerts by the Eminence Orchestra.[20] Music from Chrono Triggerand Cross made up one fourth of the music in the Symphonic Fantasiesconcerts in Leipzig in September 2009 which were produced by thecreators of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series and conductedby Arnie Roth.[21] [22] The concerts featured a suite of music from bothgames interspersed together with the songs from Cross comprising"Scars of Time", "Gale", "Brink of Death", and "Prisoners of Fate".[23]

A suite comprising music from Chrono Trigger and Cross wasperformed at the Press Start -Symphony of Games- 2008 concerts in Tokyo and Shanghai.[24] "Scars of Time" wasplayed at the Fantasy Comes Alive concert in Singapore on April 30, 2010.[25] Sheet music for Chrono Cross tracksarranged for both solo guitar and guitar duets has been released by Procyon Studio.[26]

Chrono Cross's soundtrack has been heavily remixed by fans, sparking several albums. These include the officiallylicensed Time & Space - A Tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda, released by OneUp Studios on October 7, 2001 andcontaining 18 remixes over a span of 1:00:58, with a second version of the album released on June 17, 2003. Arelated popular album release was Radical Dreamers: Thieves of Fate, an unofficial download-only album release bythe remix website OverClocked ReMix on January 5, 2008 containing 15 remixes of the soundtrack to RadicalDreamers, including remixes of the tracks that later appeared in Chrono Cross.[27] Selections of remixes also appearon Japanese remix albums, called Dōjin, and on English remixing websites such as OverClocked Remix.[28]

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 44

External links• (Japanese) Yasunori Mitsuda's official website [29]

• (English) Yasunori Mitsuda's official website [32]

• Chrono Compendium Music [30] - Listing of track information, official releases, fan albums, rearrangements andremixes

References[1] Studio BentStuff, ed (1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania. Square Enix. pp. 476–477. ISBN 4-925075-73-X.[2] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2000-12-18). "Chrono Cross OST Liner Notes" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Music_(Chrono_Cross)).

Chrono Compendium. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[3] "Weekly Famitsu" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Weekly_Famitsu. html). Famitsu. 1999-07-24. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.[4] Chrono Compendium staff. "Easter Eggs (Radical Dreamers)" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Easter_Eggs_(Radical_Dreamers). html). Chrono Compendium. . Retrieved 2008-01-25.[5] Gann, Patrick (2000-02-27). "Chrono Cross OST" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ccost/ index. html). RPGFan. . Retrieved

2009-04-28.[6] Kotowski, Don. "Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack :: Review by Don" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ reviews/ don/ chronocross.

shtml). Square Enix Music Online. . Retrieved 2009-05-07.[7] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/ feature?pager.

offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com. . Retrieved 2008-02-08.[8] "クロノ・クロス オリジナル・サウンドトラック" (http:/ / www. oricon. co. jp/ prof/ artist/ 67810/ products/ music/ 239120/ 1/ ) (in

Japanese). Oricon. . Retrieved 2010-06-24.[9] "クロノ・クロス オリジナルサウンドトラック" (http:/ / www. oricon. co. jp/ prof/ artist/ 67810/ products/ music/ 601110/ 1/ ) (in

Japanese). Oricon. . Retrieved 2010-06-24.[10] Zdyrko, David (2000-08-15). "IGN: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 162/ 162503p1. html). IGN. . Retrieved

2009-05-13.[11] Sullivan, Meghan (2008-12-18). "IGN: Top Ten JRPG Composers" (http:/ / music. ign. com/ articles/ 937/ 937683p5. html). IGN. .

Retrieved 2009-05-13.[12] Gann, Patrick (2000-09-18). "Chrono Cross Music Selection" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ soundtracks/ ccms/ index. html). RPGFan. .

Retrieved 2009-05-07.[13] Stabler, Brad (2000-11-13). "Chrono Cross Music Selection" (http:/ / www. soundtrackcentral. com/ cds/ chronocross_musicselection. htm).

Soundtrack Central. . Retrieved 2009-05-13.[14] "New Year's News" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20060107065754/ http:/ / www. dengekionline. com/ 2005newyear/ comment/

2004comment02. html). Dengeki Online. 2005. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. dengekionline. com/ 2005newyear/ comment/2004comment02. html) on 2006-01-07. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[15] "N-Sider: PLAY! Concert Interviews" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ articleview. php?articleid=518& page=3). N-Sider. 2006-05-30. .Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[16] Peter, James (2006-10-13). "Yasunori Mitsuda Interview" (http:/ / palgn. com. au/ article. php?id=5478). PAL Gaming Network. . Retrieved2007-05-22.

[17] Gann, Patrick. "Chrono Cross 10th Anniversary Arrange Album Update" (http:/ / rpgfan. com/ news/ 2008/ 1555. html). . Retrieved2008-12-27.

[18] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2009-10-30). "Interview with Yasunori Mitsuda (September / October 2009)" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/features/ interviews/ yasunorimitsuda2. shtml). Square Enix Music Online. . Retrieved 2009-11-05.

[19] Driker, Brandon (2006-05-30). "Play! A Video Game Symphony" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ articleview. php?articleid=518). N-Sider. .Retrieved 2009-04-30.

[20] Johnson, Stephen (2009-04-13). "Video Games Live to play E3" (http:/ / g4tv. com/ thefeed/ blog/ post/ 694671/Video-Games-Live-To-Play-E3. html). G4TV. . Retrieved 2009-04-28.

[21] "Concert program for download" (http:/ / www. symphonicfantasies. com/ post/ 176557691/the-concert-program-for-symphonic-fantasies-is). Symphonic Fantasies. 2009-09-01. . Retrieved 2009-11-02.

[22] "The Concert Programs :: Symphonic Game Music Concerts" (http:/ / www. vgmconcerts. com/ main. php?section=about& subs=theconcert programs& lang=english). Merregnon Studios. . Retrieved 2009-08-11.

[23] Sorlie, Auden (2009-09-17). "Feels Like A Dream: Symphonic Fantasies Report" (http:/ / www. originalsoundversion. com/ ?p=4845).originalsoundversion.com. . Retrieved 2009-09-21.

[24] "Press Start -Symphony of Games- 2008" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ concerts/ pressstart2008. shtml). Square Enix Music Online.. Retrieved 2010-03-25.

[25] "Fantasy Comes Alive :: Report by Between Moments" (http:/ / www. squareenixmusic. com/ features/ reports/ fantasycomesalive. shtml).Square Enix Music Online. . Retrieved 2010-06-09.

Music of ''Chrono Cross'' 45

[26] "PROCYON STORE - Online Catalog" (http:/ / www. procyon-studio. com/ store/ index. html#ccga). Procyon Studio. . Retrieved2009-05-13.

[27] "Album: Chrono Trigger: Radical Dreamers: Thieves of Fate" (http:/ / www. ocremix. org/ album/ 10/ radical-dreamers-thieves-of-fate).OverClocked ReMix. . Retrieved 2009-05-12.

[28] "Game: Chrono Cross (1999, Square, PS1) - Remixes" (http:/ / www. ocremix. org/ game/ chrono-cross-ps1/ ). OverClocked ReMix. .Retrieved 2009-05-07.

[29] http:/ / www. procyon-studio. com/[30] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Music_(Chrono_Cross). html

46

Games

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger

North American box art (Super NES version)Developer(s) Square

TOSE (PS and DS)[1]

Publisher(s) SNES

• JP Square• NA Square Soft, Inc.PlayStation

• JP Square• NA Square Electronic ArtsNintendo DSSquare Enix

Designer(s) Takashi TokitaYoshinori KitaseAkihiko MatsuiYuuji HoriiHironobu Sakaguchi

Artist(s) Akira Toriyama

Writer(s) Masato Kato

Composer(s) Yasunori MitsudaNobuo UematsuNoriko Matsueda

Series Chrono

Platform(s) Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Nintendo DS

Release date(s)

Genre(s) Role-playing

Mode(s) Single-player

''Chrono Trigger'' 47

Rating(s) SNES

• ESRB: K-APlayStation

• CERO: A• ESRB: TNintendo DS

• CERO: A• ESRB: E10+• OFLC: PG• PEGI: 12+

Media 32-megabit ROM cartridge (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), 1 CD-ROM (PlayStation), 128-megabyteNintendo DS Game Card (Nintendo DS)

Input methods Gamepad

Chrono Trigger (クロノ・トリガー) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now SquareEnix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Square re-released a ported version by TOSE in Japanfor Sony's PlayStation in 1999, later repackaged with a Final Fantasy IV port as Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001for the North American market. A slightly enhanced Chrono Trigger was released for the Nintendo DS onNovember 25, 2008, in North America and Japan, and went on sale in Australia on February 3, 2009 and in Europeon February 6, 2009.[2] The game had not been released in PAL territories before the DS version.Chrono Trigger's development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": HironobuSakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, Yuuji Horii, and Akira Toriyama — two freelance designersknown for their work on Enix's Dragon Quest series. Kazuhiko Aoki produced the game.[3] Masato Kato wrote mostof the plot, while composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored most of the game before falling ill and deferring remainingtracks to Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu.[4] [5]

The game's story follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe.Chrono Trigger was well-received by reviewers and commercially successful upon release; it is now considered oneof the greatest games of all time. Nintendo Power magazine described certain aspects of Chrono Trigger asrevolutionary, including its multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focusing on character development, uniquebattle system, and detailed graphics.[6] Chrono Trigger was the third best-selling game of 1995, and the game'sSNES and PSX iterations have shipped 2.65 million copies as of March 31, 2003.[7] [8] Chrono Trigger DS hasshipped 790,000 copies as of March 31, 2009.[9]

GameplayChrono Trigger features standard console role-playing game (RPG) gameplay with several innovations. The playercontrols the protagonist and his companions in the game's two-dimensional fictional world, consisting of variousforests, cities, and dungeons. Navigation occurs via an overworld map, depicting the landscape from a scaled downoverhead view. Areas such as forests, cities, and similar places are depicted as more realistic scaled down maps, inwhich players can converse with locals to procure items and services, solve puzzles and challenges, or encounterenemies. Chrono Trigger's gameplay deviates from that of traditional RPGs in that, rather than appearing in randomencounters, many enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemieson a field map initiates a battle that occurs directly on the map rather than on a separate battle screen.[10]

''Chrono Trigger'' 48

Example of a basic battle

Players and enemies may use physical or magical attacks to woundtargets during battle, and players may use items to heal or protectthemselves. Each character and enemy has a certain number of hitpoints, and successful attacks reduce that character's hit points, whilehit points can be restored with potions and spells. When a playablecharacter loses all hit points, he or she faints; if all the player'scharacters fall in battle, the game ends and must be restored from apreviously saved chapter, except in specific storyline-related battlesthat allow or force the player to lose. Between battles, the player canequip his/her characters with weapons, armor, helmets, and accessoriesthat provide special effects (such as increased attack power or defenseagainst magic), and various consumable items can be used both in and

out of battles. Items and equipment can be purchased in shops or found on field maps, often in treasure chests. Byexploring new areas and fighting enemies, players progress through Chrono Trigger's story.

Chrono Trigger uses an Active Time Battle system—a staple of Square's Final Fantasy game series designed byHiroyuki Itō for Final Fantasy IV—named "Active Time Battle 2.0."[11] Each character can take action in battle oncea personal timer dependent on the character's speed statistic counts to zero. Magic and special physical techniquesare handled through a system called "Techs." Techs deplete a character's magic points (a numerical meter like hitpoints), and often have special areas of effect; some spells damage huddled monsters, while others can harm enemiesspread in a line. Enemies often change positions during battle, creating opportunities for tactical Tech use. A uniquefeature of Chrono Trigger's Tech system is that numerous cooperative techniques exist.[10] Each character receiveseight personal Techs which can be used in conjunction with others' to create Double and Triple Techs for greatereffect. For instance, Crono's sword-spinning Cyclone Tech can be combined with Lucca's Flame Toss to createFlame Whirl. When characters with compatible Techs have enough magic points available to perform theirtechniques, the game automatically displays the combo as an option.Chrono Trigger features several other unique gameplay traits, including time travel. Players have access to seveneras of the game world's history, and past actions affect future events. Throughout history, players find new allies,complete side quests, and search for keynote villains. Time travel is accomplished via portals and pillars of lightcalled "time gates", as well as a time machine named Epoch. The game contains thirteen unique endings; the endingthe player receives depends on when and how he or she reaches and completes the game's final battle.[12] ChronoTrigger DS features a new ending that can be accessed from the End of Time upon completion of the final extradungeon and optional final boss.[13] Chrono Trigger also introduces a New Game+ option; after completing thegame, the player may begin a new game with the same character levels, techniques, and equipment (but not money)that he or she ended the previous game with. Certain items central to the storyline are removed and must be foundagain, such as the sword Masamune. Square has since employed the New Game+ concept in later titles, includingVagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve and Final Fantasy X-2.

Plot

SettingChrono Trigger takes place in an original world similar to Earth, with eras such as the prehistoric age, where early humans and dinosaurs share the earth; the Middle Ages, replete with knights, monsters, and magic; and the post-apocalyptic future, where humans and sentient robots struggle to survive. The characters frequently travel through time to obtain allies, gather equipment, and learn information to help them in their quest. The party also gains access to the End of Time (represented as year ∞), which serves as a hub to travel back to other time periods. The party eventually acquires a time-machine vehicle known as the Wings of Time, nicknamed the Epoch. The

''Chrono Trigger'' 49

vehicle is capable of time travel between any time period without first having to travel to the End of Time.

Characters

Promotional art illustrating Crono, Lucca, andFrog battling Magus

Chrono Trigger's seven playable characters come from different eras inthe game world's history. Chrono Trigger begins in 1000 A.D. withCrono, Marle, and Lucca. Crono is the silent protagonist, characterizedas a fearless young man who wields a katana in battle. Marle (PrincessNadia) lives in Guardia Castle; though sheltered, at heart she's aprincess who enjoys hiding her royal identity. Lucca is a friend ofCrono's and a mechanical genius; her home is filled with laboratoryequipment and machinery. From the era of A.D. 2300 comes Robo, orPrometheus (designation R66-Y), a robot with near-human personalitycreated to assist humans. Laying dormant in the future, Robo is foundand repaired by Lucca. He joins the group out of gratitude.[14] The fiercely confident Ayla dwells in 65,000,000 B.C.Unmatched in raw strength, Ayla is the chief of Ioka Village, and leads her people in war against a species ofhumanoid reptiles known as Reptites.

The last two characters are Frog and Magus. Frog originated in A.D. 600. Frog is a former squire once named Glenn;Magus turned Glenn into an anthropomorphic frog and also slew his friend Cyrus. Chivalrous but mired in regret,Frog dedicates his life to protecting Leene, the queen of Guardia, and avenging Cyrus. Meanwhile, Guardia in A.D.600 is in a state of conflict against the Mystics (known as Fiends in the US/DS port), a race of demons and intelligentanimals. Under the leadership of Magus, a powerful sorcerer, they wage war against humanity. While Magus appearsto be a powerful magician, his seclusion conceals a long-lost past; in the Dark Ages, he was known as Janus, theyoung prince of the Kingdom of Zeal, which was destroyed by Lavos in 12,000 B.C. The incident sent him forwardthrough time, and as he ages, he plots revenge against Lavos and broods over the fate of his sister, Schala.[14] Lavos,who awakens and ravages the world in A.D. 1999, is an extraterrestrial parasitic creature that harvests DNA and theEarth's energy for its own growth.

StoryIn 1000 A.D., Crono and Marle watch Lucca and her father demonstrate her new teleporter at the Millennial Fair.When Marle volunteers to be teleported, her pendant interferes with the device and creates a time portal that she isdrawn into.[15] After Crono and Lucca separately recreate the portal and find themselves in 600 A.D., they findMarle only to see her vanish before their eyes. Lucca realizes that this time period's kingdom has mistaken Marle forher kidnapped ancestor, thus putting off the recovery effort for her ancestor and creating a grandfather paradox.Crono and Lucca, with the help of Frog, restore history to normal by recovering the kidnapped girl. After returningto the present, Crono is arrested on charges of kidnapping the princess and sentenced to death by the currentchancellor of Truce. Lucca and Marle help Crono to flee, haphazardly using another time portal to escape theirpursuers. Upon arriving in the year 2300 A.D., they eventually learn that an advanced civilization has been wipedout by a giant creature known as Lavos that appeared in 1999 A.D.[16] The three vow to find a way to prevent thedestruction of their world. After meeting and repairing Robo, Crono and his friends find Gaspar, an old sage at theEnd of Time, who helps them acquire magical powers and travel through time by way of several pillars of light.Their party expands to include Ayla and Frog after they visit the prehistoric era to repair Frog's sword. They challenge Magus in 600 A.D., believing him to be the source of Lavos; a summoning spell causes a time gate after the battle that throws Crono and his friends to the past.[17] In prehistory, Crono, Ayla, and the others battle the Reptites and witness the origin of Lavos. They learn that Lavos was an alien being that arrived on the planet millions of years in the past, and began to absorb DNA and energy from every living creature before arising and razing the planet's surface in 1999 A.D. so that it could spawn a new generation. In 12,000 B.C., Crono and friends find that the

''Chrono Trigger'' 50

Kingdom of Zeal recently discovered Lavos and seeks to drain its power to achieve immortality through theMammon Machine. However Zeal's leader, Queen Zeal, banishes them from the realm and seals the time gate theyused to travel to the Dark Ages. They travel next to 2300 A.D. to find a time machine called the Wings of Time (orEpoch), which can access any time period without using a time gate. They travel back to Zeal for the MammonMachine's activation at the Ocean Palace. Lavos awakens, disturbed by the Mammon Machine, and the prophetreveals himself to be Magus and tries to kill the creature.[18] Crono stands up to Lavos but is vaporized by a powerfulblast, after which Lavos destroys Zeal.Crono's friends awake in a village and find Magus, who confesses that he was prince Janus of Zeal.[19] In hismemories, the disaster at the Ocean Palace scattered the Gurus of Zeal across time and sent him to the Middle Ages.Janus took the alias of Magus and gained a cult of followers while plotting to summon and kill Lavos in revenge forthe death of his sister, Schala. As Crono's friends depart, the Ocean Palace rises into the air as the Black Omen. Thegroup turns to Gaspar for help, and he gives them a "Chrono Trigger", an egg-shaped device that allows the group toreplace Crono just before the moment of death with a Dopple Doll. Crono and his friends then gather power byhelping people across time with Gaspar's instructions.[20] Their journeys involve defeating the remnants of theMystics,[21] stopping Robo's maniacal AI creator,[22] addressing Frog's feelings towards Cyrus,[23] locating andcharging up the mythical Sun Stone, retrieving the Rainbow Shell, and helping restore a forest destroyed by a desertmonster.[24] The group enters the Black Omen and defeats Queen Zeal, then successfully battles Lavos, saving thefuture of their world.If Magus joined the party, he departs to search for Schala. Crono's mother accidentally enters the time gate at the fairbefore it closes, prompting Crono, Marle, and Lucca to set out in the Epoch to find her while fireworks light up thenight sky.[25] Alternatively, if the party used the Epoch to break Lavos's outer shell, Marle will help her father hangNadia's bell at the festival and accidentally get carried away by several balloons. Crono jumps on to help her, butcannot bring them down to earth. Hanging on in each others arms, the pair travel through the cloudy, moonlit sky.Chrono Trigger DS added two new scenarios to the game.[13] In the first, Crono and his friends can help a "lostsanctum" of Reptites, who reward powerful items and armor. The second scenario adds ties to Trigger's sequel,Chrono Cross.[13] In a New Game +, the group can explore several temporal distortions to combat shadow versionsof Crono, Marle, and Lucca, and to fight Dalton, who promises in defeat to raise an army in the town of Porre todestroy the Kingdom of Guardia.[26] The group can then fight the Dream Devourer, a prototypical form of the TimeDevourer—a fusion of Schala and Lavos seen in Chrono Cross. A version of Magus pleads with Schala to resist;though she recognizes him as her brother, she refuses to be helped and sends him away. Magus subsequently eraseshis memories and awakens in a forest, determined to find what he had lost.[27]

Development historyChrono Trigger was conceived in 1992 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, producer and creator of the Final Fantasy series; Yuuji Horii, director and creator of the Dragon Quest series; and Akira Toriyama, famous manga artist and creator of the Dragon Ball series.[28] Traveling to America to research computer graphics, the three decided to create something that "no one had done before."[28] After spending over a year considering the difficulties of developing a new game, they received a call from Kazuhiko Aoki, who offered to produce.[28] The four met and spent four days brainstorming ideas for the game.[28] Aoki ultimately produced Chrono Trigger, while director credits were attributed to Akihiko Matsui, Yoshinori Kitase and Takashi Tokita. Toriyama designed the game's aesthetic, including characters, monsters, vehicles, and the look of each era.[28] Masato Kato also contributed character ideas and designs.[13] The development staff studied the drawings of Toriyama to approximate his style.[29] Sakaguchi and Horii supervised; Sakaguchi was responsible for the game's overall system and contributed several monster ideas.[28] [29] The game was originally developed without involvement from Tokita and Kitase, who had been busy directing Final Fantasy VII. Other notable designers include Tetsuya Takahashi, the graphic director, and Yasuyuki Honne, Tetsuya Nomura, and Yusuke Naora, who worked as field graphic artists.[30] Yasuhika Kamata programmed

''Chrono Trigger'' 51

graphics, and cited Ridley Scott's visual work in the film Alien as an inspiration for the game's lighting.[31] Kamatamade the game's luminosity and color choice lay between that of Secret of Mana and the Final Fantasy series.[31]

Hironobu Sakaguchi, part of the "Dream Team"

Yuji Horii, a fan of time travel fiction (such as the TV series TimeTunnel), fostered a theme of time travel in his general story outline ofChrono Trigger with input from Akira Toriyama.[32] [33] Horii likedthe scenario of the grandfather paradox surrounding Marle.[29]

Concerning story planning, Horii commented, "If there’s a fairground, Ijust write that there’s a fairground; I don’t write down any of thedetails. Then the staff brainstorm and come up with a variety ofattractions to put in."[29] Sakaguchi contributed some minor elements,including the character Gato; he liked Marle's drama and reconciliationwith her father.[29] Masato Kato subsequently edited and completed theoutline by writing the majority of the game's story, including all theevents of the 12,000 B.C. era.[4] Kato and other developers held aseries of meetings to ensure continuity, usually attended by around 30personnel.[31] Kato devised the system of multiple endings because hecould not branch the story out to different paths.[34] Yoshinori Kitaseand Takashi Tokita then wrote various subplots.[4] Kato became friendswith composer Yasunori Mitsuda during development, and they wouldcollaborate on several future projects.[4] Katsuhisa Higuchiprogrammed the battle system, which hosted combat on the mapwithout transition to a special battleground as most previous Square games had done.[31] Higuchi noted extremedifficulty in loading battles properly without slow-downs or a brief, black loading screen.[31] The game's use ofanimated monster sprites consumed much more memory than previous Final Fantasy games, which used staticenemy graphics.[31]

Hironobu Sakaguchi likened the development of Chrono Trigger to "play[ing] around with Toriyama's universe,"citing the inclusion of humorous sequences in the game that would have been "impossible with something like FinalFantasy."[29] When Square Co. suggested a non-human player character, developers created Frog by adapting one ofToriyama's sketches.[29] The team created the End of Time to help players with hints, worrying that they mightbecome stuck and need to consult a walkthrough.[29] The game's testers had previously complained that ChronoTrigger was too difficult; as Horii explained, "It's because we know too much. The developers think the game's justright; that they’re being too soft. They're thinking from their own experience. The puzzles were the same. Lots ofplayers didn’t figure out things we thought they’d get easily."[29] Sakaguchi later cited the unusual desire of betatesters to play the game a second time as an affirmation of the New Game + feature: "Wherever we could, we tried tomake it so that a slight change in your behavior caused subtle differences in people’s reactions, even down to thesmallest details...I think the second playthrough will hold a whole new interest."[29] The game's reuse of locationsdue to time traveling made bug-fixing difficult, as corrections would cause unintended consequences in othereras.[31]

Original releaseThe team planned to release Chrono Trigger in late 1994, but release was pushed back to the following year.[29]

Early alpha versions of Chrono Trigger were demonstrated at the 1994 and 1995 V-Jump festivals in Japan.[35] A few months prior to the game's release, Square shipped a beta version to magazine reviewers and game stores for review. An unfinished build of the game dated November 17, 1994, it contains unused music tracks, locations, and other features changed or removed from the final release—such as a dungeon named "Singing Mountain" and its eponymous tune.[36] [37] Some names also differed; the character Soysaw (Slash in the US version) was known as

''Chrono Trigger'' 52

Wiener, while Mayonnay (Flea in the US version) was named Ketchappa.[38] The ROM image for this early versionwas eventually uploaded to the internet, prompting fans to explore and document the game's differences, includingtwo unused world map NPC character sprites and presumed additional sprites for certain non-player characters.[36]

Around the game's release, Yuji Horii commented that Chrono Trigger "went beyond [the development team's]expectations," and Hironobu Sakaguchi congratulated the game's graphic artists and field designers.[29] Sakaguchiintended to perfect the "sense of dancing you get from exploring Toriyama's worlds" in the event that they wouldmake a sequel.[29]

Chrono Trigger used a 32-megabit cartridge with battery-backed RAM for saved games, lacking special on-cartridgecoprocessors. The Japanese release of Chrono Trigger included art for the game's ending and running counts ofitems in the player's status menu.[39] Developers created the North American version before adding these features tothe original build, inadvertently leaving in vestiges of Chrono Trigger's early development (such as the piece"Singing Mountain").[39] Hironobu Sakaguchi asked translator Ted Woolsey to localize Chrono Trigger for Englishaudiences and gave him roughly thirty days to work.[40] Lacking the help of a modern translation team, hememorized scenarios and looked at drafts of commercial player's guides to put dialogue in context.[40] Woolsey laterreflected that he would have preferred two-and-a-half months, and blames his rushed schedule on the prevailingattitude in Japan that games were children's toys rather than serious works.[40] Some of his work was cut due to spaceconstraints, though he still considered Trigger "one of the most satisfying games I ever worked on or played."[40] [41]

Nintendo of America censored certain dialogue, including references to breastfeeding, consumption of alcohol, andreligion.[39] Square shipped Trigger with two world maps, and Japanese buyers who preordered receivedholographic foil cards.

Ayla, as shown in an animated cut scene in thePlayStation release

PlayStation release

Square released an enhanced port of Chrono Trigger developed byTOSE in Japan for the Sony PlayStation in 1999. Square timed itsrelease before that of Chrono Cross, the 1999 sequel to ChronoTrigger, to familiarize new players with story leading up to it.[33] Thisversion included anime cut scenes created by original characterdesigner Akira Toriyama's Bird Studio and animated by ToeiAnimation, as well as several bonus features, accessible after achievingvarious endings in the game. Scenarist Masato Kato attended planningmeetings at Bird Studio to discuss how the ending cut scenes would

illustrate subtle ties to Chrono Cross.[33] The port was later released in North America in 2001—along with aremastered version of Final Fantasy IV—under the package title Final Fantasy Chronicles. Reviewers criticizedChronicles for lengthy load times and an absence of new in-game features.[42] [43]

Nintendo DS releaseOn July 2, 2008, Square Enix announced that they were officially planning to bring Chrono Trigger to the NintendoDS handheld platform. A Nintendo Power reader poll conducted in April 2008 had identified Chrono Trigger as thethird-most wanted game for the Virtual Console.[44] Composer Yasunori Mitsuda was pleased with the project,exclaiming "finally!" after receiving the news from Square Enix and maintaining, "it's still a very deep, veryhigh-quality game even when you play it today. I'm very interested in seeing what kids today think about it whenthey play it."[45] Square Enix touted the game by displaying Akira Toriyama's original art at the 2008 Tokyo GameShow.[46]

The DS re-release contains all of the bonus material from the PlayStation port, as well as other enhancements.[47]

The added features include a more accurate translation by Tom Slattery, a dual-screen mode which clears the top screen of all menus, a self-completing map screen, and a default "run" option.[48] Masato Kato participated in

''Chrono Trigger'' 53

development, overseeing the addition of the monster-battling Arena,[49] two new areas, the Lost Sanctum and theDimensional Vortex, and a new ending that further foreshadows the events of Chrono Cross.[50] One of the areaswithin the Vortex uses the "Singing Mountain" song that was featured on the original Chrono Trigger soundtrack.These new dungeons met with mixed reviews; GameSpot called them "frustrating" and "repetitive", while IGN notedthat "the extra quests in the game connect extremely well."[51] [52] It was a nominee for "Best RPG for the NintendoDS" in IGN's 2008 video game awards.[53] The Nintendo DS version of Chrono Trigger was the 22nd best-sellinggame of 2008 in Japan.[54]

MusicChrono Trigger was scored primarily by Yasunori Mitsuda, as well as veteran Final Fantasy composer NobuoUematsu, with one track composed by both Uematsu and Noriko Matsueda. A sound programmer at the time,Mitsuda was unhappy with his pay and threatened to leave Square if he could not compose music.[5] HironobuSakaguchi suggested he score Chrono Trigger, remarking, "maybe your salary will go up."[55] Mitsuda composednew music and drew on a personal collection of songs composed over the previous two years.[13] He reflected, "Iwanted to create music that wouldn't fit into any established genre...music of an imaginary world. The game'sdirector, Masato Kato, was my close friend, and so I'd always talk with him about the setting and the scene beforegoing into writing."[5] Mitsuda slept in his studio several nights, and attributed certain songs—such as the game'sending theme, To Far Away Times—to inspiring dreams.[55] He later attributed this song to an idea he wasdeveloping before Chrono Trigger, reflecting that the song was made in dedication to "a certain person with whom Iwanted to share a generation."[56] He also tried to use leitmotifs of the Chrono Trigger main theme to create a senseof consistency in the soundtrack.[57] Mitsuda wrote each song to be around two minutes long before repeating,unusual for Square's games at the time.[31] Mitsuda suffered a hard drive crash that lost around forty in-progresstracks.[45] After Mitsuda contracted stomach ulcers, Uematsu joined the project to compose ten songs and finish thescore.[5] Mitsuda returned to watch the ending with the staff before the game's release, crying upon seeing thefinished scene.[45]

Yasunori Mitsuda, the main composer of thegame

At the time of the game's release, the number of tracks and soundeffects was unprecedented—the soundtrack spanned three discs in its1995 commercial pressing.[6] Square also released a one-disc acid jazzarrangement called "The Brink of Time" by Guido that year. The Brinkof Time came about because Mitsuda wanted to do something that noone else was doing, and he noted that acid jazz and its related genreswere uncommon in the Japanese market.[57] Mitsuda considers ChronoTrigger a landmark title which helped mature his talent.[58] WhileMitsuda later held that the title piece was "rough around the edges," hemaintains that it had "significant influence on my life as acomposer."[56] In 1999, Square produced another one-disc soundtrackto complement the PlayStation release of Trigger, featuring orchestraltracks used in cut scenes. Tsuyoshi Sekito composed four new piecesfor the game's bonus features which weren't included on thesoundtrack.[57] Some fans were displeased by Mitsuda's absence increating the port, whose instruments sometimes aurally differed from

the original game's.[57] Recently, Mitsuda arranged versions of music from the Chrono series for Play! video gamemusic concerts, presenting the main theme, Frog's Theme, and To Far Away Times.[59] He worked with Square Enixto ensure that the Nintendo DS Chrono Trigger port's music would sound close to the Super Nintendo version's.[45]

Mitsuda encouraged feedback about the game's soundtrack from contemporary children (who he thought would

''Chrono Trigger'' 54

expect "full symphonic scores blaring out of the speakers").[13] Fans who preordered Chrono Trigger DS received aspecial music disc containing two orchestral arrangements of Chrono Trigger music directed by Natsumi Kameoka;Square Enix also held a random prize drawing for two signed copies of Chrono Trigger sheet music.[57] [60] Mitsudaexpressed difficulty in selecting the songs for the orchestral medley, eventually picking a song from each era andcertain character themes.[56] Mitsuda later wrote:

“I feel that the way we interact with music has changed greatly in the last 13 years, even for me. For better or for worse, I think it would beextremely difficult to create something as "powerful" as I did 13 years ago today. But instead, all that I have learned in these 13 years allowsme to compose something much more intricate. To be perfectly honest, I find it so hard to believe that songs from 13 years ago are loved thismuch. Keeping these feelings in mind, I hope to continue composing songs which are powerful, and yet intricate...I hope that the extras likethis bonus CD will help expand the world of Chrono Trigger, especially since we did a live recording. I hope there's another opportunity torelease an album of this sort one day.[56] ”

Fans have heavily remixed the soundtrack, producing over 700 tributes and several cover performance albumsreleased over the internet or sold at retail.[61] These include Time & Space - A Tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda andChrono Symphonic, the latter released by the remix website OverClocked ReMix.[62] Japanese fans often sell theirremix work in compilation albums popularly called "Dōjin" by Western fans.[61] Music from Chrono Trigger wasperformed live by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1996 at the Orchestral Game Concert in Tokyo, Japan. A suiteof music including Chrono Trigger is a part of the symphonic world-tour with video game music Play! A VideoGame Symphony, where Mitsuda was in attendance for the concert's world-premiere in Chicago on May 27, 2006.His suite of Chrono music, comprising "Reminiscence", "Chrono Trigger", "Chrono Cross~Time's Scar", "Frog'sTheme", and "To Far Away Times" was performed. Mitsuda has also appeared with the Eminence SymphonyOrchestra as a special guest.[63] Video Games Live has also featured medleys from Chrono Trigger and ChronoCross.[64] Music from Chrono Trigger will be an important part of the Symphonic Fantasies concerts in September2009 which are being produced by the creators of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series, conducted by ArnieRoth.[65] Square re-released the game's soundtrack and a video interview with Yasunori Mitsuda in July 2009.[66]

ReceptionReception

Review scores Publication Score

DS SNES

ElectronicGaming Monthly

A[67] 9.25 / 10[68]

Eurogamer 10 / 10[69]

Game Informer 9 / 10[70]

GamePro 5 / 5[71] 5 / 5[72]

GameSpot 8.5 / 10[73]

IGN 8.8 / 10[52]

Nintendo Power 9 / 10[74] 4.08 / 5[75]

Aggregate scores GameRankings 92.4%[76] 95.1%[77]

GameStats 93%[78] 97%[79]

''Chrono Trigger'' 55

The game's SNES and PS1 iterations have shipped more than 2.36 million copies in Japan and 290,000 abroad.[8]

The first two million copies sold in Japan were delivered in only two months.[80] Chrono Trigger ended 1995 as thethird best-selling game of the year behind Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy'sKong Quest.[7] The game was met with substantial success upon release in North America, and its rerelease on thePlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles package topped the NPD TRSTS PlayStation sales charts forover six weeks.[81] [82] [83] This version was later re-released again in 2003 as part of Sony's Greatest Hits line.Chrono Trigger DS has shipped 490,000 copies in Japan, 240,000 in North America and 60,000 in Europe as ofMarch 2009.[9] Chrono Trigger has recently placed highly on all six of multimedia website IGN's "top 100 games ofall time" lists—4th in 2002, 6th in early 2005, 13th in late 2005, 2nd in 2006, 18th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008.[84] [85]

[86] GameSpot included Chrono Trigger in "The Greatest Games of All Time" list released in April 2006, and it alsoappeared as 28th on an "All Time Top 100" list in a poll conducted by Japanese magazine Famitsu the same year.[87]

[88] In 2004, Chrono Trigger finished runner up to Final Fantasy VII in the inaugural GameFAQs video game battle.In 2008, readers of Dengeki Online voted it the eighth best game ever made.[89] Nintendo Power's twentiethanniversary issue named it the fifth best Super Nintendo game.[90]

Chrono Trigger garnered much critical praise in addition to its brisk sales. Nintendo Power called it Square's"biggest game ever", citing improved graphics, sound, and gameplay over past RPG titles. Chrono Trigger wonmultiple awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1995 video game awards, including Best Role-Playing Game,Best Music in a Cartridge-Based Game, and Best Super NES Game.[91] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazinedescribed Trigger as "original and extremely captivating", singling out its graphics, sound and story as particularlyimpressive.[6] [42] IGN commented that "it may be filled with every imaginable console RPG cliché, but ChronoTrigger manages to stand out among the pack" with "a [captivating] story that doesn't take itself too serious [sic]"and "one of the best videogame soundtracks ever produced".[82] Other reviewers (such as the staff of RPGFan andRPGamer) have criticized the game's short length and relative ease compared to its peers.[83] [92] Overall, criticslauded Chrono Trigger for its "fantastic yet not overly complex" story, simple but innovative gameplay, and highreplay value afforded by multiple endings. Online score aggregator Game Rankings lists the original Super Nintendoversion as the 25th highest scoring game ever reviewed. In 2009, Guiness World Records listed it as the 32nd mostinfluential video game in history.[93] Nintendo Power listed the ending to Chrono Trigger as one of the greatestendings in Nintendo history, due to the more than a dozen endings that players can experience.[94]

LegacyChrono Trigger inspired several sequels and expansion packs or add-ons; the first were three titles released for theSatellaview in 1995. They included Chrono Trigger: Jet Bike Special, a racing game based on a minigame from theoriginal; Chrono Trigger: Character Library, featuring profiles on characters and monsters from the game; andChrono Trigger: Music Library, a collection of music from the game's soundtrack. The contents of CharacterLibrary and Music Library were later included as extras in the PlayStation rerelease of Chrono Trigger. ProductionI.G created a 16-minute OVA entitled "Nuumamonja: Time and Space Adventures" broadcasted at the JapaneseV-Jump Festival of July 31, 1996.[95] [96]

FangamesThere have been two notable attempts by Chrono Trigger fans to unofficially remake parts of the game for PC with a 3D graphics engine. Chrono Resurrection, an attempt at remaking ten small interactive cut scenes from Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Trigger Remake Project, which sought to remake the entire game,[97] [98] were forcibly terminated by Square Enix by way of a cease and desist order.[99] [100] [101] [102] Another group of fans created a sequel via a ROM hack of Chrono Trigger called Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes; developed from 2004–2009; although feature-length and virtually finished, it also was terminated through a cease & desist letter days before its May 2009 release. The letter also banned the dissemination of existing Chrono Trigger ROM hacks and

''Chrono Trigger'' 56

documentation.[103]

SequelsSquare released a fourth Satellaview game in 1996, named Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki. Feeling thatTrigger ended with "unfinished business", scenarist Masato Kato wrote and directed the game.[33] Dreamersfunctioned as a side story to Chrono Trigger, resolving a loose subplot from its predecessor.[34] A short, text-basedgame relying on minimal graphics and atmospheric music, the game never received an official release outsideJapan—though it was translated by fans to English in April 2003.[104] Square planned to release Radical Dreamersas an easter egg in the PlayStation edition of Chrono Trigger, but Kato was unhappy with his work and halted itsinclusion.[33]

Square released Chrono Cross for the Sony PlayStation in 1999. Cross is a sequel to Chrono Trigger featuring a newsetting and cast of characters.[105] Presenting a theme of parallel worlds, the story followed the protagonist Serge—ateenage boy thrust into an alternate reality in which he died years earlier. With the help of a thief named Kid, Sergeendeavors to discover the truth behind his apparent death and obtain the Frozen Flame, a mythical artifact.[105]

Regarded by writer and director Masato Kato as an effort to "redo Radical Dreamers properly", Chrono Crossborrowed certain themes, scenarios, characters, and settings from Dreamers.[34] Yasunori Mitsuda also adaptedcertain songs from Radical Dreamers while scoring Cross.[106] Radical Dreamers was consequently removed fromthe series' main continuity, considered an alternate dimension.[107] Chrono Cross shipped 1.5 million copies and wasalmost universally praised by critics.[8] [108] [109]

There are no plans for a new title, despite a statement from Hironobu Sakaguchi in 2001 that the developers ofChrono Cross wanted to make a new Chrono game.[110] The same year, Square applied for a trademark for thenames Chrono Break in the United States and Chrono Brake in Japan. However, the United States trademark wasdropped in 2003.[111] Director Takashi Tokita mentioned "Chrono Trigger 2" in a 2003 interview which has not beentranslated to English.[112] Yuji Horii expressed no interest in returning to the Chrono franchise in 2005, whileHironobu Sakaguchi remarked in April 2007 that his creation Blue Dragon was an "extension of [ChronoTrigger]."[113] [114] During a Cubed³ interview on February 1, 2007, Square Enix’s Senior Vice President HiromichiTanaka said that although no sequel is currently planned, some sort of sequel is still possible if the Chrono Crossdevelopers can be reunited.[115] Yasunori Mitsuda has expressed interest in scoring a new game, but warned that"there are a lot of politics involved" with the series. He stressed that Masato Kato should participate indevelopment.[55] The February 2008 issue of Game Informer ranked the Chrono series eighth among the "Top TenSequels in Demand", naming the games "steadfast legacies in the Square Enix catalogue" and asking, "what's thedamn holdup?!"[116] In Electronic Gaming Monthly's June 2008 "Retro Issue", writer Jeremy Parish cited Chrono asthe franchise video game fans would be most thrilled to see a sequel to.[117] In the first May Famitsu of 2009,Chrono Trigger placed 14th out of 50 in a vote of most-wanted sequels by the magazine's readers.[118] At E3 2009,SE Senior Vice President Shinji Hashimoto remarked, "If people want a sequel, they should buy more!"[119]

In July 2010, Feargus Urquhart, replying to an interview question about what franchises he would like to work on,said that "if [he] could come across everything that [he] played", he would choose a Chrono Trigger game.Currently, Urquhart's company Obsidian Entertainment is making Dungeon Siege III for Square Enix. Urquhart said:"You make RPGs, we make RPGs, it would be great to see what we could do together. And they really wanted tostart getting into Western RPGs. And, so it kind of all ended up fitting together".[120] [121]

''Chrono Trigger'' 57

External links• Official Japanese Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS website [122]

• Official North American Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS website [123]

• Chrono Trigger [124] at Nintendo.com (archives [125] of the original [55] at the Internet Archive)• Chrono Trigger [126] at the Open Directory Project• Chrono Compendium [127], a series encyclopedia

References[1] "Nintendo Power Holiday 2008". Nintendo Power 236: p. 82. 2008.[2] "Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS" (http:/ / na. square-enix. com/ ctds/ ). Square Enix. . Retrieved 2009-02-16.[3] Square Co.. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1995-08-22) "Keizo Kokubo: Well then, open the Gates

to the Dream Team! ... / Developer's Ending: Cheers! You made it to one of the endings! You're now a member of the Dream Team!"[4] "Procyon Studio: Interview with Masato Kato" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Procyon_Studio. html). Cocoebiz.com.

November 1999. Archived from the original (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/ friends/ kato. html) on 2009-08-10. . Retrieved June 3, 2007.[5] Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1.[6] "Epic Center: Chrono Trigger". Nintendo Power 74:  52. July 1995.[7] "販売本数ランキング" (http:/ / gameranking. jp/ ranking-sale/ ?0+ 1995). ゲームランキング. . Retrieved 2009-04-28.[8] "February 2, 2004 - February 4, 2004" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ jp/ ir/ e/ explanatory/ download/ 0404-200402090000-01.

pdf#page=27) (PDF). Square Enix. 2004-02-09. p. 27. . Retrieved 2008-11-30.[9] "Results Briefing Session for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2009" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ eng/ pdf/ news/ 20090525_01en.

pdf#page=7) (PDF). Square Enix. 2009-05-25. p. 28. . Retrieved 2010-07-16.[10] "Epic Center: Chrono Trigger". Nintendo Power 74:  53. July 1995.[11] Square Co.. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1995-08-22) "Menu screen: Active Time Battle 2.0"[12] "Chrono Trigger: A New Standard for RPGs". Nintendo Power 73:  37. June 1995.[13] Studio BentStuff, ed (2009) (in Japanese). Chrono Trigger Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Supporting_Material_Translation. html#Chrono_Trigger_Ultimania). Square Enix. p. 581. ISBN 978-4757524699. .[14] Final Fantasy Chronicles instruction manual. Square Enix. 2001. pp.  32–33. SLUS-01363.[15] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Leene Square. (1995-08-22) "Taban: What's

going on Lucca? WHERE IS SHE? / Lucca: The way she disappeared... It couldn't have been the Telepod! The warp field seemed to beaffected by her pendant..."

[16] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Arris Dome. (1995-08-22) "Marle: Say, whatdoes this button do? / Lucca: 1999 A.D.? Visual record of The Day of Lavos... / 'Marle: Wh, what...IS that? / Lucca: Lavos?... Is that what'sdestroying our world?! / Marle: We must truly be in the future..."

[17] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Heckran Cave. (1995-08-22) "Heckran: Ifonly the great Magus who brought forth Lavos 400 years ago, had destroyed the human race!"

[18] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Heckran Cave. (1995-08-22) "Magus: I'vewaited for this... I've been waiting for you, Lavos. I swore long ago... that I'd destroy you! No matter what the price! It is time to fulfill thatvow. Feel my wrath, Lavos!! ... / Magus: Aaah!! My powers are being drained!"

[19] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: North Cape. (1995-08-22) "Magus: Behold.Everything's at the bottom of the sea. Gone is the magical kingdom of Zeal, and all the dreams and ambitions of its people. I once lived there...But I was another person then. ... / Marle: You're... ...Janus, aren't you? ... / Magus: Ever since Lavos's time portal stranded me in the MiddleAges... I have waited to even the score."

[20] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: The End of Time. (1995-08-22) "Gaspar:Just as you touch the lives of every life form you meet, so, too, will their energy strengthen you."

[21] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Ozzie's Fort. (1995-08-22) "Ozzie: Magus!You lied when you said you wanted to create a world of evil! You used me! / Magus: Oh, how dreadful. Say, can you hear that? It's the soundof the Reaper..."

[22] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Geno Dome. (1995-08-22) "Mother Brain:Listen well humans. ... / Mother Brain: We robots will create a new order... A nation of steel, and pure logic. A true paradise! Our «Species»will replace you... So stop your foolish struggle, and succumb to the sleep of eternity... ... / Marle: What IS this?! We have to do something! /Magus: Hmm... A human processing plant? / Frog: What be this?! We must rescue them!"

[23] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Northern Ruins. (1995-08-22) "Frog: DearCyrus... Thou must...think ill of me. / Cyrus: On the contrary! You have come far, my friend. When Magus defeated me, I thought of all thosewhom I had left behind. King Guardia, Queen Leene, and of course, you... Your skill and dedication is superior! I can rest now, knowing thateveryone is in good hands. Good bye, my friend!"

''Chrono Trigger'' 58

[24] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Fiona's Forest. (1995-08-22) "Robo: After400 years of experience, I have come to think that Lavos may not be responsible for the Gates. / Marle: What do you mean? / Robo: I havecome to think that someone, or something wanted us to see all this."

[25] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Level/area: Leene Square. (1995-08-22) "Mom: Look,Crono! Your cat's running away because you haven't been feeding it! Hey, come back here! / Marle: Oh, great! Crono, that Gate will neveropen again! / Lucca: Well it looks like we have no choice but to go after them! / Marle: Go after them?! But the Gate's... Lucca, don't turn offyour brain, yet! / Lucca: I forgot! We have a Time Machine!"

[26] Square Enix. Chrono Trigger DS. (Square Enix). Nintendo DS. Level/area: Twilight Grotto. (2008-11-25) "Dalton: If it weren't for you, I'dhave been the ruler of an age all my own! You robbed me of everything I'd worked so hard for! My wealth, my home, my loyal underlings…You took it all away! It's unforgivable! So come on! Have a taste of the suffering I've endured because of you! / Dalton: Hmph. I think that'senough for today. But don't you dare think this is settled! Just you wait! I'll raise the greatest army the world has ever seen in Porre, and use itto wipe your pitiful little kingdom off the map!"

[27] Square Enix. Chrono Trigger DS. (Square Enix). Nintendo DS. Level/area: Twilight Grotto. (2008-11-25) "Magus: Hmph. If this is to bethe way of things, then let me abandon all that was and fade away as well. Should a part of me somehow even then remain, then perhaps thatwill be the birth of something new—something with greater meaning than all this. / Magus: Who…who am I? What's happened? I…I don'tremember anything. There was something…something I needed to do. Something I needed to…to find. / Magus: I must find a way toremember. I will."

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[34] "Weekly Famitsu" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Weekly_Famitsu. html). Chrono Compendium. 1999. . Retrieved July 3,2006.

[35] "Alpha Versions" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Alpha_Version_Screenshot. html). Chrono Compendium. . RetrievedJanuary 14, 2008.

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html?om_act=convert& om_clk=gssummary& tag=summary;read-review). GameSpot. . Retrieved 2008-12-08.[74] Hoffman, Chris (December 2008). "Chrono Trigger review". Nintendo Power (236): 82.[75] Swan, Leslie (August 1995). "Chrono Trigger review". Nintendo Power (75): 107.[76] "Chrono Trigger Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages2/ 950181. asp). Game Rankings. 2008. . Retrieved 2008-12-08.[77] "Chrono Trigger Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages2/ 563538. asp). Game Rankings. 2008. . Retrieved 2009-01-07.[78] "Chrono Trigger Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamestats. com/ objects/ 142/ 14263600/ index. html). GameStats. 2009. . Retrieved 2009-03-26.[79] "Chrono Trigger Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamestats. com/ objects/ 006/ 006858/ index. html). GameStats. 2009. . Retrieved 2009-03-26.[80] "Chrono Trigger: A New Standard for RPGs". Nintendo Power 73:  36. June 1995.[81] Game Rankings staff, ed. "Chrono Trigger Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages2/ 563538. asp). Game Rankings. .

Retrieved May 7, 2006.[82] IGN staff (July 4, 2001). "IGN: Final Fantasy Chronicles Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 166/ 166322p1. html). IGN. . Retrieved

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[84] IGN staff (2006). "The Top 100 Games Ever" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2006/ 001-010. html). IGN. . Retrieved August 8, 2007.[85] IGN staff (2007). "The Top 100 Games Ever" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2007/ ign_top_game_18. html). IGN. . Retrieved February 2, 2008.[86] IGN staff (2008). "IGN Top 100 Games 2008 – 2 Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2008/ ign_top_game_2. html). IGN. .

Retrieved March 13, 2009.[87] GameSpot editorial team, ed (2006-04-17). "The Greatest Games of All Time" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ gamespot/ features/ all/

greatestgames/ index. html). GameSpot. . Retrieved May 6, 2006.[88] Campbell, Colin (March 3, 2006). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100" (http:/ / www. edge-online. com/ features/

japan-votes-all-time-top-100). Edge online. . Retrieved October 2, 2008.[89] Ashcraft, Brian (March 6, 2008). "Dengeki Readers Say Fav 2007 Game, Fav of All Time" (http:/ / kotaku. com/ 364353/

dengeki-readers-say-fav-2007-game-fav-of-all-time). Kotaku. . Retrieved March 29, 2008.[90] "Best of the Best". Nintendo Power (Future US) 231:  73. August 2008.[91] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide. 1996.[92] Bahamut (October 30, 2001). "RPGFan Reviews - Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ reviews/ chronotrigger/ Chrono_Trigger-6.

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super-mario-kart-most-influential-video-game-in-history). Kotaku. . Retrieved February 27, 2009.[94] Nintendo Power 250th issue!. South San Francisco, California: Future US. 2010. pp. 46.[95] Production I.G staff. "時空冒険ぬうまもんじゃ～" (http:/ / www. production-ig. co. jp/ contents/ works_sp/ 0330_/ index. html) (in

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Production I.G. . Retrieved 2007-05-20.[97] Chrono Trigger: Resurrection staff (2004-09-06). "Project discontinued" (http:/ / www. opcoder. com/ projects/ chrono/ ). Chrono Trigger:

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com/ do/ feature?pager. offset=6& cId=3148820). 1UP.com. . Retrieved November 9, 2006.[102] Shoemaker, Brad (April 17, 2006). "The Greatest Games of All Time: Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ features/ 6147770/

index. html). IGN. . Retrieved November 9, 2006.[103] ZeaLitY (May 9, 2009). "Crimson Echoes" (http:/ / crimsonechoes. com/ ). . Retrieved May 9, 2009.[104] "Chrono Trigger 2: Radical Dreamers" (http:/ / radicaldreamers. sourceforge. net/ ). Demiforce. April 15, 2003. . Retrieved July 2, 2006.[105] Vestal, Andrew (January 6, 2000). "Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronocross/ review. html). GameSpot. .

Retrieved July 24, 2006.[106] "Chrono Cross OST Liner Notes" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Music_(Chrono_Cross). html). Chrono Compendium.

December 18, 2000. . Retrieved July 24, 2006.[107] Kid: Radical Dreamers...!? And me name's on here, too! What the bloody hell is goin' on? ... / Kid: ......This seems to be an archive from a

different time than our own. Aside from the two worlds we already know about...there may be other worlds and times which exist... SquareCo. Chrono Cross. (Square EA). PlayStation. (2000-08-15)

[108] "Game Rankings: Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages4/ 196917. asp). Game Rankings. . Retrieved July 27, 2007.[109] "Rotten Tomatoes: Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. rottentomatoes. com/ g/ playstation/ chrono_cross/ ). Rotten Tomatoes. . Retrieved July

27, 2007.[110] Shahed Ahmed (2001-07-03). "New Chrono game in planning stages" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ news/ 2782608. html?q=chrono).

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Retrieval. 2003-11-13. . Retrieved July 1, 2006.[112] "【ゲームな人々】第11回 長きに渡って活躍する凄腕プロデューサー 時田貴司氏(後編)" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/

20060307204754/ http:/ / game. goo. ne. jp/ contents/ news/ NGN20030716exp03/ index. html) (in Japanese). game.goo.ne.jp. 2003-07-16.Archived from the original (http:/ / game. goo. ne. jp/ contents/ news/ NGN20030716exp03/ index. html) on 2006-03-07. . Retrieved2008-01-15.

[113] Alex Fraioli, Sam Kennedy (December 2, 2005). "Dragon Quest vs. America" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/ feature?pager. offset=1&cId=3146024). 1UP.com. . Retrieved 2007-10-01.

[114] Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.) 216:  53. June 2007.[115] "Interview vidéo Final Fantasy III" (http:/ / www. gamekyo. com/ news18999. html). Gamekyo. January 31, 2002. . Retrieved 2008-10-02.[116] Game Informer staff (February 2008). Game Informer (GameStop Corporation):  24–25.[117] Parish, Jeremy (June 2008). "Retro Issue: Missing in Action". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis Inc.):  95.[118] "Famitsu Readers Vote Their Most Wanted Sequels" (http:/ / www. ps3hyper. com/ news/

famitsu-readers-voted-their-most-wanted-sequels/ ). Famitsu. May 2009. .

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[119] Donaldson, Alex (2009-06-05). "Square: Want more Chrono Trigger? Buy More!" (http:/ / www. rpgsite. net/ news/ 342. html). . Retrieved2009-06-15.

[120] "Square: Obsidian Would Like To Work On Chrono Trigger".[121] "Square: Obsidian wants to make Chrono Trigger".[122] http:/ / www. chronotrigger. jp/[123] http:/ / na. square-enix. com/ ctds/[124] http:/ / register. nintendo. com/ gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-677[125] http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ */ http:/ / www. nintendo. com/ gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-677[126] http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Games/ Video_Games/ Roleplaying/ C/ Chrono_Series/ Chrono_Trigger/[127] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 62

Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki

Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki

The game's title depicts the Frozen FlameDeveloper(s) Square Co., Ltd.

Publisher(s) St.GIGA

Artist(s) Yasuyuki Honne

Writer(s) Masato Kato

Composer(s) Yasunori Mitsuda

Series Chrono

Platform(s) Satellaview

Release date(s) • JP February 3, 1996[1]

Genre(s) Visual novel

Mode(s) Single player

Media pseudo-streaming download via satellite network, saved to either the Satellaview base unit's flash-RAM or to aBS-X flash-cart

Input methods Gamepad

Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki (ラジカル・ドリーマーズ -盗めない宝石-, literally Radical Dreamers-The Unstealable Jewel-)[2] is a Japanese video game produced by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) in 1996 for theSatellaview add-on for the Nintendo Super Famicom.[3] It is a text-based Visual Novel in which the player takes therole of Serge, a young adventurer accompanied by Kid, a teen-aged thief, and Gil, a mysterious masked magician.The game belongs to the Chrono series and is a gaiden, or side story, to the 1995 game Chrono Trigger. It wasreleased to complement its predecessor's plot, and later served as inspiration for Chrono Cross.[4] It featurestext-based gameplay with minimal graphics and sound effects, and was scored by composer Yasunori Mitsuda.[2]

Radical Dreamers and other Satellaview titles were planned to be released at the Akihabara electronics district ofTokyo. Square also tried to integrate it into the Japanese PlayStation port of Chrono Trigger as an Easter egg.[5]

Writer and director Masato Kato halted both releases, unhappy with the quality of his work.[6] Though the game wasnever officially released abroad, ROM hackers completed an English fan translation in 2003.[7] [8]

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 63

GameplayGameplay consists of text-based scenarios presented to the player through the narration of the main character, Serge.As the narrative progresses, the game presents a list of possible actions and the player must choose his or her course.Depending on the choices made, the player may enter a new area, be presented with a new situation or character, orhave to choose again if the previous selection was incorrect.[7] In combat with enemies, the player must select fromoptions such as "Fight", "Magic", "Run", and often more complex situational commands like "Run my knife into thegoblin's chest!" or "Quickly slash at its hand!".[9] Some decisions must be made before an invisible timer runs out; incombat, hesitation results in injury or death. Serge's health is tracked by an invisible point count, restored by variousevents (such as finding a potion). The game also tracks Kid's affection for Serge, influenced by battles and scriptedevents.[10] Her feelings determine whether Serge survives the story's climactic fight.Radical Dreamers features minimal graphics and animation; most areas are rendered with dim, static backgrounds.The game also uses atmospheric music and sounds. Like other Chrono games, Radical Dreamers contains a variantof New Game + mode. Only one scenario is available on the first play-through; after finishing it and obtaining one ofthree possible endings, players can explore six others. These later stories often feature comical situations or allusionsto Chrono Trigger.[5]

Characters and storyRadical Dreamers features three protagonists—Serge, Kid, and Magil—who seek out treasure as venturesome,reputable thieves. The young adult narrator, Serge, is a drifting musician who met Kid by chance three years ago in aremote town.[11] Serge enjoys adventure with a carefree attitude.[12] Kid, only sixteen years old, is a renownedprofessional thief with a reputation for boisterous behavior.[13] Possessing a turbulent history, Kid dubiously fanciesherself as a kind of Robin Hood. Magil is an enigmatic, handsome masked man skilled in magic who rarely speaksand can fade into shadow at will.[14] Crowned by flowing, blue hair, Magil accompanied Kid well before Sergejoined the group.[15] They seek the Frozen Flame, a mythic artifact capable of granting any wish.[16] It is hidden inViper Manor—the home of a terrible and powerful aristocrat named Lynx, who gained control of the estate afterusurping power from and killing the Acacia Dragoons, a familial unit of warriors.[17]

The party confronts Lynx near the Frozen Flame

Following Kid, the group infiltrates Viper Manor on the night of a fullmoon. While sneaking through the corridors, they battle goblins andother creatures of legend while unraveling the history of the manor andits occupants. Magil explains that the Frozen Flame is a fragment ofthe massive, extraterrestrial creature known as Lavos, splintered offwhen Lavos impacted the planet in prehistory and burrowed to itscore.[18] The thieves locate Lynx and the Frozen Flame deep within anunderground ruin of the Kingdom of Zeal—an ancient, airbornecivilization destroyed after it awakened Lavos in search ofimmortality.[19] Serge discovers that Kid is an orphan, hoping to exactrevenge upon Lynx for killing her caretaker, Lucca. Kid attempted tofind Lynx in her childhood after Lucca's death, but was stopped and

saved from certain defeat by Magil, who accompanied her thereafter.

The trio battle Lynx for the Frozen Flame, and Lynx gains the upper hand after trapping Magil with a powerful spell. He plans to acquire Kid's special gift from Lucca—a Time Egg, or Chrono Trigger.[20] With a Time Egg and the Frozen Flame, Lynx boasts that he shall achieve control over time. Kid lunges at him, but Lynx easily parries her attack and wounds her. She desperately removes the Chrono Trigger from her back pocket. The Trigger shatters and causes a localized temporal distortion, leading Serge to see various scenes in history. Kid learns of her heritage as princess Schala of Zeal, a meek girl who was coerced to help awaken Lavos with her magical power.[21] As Zeal

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 64

collapsed, Schala was wracked with anguish and guilt for her role in the incident. Nearby in the Ocean Palace, theFrozen Flame felt her grief and changed her to a baby, sending her to the modern era where Lucca found her.[22] It isalso circumstantially revealed that Magil is in fact Magus, Schala's wayward brother who searched for her afterbattling Lavos in Chrono Trigger.[23] Once the distortion subsides, an army from Porre—a large nation in search ofthe Frozen Flame—storms the mansion. Lynx withdraws as Kid, Serge, and Magil flee. Kid tells Serge that she isaware of her true origin, and knowing that is a treasure which cannot be stolen.[24] She bids him goodbye beforedisappearing into the darkness with Magil.Other scenarios are available after players complete the first. These include both humorous and serious variations ofthe main plot.[5] [25]

• Magil: Caught Between Love and Adventure – Magil is actually a lifelong friend of Riddel who courts her. Whenthe manor is alerted to his presence, Magil throws Riddel over his shoulder and dashes off into the morning sun asher proud father Lynx tearily bids goodbye.[26]

• Kid and the Sunflower – Kid insults a lecherous sunflower who transforms her into a malicious monster. Sergemust kiss her to change her back, or use a special dagger to take her soul at risk of his own soul's capture. Threeendings are available.[27]

• SuperXtreme Alphacosmos Police Case EX Ultra – Magil is a space cop searching for Lynx, secretly a greenMartian creature with tentacles. Magil's rock guitar forces Lynx out of hiding, and Serge assaults him with aMartian Forest League Concealed Lesser Armament Bunny.[28]

• Homecoming: Shea's Light – Kid learns that Lynx and her caretaker Shea are trapped in a magical seal as part ofLynx's effort to escape a spirit prison. Shea selflessly instructs Magil to destroy the Frozen Flame, killing Lynxforever.[29]

• The Enigmatic Gigaweapon: Paradise X – Serge finds an odd crystal inhabited by an entity named Gange, whotests his strength with gladiatorial combat. Using Gange's Paradise X mecha, Serge and Gange challengeMecha-Lynx for the Frozen Flame.[30]

• The Shadow Realm and the Goddess of Death – Kid accidentally summons Lilith, the Goddess of Death. She triesto take Kid's soul, but Magil intervenes. The outcome is slightly affected by Kid's affection for Serge.[31]

MusicThe music of Radical Dreamers was written by composer Yasunori Mitsuda, the artist who scored Chrono Triggerand Chrono Cross.[2] The soundtrack includes several ambient pieces, including the sound of water running in afountain and wind accompanied by strings. Players can listen to the game's songs by accessing a hidden menu in theGil: Caught Between Love and Adventure scenario.[32] The tracks were never officially named by Square, thoughDemiforce provided names for the Radical Dreamers fan translation. They include:1. Summer Day2. Under the Moonlight3. Strange Presentiment4. Sneaking Around5. Gale6. Snakebone Mansion7. The Girl who Stole the Stars8. Far Promise ~ Dream Shore9. Requiem ~ Dream Shore10. Frozen Flame11. Portal to Open Grounds12. Facing13. Final Confrontation

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 65

14. Epilogue ~ Dream Shore15. Ending ~ Le Trésor InterditSeveral themes and musical patterns were later adapted for Chrono Cross on the suggestion of director Masato Kato;many appear unchanged except for new instrumentation.[2] Appearing in Chrono Cross are Gale, Frozen Flame,Viper Manor, Far Promise ~ Dream Shore (as part of On the Beach of Dreams ~ Another World, The Dream thatTime Dreams), The Girl who Stole the Stars, and Epilogue ~ Dream Shore (as part of Jellyfish Sea). Mitsuda alsotitled the game's ending song Radical Dreamers -Le Trésor Interdit-.[2]

DevelopmentMasato Kato wrote Radical Dreamers after Chrono Trigger's release, feeling that Trigger concluded with"unfinished business".[6] He composed the main story and drafted the concepts for the sub-scenarios, leaving them tobe completed by his peers.[5] He allowed Makoto Shimamoto to write the entire Kid and the Sunflower segment, laterjoking that he "avoided having any part in that episode,"[5] while Miwa Shoda was in charge of the Shadow Realmand the Goddess of Death segment.[33] Kato remarked that his "savage feelings" from Chrono Trigger's hecticdevelopment manifested in Kid's "unusually nihilistic attitude".[5] He explained his approach towards the project in1999:

“...due to the fact that this was a text-based game, the contents of the game ended up being rather serious and emotional. The game itself was areal life-or-death kind of survival adventure game. I think there was a feeling somewhere deep in my heart that said, 'I wanna try making ahorror game!' But soon after that, they came out with Biohazard, so I quickly got over that phase (laughs).

...the comical sub-scenarios were written to be extremely comical beyond any measurement, so I think it sorta' balances out...But I can say thatsince this game wasn't expected to be widely sold on the market, and also since there wasn't any profit on our part, there was a feeling that Iwanted to make this game out of my sole interest. In a way, I think that 'Radical' helped me to find my own path...But then again, I guess youcould say that I strayed away from the paths of normal people.[5] ”

Kato's team completed Radical Dreamers in only three months under a rushed production schedule, prompting himto label the game "unfinished" in an interview for the Ultimania Chrono Cross guide.[6] He regretted that theschedule hampered the quality of his work, and explained that the connections to Chrono Trigger were evokedtowards the end of the project:

“When I originally started working on Radical Dreamers, I never thought that it would have such an ending. We only had three months fordevelopment, and I was just making up the story while inputting data. When I finally realized the connection of the identities of Kid and Magilnear the final stage of development, I even amazed myself, saying, 'So, that's who they were!?' (laughs) Also, since there were issues with themedia, the connections between Radical Dreamers and Chrono Trigger were intentionally left blurred in the background so that it'd only berecognizable by those who would understand.[6] ”

Fan translation and notabilityIn April 2003, the ROM hacking group Demiforce released a fan translation rendering Radical Dreamers inEnglish.[7] The patch works by modifying the ROM image of Dreamers used for playing console-based video gameson personal computers through emulation. The ability to save games was not enabled with the first patch, and someminor typos were left in, later remedied by successive releases.[8] On Christmas Day 2005, Demiforce and Radical Rreleased the final version (1.4) of the translation, which fixed remaining minor bugs.[34] The French team TerminusTraduction made a French translation patch soon after.[35]

A reviewer for Home of the Underdogs lauded the game's excellent writing and the "superb" English translation patch, noting that the "interesting plot" would appeal to fantasy fans if they could stomach the limited interactivity.[7]

Having never played a Chrono game prior, the reviewer stated, "I was still able to follow the story and be drawn into the world of colorful characters."[7] While praising the replay value afforded by the extra scenarios, the critic derided the random battles of Radical Dreamers, writing that "RPG-style random combat doesn't translate well to [a]

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 66

text-only medium."[7] The website awarded Dreamers "Top Dog" status, and the game maintains a voter score of8.95 out of 10.[7]

Radical Dreamers preceded Chrono Cross, a full role-playing game sequel to Chrono Trigger. Masato Kato citedthe desire to "redo Radical Dreamers properly" as the genesis of Cross, attributing the latter's serious atmosphere tothe influence of Dreamers.[4] [5] Chrono Cross borrowed certain thematic elements, story points, characters, music,and objects introduced in Radical Dreamers—including the infiltration of Viper Manor, the Frozen Flame, the nameRadical Dreamers for Kid's thievery, and the characters of Kid, Lynx, and Serge (who became a non-speakingprotagonist).[36] [37] Though these characters and items were not presented in the same context, their general traitssurvived the transition.[23] Gil, confirmed by Kato to be Magus, was also going to be featured in Chrono Cross. Thisidea was scrapped due to difficulties in representing the story of Magus among the game's numerous othercharacters; the unrelated, enigmatic magician Guile was created instead.[23] Since the release of Chrono Cross,Radical Dreamers is considered an alternate continuity of the Chrono series.[38] Chrono Cross addressed thisthrough an easter egg hinting that Radical Dreamers took place in a different dimension. In the English version ofChrono Cross, this easter egg refers to Gil as "Magil".[38] A new Chrono series game has not been made due to thedifficulty of reuniting the splintered Cross development team, some of which continue to work on Final FantasyXI[39] [40] [41] and Final Fantasy XIV, while others left Square Enix (then Squaresoft) after the completion of ChronoCross to form Monolith Software. Composer Yasunori Mitsuda stressed that "there are a lot of politics involved" inthe creation of a new game, and that Masato Kato should participate in development.[42]

See also• Wikipedia Books: Chrono series

External links• Chronology of fan translation patches [43]

• French translation [44]

References[1] サテラビュー通信. 「スクウェアがＢＳ専用ソフトを発表！ (一挙４タイトル)」. 1996.2月号. pp. 90-97.[2] Yasunori Mitsuda (2000-12-18). "Chrono Cross OST Liner Notes" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Music_(Chrono_Cross).

html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 24 July 2006.[3] Chris Kohler (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1.[4] "Weekly Famitsu" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Weekly_Famitsu. html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www.

chronocompendium. com/ ). 1999-07-24. . Retrieved 1 July 2006.[5] "Procyon Studio: Interview with Masato Kato" (http:/ / mitsuda. cocoebiz. com/ friends/ kato. html). Cocoebiz.com (http:/ / www. cocoebiz.

com/ ). November 1999. . Retrieved 3 June 2007.[6] Studio BentStuff, ed (1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Ultimania_Developer_Interviews. html). Square Enix. pp. 476–477. ISBN 4-925075-73-X. .[7] Home of the Underdogs staff. "Entry: Radical Dreamers" (http:/ / www. the-underdogs. info/ game. php?id=4893). Home of the Underdogs

(http:/ / www. the-underdogs. info/ ). . Retrieved 25 January 2008.[8] "Chrono Trigger 2: Radical Dreamers" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20060429004050/ http:/ / demiforce. parodius. com/ home. html).

Demiforce (http:/ / demiforce. parodius. com/ home. html). 2003-04-15. Archived from the original (http:/ / radicaldreamers. sourceforge. net/) on April 29, 2006. . Retrieved 2 July 2006.

[9] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: Not a single moment after I leap back, the iron ballsmashes into the stone floor! I can't rely on this little knife to parry those huge morning stars. There's no way I'll survive, fighting like that! /Run my knife into the goblin's chest! / Quickly slash at its hand!"

[10] Chrono Compendium staff. "Radical Dreamers Love / Point System" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/Radical_Dreamers_Love_/ _Point_System. html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 25 January2008.

[11] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: It's been something like three years since Kid and I met. Back then I was a drifter, wandering wherever my music led me. During my stay in the remote town of Regiorra, I ended up running

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 67

into a girl who later joined me, leading to the beginning of all this."[12] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: I take a good look at myself and wonder if I've

got any of that adventurer's spirit still left in me. I sit and look at my trusty knife collecting dust on the mantle above my fireplace, and think tomyself, my days of traveling can't be over just yet. That old, familiar feeling of wonderment ensnares me as I vow to pack my bags tomorrowand set out for some new, exotic land, letting fate once again guide me wherever it wishes."

[13] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: Not even seventeen years old, already she'swidely renowned as a top professional. To make matters worse, she's cute, devilishly stylish, and has a sparkling personality. And boy, can shecook... if you ask her, that is. Well, to be completely honest, she has her share of problems as well. She likes to think of herself as a kind ofRobin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, but that's just not the case."

[14] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: The top half of his face is covered with a mask atall times. I've never even seen what he really looks like. At times, it seems as though I'm hanging around someone from anotherworld—traveling with this pack is definitely an interesting experience. Kid's quiet about her past too, but it's like I know her entire life storycompared to how little I know about Magil."

[15] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: This is the first time I've ever seen his true face.Even for a guy like me, I'm taken aback by his looks. His hair sways in the moonlight, as his piercing blue eyes survey the environment below.His beauty is different than a woman's... there's some sort of a fierce, intrepid quality about him."

[16] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: Tonight, our goal is Lord Lynx's most prizedpossession, a scarlet jewel known as the Frozen Flame. Besides being priceless, some say this beautiful stone harbors some sort of mysticalpower. They say many people have sought after the Flame, but none have been victorious in stealing it. Viper Manor has claimed manylives..."

[17] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Magil: The Acacia Dragoons. They were once an eliteforce serving General Viper, a powerful man who used to rule the western territory of Gerzbuehle. They were defeated more than ten yearsago, by the very hands of Lord Lynx. By the looks of things, we have apparently found their resting place."

[18] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Magil: The Frozen Flame is more than just an object. It'snot of this world. It descended from the heavens long ago, part of a huge meteorite. Once, there lived a people who sought to harness itspower, hoping to tap into their yet unknown potential. And so, it became a treasure of great importance and dreams."

[19] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1995-08-22) "Magus: Behold. Everything's at thebottom of the sea. Gone is the magical kingdom of Zeal, and all the dreams and ambitions of its people. I once lived there... But I was anotherperson then. ... / Magus: Unimaginable is the power of Lavos. Anyone who dares to oppose...it...meets certain doom."

[20] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Lynx: Surely you remember, the one you received fromyour sister, all those years ago... the priceless keepsake you carry with you dearly, even now...The Chrono Trigger!"

[21] Square Co. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1995-08-22) "QUEEN: Schala, raise the power of theMammon Machine to its limit! / SCHALA: ...... / QUEEN: Schala! You dare to disobey me?! / SCHALA: All right, mother..."

[22] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Kid: Long ago, in a far off kingdom, lived a girl.Because of her power, the kingdom had come to an end, crumbling under its own weight. Many became engulfed in the temporal vortex thatwas created, never to be heard from again......But not the girl. She lived on, enduring a much sadder fate... Running from her past and fearingher future, she wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up in the surging waves of the vortex of time...Hating what she'd done, refusingwhat she'd said or heard, to simply continue living was her curse. But the stone, It had other plans for her...Turning back the hands of herclock, scattering her memories, she was granted another chance. Since the precious stone was in her possession, she carried with her all its willand power. And so, she was born into this era, returning to reality as a mere infant..."

[23] "GamePro: Interview with Chrono Cross Developers" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ GamePro_Interview. html). Gamepro(http:/ / gamepro. org/ ). 2000-10-17. Archived from the original (http:/ / gamepro. org/ sony/ psx/ games/ features/ 7033. shtml) on 2005. .Retrieved 8 February 2008.

[24] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Kid: Lucca's Chrono Trigger was lost... we couldn't evenget our hand on the Frozen Flame... but, it's okay... it's all okay, because tonight, in my heart, a shiny new treasure was born, Serge... the singlemost valuable unstealable treasure in the entire world." / "Knowing who I am... It's bigger than all this... bigger than Lynx, bigger than theFrozen Flame... and, nothing can take that away... not as long as I'm alive...""

[25] Chrono Compendium staff (2006). "Radical Dreamers Condensed Plot Summary" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/Radical_Dreamers_Condensed_Plot_Summary. html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 2 July2006.

[26] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Riddel: Magil? You're Magil? ...Did you once go by thename... Gilbert? Serge: Hearing that name, Magil takes on a look of shock. "Riddel? Is that you?" he says in a surprisingly vulnerable tone."

[27] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Gil: Serge, listen to me. The Mandora Monster has fusedwith Kid. We must save her quickly, otherwise she'll be lost forever, consumed by her own hate."

[28] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: Magil turns to me, staring into my eyes withrelentless honesty. He holds the bunny (The Martian Forest League Lesser Armament Bunny, mind you) out in front of him, saying "I entrustthis to you. Please, if anything should ever happen to me, use it as I have...""

[29] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: "Kid," Shea continues, painfully overcoming Lynx, "thank you for remembering me... however, I cannot return with you. Please, hear me... the Frozen Flame must be destroyed. It is

''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' 68

through this that Lynx is able to slowly resurrect himself... Please, destroy it, and save yourselves... I will restrain Lynx in the meantime.""[30] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: Lord Lynx hops into the Mecha-Lynx combat

robot, Frozen Flame in hand!"[31] Square Co.. Radical Dreamers. (Demiforce (fan translation)). Satellaview. (2005) "Serge: "I am the Goddess of Death, a servant of the

Shadow Realm," she answers. "My name is Lilith. Although in my current state, I realize looks can be deceiving. Having been summonedhere, I took on the form of this young lady, Riddel, for my latest hunt.""

[32] Chrono Compendium staff. "Easter Eggs (Radical Dreamers)" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/Easter_Eggs_(Radical_Dreamers). html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 25 January 2008.

[33] "自己紹介文" (http:/ / shoda-miwa. cocolog-nifty. com/ about. html) (in Japanese). . . Retrieved 1 June 2010.[34] Chrono Compendium staff (2006). "Patches (Radical Dreamers)" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Patches_(Radical_Dreamers). html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com). . Retrieved 2 July 2006.[35] Terminus Traduction (2004-09-06). "French Translation" (http:/ / terminus. romhack. net/ index. php?page=jv& projet=radical). Terminus

Traduction (http:/ / terminus. romhack. net/ ). . Retrieved 2 July 2006.[36] Chrono Compendium staff. "Serge" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Serge. html). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www.

chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 17 January 2008.[37] Yukiyoshi Ike Sato (1999-07-20). "Radical Dreamers - The Real Chrono Trigger 2?" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronocross/

news. html?sid=2450838). Gamespot (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved 17 January 2008.[38] Square Co.. Chrono Cross. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation. (2000-08-15) "Kid: Radical Dreamers...!? And me name's on here, too!

What the bloody hell is goin' on? ... / Kid: ......This seems to be an archive from a different time than our own. Aside from the two worlds wealready know about...there may be other worlds and times which exist..."

[39] "Interview vidéo Final Fantasy III" (http:/ / www. jeux-france. com/ news18999. html). Jeux-France.com (http:/ / www. jeux-france. com).2002-01-31. . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

[40] Adam Riley (2002-02-01). "No FFXI on Wii, FF Anniversary Projects on Nintendo Systems, Chrono Update & Much More!" (http:/ / www.cubed3. com/ news/ 6729/ 1/ ). Cubed3.com (http:/ / www. cubed3. com). . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

[41] Jeremy Dunham (2003-05-14). "E3 2003: Final Fantasy XI Developer Interview" (http:/ / ps2. ign. com/ articles/ 402/ 402807p1. html). IGN(http:/ / www. ign. com/ ). . Retrieved 23 December 2006.

[42] Yasunori Mitsuda (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/feature?pager. offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ ). . Retrieved 2008-02-08.

[43] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Patches_(Radical_Dreamers)[44] http:/ / terminus. romhack. net/ index. php?page=jv& projet=radical

''Chrono Cross'' 69

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross North American Box ArtDeveloper(s) Square

Publisher(s) • JP Square• NA Square Electronic

Arts

Director(s) Masato Kato

Producer(s) Hiromichi Tanaka

Artist(s) Nobuteru YūkiYasuyuki Honne

Writer(s) Masato Kato

Composer(s) Yasunori Mitsuda

Series Chrono

Platform(s) PlayStation

Release date(s) • JP November 18, 1999• NA August 15, 2000

Genre(s) Console role-playing game

Mode(s) Single player

Rating(s) • CERO: B• ESRB: T

Media 2CD-ROMs

Input methods Gamepad

Chrono Cross (クロノ・クロス) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now SquareEnix) for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System. Chrono Cross was developed primarily by scenarist and director MasatoKato and other designers from Chrono Trigger, including art director Yasuyuki Honne and composer YasunoriMitsuda. Nobuteru Yūki designed the characters of the game.The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenage boy named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with analternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. Theflashy thief Kid and many other characters assist him in his travels around the tropical archipelago El Nido.Struggling to uncover his past and find the mysterious Frozen Flame, Serge is chiefly challenged by Lynx, ashadowy antagonist working to apprehend him.

''Chrono Cross'' 70

Upon its release in Japan in 1999 and in North America in 2000, Chrono Cross received high ratings and criticalacclaim, earning a rare perfect 10.0 score from GameSpot.[1] [2] The game shipped 1.5 million copies worldwide,leading to a Greatest Hits re-release and continued life in Japan as part of the Ultimate Hits series.[3] [4] Square alsoreleased a "Millennium Edition" featuring a calendar, clock, and music sampler disc.

GameplayChrono Cross features standard RPG gameplay with some differences. Players advance the game by controlling theprotagonist Serge through the game's world, primarily by foot and boat. Navigation between areas is conducted viaan overworld map, much like Chrono Trigger's, depicting the landscape from a scaled down overhead view. Aroundthe island world are villages, outdoor areas, and dungeons, through which the player moves in three dimensions.Locations such as cities and forests are represented by more realistically scaled field maps, in which players canconverse with locals to procure items and services, solve puzzles and challenges, or encounter enemies. Like ChronoTrigger, the game features no random encounters; enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambushthe party.[2] Touching the monster switches perspectives to a battle screen, in which players can physically attack,use "Elements", defend, or run away from the enemy. Battles are turn-based, allowing the player infinite time toselect an action from the available menu. For both the playable characters and the CPU-controlled enemies, eachattack reduces their number of hit points (a numerically based life bar), which can be restored through someElements. When a playable character loses all hit points, he or she faints. If all the player's characters fall in battle,the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved chapter—except for specific storyline-related battlesthat allow the player to lose. Chrono Cross's developers aimed to break new ground in the genre, and the gamefeatures several innovations.[5] For example, players can run away from all conflicts, including boss fights and thefinal battle.[2]

Battle and Elements

In battle, players can attack, use Elements,defend, or run away

The Element system of Chrono Cross handles all magic, consumableitems, and character-specific abilities. Elements unleash magic effectsupon the enemy or party and must be equipped for use, much like themateria of 1997's Final Fantasy VII. Elements can be purchased fromshops or found in treasure chests littered throughout areas. Onceacquired, they are allocated to a grid whose size and shape are uniqueto each character. They are ranked according to eight tiers; certain highlevel Elements can only be assigned on equivalent tiers in a character'sgrid. As the game progresses, the grid expands, allowing moreElements to be equipped and higher tiers to be accessed. Elements aredivided into six paired oppositional types, or "colors," each with anatural effect. Red (fire/magma) opposes Blue (water/ice), Green

(wind/flora) opposes Yellow (earth/lightning), and White (light/cosmos) opposes Black (darkness/gravity).[2] Eachcharacter and enemy has an innate color, enhancing the power of using same-color Elements while also making themweak against elements of the opposite color. Chrono Cross also features a "field effect", which keeps track ofElement color used in the upper corner of the battle screen. If the field is purely one color, the power of Elements ofthat color will be enhanced, while Elements of the opposite color will be weakened. Characters also innately learnsome special techniques ("Techs") that are unique to each character but otherwise act like Elements. Like ChronoTrigger, characters can combine certain Techs to make more powerful Double or Triple Techs.[2] ConsumableElements may be used to restore hit points or heal status ailments after battle.[2]

Another innovative aspect of Chrono Cross is its stamina bar.[2] At the beginning of a battle, each character has seven points of stamina. When a character attacks or uses an Element, stamina is decreased proportionally to the

''Chrono Cross'' 71

potency of the attack. Stamina slowly recovers when the character defends or when other characters perform actionsin battle. Characters with stamina below one point must wait to take action. Use of an Element reduces the user'sstamina bar by seven stamina points; this often means that the user's stamina gauge falls into the negative and thecharacter must wait longer than usual to recover. With each battle, players can enhance statistics such as strength anddefense. However, no system of experience points exists; after four or five upgrades, statistics remain static untilplayers defeat a boss. This adds a star to a running count shown on the status screen, which allows for another fewrounds of statistical increases.[2] Players can equip characters with weapons, armor, helmets, and accessories for usein battle; for example, the "Power Seal" upgrades attack power. Items and equipment may be purchased or found onfield maps, often in treasure chests. Unlike Elements, weapons and armor cannot merely be purchased with money;instead, the player must obtain base materials—such as copper, bronze, or bone—for a blacksmith to forge for a fee.The items can later be disassembled into their original components at no cost.

Players navigate the game's tropical setting byboat

Parallel dimensions

The existence of two major parallel dimensions, like time periods inChrono Trigger, plays a significant role in the game. Players must goback and forth between the worlds to recruit party members, obtainitems, and advance the plot. Much of the population of either worldhave counterparts in the other; some party members can even visit theirother versions. The player must often search for items or places foundexclusively in one world. Events in one dimension sometimes have animpact in another—for instance, cooling scorched ground on an islandin one world allows vegetation to grow in the other world. This systemassists the presentation of certain themes, including the questioning ofthe importance of one's past decisions and humanity's role in destroying the environment.[6] Rounding out thenotable facets of Chrono Cross's gameplay are the New Game+ option and multiple endings. As in Chrono Trigger,players who have completed the game may choose to start the game over using data from the previous session.Character levels, learned techniques, equipment, and items gathered copy over, while acquired money and somestory-related items are discarded. On a New Game+, players can access twelve endings.[7] Scenes viewed depend onplayers' progress in the game before the final battle, which can be fought at any time in a New Game+ file.

Plot

CharactersChrono Cross features a diverse cast of 45 party members. Each character is outfitted with an innate Element affinityand three unique special abilities that are learned over time. If taken to the world opposite their own, characters reactto their counterparts (if available). Many characters tie in to crucial plot events. Since it is impossible to obtain all 45characters in one playthrough, players must replay the game to witness everything. Through use of the New Game+feature, players can ultimately obtain all characters on one save file. Several characters speak with unique accents,including French and Australian English.Serge, the game's protagonist, is a 17-year-old boy with blue hair who lives in the fishing village of Arni. One day, he slips into an alternate world in which he drowned ten years before. Determined to find the truth behind the incident, he follows a predestined course that leads him to save the world. He is assisted by Kid, a feisty, skilled thief who seeks the mythical Frozen Flame. Portrayed as willful and tomboyish due to her rough, thieving past, she helps Serge sneak into Viper Manor. Kid was raised by Lucca as a child, and vows to find and defeat Lynx, an anthropomorphic panther who burned down Lucca's orphanage. A sadistic and cruel agent of the supercomputer FATE, Lynx is bent on finding Serge, with and succeeds in taking his body. He travels with Harle, a mysterious,

''Chrono Cross'' 72

playful girl dressed like a harlequin. Sent by the Dragon God to shadow Lynx and one day steal the Frozen Flamefrom Chronopolis, she painfully fulfills her duty though smitten with Serge. To this end, she helps Lynx manipulatethe Acacia Dragoons, the powerful militia governing the islands of El Nido. As the Dragoons maintain order, theycontend with Fargo, a former Dragoon turned pirate captain who holds a grudge against their leader, General Viper.Their home base, Viper Manor, is also infiltrated by Serge, Kid, and one of three characters—Nikki, a musician,Pierre, a hero-in-training, or Guile, a mysterious magician. Though tussling with Serge initially, the AcaciaDragoons—whose ranks include the fierce warriors Karsh, Zoah, Marcy, and Glenn—later assist him when themilitaristic nation of Porre invades the archipelago. The invasion brings Norris and Grobyc to the islands, a heartfulcommander of an elite force and a prototype cyborg soldier, respectively. As they too seek the Frozen Flame, theplot unfolds amidst several other characters.

StoryChrono Cross begins with Serge located in El Nido, a tropical archipelago inhabited by ancient natives, mainlandcolonists, and beings called Demi-humans. Serge slips into an alternate dimension in which he drowned on the beachten years prior, and meets the thief, "Kid". He learns while infiltrating Viper Manor that ten years before the present,the universe split into two dimensions—one in which Serge lived, and one in which he perished.[8] Through Kid'sAstral Amulet charm, Serge travels between the dimensions. At Fort Dragonia the use of a Dragonian artifact calledthe Dragon Tear, Lynx switches bodies with Serge. Unaware of the switch, Kid confides in Lynx, who stabs her asthe real Serge helplessly watches. Lynx boasts of his victory and banishes Serge to a strange realm called theTemporal Vortex. He takes Kid under his wing, brainwashing her to believe the real Serge (in Lynx's body) is herenemy. Serge escapes with help from Harle. Discovering that his new body prevents him from traveling across thedimensions, he sets out to regain his former body and learn more of the universal split that occurred ten years earlier.He travels to a forbidden lagoon known as the Dead Sea—a wasteland frozen in time, dotted with futuristic ruins.[9]

At the center, he locates a man named Miguel and presumably Home world's Frozen Flame. Charged with guardingthe Dead Sea by an entity named FATE, Miguel and three visions of Crono, Marle, and Lucca from Chrono Triggerexplain that Serge's existence dooms Home world's future to destruction. To prevent Serge from obtaining the FrozenFlame, FATE destroys the Dead Sea.Able to return to Another world, Serge allies with the Acacia Dragoons against Porre and locates that dimension'sDragon Tear, allowing him to return to his human form. He then enters the Sea of Eden, Another world's physicalequivalent of the Dead Sea, finding a temporal research facility called Chronopolis. Lynx and Kid are inside; Sergedefeats Lynx and the supercomputer FATE, allowing the six Dragons of El Nido to steal the Frozen Flame and retireto Terra Tower, a massive structure raised from the sea floor.. Kid falls into a coma, and Harle bids the partygoodbye to fly with the Dragons. Serge regroups his party and tends to Kid, who remains comatose. Continuing hisadventure, he obtains and cleanses the Masamune sword from Chrono Trigger. He then uses the Dragon relics andshards of the Dragon Tears to create the mythic Element Chrono Cross. The spiritual power of the Masamune laterallows him to lift Kid from her coma. At Terra Tower, the prophet of time, revealed to be Belthasar from ChronoTrigger, visits him with visions of Crono, Marle, and Lucca. Serge learns that the time research facility Chronopoliscreated El Nido thousands of years ago after a catastrophic experimental failure drew it to the past.[10] Theintroduction of a temporally foreign object in history caused the planet to pull in a counterbalance from a differentdimension.[11] This was Dinopolis, a city of Dragonians—parallel universe descendants of Chrono Trigger'sReptites. The institutions warred and Chronopolis subjugated the Dragonians. Humans captured their chiefcreation—the Dragon God, an entity capable of controlling nature.Chronopolis divided this entity into six pieces and created an Elements system. FATE then terraformed an archipelago, erased the memories of most Chronopolis's staff, and sent them to inhabit and populate its new paradise.[12] Thousands of years later, a panther demon attacked a three-year old Serge. His father took him to find assistance at Marbule, but Serge's boat blew off course due to a raging magnetic storm caused by Schala. Schala, the princess of the Kingdom of Zeal, had long ago accidentally fallen to a place known as the Darkness Beyond Time

''Chrono Cross'' 73

and began merging with Lavos, the chief villain of Chrono Trigger.[13] Schala's storm nullified Chronopolis'sdefenses and allowed Serge to contact the Frozen Flame; approaching it healed Serge but corrupted his father.[14] Acircuit in Chronopolis then designated Serge "Arbiter", simultaneously preventing FATE from using the FrozenFlame by extension. The Dragons were aware of this situation, creating a seventh Dragon under the storm's covernamed Harle, who manipulated Lynx to try and steal the Frozen Flame for the Dragons.[15]

After Serge returned home, FATE sent Lynx to kill Serge, hoping that it would release the Arbiter lock. Ten yearsafter Serge drowned, the thief Kid—presumably on Belthasar's orders—went back in time to save Serge and split thedimensions. FATE, locked out of the Frozen Flame again, knew that Serge would one day cross to Another worldand prepared to apprehend him.[16] Lynx switched bodies with Serge to dupe the biological check of Chronopolis onthe Frozen Flame. Belthasar then reveals that these events were part of a plan he had orchestrated named Project Kid.Serge continues to the top of Terra Tower and defeats the Dragon God. Continuing to the beach where the split indimensions had occurred, Serge finds apparitions of Crono, Marle, and Lucca once more. They reveal thatBelthasar's plan was to empower Serge to free Schala from melding with Lavos, lest they evolve into the "TimeDevourer", a creature capable of destroying spacetime.[17] Lucca explains that Kid is Schala's clone, sent to themodern age to take part in Project Kid.[18] [19] Serge uses a Time Egg—given to him by Belthasar—to enter theDarkness Beyond Time and vanquish the Time Devourer, separating Schala from Lavos and restores the dimensionsto one. Thankful, Schala muses on evolution and the struggle of life and returns Serge to his home, noting that hewill forget the entire adventure. She then seemingly records the experience in her diary, set upon a desk on which awedding photo of Kid and Serge appears. Scenes then depict a real-life Kid searching for someone in a modern city,intending to make players entreat the possibility that their own Kid is searching for them. The ambiguous endingleaves the events of the characters' lives following the game up to interpretation.[20]

Relation to Radical Dreamers

Chrono Cross employs story arcs, characters, and themes from Radical Dreamers, a Satellaview side story toChrono Trigger released in Japan. An illustrated text adventure, Radical Dreamers was created to wrap up anunresolved plot line of Chrono Trigger.[21] Though it borrows from Radical Dreamers in its exposition, ChronoCross is not a remake of Radical Dreamers, but a larger effort to fulfill that game's purpose; the plots of the gamesare irreconcilable.[21] To resolve continuity issues and acknowledge Radical Dreamers, the developers of ChronoCross suggested the game happened in a parallel dimension.[22] A notable difference between the two games is thatMagus—present in Radical Dreamers as Gil—is absent from Chrono Cross. Director Masato Kato originallyplanned for Magus to appear in disguise as Guile, but scrapped the idea due to plot difficulties.[21] In the DS versionof Chrono Trigger, Kato teases the possibility of an amnesiac Magus.[23]

DevelopmentSquare began planning Chrono Cross immediately after the release of Xenogears in 1998. Chrono Trigger's scenariodirector Masato Kato had brainstormed ideas for a sequel as early as 1996, following the release of RadicalDreamers.[24] Square's managers selected a team, appointed Hiromichi Tanaka producer, and asked Kato to directand develop a new Chrono game in the spirit of Radical Dreamers.[25] Kato and Tanaka decided to produce anindirect sequel. They acknowledged that Square would soon re-release Chrono Trigger as part of Final FantasyChronicles, which would give players a chance to catch up on the story of Trigger before playing Cross. Kato feltthat using a different setting and cast for Chrono Cross would allow players unfamiliar with Chrono Trigger to playCross without becoming confused.[25] The Chrono Cross team decided against integrating heavy use of time travelinto the game, as they felt it would be "rehashing and cranking up the volume of the last game".[25] Masato Katocited the belief, "there's no use in making something similar to before [sic]",[24] and with Tanaka, further explained:

''Chrono Cross'' 74

Hiromichi Tanaka, producer

“We didn't want to directly extend Chrono Trigger into a sequel, but create a new Chrono with links to the original.[21] Yes, the platformchanged; and yes, there were many parts that changed dramatically from the previous work. But in my view, the whole point in makingChrono Cross was to make a new Chrono with the best available skills and technologies of today. I never had any intentions of just taking thesystem from Trigger and moving it onto the PlayStation console. That's why I believe that Cross is Cross, and NOT Trigger 2.[24] ”

— Masato Kato

“When creating a series, one method is to carry over a basic system, improving upon it as the series progresses, but our stance has been tocreate a completely new and different world from the ground up, and to restructure the former style. Therefore, Chrono Cross is not a sequelto Chrono Trigger. Had it been, it would have been called Chrono Trigger 2. Our main objective for Chrono Cross was to share a little bit ofthe Chrono Trigger worldview, while creating a completely different game as a means of providing new entertainment to the player. This ismainly due to the transition in platform generation from the SNES to the PS. The method I mentioned above, about improving upon a basicsystem, has inefficiencies, in that it's impossible to maximize the console's performance as the console continues to make improvements inleaps and bounds. Although essentially an RPG, at its core, it is a computer game, and I believe that games should be expressed with a closeconnection to the console's performance. Therefore, in regards to game development, our goal has always been to "express the game utilizingthe maximum performance of the console at that time." I strongly believe that anything created in this way will continue to be innovative.[5]”

— Hiromichi Tanaka

Full production began on Chrono Cross in mid-1998.[5] The Chrono Cross team reached 80 members at its peak,with additional personnel of 10-20 cut-scene artists and 100 quality assurance testers.[5] The team felt pressure to liveup to the work of Chrono Trigger's "Dream Team" development group, which included famous mangaka AkiraToriyama.[21] Kato and Tanaka hired Nobuteru Yūki for character design and Yasuyuki Honne for art direction. Theevent team originally envisioned a short game, and planned a system by which players would befriend any person ina town for alliance in battle.[25] Developers brainstormed traits and archetypes during the character-creation process,originally planning 64 characters with unique endings that could vary in three different ways per character.[5] [25]

Kato described the character creation process: "Take Pierre, for example: we started off by saying we wanted awacko fake hero like Tata from Trigger. We also said things like 'we need at least one powerful mom,' 'no way we'regonna go without a twisted brat,' and so on so forth."[5] As production continued, the length of Cross increased,leading the event team to reduce the number of characters to 45 and scrap most of the alternate endings.[25] To avoidthe burden of writing unique, accented dialogue for several characters, team member Kiyoshi Yoshii coded a systemthat produces accents by modifying basic text for certain characters.[5]

''Chrono Cross'' 75

The Chrono Cross team devised an original battle system using a stamina bar and Elements.[5] Kato planned thesystem around allowing players to avoid repetitive gameplay (also known as "grinding") to gain combatexperience.[21] Hiromichi Tanaka likened the Elements system to card games, hoping players would feel a sense ofcomplete control in battle.[21] Masato Kato planned for the game's setting to feature a small archipelago, for fear thatplayers would become confused traveling in large areas with respect to parallel worlds.[5] He hoped El Nido wouldstill impart a sense of grand scale, and the development team pushed hardware limitations in creating the game'sworld.[5] To create field maps, the team modeled locations in 3D, then chose the best angle for 2D rendering.[25] Theprogrammers of Chrono Cross did not use any existing Square programs or routines to code the game, insteadwriting new, proprietary systems.[5] Other innovations included variable-frame rate code for fast-forward andslow-motion gameplay (awarded as a bonus for completing the game) and a "CD-read swap" system to allow quickdata retrieval.[5]

Masato Kato directed and wrote the main story, leaving sub-plots and minor character events to other staff.[5] Theevent team sometimes struggled to mesh their work on the plot due to the complexity of the parallel worldsconcept.[25] Masato Kato confirmed that Cross featured a central theme of parallel worlds, as well as the fate ofSchala, which he was previously unable to expound upon in Chrono Trigger. Concerning the ending sequencesshowing Kid searching for someone in a modern city, he hoped to make players realize that alternate futures andpossibilities may exist in their own lives, and that this realization would "not...stop with the game".[25] He lateradded, "Paraphrasing one novelist's favorite words, what's important is not the message or theme, but how it isportrayed as a game. Even in Cross, it was intentionally made so that the most important question was leftunanswered."[5] Kato described the finished story as "ole' boy-meets-girl type of story" with sometimes-shockingtwists.[24] Square advertised the game by releasing a short demo of the first chapter with purchases of Legend ofMana.[26] The North American version of Cross required three months of translation and two months of debuggingbefore release.[5] Richard Honeywood translated, working with Kato to rewrite certain dialogue for ease ofcomprehension in English.[27] He also added instances of wordplay and alliteration to compensate for difficultJapanese jokes.[27] Although the trademark Chrono Cross was registered in the European Union, the game was notreleased in Europe.[28]

Music

Yasunori Mitsuda, composer

Chrono Cross was scored by freelance video game music composerYasunori Mitsuda, who previously worked on Chrono Trigger.Director Masato Kato personally commissioned Mitsuda'sinvolvement, citing a need for the "Chrono sound".[24] [25] Katoenvisioned a "Southeast Asian feel, mixed with the foreign tastes andthe tones of countries such as Greece"; Mitsuda centered his workaround old world cultural influences, including Mediterranean, Fado,Celtic, and percussive African music.[24] [29] Mitsuda cited visualinspiration for songs: "All of my subjects are taken from scenery. Ilove artwork."[5] To complement the theme of parallel worlds, he gaveAnother and Home respectively dark and bright moods, and hopedplayers would feel the emotions of "'burning soul,' 'lonely world,' and'unforgettable memories'".[25] Mitsuda and Kato planned musicsamples and sound effects with the philosophy of "a few sounds with alot of content".[21]

Xenogears contributor Tomohiko Kira played guitar on the beginning and ending themes. Noriko Mitose, as selected by Masato Kato, sang the ending song—"Radical Dreamers - The Unstolen Jewel".[25] Ryo Yamazaki, a synthesizer

''Chrono Cross'' 76

programmer for Square Enix, helped Mitsuda transfer his ideas to the PlayStation's sound capabilities; Mitsuda washappy to accomplish even half of what he envisioned.[29] Certain songs were ported from the score of RadicalDreamers, such as Gale, Frozen Flame, and Viper Mansion. Other entries in the soundtrack contain leitmotifs fromChrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers.[25] The melody of Far Promise ~ Dream Shore features prominently in TheDream That Time Dreams and Voyage ~ Another World.[25] Masato Kato faced internal opposition in hiring NorikoMitose:

“Personally, for me, the biggest pressure was coming from the ending theme song. From the start of the project, I had already planned to makethe ending into a Japanese song, but the problem was now "who was going to sing the song?" There was a lot of pressure from the people inthe PR division to get someone big and famous to sing it, but I was totally against the idea. And as usual, I didn't heed to the surroundingcomplaints, but this time, there was a pretty tough struggle.[24] ”

— Masato Kato

Production required six months of work. After wrapping, Mitsuda and Kato played Chrono Cross to record theirimpressions and observe how the tracks intermingled with scenes; the ending theme brought Kato to tears.[5] [24] [29]

Players who preordered the game received a sampler disc of five songs, and Square released a three-CD officialsoundtrack in Japan after the game's debut. The soundtrack won the Gold Prize for the PlayStation Awards of2000.[30] In 2005, Square Enix reissued the soundtrack due to popular demand. Earlier that year, Mitsuda announceda new arranged Chrono Cross album, scheduled for release in July 2005.[31] Mitsuda's contract with Square gave himownership and full rights to the soundtrack of Chrono Cross.[32] It was delayed, and at a Play! A Video GameSymphony concert in May 2006, he revealed it would feature acoustic music and would be "out within the year",later backtracking and alleging a 2007 release date.[33] [34] Mitsuda posted a streaming sample of a finished track onhis personal website in January 2009, and has stated the album will be released to coincide with the 10th anniversaryof the Japanese debut of Cross.[35] Music from Chrono Cross has been featured in the September 2009 SymphonicFantasies concerts, part of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series conducted by Arnie Roth.[36]

ReceptionChrono Cross shipped 850,000 and 650,000 units in Japan and abroad respectively.[3] It was re-released once in theUnited States as a Greatest Hits title and again as part of the Japanese Ultimate Hits series.[4] Critics praised thegame's complex plot, innovative battle system, varied characters, moving score, vibrant graphics, and success inbreaking convention with its predecessor.[2] [6] [37] [38] Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Chrono Cross a GoldAward, scoring it 10/10/9.5 in their three reviewer format; the first review declared the game to be "a masterpiece,plain and simple".[39] [40] GameSpot awarded the game a perfect 10, one of only seven games in the 40,000 gameslisted on Gamespot to have been given the score, and its Console Game of the Year Award for 2000.[2] IGN gave thegame a score of 9.7, and Cross appeared 89th in its 2008 Top 100 games list.[6] [41] Famitsu rated the game 36 out of40 from four reviewers.[21] As of July 2007, GameRankings rates Chrono Cross at 92 percent.[1]

Reviewers felt the game's flaws were its vague ending, confusing plot elements, and narrative pacing problems.[6] [38] Fan reaction was largely positive, though certain fans complained that the game was a far departure from its predecessor, Chrono Trigger; Chrono Cross broke convention by featuring more characters, fewer double and triple techs, less instances of time travel, and few appearances of Trigger characters and locations.[2] [24] Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and director Masato Kato were aware of the changes in development, specifically intending to provide an experience different from Chrono Trigger.[5] [24] Kato anticipated and rebuffed this discontent before the game's release, wondering what the Chrono title meant to these fans and whether his messages ever "really got through to them".[24] He continued, "Cross is undoubtedly the highest quality Chrono that we can create right now. (I won't say the 'best' Chrono, but) If you can't accept that, then I'm sorry to say this but I guess your Chrono and my Chrono have taken totally different paths. But I would like to say, thank you for falling in love with Trigger so much."[24] Tanaka added, "Of course, the fans of the original are very important, but what innovation can come

''Chrono Cross'' 77

about when you're bound to the past? I believe that gameplay should evolve with the hardware."[5]

SequelsThere is no planned continuation of the Chrono series. In 2001, Hironobu Sakaguchi revealed that the company'sstaff wanted to develop a new game and were discussing script ideas. Though Kato was interested in a new title, theproject had not been greenlighted.[42] Square then registered a trademark for Chrono Break worldwide, causingspeculation concerning a new sequel. Nothing materialized, and the trademark was dropped in the United States onNovember 13, 2003,[43] though it still stands in Japan and the European Union.[44] [45] Kato later returned to SquareEnix as a freelancer to work on Children of Mana and Dawn of Mana.[46] Mitsuda also expressed interest in scoringa new Chrono series game.[33] In 2005, Kato and Mitsuda teamed up to do a game called Deep Labyrinth, and againin 2008 for Sands of Destruction, both for the Nintendo DS.[47] [48] The February 2008 issue of Game Informerranked the Chrono series eighth among the "Top Ten Sequels in Demand", naming the games "steadfast legacies inthe Square Enix catalogue" and asking "what's the damn holdup?!".[49] In Electronic Gaming Monthly's June 2008"Retro Issue", writer Jeremy Parish cited Chrono as the franchise video game fans would be most thrilled to see asequel to.[50] In the May 1, 2009 issue of Famitsu, Chrono Trigger placed 14th out of 50 in a vote of most-wantedsequels by the magazine's readers.[51] At E3 2009, SE Senior Vice President Shinji Hashimoto remarked, "If peoplewant a sequel, they should buy more!"[52]

External links• Official US Site [57]

• Chrono Cross [53] at the Open Directory Project• Chrono Compendium [54], a series encyclopedia• Chrono Cross guide at StrategyWiki

References[1] "Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages4/ 196917. asp). GameRankings. . Retrieved 2007-07-27.[2] Vestal, Andrew (2000-01-06). "GameSpot: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronocross/ review. html).

GameSpot. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[3] "Square Enix IR Roadshow Document" (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ jp/ ir/ e/ explanatory/ download/ 0404-200308040000-01. pdf)

(PDF). Square Enix. 2003-08-04. . Retrieved 2006-07-06.[4] Winkler, Chris (2006-04-28). "Square Enix Adds 16 to Ultimate Hits Series" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ news/ 2006/ 1219. html). RPGFan. .

Retrieved 2006-07-01.[5] "Interview with Chrono Cross Developers" (http:/ / gamepro. org/ sony/ psx/ games/ features/ 7033. shtml). Chrono Compendium. GamePro.

2000-10-17. . Retrieved 2006-07-02.[6] Zdyrko, David (2000-08-15). "Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 162/ 162503p1. html). IGN. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[7] "Chrono Cross Endings" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Endings_(Chrono_Cross). html). Chrono Compendium. 2005. .

Retrieved 2006-07-24.[8] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Viper Manor. (2000-08-15) "Prophet: In your home world, you survived to live a

happy and prosperous life. That is how you made it to the present point in time. However, here in this '"alternate"' world, you are, in fact, verydead and buried. You died 10 years ago, but this world's time line has flowed on regardless."

[9] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Dead Sea. (2000-08-15) "Member: The waves are at a standstill...And...What isthat dark shadow in the distance...?"

[10] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Chronopolis. (2000-08-15) "Ghost: Originally, El Nido was nothing but ocean.The El Nido Archipelago is purely artificial, created by FATE. It was a remodeling plan that took place 10,000 years ago."

[11] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Chronopolis. (2000-08-15) "Kid: Perhaps our planet beckoned Dinopolis into thepast...maybe as a measure against Chronopolis and humanity."

[12] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Chronopolis. (2000-08-15) "Ghost: The research center staff, who had theirmemories of the future erased, left the center, and began a life outside amidst nature. This is how FATE's paradise came into existence."

[13] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Lucca: Princess Schala was sucked into adimensional vortex with the Lavos Mammon Machine. Schala and Lavos became unified into one even more powerful entity that wouldevolve into the Devourer of Time."

''Chrono Cross'' 78

[14] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Lucca: Led by the pitiful crying the young Sergemade as the panther demon's poison took hold of him...Princess Schala traveled ten thousand years in time to try and make contact with thisdimension! This caused a raging magnetic storm that resulted in FATE's system malfunction, which led Serge to the Frozen Flame."

[15] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Crono: In the meantime, the six Dragons had sent Harle forth to try and gainpossession of the Flame. Harle made contact with FATE's biological incarnation, Lynx, and tricked him into temporarily joining forces..(2000-08-15) "Opassa Beach"

[16] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Crono: You see, FATE calculated that you wouldone day cross the dimensions and try to make contact with the Flame."

[17] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Lucca: And now, about '"Project Kid"'...the timecontrol project Belthasar planned out. The whole project existed to lead you to this one, special point in time! The founding of Chronopolis,the Time Crash, and the battle between FATE and the Dragon Gods...It was all coordinated so that you would get your hands on the ChronoCross and come to this place!"

[18] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Lucca: Before the destructive mind-set couldbecome dominant, she cloned herself and sent her copy into this dimension... That's right...Kid is Schala's daughter-clone!"

[19] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Opassa Beach. (2000-08-15) "Crono: The Chrono Cross...It alone can combinethe sounds of the planet that the six types of Elements produce! The melody and harmony that brim within all life-forms... Use the '"song oflife"' to heal her enmity and suffering...We entreat you, Serge! Please save Schala..."

[20] "Chrono Cross Resolutions" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Chrono_Cross_Resolutions). Chrono Compendium. 2006. .Retrieved 2006-07-24.

[21] "Weekly Famitsu: Interview with Chrono Cross Developers" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Weekly_Famitsu. html).Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma Shoten. 1999. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[22] Square. Chrono Cross. (Square). PlayStation. Level/area: Chronopolis. (2000-08-15) "Kid: Kid: Radical Dreamers...!? And me name's onhere, too! What the bloody hell is goin' on?Kid: ......This seems to be an archive from a different time than our own. / Kid: Aside from the two worlds we already know about...there maybe other worlds and times which exist..."

[23] Square Enix. Chrono Trigger. (Square Enix). Nintendo DS. Level/area: Twilight Grotto. (2008-11-25) "Magus: Hmph. If this is to be theway of things, then let me abandon all that was and fade away as well. Should a part of me somehow even then remain, then perhaps that willbe the birth of something new—something with greater meaning than all this. / Magus: Who…who am I? What's happened? I…I don'tremember anything. There was something…something I needed to do. Something I needed to…to find. / Magus: I must find a way toremember. I will."

[24] "Procyon Studio: Interview with Masato Kato" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Procyon_Studio. html). November 1999.Archived from the original (http:/ / www. cocoebiz. com/ mitsuda/ english/ friends/ kato. html) on 2004-07-07. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.

[25] (in Japanese) Chrono Cross Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Ultimania_Developer_Interviews. html). SquareEnix. 1999. pp. 478–481. ISBN 4-925075-73-X. .

[26] "Chrono Cross Demo" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Chrono_Cross_Demo. html). . Retrieved 2009-08-10.[27] "Edge Online: Q&A - Square Enix's Richard Honeywood" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20060517012317/ http:/ / www. edge-online. co.

uk/ archives/ 2006/ 02/ qa_square_enixs_1. php). Edge Online. February 2006. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. edge-online. co. uk/archives/ 2006/ 02/ qa_square_enixs_1. php) on 2006-05-17. . Retrieved 2006-08-14.

[28] "OAMI-ONLINE - CTM-ONLINE - Trade mark consultation service" (http:/ / oami. europa. eu/ CTMOnline/ RequestManager/en_Result_NoReg). . Retrieved 2010-05-12. To find the Chrono Cross trademarks, search "Trade mark name" for "chrono cross".

[29] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2000-12-18). "Chrono Cross OST Liner Notes" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/Music_(Chrono_Cross)). Chrono Compendium. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.

[30] Mitsuda, Yasunori (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/feature?pager. offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com. . Retrieved 2008-02-08.

[31] "New Year's News" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20060107065754/ http:/ / www. dengekionline. com/ 2005newyear/ comment/2004comment02. html). Dengeki Online. 2005. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. dengekionline. com/ 2005newyear/ comment/2004comment02. html) on 2006-01-07. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[32] "Yasunori Mitsuda Talks Chrono Trigger" (http:/ / www. originalsoundversion. com/ ?p=915). Original Sound Version. 2008-11-24. .Retrieved 2009-03-13.

[33] "N-Sider: PLAY! Concert Interviews" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ articleview. php?articleid=518& page=3). N-Sider. 2006-05-30. .Retrieved 2006-07-01.

[34] Peter, James (2006-10-13). "Yasunori Mitsuda Interview" (http:/ / palgn. com. au/ article. php?id=5478). PAL Gaming Network. . Retrieved2007-05-22.

[35] Gann, Patrick. "Chrono Cross 10th Anniversary Arrange Album Update" (http:/ / rpgfan. com/ news/ 2008/ 1555. html). . Retrieved2008-12-27.

[36] Music from classic games arranged by Jonne Valtonen (http:/ / www. symphonicfantasies. com/ post/ 78838894/jonne-valtonen-the-award-winning-finnish-composer). Symphonic Fantasies. 2009-01-22. . Retrieved 2009-06-01.

[37] Jake (2000-09-05). "Game Rankings: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ htmlpages3/ 196917. asp). GameRankings.. Retrieved 2006-07-24.

''Chrono Cross'' 79

[38] "RPGFan: Chrono Cross Review" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/ reviews/ chronocross/ Chrono_Cross-5. html). RPGFan. 2002-06-22. .Retrieved 2006-07-24.

[39] "Chrono Cross" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20001119205300/ www. zdnet. com/ egm/ stories/ main/ 0,11589,2610315,00. html).Electronic Gaming Monthly. 2000-08-08. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. zdnet. com/ egm/ stories/ main/ 0,11589,2610315,00.html) on November 19, 2000. . Retrieved 2010-04-15.

[40] "Gamestats: Chrono Cross" (http:/ / www. gamestats. com/ objects/ 012/ 012503/ ). Gamestats. 2004-02-22. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[41] "IGN Top 100 Games 2008 – 89 Chrono Cross" (http:/ / top100. ign. com/ 2008/ ign_top_game_89. html). IGN. 2008. . Retrieved

2009-03-13.[42] Ahmed, Shahed (2001-07-03). "New Chrono game in planning stages" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ news/ 2782608. html). GameSpot. .

Retrieved 2006-07-01.[43] "Latest Status Info" (http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ servlet/ tarr?regser=serial& entry=76345716). Trademark Applications and Registration

Retrieval. 2003-11-13. . Retrieved 2006-07-01.[44] "Japanese Trademark and Patent Office" (http:/ / www. ipdl. inpit. go. jp/ homepg_e. ipdl). 2002-07-26. . Retrieved 2006-07-24. To find the

Chrono Brake patent, search "Japanese Trademark Database" for "chronobrake". Click Index to find the result, and click the link.[45] "OAMI-ONLINE - CTM-ONLINE - Trade mark consultation service" (http:/ / oami. europa. eu/ CTMOnline/ RequestManager/

en_Result_NoReg). 2002-12-02. . Retrieved 2010-05-12. To find the Chrono Brake trademark, search "Trade mark name" for "chrono brake".[46] Boulette, Bryan (2005-10-03). "Children of Mana Team Announced" (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ news/ Q4-2005/ 100305a. html).

RPGamer. . Retrieved 2006-07-24.[47] Deep Labyrinth (DS) Screenshots (http:/ / www. gamesarefun. com/ news. php?newsid=5528), Games Are Fun. Retrieved July 2, 2006.[48] Sheffield, Brandon. "Q&A: Sands of Destruction Team Talks Battle System, Story Creation" (http:/ / www. gamasutra. com/ view/ news/

26020/ QA_Sands_of_Destruction_Team_Talks_Battle_System_Story_Creation. php). Gamasutra. . Retrieved 2010-08-02.[49] Game Informer. GameStop. February 2008. pp. 24–25.[50] Parish, Jeremy (June 2008). Missing in Action. Ziff Davis Media. p. 95.[51] "Famitsu Readers Vote Their Most Wanted Sequels" (http:/ / www. ps3hyper. com/ news/ famitsu-readers-voted-their-most-wanted-sequels/

). Famitsu. May 2009. .[52] Donaldson, Alex (2009-06-05). "Square: Want more Chrono Trigger? Buy More!" (http:/ / www. rpgsite. net/ news/ 342. html). . Retrieved

2009-06-15.[53] http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Games/ Video_Games/ Roleplaying/ C/ Chrono_Series/ Chrono_Cross/ /[54] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/

Final Fantasy Chronicles

Final Fantasy Chronicles

Final Fantasy Chronicles box artDeveloper(s) Square, TOSE

Publisher(s) Square Electronic Arts

Series Final FantasyChrono

Platform(s) PlayStation

Release date(s) • NA June 29, 2001[1]

Genre(s) Console role-playing game

Mode(s) Single player

Rating(s) ESRB: T (Teen)

''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' 80

Media 2 CD-ROMs

Final Fantasy Chronicles is a compilation of Square's console role-playing games Final Fantasy IV and ChronoTrigger, released for the North American Sony PlayStation on June 29, 2001.[1] TOSE ported both titles from theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System; each had been previously released as individual Japanese PlayStation ports in1997 (Final Fantasy IV) and 1999 (Chrono Trigger).[2] [3] Several bonus features were added to each game, such asart galleries, bestiaries, and cutscenes—including computer-generated full motion video used at the beginning ofFinal Fantasy IV and anime scenes used throughout Chrono Trigger.[4]

Final Fantasy Chronicles was received well by players and critics, who praised the peripheral features and the factthat Square was offering RPG classics to a new generation of gamers.[4] [5] [6] Conversely, reviewers sharplycriticized "long and frequent loading" between areas and battles due to poor emulation.[5] [6] Enough copies ofChronicles were sold to warrant a second release as part of Sony's Greatest Hits in June 2003.[7]

GameplayIn Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, the player controls a set of characters, closely following the consolerole-playing game genre. The methods of viewing and controlling the characters are separated by three different"screens": the overworld, where the characters traverse to different locations; the field map, where the charactersexplore locations such as towns and dungeons; and the battle screen, where the characters fight with monsters orother enemies.[8] [9]

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy IV introduced the Active Time Battle, a system designed by Hiroyuki Ito. It centers around the playerinputting orders for the characters in "real time" during battles.[10] Each character is balanced through certainstrengths and weaknesses; for instance, a strong magic user may have low defense, while a physical fighter may havelow agility.[8]

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger's gameplay deviates from traditional role-playing games in that, rather than random encounters,most enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemies on a fieldmap initiates a battle that occurs directly on the field map itself rather than on a separate battle screen.[9] ChronoTrigger uses an updated form of the Active Time Battle introduced in Final Fantasy IV, with additions such as"Techs" that rely on enemy positioning and abilities of characters.[9] [11] Other features are the employment of timetravel and a "New Game Plus" option.[12] [13]

DevelopmentFinal Fantasy Chronicles features two previously-released ports by TOSE; Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Triggerwere released separately, and Final Fantasy IV was re-released as a part of Final Fantasy Collection, all published inJapan.[14] Chronicles was designed and directed by Kazuhiko Aoki, supervised by Fumiaki Fukaya, and produced byAkihiro Imai.[15] It was created as a follow-up to Final Fantasy Anthology, a compilation of Final Fantasy V andFinal Fantasy VI.[5] [16]

The original Final Fantasy IV was released in North America as Final Fantasy II in 1991, with various "Easytype"modifications.[17] These were removed in the Final Fantasy Chronicles version, and the game was re-localized,achieving a script closer to the Japanese script by Takashi Tokita.[15] Chrono Trigger, released in 1995, was alreadylocalized by Ted Woolsey, but the Final Fantasy Chronicles version has additional modifications.[5]

''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' 81

A primary addition to both games is full-motion video. Final Fantasy IV features computer animated cutscenesequences, while Chrono Trigger features anime-style sequences designed by Akira Toriyama that "help further tellthe story of Chrono Trigger." Final Fantasy IV was given gameplay features such as a two-player mode, a "SprintFeature" to "enhance and quicken gameplay", and the "Memo File" system to "reduce saving time." Chrono Trigger,instead of added gameplay features, has an "Extras Mode". This features databases such as a bestiary and a gallery ofartwork created in development.[18]

Promotion and merchandisingA compilation of Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger was in consideration in December 2000, with Final FantasyAnthology's success a key decision factor.[16] Final Fantasy Chronicles was announced by Square Electronic Arts onApril 17, 2001. Jun Iwasaki, president, mentioned an "overwhelming number" of requests to re-release ChronoTrigger, and believed the compilation of it and Final Fantasy IV would "appeal to fans of the original games andintroduce a new generation of gamers to some of our classic titles."[19] Final Fantasy Chronicles was released onJune 29, 2001 to take advantage of Columbia Pictures' marketing campaign for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.[20]

An event was held on July 10 in San Francisco, primarily to celebrate the film The Spirits Within and release ofFinal Fantasy Chronicles. It featured a cosplay contest, a memorabilia raffle, and booths to play Final FantasyChronicles and Final Fantasy X.[21]

Music from Final Fantasy Chronicles is a set of two separately-released compact discs published by TokyoPop.Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack and Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack were both released on August 21,2001. Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack is nearly the same release as Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version,the soundtrack album for the original game, except that the songs were rerecorded by TOSE, resulting in minordifferences, some song titles were slightly changed, and a 45th track was added, "Theme of Love (Arranged)", whichhad previously only been released as a piano version on the second track of Piano Collections Final Fantasy IV. Thisrelease has the catalog number TPCD 0210-2, and its 45 tracks had a length of 62 minutes.[22] Chrono TriggerOriginal Soundtrack was the corresponding album for Chrono Trigger. The album was heavily based on ChronoTrigger Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack album for the PlayStation release of Chrono Trigger; the first 21 tracksof the album out of 25 were identical to Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, while the next three trackscorresponded to tracks 22, 23, and 29 of the Original Soundtrack and the final track was the same as the first track ofBrink of Time, an arranged album of Chrono Trigger music. The album is 1:13:03 long, and has a catalog number ofTPCD 0209-2.[23] In addition to the albums, a strategy guide for Final Fantasy Chronicles written by Dan Birlewand was published by BradyGames on July 2, 2001.[24]

Reception

Reception Aggregate scores

Aggregator Score

GameRankings 87%[25]

Metacritic 89 of 100[26]

Review scores Publication Score

Electronic Gaming Monthly 8.33 of 10[25][27]

GamePro 5 of 5[28]

''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' 82

GameSpot 9 of 10[5]

IGN 9.4 of 10[4]

Official PlayStation Magazine (US) 4 of 5[6]

Awards

IGN Editors' Choice[4]

GamePro Editors' Choice[28]

EGM Silver Award[27]

Final Fantasy Chronicles was commercially and critically successful, becoming the top selling PlayStation title fortwo weeks, and scoring an average of 89% in Metacritic's aggregate, a review tallying website.[26] [29] Gamingwebsite IGN rated it 9.4 and awarded an "Editor's Choice Award", calling the game a "must buy" for RPG fans.[4]

GameSpot reviewer Brad Shoemaker gave the game an 8.5, but cited "muffled sound effects" in Final Fantasy IV,and was displeased with frequent loading in Chrono Trigger. He added that the visuals were "stupendous" when thegames were originally released, but they now look dated and will "turn off those looking for a bigger thrill for theirgaming dollar".[5] Marcus Lai of Gaming Age was disappointed with a lack of additions, calling the ports "barebonegames" and claiming that the full motion videos are "nice touches to both games but don't add much".[30]

External links• Official website [31] at Square Enix North America [32]

• Final Fantasy Chronicles [33] at MobyGames

References[1] "Final Fantasy Chronicles" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ finalfantasychronicles/ tech_info. html?om_act=convert& om_clk=stats&

tag=stats;techinfo). GameSpot (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved 2008-06-29.[2] "Chrono Trigger for PS" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronotrigger/ index. html?q=Chrono Trigger). GameSpot (http:/ / www.

gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved March 3, 2007.[3] "Final Fantasy IV for PS" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ finalfantasy4/ index. html?q=Final Fantasy IV). GameSpot (http:/ / www.

gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved March 3, 2007.[4] IGN Staff (2001-07-18). "IGN: Final Fantasy Chronicles Review" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 166/ 166322p1. html). IGN.com. .

Retrieved 2008-06-29.[5] Shoemaker, Brad (2001-07-06). "Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation Review - PlayStation Final Fantasy Chronicles Review" (http:/ /

www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ finalfantasychronicles/ review. html). Gamespot. pp. 1–2. . Retrieved 2008-06-29.[6] Kennedy, Sam, ed (2001). Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine August 2001; issue 47. Ziff Davis Media Inc.. p. 107.[7] "Final Fantasy Chronicles", ASIN B00005LOXE[8] Square Co., ed (1991). Final Fantasy II instruction manual. Square Co.. p. 74. SFS-F4-USA-1.[9] "Epic Center: Chrono Trigger". Nintendo Power 74: 53. July 1995.[10] Johnson, Robert (2003-04-28). "Final Fantasy IV Review" (http:/ / www. gamesarefun. com/ gamesdb/ review. php?reviewid=197).

GamesAreFun. . Retrieved 2006-09-10.[11] Square Co.. Chrono Trigger. (Square Soft). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1995-08-22) "Menu screen: Active Time Battle 2.0"[12] "Chrono Trigger: A New Standard for RPGs". Nintendo Power 73: 37. June 1995.[13] Studio BentStuff, ed (2009) (in Japanese). Chrono Trigger Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Supporting_Material_Translation. html#Chrono_Trigger_Ultimania). Square Enix. pp. 581. ISBN 978-4757524699. .[14] "Final Fantasy Collection" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ finalfantasycollection/ index. html). GameSpot (http:/ / www. gamespot.

com/ ). . Retrieved March 9, 2007.[15] Square Enix staff, ed (2001). Final Fantasy Chronicles instruction manual. Square Enix. p. 54. SLUS-01360.[16] Wanlin, Matthew. "Classic Square Titles to be Ported to the PlayStation?" (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ news/ Q4-2000/ 121900a. html).

RPGamer (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ ). . Retrieved July 2, 2007.

''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' 83

[17] Kelley, Ian. "FF4j/FF4j Easytype Changes FAQ" (http:/ / www. ffcompendium. com/ h/ faqs/ ff4versions. txt). FFCompendium (http:/ /www. ffcompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 2006-09-12.

[18] N/A. "FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES" (http:/ / na. square-enix. com/ games/ FFC/ ). Square Enix North America (http:/ / na.square-enix. com/ ). . Retrieved June 2, 2007.

[19] IGN staff. "Chrono Trigger and FF IV Confirmed for US Release" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 093/ 093510p1. html). IGN PlayStation(http:/ / psx. ign. com/ ). . Retrieved July 2, 2007.

[20] Final Fantasy game, film converge in July.(Brief Article) | Video Business | Find Articles at BNET.com (http:/ / findarticles. com/ p/articles/ mi_hb5057/ is_200104/ ai_n18411606)

[21] Ahmed, Shahed. "Final Fantasy fan day" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ finalfantasychronicles/ news. html?sid=2779055).GameSpot (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved July 2, 2007.

[22] Square Enix Music Online. "Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack: Music from Final Fantasy Chronicles - Album Information" (http:/ /www. squareenixmusic. com/ albums/ f/ ff4official. shtml). Square Enix Music. . Retrieved 2008-02-23.

[23] Gann, Patrick (2006-10-05). "Chrono Trigger Official Soundtrack: Music From Final Fantasy Chronicles" (http:/ / www. rpgfan. com/soundtracks/ ctchronicles/ index. html). RPGFan. . Retrieved 2009-04-23.

[24] Birlew, Dan (2001-07-02). Final Fantasy Chronicles Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. ISBN 0744000734.[25] "Final Fantasy Chronicles Reviews" (http:/ / www. gamerankings. com/ ps/ 477343-final-fantasy-chronicles/ index. html). Game Rankings. .

Retrieved 2008-06-29.[26] "Final Fantasy Chronicles (psx: 2001): Reviews" (http:/ / www. metacritic. com/ games/ platforms/ psx/ finalfantasychronicles?q=final

fantasy chronicles). Metacritic. . Retrieved 2008-06-28.[27] Hsu, Dan "Shoe", ed (2001). Electronic Gaming Monthly August 2001; issue 145. Ziff Davis Media Inc.. p. 112.[28] "UNCLEDUST" (2001-06-26). "Review: Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation on Gamepro.com." (http:/ / www. gamepro. com/ article/

reviews/ 14924/ final-fantasy-chronicles-final-fantasy-iv/ ). GamePro. . Retrieved 2008-06-29.[29] "Final Fantasy Chronicles Tops the Charts" (http:/ / psx. ign. com/ articles/ 096/ 096465p1. html). . July 13, 2001. . Retrieved March 28,

2007.[30] "Final Fantasy Chronicles Review for PlayStation" (http:/ / www. gaming-age. com/ cgi-bin/ reviews/ review. pl?sys=psx& game=ffc).

Gaming Age (http:/ / www. gaming-age. com/ ). . Retrieved July 2, 2007.[31] http:/ / na. square-enix. com/ games/ FFC/[32] http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ na/[33] http:/ / www. mobygames. com/ game/ final-fantasy-chronicles

Chrono BreakChrono Break is the name of a trademark registered by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) in the United States onDecember 5, 2001 that was later abandoned.[1] A similar trademark was registered by the company in the EuropeanUnion on December 14, 2001,[2] while the trademark Chrono Brake was registered in Japan. Although no officialannouncement was made, the trademark sparked speculation that Square was working on a new game in the Chronoseries. Since the trademark was registered, however, many of the people who worked on the other games in theseries departed Square, and the trademark was allowed to expire in the United States on November 13, 2003; theEuropean Union trademark is set to expire on December 14, 2011; and the Japanese trademark is set to expire onJuly 26, 2012. Although fan interest remains high for a sequel and a remake of Chrono Trigger has been made, noannouncements have been made by Square Enix either supporting or rejecting the idea of making another sequel.

RegistrationThe registration followed a press report of talks about a new Chrono series game. Within this report, Hironobu Sakaguchi mentioned that the team of Chrono Cross, especially Masato Kato, was interested in developing a new game in the series, and that script and story ideas were currently being considered. The project had not been greenlighted.[3] Kato had previously mentioned in the Ultimania guide for Chrono Cross that he wanted to create a direct sequel to Chrono Trigger to wrap up certain story elements and plot threads, and that the pitfalls of a direct sequel prompted them to do Chrono Cross instead.[4] While Squaresoft did not publish any official news, this registration led many in the video game community to believe that a sequel to the Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross was in full development. However, Masato Kato and others who worked on Chrono Cross—such as Yasuyuki Honne—meanwhile departed the company, mainly for Monolith Soft, and Squaresoft published no news concerning

''Chrono Break'' 84

a sequel. On November 13, 2003, the trademark was dropped in the United States. It is set to expire on December 14,2011 in the European Union, and on July 26, 2012 in Japan.

Official responseFan inquiry over a new title was subsequently large enough to warrant an entry in Square Enix's FAQ page, in whichthe company noted that no new game was in development, though this did not mean the series was dead.[5] In 2006,the entry was revised to include sequel inquiries for any series. A similar trademark was registered in 2001 bySquare Enix in Japan as Chrono Brake (クロノ・ブレイク), which is still registered.[6] After the release of ChronoCross, a number of key staff from the title left Squaresoft to form a new development studio, Monolith Soft, whichwas initially owned by Namco and is currently a first-party developer working under Nintendo. Other staff who hadworked on the title remained at Squaresoft and proceeded to work on Final Fantasy XI, a MMORPG. During aninterview at E³ 2003, this development team stated that they would love to develop a new Chrono game, but theircommitment to Final Fantasy XI would keep them busy for a long time.[7] Hironobu Sakaguchi (one of ChronoTrigger's creators) pitched the idea of an MMORPG to Squaresoft while working on Final Fantasy: The SpiritsWithin. As Richard Honeywood explained,

“Final Fantasy XI is pretty much it for a while. We still have a lot of possible expansion packs we could do, and plenty of support to give. Asfar as Chrono is concerned, that's huge; but we can't do two or three things at the same time, and it's tough to do FFXI and another Chronogame at the same time or too close together. We'd love to do one though, but yeah, not yet. (2003-05-14)[7] ”

Takashi Tokita, who directed Chrono Trigger, mentioned a "Chrono Trigger 2" in a 2003 interview which has notbeen translated to English.[8] Trigger developer Yuuji Horii expressed no interest in returning to the Chronofranchise in 2005.[9] In February 2007, Square Enix producer Hiromichi Tanaka took part in several interviews whilepromoting games in Europe. Tanaka reiterated that no new game was in development, but that a return was certainlynot out of the question.[10] [11]

“...it's very difficult to be able to reunite the original team, to be able to make a sequel to the Chrono series...because if we don't try to reunitethese people but take other people instead, we will find ourselves at that point with a game which will feel different, since there would bedifferent persons in charge, and we would possibly lose the Chrono spirit.[12] ”

— Hiromichi Tanaka

In January 2008, composer Yasunori Mitsuda remarked that "there are a lot of politics involved" in creating a newgame, and stressed that Masato Kato should participate in development should a new entry in the seriesmaterialize.[13]

Signs of lifeHopes for a sequel were raised when Masato Kato returned to Square Enix to work on games of the World of Mana project.[14] In an interview at a PLAY! concert in May 2006, Yasunori Mitsuda stated an interest in composing for a new game in the series.[15] These hopes were padded by the good working relationship between Kato and Mitsuda, as the two collaborated to release kiЯitɘ, an album complemented by a storybook. In September 2005, Kato and Mitsuda again teamed up to do a game called Deep Labyrinth for the Nintendo DS.[16] Mitsuda also announced in 2005 that a new Chrono Cross arranged album was in the works; as of May 2006, it was tentatively "out within the year", and as of June 2008 it still has not been released.[15] These factors, combined with Square Enix's recent polls that list Chrono Trigger as an option for game porting to handheld systems (it has since been released on the Nintendo DS), suggested that interest in the Chrono series has not completely dwindled at the company and that a new iteration may eventually be made, though no news or even rumors of such exist as of the beginning of 2010. Fans continue to write letters and e-mails to both Square Enix USA and Japan headquarters requesting Chrono Break.[17] The February 2008 issue of Game Informer ranked the Chrono series eighth among the "Top Ten Sequels

''Chrono Break'' 85

in Demand", naming the games "steadfast legacies in the Square Enix catalogue" and asking "what's the damnholdup?!".[18] In Electronic Gaming Monthly's June 2008 "Retro Issue", writer Jeremy Parish cited Chrono as thefranchise video game fans would be most thrilled to see a sequel to.[19] In the first May Famitsu of 2009, ChronoTrigger placed 14th out of 50 in a vote of most-wanted sequels by the magazine's readers.[20] At E3 2009, SE SeniorVice President Shinji Hashimoto remarked "If people want a sequel, they should buy more!".[21]

External links• US Patent and Trademark Office Entry for Chrono Break [22]

• Sample English & Japanese letters requesting a new game [23]

References[1] "Latest Status Info" (http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ servlet/ tarr?regser=serial& entry=76345716). Trademark Applications and Registration

Retrieval (http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ ). 2003-11-13. . Retrieved 2006-06-01.[2] "OAMI-ONLINE - CTM-ONLINE - Trade mark consultation service" (http:/ / oami. europa. eu/ CTMOnline/ RequestManager/

en_Result_NoReg). 2002-12-02. . Retrieved 2010-05-12. To find the Chrono Break trademark, search "Trade mark name" for "chrono break".[3] Shahed Ahmed (2001-07-03). "New Chrono game in planning stages" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ news/ 2782608. html?q=chrono).

GameSpot (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ). . Retrieved 1 July 2006.[4] Studio BentStuff, ed (1999) (in Japanese). Chrono Cross Ultimania (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/

Ultimania_Developer_Interviews. html). Square Enix. pp. 476–477. ISBN 4-925075-73-X. . Retrieved 2009-10-02.[5] Does SQUARE ENIX have any plans to develop a sequel to Chrono Cross?

A sequel to Chrono Cross is not in development. This doesn't mean we will never make a sequel. However, resources are being focused onother titles at this moment. Keep an eye on our Press Release page to keep up with current information on upcoming titles from SQUAREENIX. "Support FAQ" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20050418100502/ http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ na/ support/ faq/ ). Square Enix.Archived from the original (http:/ / www. square-enix. com/ na/ support/ faq/ ) on 2005-04-18. . Retrieved 2006-08-01.

[6] "Japanese Trademark and Patent Office" (http:/ / www. ipdl. inpit. go. jp/ homepg_e. ipdl). 2002-07-26. . Retrieved 2006-07-24. To find theChrono Brake patent, search "Japanese Trademark Database" for "chronobrake". Click Index to find the result, and click the link.

[7] Jeremy Dunham (2003-05-14). "E3 2003: Final Fantasy XI Developer Interview" (http:/ / ps2. ign. com/ articles/ 402/ 402807p1. html). IGN(http:/ / www. ign. com/ ). . Retrieved 23 December 2006.

[8] "【ゲームな人々】第11回 長きに渡って活躍する凄腕プロデューサー 時田貴司氏(後編)" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/20060307204754/ http:/ / game. goo. ne. jp/ contents/ news/ NGN20030716exp03/ index. html). 2003-07-16. Archived from the original(http:/ / game. goo. ne. jp/ contents/ news/ NGN20030716exp03/ index. html) on 2006-03-07. . Retrieved 2008-01-15.

[9] Alex Fraioli, Sam Kennedy (2005-12-02). "Dragon Quest vs. America" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/December_2,_2005_-_1UP_Yuuji_Horii_Interview. html). 1up.com (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ ). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. 1up.com/ do/ feature?pager. offset=0& cId=3146024) on 2008-01-15. . Retrieved 2007-10-01.

[10] "Interview vidéo Final Fantasy III" (http:/ / www. jeux-france. com/ news18999. html). Jeux-France.com (http:/ / www. jeux-france. com/ ).2002-01-31. . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

[11] Adam Riley (2002-02-01). "Hiromichi Tanaka, Square Enix" (http:/ / www. cubed3. com/ news/ 6729/ 1/ ). Cubed3.com (http:/ / web.archive. org/ web/ 20070202023115/ http:/ / www. cubed3. com/ ). . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

[12] Hiromichi Tanaka (2002-02-01). "Tanaka: No Chrono in Development" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Forums/ index.php?topic=3827). Chrono Compendium (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

[13] Yasunori Mitsuda (2008-01-28). "Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/feature?pager. offset=0& cId=3162780). 1UP.com (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ ). . Retrieved 2008-02-08.

[14] Bryan Boulette (2005-10-03). "Children of Mana Team Announced" (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ news/ Q4-2005/ 100305a. html).RPGamer (http:/ / www. rpgamer. com/ ). . Retrieved 24 July 2006.

[15] Brandon Daiker (2006-05-30). "PLAY! A Video Game Symphony: Chicago Interviews" (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ contentview.php?contentid=352& page=3). N-Sider (http:/ / www. n-sider. com/ ). . Retrieved 1 July 2006.

[16] Deep Labyrinth (DS) Screenshots (http:/ / www. gamesarefun. com/ news. php?newsid=5528), Games Are Fun. Retrieved July 2, 2006.[17] "Chrono Break Request Form" (http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Chrono_Break_Request_Form. html). Chrono Compendium

(http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ ). . Retrieved 2 July 2006.[18] Game Informer staff (February 2008). Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. pp. 24–25.[19] Jeremy Parish (June 2008). Electronic Gaming Monthly Retro Issue: Missing in Action. Ziff Davis Inc.. p. 95.[20] "Famitsu Readers Vote Their Most Wanted Sequels" (http:/ / www. ps3hyper. com/ news/ famitsu-readers-voted-their-most-wanted-sequels/

). Famitsu. May 2009. . Retrieved 2009-10-02.[21] Donaldson, Alex (2009-06-05). "Square: Want more Chrono Trigger? Buy More!" (http:/ / www. rpgsite. net/ news/ 342/

square-want-more-chrono-trigger-buy-more. html). . Retrieved 2009-06-15.

''Chrono Break'' 86

[22] http:/ / tarr. uspto. gov/ servlet/ tarr?regser=serial& entry=76345716[23] http:/ / www. chronocompendium. com/ Term/ Chrono_Break_Request_Form. html

Chrono Resurrection

Chrono Resurrection

The logo of the project's second version, based on Chrono Trigger's own logoDeveloper(s) Resurrection Games

Designer(s) Nathan Lazur

Artist(s) Luis Martin

Composer(s) Mathew Valente

License Free software (as CT64)Proprietary

Series Chrono (unofficial)

Platform(s) Nintendo 64 (as CT64)Windows, GameCube, Xbox

Release date(s) None (set to December 25, 2004 before public closure)

Genre(s) Role-playing game

Mode(s) Single-player

Media Download

Chrono Resurrection, also known as Chrono Trigger: Resurrection, is an unreleased, non-profit fangamedeveloped by North American team Resurrection Games under Nathan Lazur's direction. It is based on the criticallyacclaimed Super NES role-playing game Chrono Trigger by the Japanese company Square. The project was initiallycalled CT64 and was meant to be a complete remake of the original game for the Nintendo 64, with both 2D and 3Dplaying modes.After a first interruption in development, the project was redefined as a short interactive demo for Windows-basedpersonal computers. New team members, including professional artists and designers, were recruited for the demo,which would feature ten scenes from Chrono Trigger and most of its playable characters. In 2004, the project waspublicly closed after Square Enix issued a cease-and-desist letter to Resurrection Games for trademark and copyrightinfringement. Despite its closure, the project has received critical and popular praises.

''Chrono Resurrection'' 87

Nintendo 64 versionNathan Lazur initially planned to create a Chrono Trigger remake for the Nintendo 64, called CT64, usingGNU-based homebrew tools. Lazur's motivation for the project came in 1999 when playing Chrono Trigger andSuper Mario 64.[1] The remake, developed by a team of four people, was Lazur's first attempt at creating a completetitle. The game was intended to have two playing modes and the same battle system as the original.[2]

The first mode would feature 2D and pre-rendered graphics enhanced with 3D spell and battle effects. Some of theeffects created by Lazur would rely on software programming rather than the Nintendo 64 hardware, as the latterwould not be capable of rendering them directly.[2] The second mode would be a full 3D mode played in eitherregular or high display resolution, and would feature different level of detail textures depending on camera distances,to maximize clarity and performance. Both modes would be in a top-down perspective, although more cinematiccamera angles, similar to those from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, were also considered for the 3Dmode.[2]

A gallery feature was also planned and would allow players to unlock bonus material depending on their progressionin the game. Fan artwork and music would be unlockable through this feature, as well as minigames, including acard game similar to Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII.[2] The remake was expected to be released on the Internetfor free and played on console emulators, since there would be no cartridge version due to financial constraints.[2]

Only a semi-working 3D test was actually completed, and the project was discontinued in mid-2000 due to a numberof factors, including the accidental loss of Lazur's data and his desire to improve his programming skills.[1] [3]

Second version

Concept art by Luis Martins, depicting his takeon the character Magus originally designed by

Akira Toriyama

Development

The second version of the project, tentatively called Chrono Trigger:Brink of Time[4] then Chrono Resurrection, started development inApril 2003.[3] Lazur has given several reasons to explain hiswillingness to restart the project, including his experience coding forthe Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit,[1] programming for gamedeveloper DC Studios,[3] and playing Chrono Cross, the official sequelto Chrono Trigger for PlayStation.[1] Unlike CT64, the second versionwould be a short demo developed in a cross-platform engine with asingle 3D playing mode. The Windows version was planned for a freeInternet release, while Nintendo GameCube and Xbox ports would bereserved for official developers with access to development kits ofeither of the two consoles.[5]

The new development team was mostly recruited on the gamedevelopers website Gamasutra and worked in a small studio in Lazur'sapartment, in Montreal, Canada. The team included up to ninemembers, most of which had about two-and-a-half years ofexperiences in the industry.[6] Lazur has admitted that he began to seriously focus on the quality of the demo onlyafter art director Luis Martin joined the project.[1] Other professional designers in the team included Moise Breton, a3D artist who had worked on character models for the commercially successful movie The Matrix Reloaded,[3] andMichel Cadieux, an animator who had worked for game company Microïds. Difficulties were encountered in thegame engine development as Lazur was the unique programmer and worked from scratch.[3] [6]

''Chrono Resurrection'' 88

The score for the demo was composed by Mathew Valente, who had been with the project since its Nintendo 64version.[1] The score was to consist in arrangements of the official Chrono Trigger soundtrack written by YasunoriMitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu and Noriko Matsueda.[7] Valente's goal was to retain the feeling of the original musicwhile enhancing it for a modern platform.[8] Most of the arrangements were created in the Impulse Tracker format,then converted to MIDI and enhanced with a number of tools.[7]

The protagonist Crono as he appears in the firstof the ten scenes of the demo

Content

The team tried to capture the feel of the original game with updatedgraphics and sounds in the demo.[6] It was to feature ten shortinteractive scenes from Chrono Trigger.[9] [10] Despite receivingrequests from fans, the development team did not intend to create acomplete remake of the original game since they would not have thenecessary resources, and because they thought the result would nothave been on par with Square Enix-developed titles.[3] The story of thegame was altered slightly to allow for the ten scenes to better flowfrom one to the other.[6]

The demo was meant to be played using a "default party" of characters,with other party members unlockable for additional replay value. Due to time constraints, the development teamexpected that two of the seven characters of the original game, Robo and Ayla, would have 50% chances of notbeing featured.[3] While the team tried to capture the feel of the original game with updated graphics and sounds,[6]

the artists and animators faced difficulty in reproducing the characters due to the differences of style between thesprites, artwork and PlayStation version anime sequences.[3] They noted, however, that they overcame the issues andmanaged to add a bit of their own art style into the game.[6]

Closure and aftermathChrono Resurrection was originally set for a Christmas 2004 release.[11] However, Square Enix issued acease-and-desist letter to Resurrection Games before the release for trademark and copyright infringement.[12] Facedwith a threat of legal action, the project was publicly closed on September 6, 2004.[13] According to the developmentteam, the website of the project had received significant hits from Square Enix Japanese IP addresses for a period ofthree months before the letter issuing. They assumed these visits were mostly from employees rather than topexecutives,[13] and hoped the company would see the demo as how the team sees it, a tribute to Chrono Triggerrather than a replacement.[9]

Gaming websites 1UP.com and GameSpot called the project's second version "ambitious" and praised its graphics,noting that the art style is mostly faithful to that of the original game's character designer Akira Toriyama.[13] [14]

Website Nintendo World Report praised the game's graphics and music, and called the quality of the artwork"professional".[5] [11] 1UP.com judged the project's closure "unfortunate" but deduced that Square Enix could notleave the possibility of a "competing" Chrono Trigger remake open.[7] GameSpot also expressed theirdisappointment in Square Enix's decision to shut down the "furthest along" of Chrono Trigger fan remakes, pointingat the fact that with no news of another official sequel, fans of the Chrono series "have been left in the cold".[14]

Website GamePro Australia called the project "possibly the greatest fan remake to get crushed under the huge shoeof a big-time developer".[8]

Several Internet petitions were created by fans to pressure Square Enix into green-lighting Chrono Resurrection; none has had any effect, however.[13] Nathan Lazur, though disappointed, holds no ill will towards Square Enix for protecting its intellectual property, and he has stated that he "felt honoured to even be recognized" by the company.[1] He added that to avoid legal issues, developers of fangames should present their polished demos directly

''Chrono Resurrection'' 89

to the original publishers so that the products can be handled in a "more traditional business procedure".[13] MathewValente has expressed his hope for the "unlikely day" that Square Enix asks the team to continue their work for theWii Virtual Console.[8] Before the closure of Chrono Resurrection, Lazur had stated that his team had no plans toremake other games after the project's completion and would have liked to develop an original concept based infeudal Japan.[3]

External links• Official Chrono Resurrection website [15]

References[1] Jones, Darran (November 2004). "Chrono Trigger resurrection is no more". gamesTM (Imagine Publishing) (24): p. 130[2] GameSpot Editorial Team (2000-06-16). "Chrono Cross N64?" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ ps/ rpg/ chronocross/ news_2589606. html).

GameSpot. . Retrieved 2008-06-26.[3] The Stagbeetle (2004-08-20). "Chrono Trigger: Resurrection Interview" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20050225082507/ http:/ / www.

vgpro. com/ news/ 6064). VGPro.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. vgpro. com/ news/ 6064) on 2005-02-25. . Retrieved2008-06-26.

[4] Lazur, Nathan (2004-05-07). "Chrono Trigger Update!" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20061027000919/ http:/ / www. opcoder. com/archive/ 2003/ may2003. asp). Opcoder.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. opcoder. com/ archive/ 2003/ may2003. asp) onOctober 27, 2006. . Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[5] Cole, Michael (2004-05-09). "Chrono Trigger Comes to Nintendo GameCube!" (http:/ / www. nintendoworldreport. com/ newsArt.cfm?artid=9570). Nintendo World Report. . Retrieved 2008-06-27.

[6] Ragan, Jess (2006-04-26). "The Brews Brothers: Nathan Lazur" (http:/ / www. lakupo. com/ grblitz/ brews03. htm). The Gameroom Blitz. .Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[7] Maragos, Nich (2005-08-18). "Gaming's Rhapsody: Third Movement" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/ feature?cId=3142807& did=1). 1UP.com.p. 1. . Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[8] Noble, McKinley (2010-02-15). "13 fantastic fan-made game remakes and demakes" (http:/ / www. gamepro. com. au/ article/ 336267/13_fantastic_fan-made_game_remakes_demakes/ ?pp=2). GamePro Australia. p. 2. . Retrieved 2010-03-09.

[9] Baker, Chris (November 2004). "Back to the Beginning". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (184)[10] Lazur, Nathan (2004-09-18). "Update" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20061027000937/ http:/ / www. opcoder. com/ archive/ 2004/

sept2004. asp). Opcoder.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. opcoder. com/ archive/ 2004/ sept2004. asp) on October 27, 2006. .Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[11] Cole, Michael (2004-09-06). "Chrono Trigger Resurrection Update" (http:/ / www. nintendoworldreport. com/ newsArt. cfm?artid=9872).Nintendo World Report. . Retrieved 2008-06-27.

[12] Stanford Center for Internet & Society. "Infringement of Chrono Trigger trademarks and copyrights" (http:/ / www. chillingeffects. org/derivative/ notice. cgi?NoticeID=1416). Chilling Effects. . Retrieved 2008-06-27.

[13] Ragan, Jess (2006-03-20). "Singing the Brews: The History & Philosophy of Homebrew Game Development" (http:/ / www. 1up. com/ do/feature?pager. offset=6& cId=3148820). 1UP.com. p. 7. . Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[14] "The Original Time Trotters" (http:/ / www. gamespot. com/ features/ 6147770/ index. html). The Greatest Games of All Time. GameSpot.2006-04-17. . Retrieved 2008-06-26.

[15] http:/ / www. opcoder. com/ projects/ chrono/

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Article Sources and ContributorsChrono series  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=373945581  Contributors: A1b2c3d8, Axem Titanium, Connell66, David Fuchs, Deckiller, Eccles999174, Evacat, Fargo ofDiarmuid, Fru1tbat, GamerPro64, Grey ghost, Headbomb, Hibana, Jagged 85, Jay32183, Jezzaxe, Jonathan Hardin', Judgesurreal777, Juhachi, Kariteh, Kung Fu Man, Megata Sanshiro, Mika1h,Moocha, Mushroom, N. Harmonik, Nihonjoe, Ost316, Out slide, Platypus222, PresN, Richard1990, Rjwilmsi, RockMFR, Rst20xx, S@bre, Sheeeeeeep, Silver Edge, Sjones23, Sufid, TJ Spyke,Tabletop, Tarbos, Tedius Zanarukando, Teo64x, Th1rt3en, The Prince of Darkness, Tony1, Urutapu, Zeality, 38 anonymous edits

List of characters in Chrono Trigger  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=375822559  Contributors: A Nobody, After Midnight, Aktsu, Andy Marchbanks, Apostrophe, ArcticNight, Auntof6, Axem Titanium, BPM, BackspaceCloud, Binx, Bokan, CBM, CPitt76, Capefeather, Carlosguitar, Caue.cm.rego, CopyrightDrone, DaJungKi, DeathbyChiasmus, Deckiller,DiScOrD tHe LuNaTiC, Dracosilv, Drpryr, EALacey, Eaglestorm, Fargo of Diarmuid, Fenrir-of-the-Shadows, FiercedeitylinkX, Flic182, Fractyl, Gabrielryan2012, Gaius Cornelius, Gatotsu911,Geg, Glowstone, GoingBatty, Guardian of Light, HadesDragon, HalfShadow, Hammersoft, Headbomb, Hibana, Hobbsilla, Hotspot, Ichan kobayashi, Innepesaukah, J.delanoy, Jay32183,Jeangabin, Jennavecia, Jiansia, Jinnai, Jjahastings, Justyn, Kariteh, Kbdank71, Kizor, Kniesten, Kris Schnee, Kung Fu Man, Kutera Genesis, LafinJack, Lashiec, Lucasthalefty, Luziphir, MECU,Maikeru, Marblespire, MasterDeva, MegX, Megata Sanshiro, Metalbassist1341, Mikethekinslayer, Milkedslime, Monobi, New Age Retro Hippie, Nifboy, Nique1287, Nomchan, Nutiketaiel,OmegaOne, Osokaru, Peaceoutside, PeteJacobsen, PhilSchabus, Philip Trueman, Pinao9, Pixelface, Platypus222, Prime Blue, Rapturerocks, Rernst, Rhaka, Rich Farmbrough, Richiekim, Rjd279,Roehl Sybing, Rorshacma, RubilacEx, Sabertooth, Sairasu, Seano1, Sega31098, SergeantLuke, Sfan00 IMG, ShadowKinght, Sir Osis of Liver, Sivak, Skorpio-88, Skullmiser, Smashman202,TJF588, TPIRFanSteve, TTN, Tam001, Tanner martin, Taric25, TeediousPrime, Th1rt3en, Thanos6, The Evil Spartan, The Free Gift Wagon, The Great Morgil, The Prince of Darkness, TheRogue Penguin, TigerNightmare, Tonberry2k, Tony Sidaway, Tubby131313, Urutapu, Uzeq, Vivio Testarossa, Welsh, WikiHaquinator, Woohookitty, Yellow Mage, Yottamol, ZAMDultra,Zeality, Zero1328, 393 anonymous edits

List of characters in Chrono Cross  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=375011544  Contributors: AdzPearson, AiddonValentine, Akadewboy, AndrejConstantinesku,AnonEMouse, Anticipation of a New Lover's Arrival, The, Augenstein, Auntof6, Axem Titanium, BigCow, Bisqwit, Bokan, Bourne555, Chaeley, Chaosbladeuk, ChrisCork, Cookiedog,CyberSkull, Cycotic, DarthZantetsuken, Deckiller, Dispenser, EALacey, ENeville, Earthfire, Elaich, Eliashc, FaithfulCompanionCube, Fargo of Diarmuid, Firsfron, Flewis, Fractyl, Gilgamesh,Goatshi, Headbomb, Hibana, Hotspot, IL-Kuma, JQF, Jay32183, JeffreyAtW, JohnI, Jon24hours, Kahran042, Kaitu, Kariteh, Kcchia80, KentoIkeda, Knid123, Kouban, Kung Fu Man, LilHelpa,Lucielp, Maggiekarp, Malcolm, Master Deusoma, Megata Sanshiro, Mentifisto, New Age Retro Hippie, Nifboy, Nomchan, Noq, NuclearWarfare, Onikage725, Ost316, Pax85, Platypus222,Prime Blue, Puggard, Rettetast, ReyBrujo, Rmky87, Rror, SAMAS, Sabrewing, Sega31098, ShelfSkewed, Shiva64, SiegfreidZ, Sir Tobek, Slayze, Smijes08, Snowolfd4,Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme, Sonicandfffan, Spinto tenor, Supermariofan20, TJ Spyke, TPIRFanSteve, TTN, Taruru, Teo64x, Thiseye, Tkynerd, Uncuddly, Urutapu, Versus22, VidemusOmnia, Warpedmirror, Whicker, WhiteKnightLeo, William Avery, Wilton132, Wknight94, Woohookitty, Wyveelix, Xena91388, Zeality, 442 anonymous edits

Music of Chrono Trigger  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=374753796  Contributors: Alfadorius, Altzinn, Another Believer, Axem Titanium, CJLL Wright, Cassandraleo,CyberSkull, DarkEvil, Doczilla, Emteekek, FallenAngelII, Freakofnurture, Furrykef, Giraffedata, Glenn Magus Harvey, Grm wnr, Hansamurai, Headbomb, Hibana, I Feel Tired, Ilikemusic,Innepesaukah, Jrcplanet, Kapyrna, Kariteh, Koavf, Lairor, Lectonar, Liontamer, Megata Sanshiro, Mitchchase, Mo0, Nomchan, Notmyhandle, Onore Baka Sama, Out slide, PresN, ProjectSpam,Rich Farmbrough, Rjclaudio, ShaunMacPherson, Sheehan, SilverHawk7, Smoke, Soumyasch, Splintax, TJF588, The Prince of Darkness, Vin Kaleu, WikHead, Yossarian, Zeality, 41 anonymousedits

Music of Chrono Cross  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=374753954  Contributors: Giraffedata, Godheval, Headbomb, Kariteh, Koavf, Megata Sanshiro, Meol, MoldavianSax, PresN, Rich Farmbrough, Sillyfolkboy, 5 anonymous edits

Chrono Trigger  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=376727543  Contributors: 1234123444444ert, 207.53.152.xxx, 24.50.62.xxx, A Man In Black, Abby724, Addps4cat,AdzPearson, After Midnight, Ahoerstemeier, Ajin mbbs, Aktsu, Alai, Aleron235, Alex.liu064, Alexf, Alfadorius, Allstarecho, AlphaPhoenixDown, Andrevan, Andux, Angelic Wraith, AnnStouter, Anthonyd3ca, Aporon, Apostrophe, Aresmo, Arrowned, Artichoker, Asenine, AuburnPilot, AvatarZero, Avengah, Axem Titanium, BDD, Baker1000, BananaFiend, Beastieboysfan,Belasted, BigCow, BigHaz, Bioform 1234, Bloodofox, Blu Aardvark, Blue Mirage, Blue bear sd, Bluegoomba2, Bob A, Bobblehead, Bobdoe, Booyabazooka, Borgx, Bpogi, Brighterorange,Brinlong, Brown Bomber, Bryan Derksen, Calamity-Ace, Calvin 1998, Capricorn42, Carbunkel, Catgut, CaveatLector, Cdworetzky, Celainre, Cgranade, Chcknwnm, Chowbok, Chris Love,Chronodk, Chronofied, Citx, ClaudeLv250, Clausetulio, Coffee books, Combination, Connell66, Conversion script, Crazyswordsman, Crono, CronoDekar, Cruel Rose, CryptoDerk, Cunard,Cvaneg, CyberSkull, Cylith, Cynical, Czar Dragon, D;ruitghui94h3t59yh37ht5-578yw-ryht-hgy, Da monster under your bed, DabMachine, Dabomb87, Daelanus, Damien Prystay, Dan Granahan,DarkEvil, Darqcyde, Dave6, Davengineer, Debresser, Deckiller, Defixio, Dejaphoenix, Dellpcr, Derek Ross, Dethme0w, Dgies, Dialectric, Dispenser, Djungelurban, Dlp3007, DobermanPharaoh, Doniago, Dorvaq, Drag0nsplay, DragonLair04, Dream Focus, Dreestith, DropDeadGorgias, Drpryr, Druff, Duhman0009, Dycedarg, EALacey, Eaglestorm, Elsbeth0, Eluchil, Emersoni,Emperor Jachra, Endymian, Ensiwe, Ereza, EricRoubinek, Ernest33, Error411, Esrever, Eternalschala, Ethan.exe, Euchiasmus, Everyking, Evice, Ex-Nintendo Employee, Extransit, EyeOfLyger,Fableheroesguild, Falcon9x5, Fargo of Diarmuid, Father McKenzie, Feezo, Fenrir-of-the-Shadows, Fiend Kraken III, Finduilas 09, FlamingSilmaril, Flipkin, Foobar, Fratley, Frecklefoot,FriedMilk, Fru1tbat, FullMetal Falcon, Furrykef, 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Tanner martin, Taric25, Tb884, Tedius Zanarukando, Template namespace initialisation script, Tempshill, Tentacle Monster, Tezero,Th1rt3en, Thaddius, The Great Morgil, The Prince of Darkness, The Rogue Penguin, TheCorrecta, TheDoober, Thibbs, Thiseye, Thmalex, Thumperward, Tidusblitzace, Time for action, Tnayin,Tnova4, Tony1, Trevor Andersen, Trinomial, Triviamaniac, Truthconveyer, Turdman the Vandal, TychoZzyx, UberMan5000, UkPaolo, Unknown W. Brackets, Urutapu, Utcursch, Vague Rant,Vyran, WET3, WLGades, WOSlinker, Waluigi Twin, Wangi, Warpedmirror, Wereon, WhisperToMe, Widdowson91, WikHead, Wiki alf, WikiHaquinator, Wikifried, WikipedianMarlith,Willdingman23, Wispy, Wmahan, Worrydream, Wrp103, Wtfrog, Wtmitchell, Wxlfsr, Xmcgirk, Yamamoto Ichiro, Yas, Yoshiguy, Yoshi～, Yottamol, You may say I'm a dreamer,YourEyesOnly, Z'Alai, ZX81, Zakreon, ZanderX, ZeaLitY, Zeality, Zepheus, Zephyr103, Zeta Nova, Zhorken, Zidane2k1, Zxcvbnm, 919 anonymous edits

Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=375033822  Contributors: Amcaja, Andre Engels, Andrevan, Apostrophe, Ashnard, BKidd, Belasted,Blanchardb, Blue Mirage, Bob A, Bobblewik, CanisRufus, Chris Love, Conti, Conversion script, CyberSkull, Cynical, DanKeshet, Daniel Lawrence, DarkEvil, David Gerard, Demione,Djungelurban, Dkasak, Doczilla, DropDeadGorgias, EALacey, Elaich, Elcobbola, FFXII International + Paul Rodgers, Faviang, Gary King, Gatotsu911, Gilgamesh, Gizmo II, Guyinblack25,Hadal, Hansamurai, Haoie, Headbomb, Hibana, Innepesaukah, Jagged 85, Jonathan Hardin', Judgesurreal777, K1Bond007, Kariteh, Kate, Kouban, Kozuch, Krellis, Laser brain, Lemon-s,LittleSmall, Maclean25, Maggiekarp, Magister Mathematicae, Materialscientist, McCart42, Megata Sanshiro, Mika1h, Mrwojo, N. Harmonik, Nall, New Age Retro Hippie, Newspaper98,NickBush24, Nique1287, Nixeagle, Olivier, Peanut4, Plasticup, Poiuyt Man, PresN, Prime Blue, Pseudo Intellectual, Radical-Dreamer, Ravimakkar, Remurmur, ReyBrujo, Rich Farmbrough,Richard1990, Rjwilmsi, SandyGeorgia, Seancdaug, Sevenite, Sfan00 IMG, ShadowHntr, ShakespeareFan00, Silver Edge, Tarka, Teo64x, Thibbs, Tiggerjay, Tsunade, Urutapu, Vague Rant,Vendettax, WOSlinker, Wahjah, Warpedmirror, Wyveelix, Y0u, ZeaLitY, Zeality, Zshock928, 60 anonymous edits

Chrono Cross  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=376730559  Contributors: A Man In Black, AB, AarnKrry, Abe cool, Accurizer, AdzPearson, After Midnight, Ahoerstemeier, Air you breathe, Amcaja, Andrevan, Andy Marchbanks, Apostrophe, Arensic, Ashnard, Axem Titanium, Bisqwit, Black Kat, Bobamnertiopsis, Bobquest3, Brighterorange, Brion VIBBER, Capefeather, Check two you, Chensiyuan, Chrono'99, Cicero225, Cmdrjameson, Combination, Connell66, Conversion script, Crazyswordsman, Crisu, CyberSkull, Cynical, Dark Kubrick, DarkEvil, DarkSerge, DarthZantetsuken, Deckiller, Dentalplan, Deville, DiScOrD tHe LuNaTiC, Diceman, Didactohedron, Dispenser, Dmn, Dorvaq, DropDeadGorgias, Druff, ESkog, Edcolins, Elaich, Elch Yenn, Eliashc, Eluchil, Error411, Everyking, Falcon8765, Feydey, Fledylids, Fru1tbat, Frungi, G005, Gaius Cornelius, Gilgamesh, Gombe, Gordon Ecker, Grimboy, Guardian of Light, Guyinblack25, Haha169, Headbomb, Hibana, Hotspot, Htmlism, Ian Pitchford, Icey, Illidan123, Innepesaukah, Isequals, Ishtar Dark, Izno, Izuko, Jagged 85, Jason One, Jeff G., Jeriaska, JimmyBlackwing, John, Johnnyfog, Jonathan Hardin', Judgesurreal777, Juliuse15, K1Bond007, Kariteh, Keithustus, Khim1, King Zeal, Klaser, Koavf, Kogashiwa, Kopaka649, KramarDanIkabu, Krazytea, Krellis, Leslie Mateus, Leuko, Lightmouse, Liontamer, Lockeownzj00, Marasmusine, Mark T, Master Thief Garrett, Maverick Leonhart, Maximus Rex, Mboverload, McCart42,

Article Sources and Contributors 91

Megata Sanshiro, Melphis, Mushroom, Nall, Nataly8, NateDan, Neophit, Nepenthes, New Age Retro Hippie, Nifboy, Nknight, Nomader, NovaSe7en, NuclearWarfare, Oscarthecat, Pagrashtak,Pandora Xero, Paraiba, Peaceman, PhilipO, Phuz, Pinkadelica, Plasticup, Platypus222, Poiuyt Man, PresN, Proserpine, Puggard, Raizen1984, ReyBrujo, Rich Farmbrough, Richard D. LeCour,Richard1990, Ricky81682, Rjwilmsi, RobJ1981, RockMFR, Ryan Roos, Ryu Kaze, Sabrewing, Sam Hocevar, Seancdaug, Sephiroth1311, ShadowHntr, Sherool, Silver Edge, Sjones23, Slade,Slasher4242, Smartyharty20, Sn0wflake, Snkcube, Spencer195, Starionwolf, Stratadrake, SunToucher451, Tavatar, Teblad, Terra Green, Tesseran, The Prince of Darkness, The Rambling Man,The Thought-Fox, TheCorrecta, TheDoober, Thiseye, Thisissobrett, Thorpe, Thunderbrand, Tigerghost, Tomasooie, Tony1, Topnotcher, Ugen64, Umrguy42, Uzerzero, Vague Rant, VindictiveWarrior, Vulcan280, Wahjah, Warpedmirror, WhisperToMe, Who, WikipedianMarlith, Wispy, Wmahan, Woohookitty, Wpedzich, Xeno Lives!!, Xu3w3nan, Yas, Zachary crimsonwolf,ZeaLitY, Zeality, Zidane4028, Ziel, 314 anonymous edits

Final Fantasy Chronicles  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=369656033  Contributors: Alansohn, Angusmclellan, Aoi, Apostrophe, Arlando, AspiringSquire, Axem Titanium,Chiefmartinez, Cocoapropo, Combination, Cswrye, CyberSkull, Cyde, Cynical, Darkhunger, Deckiller, Eluchil, FCYTravis, Fconaway, Ffgemini83, Fuhghettaboutit, Greenmage128,Guyinblack25, Hansamurai, Headbomb, Hibana, JidGom, Judgesurreal777, K1Bond007, Kariteh, Koavf, Kukule, Lightmouse, Lockeownzj00, Lorson, Meegs, Mika1h, Mo0, Mugsywwiii, N.Harmonik, Nall, Nique1287, OrangeDog, Oscarthecat, Ost316, Pagrashtak, Philwelch, Plasticup, Poiuyt Man, PresN, Psychofish, Rare, Ravimakkar, Rejecticon, Rjwilmsi, Sawran, Scott Johnson,Seancdaug, SharkD, Sietse Snel, Silver Edge, Sjones23, Squilibob, Teggles, Tezero, The Prince of Darkness, Thunderbrand, Tony1, Tree Biting Conspiracy, Tsuba, Warpedmirror, Z1720,Zeality, 21 anonymous edits

Chrono Break  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=376941616  Contributors: Apostrophe, Axem Titanium, BlueSunrise, Chrono'99, CyberSkull, Darkhunger, Dffgd, Doczilla,Edcolins, EpicFantasyStory, Gaius Cornelius, Gatotsu911, Giggy, Gilgamesh, Gizmo II, Headbomb, Hibana, Holothurion, JackSparrow Ninja, Jinnai, Judgesurreal777, Kariteh, Lightmouse,Liontamer, Megata Sanshiro, Melodia, Messatsu, Mynameis, N. Harmonik, Nall, New Age Retro Hippie, Nomchan, Ost316, PatCheng, Plasticup, PresN, Queenmomcat, ReyBrujo, Rjwilmsi,RockMFR, Rst20xx, Sergecross73, Sheeeeeeep, Silver Edge, Sn0wflake, Thunderbrand, Tony1, Tonyf12, Ugen64, Unknown W. Brackets, Urzatron, Vardogr, Vindictive Warrior, Xeno Lives!!,ZeaLitY, Zeality, Zeromaru, 34 anonymous edits

Chrono Resurrection  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=375224757  Contributors: Artichoker, Buymoar, Gargaj, Giggy, Gizmo II, Headbomb, Innepesaukah, Kariteh, LilHelpa,Megata Sanshiro, Mika1h, MrKIA11, Ms2ger, Nomchan, O'erTheRampardos, SYSS Mouse, Squareenixgames, Svick, TJ Spyke, Tony1, Tsuba, Vash3001, Victory93, Wizardman, 5 anonymousedits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 92

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Chrono Trigger characters.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Trigger_characters.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Kariteh, Ricky81682Image:Chrono Trigger original characters.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Trigger_original_characters.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors:DarknessSavior, Megata SanshiroFile:Yasunori Mitsuda.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Yasunori_Mitsuda.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: nickfongImage:Ctosv.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ctosv.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: CyberSkull, Hibana, Kariteh, N. Harmonik, Peaceman, PresN, ZeWrestlerImage:CTBOTcover.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CTBOTcover.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: N. Harmonik, PresNImage:VGL Chrono Suite.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:VGL_Chrono_Suite.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Eric MillImage:Chrono-cross-ost-cover.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono-cross-ost-cover.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: N. Harmonik, PresNImage:Chrono Trigger.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Trigger.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Aleenf1, Combination, Hibana, Ryu Kaze, TJ Spyke,The Prince of Darkness, Zeality, 4 anonymous editsImage:ChronoTriggerInside.PNG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:ChronoTriggerInside.PNG  License: unknown  Contributors: Bryan Derksen, CyberSkull, DarkEvil,FriedMilk, Hibana, Judgesurreal777, N. Harmonik, Reach Out to the Truth, Ryu Kaze, ZeWrestler, Zeality, 2 anonymous editsImage:Chrono Trigger Magus battle artwork.PNG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Trigger_Magus_battle_artwork.PNG  License: unknown  Contributors:Bibliomaniac15, Falcorian, Hibana, Judanim, N. Harmonik, Rossrs, Ryu Kaze, 1 anonymous editsImage:Hironobu Sakaguchi 20070706 Japan Expo 2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hironobu_Sakaguchi_20070706_Japan_Expo_2.jpg  License: CreativeCommons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: User:OkkiImage:Chrono trigger ayla fmv.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_trigger_ayla_fmv.png  License: unknown  Contributors: Guyinblack25, N. Harmonik,ZealityImage:Radical dreamers.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Radical_dreamers.png  License: unknown  Contributors: CyberSkull, DarkEvil, N. Harmonik, Peaceman,Thibbs, ZealityImage:Radical Dreamers Frozen Flame.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Radical_Dreamers_Frozen_Flame.png  License: unknown  Contributors: N. Harmonik,Thibbs, ZealityFile:chronocrossbox.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chronocrossbox.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: CyberSkull, Explicit, Jaxl, Peaceman, Ryu Kaze, ThePrince of Darkness, Thunderbrand, ZealityFile:Chronocrossbattlescreenshot.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chronocrossbattlescreenshot.png  License: unknown  Contributors: Crazyswordsman, N.Harmonik, ZealityFile:Navigatingelnido.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Navigatingelnido.png  License: unknown  Contributors: N. Harmonik, Ryu Kaze, ZealityFile:Tanaka.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tanaka.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Rob FaheyImage:ffcbox.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ffcbox.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: AMHR285, CyberSkull, Ffgemini83, Hibana, Judgesurreal777, Nyttend,Peaceman, Ryu Kaze, Salavat, The Prince of Darkness, ZeWrestler, ZealityImage:Chrono Resurrection logo.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Resurrection_logo.png  License: unknown  Contributors: User:KaritehImage:Chrono Resurrection art.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Resurrection_art.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: KaritehImage:Chrono Resurrection screenshot.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chrono_Resurrection_screenshot.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Giggy, Kariteh

License 93

LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unportedhttp:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/