Ty ArthurA Spiky Haired Kid Who Just Can't Catch A Break
August 19th 2008 19:51
Pretty much anyone who played RPGs during the Super Nintendo days fondly remembers a little number called Chrono Trigger and how it basically blew away any and all competition at the time. It’s very distinctive art direction, interesting pixel art images that used all kinds of neat tricks to make the graphics seem far better that it actually was, compelling storyline, and awesome side quests made it the go to game of the console. There have been a few other games that reference it, like the text based Radical Dreamers, or the sorta but not really sequel Chrono Chross, and the game itself even got a Playstation re-release with a few added Japanese Anime style cut scenes, but in all, Chrono Trigger basically got the shaft and never turned into the franchise that it should have. With the right marketing it really could have been as big or bigger than the Final Fantasy series.
The game wasn’t without its flaws of course, such as a few attempts at humorous dialog that fell flat or were simply too juvenile to be taken seriously, but in defense of the game it did come out back when people felt that games where just for kids. The real thrust of the game was the possibility of finding twelve or more separate endings that were all actually significantly different from one another, and some of them couldn’t be obtained unless you played the game through more than once using the “New Game ” feature. A personal favorite of mine was that if you defeat the big baddie Lavos using the hidden portal at the beginning of the game before the party defeats the Reptites way back in the dinosaur age, the end of the game features all Reptites and no humans, because the party didn’t ever go help the humans overcome their opposing race. Of course, there are all kinds of loopholes there, like how did the party exist in the first place if they didn’t already go back in time and help the humans survive their war with the Reptites, but time travel storylines can’t have perfect resolutions. Another really cool feature of the game was that at one point Chrono is killed, and you don’t have to bring him back from the dead. The game can be finished leaving him in his grave, using only the secondary characters, leading to a very melancholy ending.
Since Squaresoft wasn’t doing anything with it, an independent team of developers went about recreating the game for the PC with updated graphics and sound, calling it “Chrono Resurrection.” The screenshots they had going were absolutely amazing, staying true to the original art design but transporting everything into a fully 3D medium. Unlike some of the other fan based sequels out there, like the previously mentioned Planescape: Vengeance, this one was actually getting off the ground in a serious way, with actual game industry veterans throwing their hats into the ring. Of course, all good things come to an end, and this one prematurely, as the team got a Cease and Desist from Squaresoft. Kinda lame, since they weren't doing anything with the series anyway and it’s not like they are still making money off the SNES or PS1 versions, but whatever, it’s their property and they can do what they please with it.
They miraculously brought Chrono back from the dead, but then Squaresoft killed him again anyway. This spiky haired kid just can’t get a break.
The game wasn’t without its flaws of course, such as a few attempts at humorous dialog that fell flat or were simply too juvenile to be taken seriously, but in defense of the game it did come out back when people felt that games where just for kids. The real thrust of the game was the possibility of finding twelve or more separate endings that were all actually significantly different from one another, and some of them couldn’t be obtained unless you played the game through more than once using the “New Game ” feature. A personal favorite of mine was that if you defeat the big baddie Lavos using the hidden portal at the beginning of the game before the party defeats the Reptites way back in the dinosaur age, the end of the game features all Reptites and no humans, because the party didn’t ever go help the humans overcome their opposing race. Of course, there are all kinds of loopholes there, like how did the party exist in the first place if they didn’t already go back in time and help the humans survive their war with the Reptites, but time travel storylines can’t have perfect resolutions. Another really cool feature of the game was that at one point Chrono is killed, and you don’t have to bring him back from the dead. The game can be finished leaving him in his grave, using only the secondary characters, leading to a very melancholy ending.
Since Squaresoft wasn’t doing anything with it, an independent team of developers went about recreating the game for the PC with updated graphics and sound, calling it “Chrono Resurrection.” The screenshots they had going were absolutely amazing, staying true to the original art design but transporting everything into a fully 3D medium. Unlike some of the other fan based sequels out there, like the previously mentioned Planescape: Vengeance, this one was actually getting off the ground in a serious way, with actual game industry veterans throwing their hats into the ring. Of course, all good things come to an end, and this one prematurely, as the team got a Cease and Desist from Squaresoft. Kinda lame, since they weren't doing anything with the series anyway and it’s not like they are still making money off the SNES or PS1 versions, but whatever, it’s their property and they can do what they please with it.
They miraculously brought Chrono back from the dead, but then Squaresoft killed him again anyway. This spiky haired kid just can’t get a break.
| 43 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
