I am a latecomer to Chrono Trigger — I did not grow up with it; I do not carry childhood memories of the holiday season 1995. I first played it in my basement in 2019 while the kids slept, anticipating a “classic” as you might appreciate an old building — impressive for its time, yet ultimately out of date.
I was entirely wrong.
Chrono Trigger is not merely a good game “for a 1995 title.” It is among the greatest role-playing games of all time, regardless of the year it was published. I argued with the New Player Ready crew about why Chrono Trigger should be ranked #1 on our Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) list for three weeks prior to settling on #3. I am still bitter about it.
What Makes Chrono Trigger So Great
Developer: Square | Release Dates: Japan — March 11, 1995; North America — August 22, 1995
Chrono Trigger was developed by the “Dream Team,” which consisted of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, and Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama. The Dream Team produced a JRPG that completely defied every JRPG cliche and managed to make it all work perfectly.
The setup seems relatively straightforward: a young man named Crono gets involved with time travel after an experiment to teleport him from the Millennial Fair goes awry. What begins as a rescue mission evolves into a quest to prevent the world from being destroyed in 1999 AD by an alien creature called Lavos. You journey to six different time periods — from 65,000,000 BC to 2300 AD — and your actions in the past impact the future.
Games typically utilise time travel as a mechanism to go back and forth between two time periods, with minimal modifications. Chrono Trigger simply laughed at that idea and constructed an entire story based on causality that actually worked. Planted a seed in 600 AD? Found a forest in 1000 AD. Help a character’s ancestor in the past? Met their descendant in the future and remembered your kindness through family lore. Stopped a war in one era? Saw a completely different civilisation thrive in the future.
Combat System: Making Turn-Based Exciting
In coming to JRPGs as a new fan without the “this is how we’ve always done it” attitude, I can confidently say that most turn-based combat is boring. Select commands from menus. Wait for animation. Repeat for hours. Chrono Trigger’s Active Time Battle system made this possible by requiring positioning and timing to be meaningful.
Characters moved around the battlefield based on their attack. The tech abilities available to each character allowed for hitting enemies in specific patterns (lines, circles, areas). With dual tech, two characters could combine their abilities to create a stronger attack. Triple techs utilised all three active party members for devastating combinations. You were not just selecting “Attack” from a menu — you were thinking strategically about positioning, combinations, and timing.
The New Game+ feature was innovative for 1995. Once you beat the game, you could begin again from level one with all of your levels, equipment, and abilities intact. This was not just for easy mode replays — it introduced multiple endings depending on when you defeated Lavos. Defeated Lavos immediately at the Millennial Fair? Different ending. Defeated Lavos halfway through the story? Different ending. Chrono Trigger featured 12 different endings, and achieving all of them would require you to interact with the NG+ system.
Why The Story Continues To Work
As I played Chrono Trigger without nostalgia, what struck me most about the experience was that the story does not waste your time. Almost every JRPG from this era — heck, almost every JRPG today — pads their runtime with fetch quests and grinding. Chrono Trigger is lean. Every area is there for a reason. Every character interaction matters. At 25-30 hours, the runtime feels perfectly paced due to the absence of filler material.
Crono is the silent protagonist that allows you to insert yourself into his shoes. Marle is the princess looking for adventure. Lucca is the inventor and best friend. Frog is the cursed knight searching for redemption. Robo is the robot learning what it means to be human. Ayla is the prehistoric warrior. Magus is the villain-turned-ally with a tragic backstory. While these are the typical archetypes found in JRPGs, they each receive genuine character development and memorable moments.
When you lose the first Lavos battle and awaken in a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 2300 AD? Shocking. Most games do not allow you to fail a story battle with real-world consequences. The weight of Crono’s death halfway through the game — which you can choose to reverse or ignore — added weight to the decisions you made in game in a way that few RPGs have attempted.
The Music Defines The Game
Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu created the soundtrack for Chrono Trigger, and it is arguably one of the top 2 or 3 soundtracks in gaming history. I came to Chrono Trigger with no expectations of greatness, having never heard the music before. What I received was a collection of compositions that would sound incredible in any decade.
“Corridors of Time” for the Kingdom of Zeal. “Frog’s Theme” for the cursed knight. “World Revolution” for the final battle. “To Far Away Times” for the ending. These are not just memorable video game themes — they are great music that is still performed by orchestras today. Mitsuda and Uematsu were able to compose music that sounded better than most other SNES games, despite the limitations of the SNES’ sound chip.
Each time period features a distinct musical identity. 600 AD sounds medieval. 1000 AD sounds bright and optimistic. 2300 AD sounds desolate and electronic. 65,000,000 BC sounds primitive and rhythmic. The music informs you of where and when you are before you even see the visuals.
Is Chrono Trigger Relevant Today (2024)?
This is where my lack of nostalgia became beneficial. I first played Chrono Trigger in 2019, decades after its initial release, and it held up perfectly. The sprite work is visually stunning — detailed, expressive, and beautifully animated. The menu systems are user-friendly. The combat is fun. The story does not feel outdated. The pacing is modern, even by today’s standards.
Compare this to other “classic” JRPGs I’ve experienced. Final Fantasy VII’s graphics have aged poorly. Early Dragon Quest titles are brutally grindy. Even highly regarded modern retro-styled RPGs often suffer from pacing issues or padding. Chrono Trigger feels like it could have been released yesterday, provided it had a coat of paint applied to it, and that’s an amazing feat for a game approaching 30 years in age.
The DS version and mobile ports introduce some quality-of-life improvements and additional content, but the original SNES version remains the definitive experience. The translation remains relevant. The difficulty curve is reasonable. Optional content offers incentive to explore without requiring it. Chrono Trigger is designed in such a way that it understands what it is doing.
Why I Argued For #1
During the course of our ranking debate, I argued that Chrono Trigger should rank #1 on our SNES list. Not due to nostalgia — I don’t possess any. Not due to historic relevance — although it is significant. However, by purely objective design standards, Chrono Trigger is near-perfect.
All of the elements function together perfectly. The use of time travel is not a gimmick — it is a central element of both gameplay and storytelling. The combat is fun without being overwhelming. The pacing is tight without feeling rushed. The difficulty curve is progressive and teaches you mechanics naturally. The optional content adds depth without increasing the overall runtime. The story has emotional value without feeling overly sentimental. Each of the characters develops without unnecessary exposition.
Sam argued for A Link to the Past being more influential. Joe promoted Earthbound’s weirdness and heart. John kept trying to divert the discussion to Amiga games. Carl had to literally mute users. Nevertheless, I continue to argue that if you are evaluating these games based on design excellence alone — unencumbered by either nostalgia or personal preference — Chrono Trigger represents the ultimate expression of design excellence.
We agreed upon #3. I remain angry.
Technical Achievements
From a contemporary understanding of game development, the accomplishments of Square regarding Chrono Trigger are truly staggering. The game utilises multiple graphical modes simultaneously. Parallax scrolling exists in certain areas. Mode 7 effects exist in the world map. Detailed sprite work exists with numerous unique animations for each character. Compressed audio exists that sounds superior to many other SNES games.
The cartridge was extremely aggressive with regards to pushing SNES hardware limitations. Thirty-two megabits of storage — a tremendous amount of space for a 1995 cartridge — contained an abundance of content, including music, graphics, and gameplay mechanics. There existed no load times, despite the ability to switch between time periods seamlessly. The complex battle animations exist throughout the game.
The technical polish is apparent even to someone without a particular interest in the technical aspects of game design.
Why It Matters Today
Playing Chrono Trigger educated me about game design in several key areas: respect the player’s time. Do not fill your game with grinding or fetch quests. Ensure every area is meaningful. Provide the player with agency via meaningful choices and multiple paths. Develop a combat system that is more than just menu selection. Write concise dialogue that supports the development of both the character and the story.
Indie RPGs from the last few years have learned from these principles. Undertale, CrossCode, and even massive releases like The Witcher 3 understand that the player’s time is valuable. However, in 1995 — when 60+ hour long JRPGs with 20+ hours of grinding were commonplace? Chrono Trigger’s tightly designed game was revolutionary.
The Verdict
Chrono Trigger is not only the best JRPG on the Super Nintendo — it is one of the greatest games of all time. The fact that I approached it as a brand-new experience approximately 25 years removed from its release and it still felt complete tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the game.
If you have not played Chrono Trigger, play it now. If you played it during your youth, replay it and appreciate the game design that went into creating each component of the game. If you have previously avoided JRPGs because they are grindy or too long, try Chrono Trigger — it demonstrates the potential for the genre to be efficient, enjoyable, and respectful of your time.
And, yes, it should have been ranked #1 on our list. I will die on this hill. The rest of the crew can write their own pieces defending their rankings. This is my article and I am utilising it to declare definitively: Chrono Trigger is perfection.
Rating: 10/10 — The closest thing to flawlessness that gaming has ever seen.
Timothy discovered retro gaming at forty and never looked back. A construction foreman by day and collector by night, he writes from a fresh, nostalgia-free angle — exploring classic games with adult curiosity, honest takes, and zero childhood bias.
Timothy discovered retro gaming at forty and never looked back. A construction foreman by day and collector by night, he writes from a fresh, nostalgia-free angle—exploring classic games with adult curiosity, honest takes, and zero childhood bias.
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