For years fans of Chrono Trigger have been waiting for a return of their beloved series. What they're getting now, unfortunately, is not a new episode but another remake of the original installment, that was already re-released on PlayStation in 1999. Unlike other ports of popular Square Enix titles that have been hitting the DS lately, this one is not a remake with additional features but an (almost) straight adaptation of the original SNES title. The development team decided to retain the old 16-bit graphics, without any facelift, while keeping the animated cut-scenes that were designed by popular manga author Akira Toriyama and added to the PlayStation version.
In the most classic story kickoff fashion, players will take the role of young Chrono as he wakes up on what seems to be a normal day, only to discover that his life is going to be changed forever and that his fate is tied to that of his land. The long and convoluted storyline, written by Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, involves time-traveling through different eras on a mythical continent and lots of epic battles, as well as everything else you would expect from an old-school RPG. There will also be a new dungeon at the end of the game, but we didn't get a chance to check it out.
One of the few new bits introduced in this DS version is the option to choose between traditional controls (d-pad and face buttons) or touch screen-based input. We tried the latter and we weren't very impressed: Moving the main character in 2D environments with only the stylus may sound easy, but it's actually very confusing and we ended up entering areas and talking to people we hadn't planned to. Additionally, when trying to walk through a door or a passageway, the most straightforward path isn't always the one that works, and you have to move the character slightly up or down to accomplish the goal.
The best use of the DS's functionalities comes in the map that's always shown on the bottom screen. One of the most obsessive-compulsive habits RPG players have ever been accused of, that of switching back and forth between the main screen and the map screen, can finally be abandoned in favor of a more balanced gameplay. Maps of smaller areas will be progressively drawn on screen as players explore the environment, in a way that reminds of the Final Fantasy IV DS remake.
The game is fully localized in English and the development team informed us that the original translation has been polished some more. Not that there were any major mistakes, but it's better to be extra-careful when it comes to old RPGs translated into English over ten years ago, when the quality standards were completely different from what we expect now. Additionally, a Wi-Fi multiplayer mode for two to four players has been implemented, although the developers won't disclose much information about that yet. Chrono Trigger will be released on November 24, just in time for you to invest dozens of hours in it during the holiday season.
