Fans of the Chrono series rejoiced when Square Enix announced Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, which was released last week. This remaster contains two of the three games in the series: Chrono Cross and Radical Dreamers, the two follow-up games to the beloved classic Chrono Trigger.<\/p>\n

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a welcome surprise; both of the included games have been pretty inaccessible to play since their original releases. Chrono Cross was only released on the original PlayStation, and Radical Dreamers was only released in Japan on the Super Famicom\u2019s Satellaview peripheral. <\/p>\n

This is the first time either game has seen a re-release in over 20 years, opening the door for new players to enjoy them. They aren\u2019t just straight ports, either\u2014Square Enix polished up the character models and illustrations as well as added quality-of-life improvements such as auto-save, 2x speed mode, auto-battle, and more. It\u2019s a great way to play them in this day and age.<\/p>\n

Though I very much appreciate being able to play these games on modern platforms with their various improvements, there\u2019s one very important piece missing: the inclusion of Chrono Trigger, the game that started the series altogether.<\/p>\n

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When people think of the Chrono series, their first thought is almost always Chrono Trigger. The game cemented itself as a classic back in the 90s and continues to hold up to gameplay and storytelling standards today.<\/p>\n

With thirteen different endings and seven eras that Crono and his friends travel to during their quest, ranging from 65,000,000 B.C. in prehistoric times to 2300 A.D. in the future, Chrono Trigger pushed the limitations of the SNES to bring the game to life. It\u2019s no wonder it is considered by many JRPG fans to be among the greatest games of all time.<\/p>\n

Though Chrono Trigger received some minor quality of life upgrades when being ported to the DS and PC in later years, I can\u2019t help but feel as though Square Enix should take the opportunity to give this game the love it truly deserves. It\u2019s been over 25 years since its original release, and there is still so much that can be done with it to maximize its greatness.<\/p>\n

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When I try to think of ways that Chrono Trigger can be improved, it\u2019s hard to pinpoint specific weaknesses. It would be nice for the game to get some modern quality-of-life upgrades that Chrono Cross did, such as auto-save, increased speed, battle enhancements, etc. It would also be nice if we could actually play it on modern consoles; you currently cannot play Chrono Trigger on the Switch, PlayStation 4\/5, or Xbox One\/Series X\/S.<\/p>\n

The 16-bit graphics have aged well as most SNES games have, but it sure doesn\u2019t feel modern<\/em>. I take a look at other sprite-based games that have been released and announced recently, and I truly believe that these games can and should provide the framework for a Chrono Trigger remake.<\/p>\n

Square Enix\u2019s Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, and the upcoming Live A Live remake each use what is called an HD-2D visual style that allows for the use of sprite artwork and 3D backdrops in its design. This style gives the games a nostalgic, 16-bit era feel with a more detailed environment with visual depth. <\/p>\n

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