Chrono Trigger: Difference between revisions

''Chrono Trigger'' inspired several [[sequel]]s and [[spin-off]]s; the first were three titles released for the [[Satellaview]] in 1995. They included ''Chrono Trigger: Jet Bike Special'', a [[racing game]] based on a [[minigame]] from the original; ''Chrono Trigger: Character Library'', featuring profiles on characters and monsters from the game; and ''Chrono Trigger: Music Library'', a collection of music from the game's soundtrack. The contents of ''Character Library'' and ''Music Library'' were later included as extras in the PlayStation rerelease of ''Chrono Trigger''. [[Production I.G]] created a 16-minute [[Original video animation|OVA]] entitled "''[[Nuumamonja: Time and Space Adventures]]''" broadcasted at the [[Japan]]ese [[V-Jump]] Festival of [[July 31]], [[1996]].<ref>{{cite web |title=時空冒険ぬうまもんじゃ～ |url=http://www.production-ig.co.jp/contents/works_sp/0330_/index.html |author=Production I.G staff |publisher=[[Production I.G]] |language=Japanese |accessdate=2007-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar |url=http://www.production-ig.com/contents/works/07_/000133.html |author=Production I.G staff |publisher=[[Production I.G]] |accessdate=2007-05-20}}</ref>

Square released a fourth Satellaview game in 1996, named ''[[Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki]]''. Feeling that ''Trigger'' ended with "unfinished business", scenarist Masato Kato wrote and directed the game.<ref name="ultimania" /> ''Dreamers'' functioned as a [[side story]] to ''Chrono Trigger'', resolving a loose subplot from its predecessor.<Ref name="weeklyfamitsu">{{cite web | year=1999 | title=Weekly Famitsu | url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Weekly_Famitsu.html | work=[http://www.chronocompendium.com/ Chrono Compendium] | accessmonthday=July 3 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> A short, [[Interactive fiction|text-based game]] relying on minimal graphics and atmospheric music, the game never received an official release outside Japan—though it was [[fan translation|translated]] by fans to English in April 2003.<ref name="fantranslation">{{cite web | date=2003-04-15 | title=Chrono Trigger 2: Radical Dreamers | url=http://radicaldreamers.sourceforge.net/ | work=[http://demiforce.parodius.com/home.html Demiforce] | accessmonthday=July 2 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> Square planned to release ''Radical Dreamers'' as an easter egg in the PlayStation edition of ''Chrono Trigger'', but Kato was unhappy with his work and halted its inclusion.<ref name="ultimania">{{cite book | year=1999 | editor=Studio BentStuff | title=Chrono Cross Ultimania | url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Ultimania_Developer_Interviews.html | pages=476–477 | language=Japanese | publisher=Square Enix | id=ISBN 4-925075-73-X}}</ref>

Square released ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' for the Sony PlayStation in 1999. ''Cross'' is a sequel to ''Chrono Trigger'' featuring a new setting and cast of characters.<ref name="perfect-10">{{cite web | date=2000-01-06 | author=Andrew Vestal | title=GameSpot: Chrono Cross Review | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/chronocross/review.html | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | accessdaymonth=24 July | accessyear=2006}}</ref> Presenting a theme of [[parallel world]]s, the story followed the protagonist Serge—a teenage boy thrust into an alternate reality in which he died years earlier. With the help of a thief named Kid, Serge endeavors to discover the truth behind his apparent death and obtain the Frozen Flame, a mythical artifact.<ref name="perfect-10" /> Regarded by writer and director Masato Kato as an effort to "redo ''Radical Dreamers'' properly", ''Chrono Cross'' borrowed certain themes, scenarios, characters, and settings from ''Dreamers''.<Ref name="weeklyfamitsu" /> Yasunori Mitsuda also adapted certain songs from ''Radical Dreamers'' while scoring ''Cross''.<ref name="crossost">{{cite web | date=2000-12-18 | author=Yasunori Mitsuda | title=Chrono Cross OST Liner Notes | url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Music_(Chrono_Cross).html | work=[http://www.chronocompendium.com/ Chrono Compendium] | accessdate=24 July | accessyear=2006}}</ref> ''Radical Dreamers'' was consequently removed from the series' main continuity, considered an alternate dimension.<Ref name="radicalcontinuity">'''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... {{cite video game | title =Chrono Cross | developer =Square Co | publisher =Square EA | date=2000-08-15 | platform =PlayStation | language=English }}</ref> ''Chrono Cross'' shipped 1.5 million copies and was universally praised by critics.<Ref name="square-sales" /><ref name="gamerankings-cross">{{cite web | title=Game Rankings: Chrono Cross | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/196917.asp | publisher=[[Game Rankings]] | accessdaymonth=27 July | accessyear=2007}}</ref><ref name="tomato-cross">{{cite web | title=Rotten Tomatoes: Chrono Cross | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/playstation/chrono_cross/ | work=[http://www.rottentomatoes.org/ Rotten Tomatoes] | accessdaymonth=27 July | accessyear=2007}}</ref>

There are no plans for a new title, despite a statement from Hironobu Sakaguchi in 2001 that the developers of ''Chrono Cross'' wanted to make a new ''Chrono'' game.<ref name="chrono3discussion">{{cite web | author=Shahed Ahmed | date=2001-07-03 | title=New Chrono game in planning stages | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2782608.html?q=chrono | work=[http://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot] | accessmonthday=July 1 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> The same year, Square applied for a trademark for the names ''[[Chrono Break]]'' in the [[United States]] and ''Chrono Brake'' in [[Japan]]. However, the United States trademark was dropped in 2003.<ref name="sadtrademark">{{cite web | date=2003-11-13 | title=Latest Status Info | url=http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76345716 | work=[http://tarr.uspto.gov/ Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval] | accessmonthday=July 1 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> Director Takashi Tokita mentioned "''Chrono Trigger 2''" in a 2003 interview which has not been translated to English.<ref name="tokita">{{cite web | date=[[2003-07-16]] | title=【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) | url=http://game.goo.ne.jp/contents/news/NGN20030716exp03/index.html | accessdate=2008-01-15}}</ref> [[Yuji Horii]] expressed no interest in returning to the Chrono franchise in 2005, while Hironobu Sakaguchi remarked in April 2007 that his creation ''[[Blue Dragon]]'' was an "extension of [Chrono Trigger]."<ref name="horii1up">{{cite web | author=Alex Fraioli, Sam Kennedy | date=2005-12-02 | title=Dragon Quest vs. America | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3146024 | work=[http://www.1up.com/ 1up.com] | accessdate=2007-10-01}}</ref><ref name="bluedragon">{{Cite book | year=2007 | author=EGM staff | title=Electronic Gaming Monthly 216, June 2007 | pages=53 | language=English | publisher=Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.}}</ref> During a Cubed³ interview on [[February 1]], [[2007]], Square Enix’s Senior Vice President Hiromichi Tanaka said that although no sequel is currently planned, some sort of sequel is still possible if the ''Chrono Cross'' developers can be reunited.<ref name="jeux-France">{{cite web | date=[[2002-01-31]] | title=Interview vidéo Final Fantasy III | url=http://www.jeux-france.com/news18999.html | work=[http://www.jeux-france.com/ Jeux-France.com] | accessdate=2007-02-02}}</ref><ref name="cubed3" /> 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 in development.<ref name="mitsuda2008">{{cite web | author=Yasunori Mitsuda | date=2008-01-28 | title=Radical Dreamer: Yasunori Mitsuda Interview from 1UP.com | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3162780 | work=[http://www.1up.com/ 1UP.com] | accessdate=2008-02-08}}</ref> The February 2008 issue of ''[[Game Informer]]'' ranked the ''Chrono'' series eighth among the "Top Ten Sequels in Demand", naming the games "steadfast legacies in the Square Enix catalogue" and asking, "what's the damn holdup?!"<ref name="gameinformer">{{Cite book | date=February 2008 | author=Game Informer staff | title=Game Informer | pages=24&ndash;25 | language=English | publisher=GameStop Corporation}}</ref> 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 a sequel to.<ref name="egmretro">{{Cite book | date=June 2008 | author=Jeremy Parish | title=Electronic Gaming Monthly Retro Issue: Missing in Action | pages=95 | language=English | publisher=Ziff Davis Inc.}}</ref>