Editing Chrono (Series)

:<small>''This article is about the series. For other uses, see ''[[Chrono Trigger (Disambiguation)]].''</small>

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== Concept and creation ==
''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' was produced in 1995 by [[Kazuhiko Aoki]] and directed by [[Akihiko Matsui]], [[Yoshinori Kitase]] and [[Takashi Tokita]]. The development of the game was dubbed the "Dream Project", because it was headed by a "Dream Team" composed of supervisor [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]], of ''{{w|Final Fantasy}}'' fame, as well as freelance supervisor [[Yuuji Horii]] and character designer [[Akira Toriyama]], both of ''{{w|Dragon Quest}}'' fame.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_April_17/ai_73302271/ Square Announces the Release of Final Fantasy Chronicles: Final Fantasy IV & Chrono Trigger for the PlayStation Game Console in July 2001]. Business Wire.</ref> Yuuji Horii worked on the general outline of the story; as a fan of time travel fictions, such as the TV series ''Time Tunnel'', he focused on a theme of time travel for ''Chrono Trigger''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yuji Horii interview |url=http://www.playmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=SiteMain.showGamePage&Game_ID=169 |work=[http://playmagazine.com/ play Magazine Online] |publisher=Fusion Publishing |accessdate=2007-02-16}}</ref> The outline was then finalized by story planner and script writer [[Masato Kato]].<ref>[http://mitsuda.cocoebiz.com/friends/kato.html This month's friend... Masato Kato]. [http://mitsuda.cocoebiz.com/ Our Millennial Fair]. CocoeBiz.</ref>

In 1996, Masato Kato and several other members of the ''Chrono Trigger'' staff worked on a minor project for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] [[Satellaview]] extension, titled ''[[Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki]]''. Initially, the game was intended to be a short, original text-based adventure developed in three months with almost no planning. Nevertheless, by the end of the development, Masato Kato had connected the game's plot and characters to ''Chrono Trigger'', turning it into a side story.  Since the platform of the game was not mainstream, the connections were however left blurred on purpose and were not advertised on the game's release.<ref name="GamePro">{{cite web |title=Chrono Cross&nbsp;— GamePro.com Interview, Fan Questions |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/6818/chrono-cross-gamepro-com-interview-fan-questions/ |work=GamePro |publisher=IDG Entertainment |accessdate=2007-05-19 |date=2000-11-24}}</ref>

In 1999, a continuation of ''Chrono Trigger'', titled ''[[Chrono Cross]]'', was announced.  Although the "Dream Team" members did not participate in ''Chrono Cross'', the game was developed mostly by the same staff as the first installment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chrono Trigger Staff Remains |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2450841.html |last=Sato |first=Yukiyoshi Ike |work=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks |accessdate=2007-05-20 |date=1999-07-20}}</ref> In terms of basic system and gameplay, producer [[Hiromichi Tanaka]] made it clear that the new installment was not a sequel to ''Chrono Trigger''; rather, the game designers' approach was to make the "gameplay evolve with the hardware", creating a completely new game while restructuring the former style so as to maximize the performance of the console.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chrono Cross Development Team Interview and Contest |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/6764/chrono-cross-development-team-interview-and-contest/ |work=GamePro |publisher=IDG Entertainment |accessdate=2007-05-19 |date=2000-12-01}}</ref> The gameplay focuses on the theme of parallel worlds rather than time travel, although the latter is still deeply involved in the game's plot. In terms of storyline, ''Chrono Cross'' was described by director and scenario writer Masato Kato as "not a ''Chrono Trigger 2''", but "a result of a pulled trigger", "another ''Chrono''".<ref name="CrossOST">Kato, Masato. Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack (liner notes). DigiCube.</ref>

== Games ==
=== ''Chrono Trigger'' ===
{{main|Chrono Trigger}}
''Chrono Trigger'' is a console [[role-playing game]] which was released on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] on March 11, 1995 in Japan and on August 22, 1995 in North America. The game's story follows a group of young adventurers led by [[Crono]], who are accidentally transported through time and learn that the world will be destroyed in the distant future. Vowing to prevent this disaster, they travel throughout history to discover the means to save the planet. ''Chrono Trigger'' was ported to the [[PlayStation]] in 1999 as a standalone title in Japan and in 2001 as part of the ''{{w|Final Fantasy Chronicles}}'' compilation in North America.<ref name="ultimania">Studio BentStuff. [http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Ultimania_Developer_Interviews.html Chrono Cross Ultimania]. [[Square Enix]].</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation Review | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasychronicles/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary%3Bread-review&page=2 | publisher=GameSpot |last= Shoemaker|first=Brad |accessdate=2008-12-27| date= 2001-06-06}}</ref> A [[Chrono Trigger (DS)|third version]] was released for the [[Nintendo DS]] handheld platform on November 20, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/articles/885/885741p1.html|title=IGN: Chrono Trigger Returns!|date=2008-01-02|accessdate=2009-06-01|publisher=IGN}}</ref> It is regarded today as one of the greatest games ever made.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6147770/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Chrono Trigger |publisher=GameSpot |accessdate=2009-06-01 |last=Shoemaker|first=Brad |date=2006-04-17}}</ref>

Additionally, three ''Chrono Trigger''-related applications were released the same year for the Super Famicom [[Satellaview]] extension. ''Chrono Trigger'' inspired several sequels and expansion packs or add-ons; 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 re-release of ''Chrono Trigger''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgplanet.com/chrono/og_index.shtml|title=Other Games and Anime|last=Whiteman|first=Daniel|publisher=GameSpy|accessdate=2009-06-04}}</ref>

=== ''Radical Dreamers'' ===
{{main|Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki}}
''Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki'' (literally "The Jewel that cannot be Stolen") is a Japanese-exclusive text-based game released in 1996 through the Super Famicom [[Satellaview]] extension. The player takes on the role of [[Serge (Radical Dreamers)|Serge]], a young adventurer accompanied by [[Kid (Radical Dreamers)|Kid]], a teen-aged thief, and [[Gil]], a mysterious masked magician. The story is narrated by [[Serge's Grandchild]]. It is a side story to ''Chrono Trigger'' wrapping up a loose end from its predecessor's plot.<ref name="GamePro" />

=== ''Chrono Cross'' ===
{{main|Chrono Cross}}
''Chrono Cross'' was released on the [[PlayStation]] on November 18, 1999 in Japan and on August 15, 2000 in North America.<ref name="gamerankings">{{cite web | title=Game Rankings: Chrono Cross | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/196917-chrono-cross/index.html | publisher=Game Rankings| accessdate=2007-07-27}}</ref> The story is partly a remake of ''Radical Dreamers'', and as such replaces it as ''Chrono Trigger'''s successor.<ref name="weeklyfamitsu">{{cite web | year=1999 | title=Weekly Famitsu: Interview with Chrono Cross Developers | url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Weekly_Famitsu.html | work=Chrono Compendium| accessdate=2006-07-01}}</ref> The protagonist [[Serge]], faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, struggles to uncover his past and meets [[Kid]], a thief seeking the mysterious [[Frozen Flame]] artifact. Serge and Kid's fate are ultimately revealed to find their roots in the events of ''Chrono Trigger''.

=== ''Chrono Break'' ===
{{main|Chrono Break}}
''Chrono Brake'' and ''Chrono Break'' are the names of two trademarks owned by [[Square Co.]]; the first applied in Japan on November 5, 2001,<ref>{{cite web |title=Industrial Property Digital Library | url=http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg_e.ipdl |work=Industrial Property Digital Library |publisher=Japan Patent Office |accessdate=2007-05-20 |date=2002-07-26}}<br />To find the ''Chrono Brake'' patent, search "Japanese Trademark Database" for "chronobrake". Click Index to find the result, and click the link.</ref> and the second registered in the United States on December 5 of the same year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chrono Break Latest Status Info |url=http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76345716 | work=[http://tarr.uspto.gov/ Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval] |publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office |accessdate=2006-06-01 |date=2003-11-13}}</ref> The registrations were preceded by a press report in which [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] mentioned that the ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' team was interested in developing a new game in the ''Chrono'' series, and that script and story ideas were being considered.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Shahed | title=New Chrono game in planning stages |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2782608.html |work=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks |accessdate=2006-07-01 |date=2001-07-03}}</ref> However, Square did not publish further news, and the American trademark ''Chrono Break'' was eventually dropped on November 13, 2003.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2004/011304a.html|title=Chrono Break Dies|work=RPGamer|publisher=Crave Online|date=2004-01-13|accessdate=2009-06-01}}</ref>

== Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar ==
{{nihongo|''Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar''|時空冒険ヌウマモンジャ～|Jikū Bōken Nūmamonjā|extra=lit. "Time and Space Adventures: Numa Monjar"}} is a 16-minute humoristic and promotional ''Chrono Trigger'' anime which was broadcast at the Japanese V-Jump Festival of July 31, 1996. It was created by [[Production I.G]], and written by [[Hiroshi Izawa]] and [[Akihiro Kikuchi]], while [[Itsuro Kawazaki]] served as director, [[Tensai Okamura]] as [[animation director]], and [[Riho Nishino]] as character designer.<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|publisher=Production I.G |accessdate=2007-05-20}}</ref>

The anime takes place in the same setting as ''Chrono Trigger'' during the night before the beginning of the game's events. It follows two monsters from the game, a [[Nu]] and a [[Poyozo Doll|Mamo]] (called [[Kilwala]] in the English version of the game), voiced by [[Chafūrin]] and [[Mayumi Tanaka]] respectively, through various adventures. These all take place in the "[[Millennial Fair]]", the festival at the beginning of ''Chrono Trigger'', which in the anime has been infested by a festive gathering of monsters coming through portals. They meet several characters from the game, including [[Johnny]] and Gonzalez (called [[Gato]] in the English version of the game). The anime ends with a scene from the following morning after the monsters have all left, in which [[Crono]] and [[Lucca]] can be seen. The credits show Nu and Mamo parodying scenes from the game.<ref>''Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar''. Production I.G. July 31, 1996.</ref>

== Music ==
{{main|Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version|Chrono Trigger Arranged Version: The Brink of Time|Radical Dreamers Original Sound Version|Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack|}}
The music of the ''Chrono'' series was mainly composed by [[Yasunori Mitsuda]]. ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' was the first game for which he had served as composer. However, after Mitsuda contracted stomach ulcers, ''Final Fantasy'' composer [[Nobuo Uematsu]] was brought onto the project to compose ten songs.<ref>Chris Kohler. Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. DK Publishing.</ref> At the time of the game's release, the quantity of its tracks and sound effects were unprecedented.<ref name="npreview1">Averill, Alan. Nintendo Power July, 1995. Nintendo. Page 52.</ref> Additionally, a one-disc acid jazz arrangement called ''[[The Brink of Time]]'' was also released. Mitsuda went on to compose the soundtrack for ''[[Radical Dreamers]]'', which was never commercially released as an album.

In 1999, Yasunori Mitsuda, now a freelance composer, returned to score the soundtrack for ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' after being contacted by Masato Kato.<ref name="ultimania">Studio BentStuff. Chrono Cross Ultimania. Pages 476–477. [[Square Enix]]</ref> Mitsuda decided to center his work around old world cultural influences, including Mediterranean, Fado, Celtic, and percussive African music.<ref name="CrossOST" /> ''Xenogears'' contributor [[Tomohiko Kira]] played guitar on the beginning and ending themes. [[Noriko Mitose]], as selected by Masato Kato, sang the ending song, "Radical Dreamers ~ Le Trésor Interdit".<ref name="ultimania" /> Mitsuda was happy to accomplish even half of what he envisioned.<ref name="CrossOST" /> Certain songs were ported from the score of ''Radical Dreamers'', while other entries in the soundtrack contain leitmotifs from both ''Chrono Trigger'' and ''Radical Dreamers''.<ref name="ultimania" />

In 2006, Yasunori Mitsuda arranged versions of music from the ''Chrono'' series for Play! A Video Game Symphony video game music concerts, presenting the ''Chrono Trigger'' and ''Chrono Cross'' main themes, as well as "Frog's Theme", and "To Far Away Times".<ref name="nsider">{{cite web |last=Driker |first=Brandon |title=Play! A Video Game Symphony |url=http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=352 |publisher=N-Sider |accessdate=2006-05-30 |date=2006-05-30}}</ref>

== Reception ==
{|style="width:350px; border:1px #AAAAAA solid; float:right; padding:6px; background:#f9f9f9; font-size:7.25pt"
!style="font-size:12pt; background: black; border:1px #000000 solid" colspan="3"|<font color=white>'''Aggregate review scores'''</font>
|-
|bgcolor="red" width="35%"|<font color=white>'''Game'''</font>
|bgcolor="red"|<font color=white>'''GameRankings'''</font>
|bgcolor="red" width="35%"|<font color=white>'''Metacritic'''</font>
|-
|<center>[[Chrono Trigger]] ([[SNES]])</center>
|<center>95%</center>
|<center> - </center>
|-
|<center>[[Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki|Radical Dreamers]]</center>
|<center> - </center>
|<center> - </center>
|-
|<center>[[Chrono Cross]]</center>
|<center> 92%</center>
|<center> 94 out of 100</center>
|-
|<center>[[Final Fantasy Chronicles]]</center>
|<center> 87%</center>
|<center> 89 out of 100</center>
|-
|<center>[[Chrono Trigger (DS)]]</center>
|<center> 95%</center>
|<center> 92 out of 100</center>
|}

The ''Chrono series'' has been very successful in game rankings and sales. ''Chrono Trigger'' sold more than 2.36 million copies in Japan and 290,000 abroad, reaching two million in sales in only two months.<ref name="square-sales">{{cite web | date=2003-08-04 | author=Staff | title=Square Enix IR Roadshow Document | url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/ir/e/explanatory/download/0404-200308040000-01.pdf | publisher=[[Square Enix]] | accessdate=2006-07-06|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="nppreview2">Averill, Alan. Nintendo Power June, 1995. Nintendo. Page 36</ref> It ended 1995 as the third best-selling game of the year behind ''Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie'' and ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''.<ref name="1995 sales">{{Cite web |url=http://gameranking.jp/ranking-sale/?0+1995 |title= 販売本数ランキング|publisher=ゲームランキング |accessdate=2009-04-28}}</ref> The game was met with substantial success upon release in North America, and its rerelease on the PlayStation as part of the ''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' package topped the NPD Group TRSTS PlayStation sales charts for over six weeks.<ref name="gamerankings">{{cite web | editor=Game Rankings staff | title=Chrono Trigger Reviews | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/snes/563538-chrono-trigger/index.html |publisher=Game Rankings| accessdate=2006-05-07}}</ref><ref name="ign-review">{{cite web | date=2001-07-04| title=IGN: Final Fantasy Chronicles Review | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/166/166322p1.html |publisher=IGN| accessdate=2006-05-07}}</ref><ref name="FFC-Sales">{{cite web | date=2001-08-15 |last=Wollenschlaeger|first= Alex | title=Final Fantasy Chronicles Tops Sales Charts Six Weeks in a Row | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2001/081501d.html | work=RPGamer | publisher=Crave Online | accessdate=2009-06-01}}</ref> The ''Chrono Trigger'' DS remake has shipped 490,000 copies in Japan and 220,000 in North America as of December 2008.<ref name="square-sales-ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.square-enix.com/eng/pdf/news/20090216_01en.pdf#page=19 |title=Results Briefing Session for the Nine-Months Period of the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2009 |date=2009-02-16 |accessdate=2009-03-01 |publisher=[[Square Enix]] |pages=22 |format=PDF}}</ref> ''Chrono Cross'' also sold well, shipping 850,000 and 650,000 units in Japan and abroad respectively.<ref name="square-sales" /> It was re-released once in the United States as a Greatest Hits title and again as part of the Japanese ''Ultimate Hits'' [[PlayStation]] series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/097/097578p1.html |title=Chrono Cross Joins Greatest Hits Line |publisher=IGN |date=2001-08-21|accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref><ref name="ultimatehits">{{cite web | date=2006-04-28 |first=Chris|last=Winkler | title=Square Enix Adds 16 to Ultimate Hits Series | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/news/2006/1219.html | publisher=RPGFan| accessdate=2006-07-01}}</ref>

''Chrono Trigger'' has placed highly on all six of multimedia website IGN's "top 100 games of all time" lists—4th in 2002, 6th in early 2005, 13th in late 2005, 2nd in 2006, 18th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008.<ref name="greatest-games">{{cite web | year=2006 | title=The Top 100 Games Ever| url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/001-010.html | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2007-08-08}}</ref><ref name="greatest-games2">{{cite web | year=2007 | title=The Top 100 Games Ever| url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_18.html | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2008-02-02}}</ref><ref name="greatest-games3">{{cite web | year=2008 | title=IGN Top 100 Games 2008 – 2 Chrono Trigger | url=http://top100.ign.com/2008/ign_top_game_2.html | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2009-03-13}}</ref> GameSpot included ''Chrono Trigger'' in "The Greatest Games of All Time" list released in April 2006, and it also appeared as 28th on an "All Time Top 100" list in a poll conducted by Japanese magazine ''Famitsu''.<ref name="gamespot-greatestgame">{{cite web | date=2006-04-17 | title=The Greatest Games of All Time | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/index.html | work=GameSpot| accessdate=2006-05-06}}</ref><ref name="nextgen">{{cite web |last=Campbell|first=Colin | date=2006-03-03 | title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100 | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2401&Itemid=2 | work=Next Generation| accessdate=2006-05-07}}</ref> ''Nintendo Power''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 100th issue placed it eighteenth on their "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time",<ref>{{cite journal |year=1997 |month=September |title=Nintendo Power's 100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time |journal=Nintendo Power |issue=100 |page=91 |accessdate=2009-05-29}}</ref> and in their twentieth anniversary issue named it the fifth best Super Nintendo game.<ref name="np5best">{{Cite journal |month=August | year=2008 |journal=Nintendo Power |volume=231 |title=Best of the Best | pages=&nbsp;73  | publisher=Future US}}</ref> ''Chrono Cross'' was also well-received by reviewers; GameSpot awarded the game a perfect 10, one of only six games in the 40,000 games listed on Gamespot to have been given the score, and its Console Game of the Year Award for 2000.<ref name="perfect-10">{{cite web | date=2000-01-06 | first=Andrew|last=Vestal | title=GameSpot: Chrono Cross Review | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/chronocross/review.html | publisher=GameSpot | accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref> IGN gave the game a score of 9.7, and ''Cross'' appeared 89th in its 2008 Top 100 games list.<ref name="greatest-games3">{{cite web | year=2008 | title=IGN Top 100 Games 2008 | 89 Chrono Cross | url=http://top100.ign.com/2008/ign_top_game_89.html | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2009-03-13}}</ref><ref name="ignreview">{{cite web | date=2000-08-15 | author=David Zdyrko | title=IGN: Chrono Cross Review | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162503p1.html | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref>

The music of the series has been very highly regarded and enjoyed wide popularity. IGN termed the ''Chrono Trigger'' soundtrack "one of the best videogame soundtracks ever produced" and said that the music was a large part of the game's ability to "capture the emotions of the player". It furthermore called the soundtrack "some of the most memorable tunes in RPG history".<ref name="ign-review" /> The game itself won the "Best Music in a Cartridge-Based Game" award in Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1995 video game awards.<ref name="egmbuyersguide1996">{{cite journal |year=1996 |month= |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide |journal= Electronic Gaming Monthly |volume= |issue= |pages= |id= |url= |accessdate=2009-01-09 |quote= }}</ref> The soundtrack for ''Chrono Cross'' won the Gold Prize for Sony's PlayStation Awards of 2000.<ref name="mitsuda2008">{{cite web |last=Mitsuda|first=Yasunori | 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 | publisher=1UP.com | accessdate=2008-02-08}}</ref> IGN, in their review of the game, termed the soundtrack "a brilliant score" that "does wonders in stirring the emotional strings of the players as they're playing through the game".<ref name="ignreview"/> In a separate piece about Japanese RPG composers, IGN named Yasunori Mitsuda the second best out of ten behind [[Nobuo Uematsu]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/937/937683p5.html |title=IGN: Top Ten JRPG Composers |publisher=IGN|last=Sullivan|first=Meghan |date=2008-12-18|accessdate=2009-05-13}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-677 ''Chrono Trigger'' official website]
* [http://www.square-enix-usa.com/games/CC/ ''Chrono Cross'' official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrono (Series)}}
{{Chrono series}}
[[Category:Games]]