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Chrono (series)

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The Chrono (クロノ?) series is a video game franchise developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). It began in 1995 with the time travel console role-playing game Chrono Trigger, which spawned two continuations, Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross. A promotional anime called Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar and two ports of Chrono Trigger were also produced. As of March 31, 2003, Chrono Trigger was, with 2.65 million units, Square Enix's 12th best-selling game (based on copies shipped); Chrono Cross was, with 1.5 million units, the 24th.[1] The games have been subject to extremely positive reviews.

Games

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger's SNES cover.

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 Final Fantasy Chronicles compilation in North America.[2][3] A third version was released for the Nintendo DS handheld platform on November 20, 2008.[4] It is regarded today as one of the greatest games ever made.[5]

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.[6]

Radical Dreamers

Radical Dreamer's title screen.

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, a young adventurer accompanied by 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.

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross's cover.

Chrono Cross was released on the PlayStation on November 18, 1999 in Japan and on August 15, 2000 in North America.[7] The story is partly a remake of Radical Dreamers, and as such replaces it as Chrono Trigger's successor.[8] 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

Chrono Brake and Chrono Break are the names of two trademarks owned by Square Co.; the first applied in Japan on November 5, 2001,[9] and the second registered in the United States on December 5 of the same year.[10] 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.[11] However, Square did not publish further news, and the American trademark Chrono Break was eventually dropped on November 13, 2003.[12]

Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar

Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar (時空冒険ヌウマモンジャ～ Jikū Bōken Nūmamonjā?, 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.[13][14]

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 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.[15]

Gallery

  • Chrono Trigger's DS cover.

References

  1. ↑ Square Enix IR Roadshow Document (PDF). Square Enix (2003-08-04). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
  2. ↑ Studio BentStuff. Chrono Cross Ultimania. Square Enix.
  3. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (2001-06-06). Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-12-27.
  4. ↑ IGN: Chrono Trigger Returns!. IGN (2008-01-02). Retrieved on 2009-06-01.
  5. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (2006-04-17). The Greatest Games of All Time: Chrono Trigger. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2009-06-01.
  6. ↑ Whiteman, Daniel. Other Games and Anime. GameSpy. Retrieved on 2009-06-04.
  7. ↑ Game Rankings: Chrono Cross. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
  8. ↑ Weekly Famitsu: Interview with Chrono Cross Developers. Chrono Compendium (1999). Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
  9. ↑ Industrial Property Digital Library. Industrial Property Digital Library. Japan Patent Office (2002-07-26). Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
    To find the Chrono Brake patent, search "Japanese Trademark Database" for "chronobrake". Click Index to find the result, and click the link.
  10. ↑ Chrono Break Latest Status Info. Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval. United States Patent and Trademark Office (2003-11-13). Retrieved on 2006-06-01.
  11. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (2001-07-03). New Chrono game in planning stages. GameSpot. CNET Networks. Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
  12. ↑ Staff (2004-01-13). Chrono Break Dies. RPGamer. Crave Online. Retrieved on 2009-06-01.
  13. ↑ Production I.G staff. 時空冒険ぬうまもんじゃ～ (Japanese). Production I.G. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
  14. ↑ Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar. Production I.G. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
  15. ↑ Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar. Production I.G. July 31, 1996.

External links

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