Overview
The dream team delivered. Square assembled Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest designer Yuji Horii, and artist Akira Toriyama for a single project. The result transcended its parts—time travel that affected gameplay meaningfully, thirteen endings based on when and how you confronted Lavos, and the revolutionary elimination of random encounters. Chrono Trigger remains the JRPG against which all others are measured.
Fast facts
- Developer: Square.
- Year: 1995.
- Dream Team: Sakaguchi, Horii, Toriyama.
- Endings: 13 variations.
Time travel design
| Era |
Period |
| Prehistory |
65,000,000 BC |
| Antiquity |
12,000 BC |
| Middle Ages |
600 AD |
| Present |
1000 AD |
| Future |
2300 AD |
| End of Time |
Hub location |
Combat innovations
| Feature |
Impact |
| No random encounters |
Visible enemies |
| Combo techs |
Character synergies |
| Positioning matters |
Spatial tactics |
| Active Time Battle |
Streamlined pacing |
New Game Plus
| Innovation |
Function |
| First implementation |
Coined the term |
| Carry-forward |
Stats, items |
| Ending access |
Different timings |
| Replayability |
Multiple playthroughs |
Multiple endings
| Trigger |
Requirement |
| Standard |
Normal completion |
| Developer room |
New Game Plus early |
| Character-specific |
Timing variations |
| Total |
13 endings |
Legacy
| Sequel |
Year |
| Chrono Cross |
1999 |
| DS re-release |
2008 |
| Continued acclaim |
“Best RPG ever” lists |
See also