Chrono Trigger is one of the finest games of our time. The SNES classic RPG is a wonderful tale of time travel, co-operation and vanquishing evil.
A chance encounter amid the festivities of Guardia’s Millennial Fair in Leene Square introduces our young hero, Crono, to a girl by the name of Marle. Deciding to explore the fair together, the two soon find themselves at an exhibition of the Telepod, the latest invention by Crono’s longtime friend Lucca. Marle, fearless and brimming with curiosity, volunteers to assist in a demonstration. An unanticipated malfunction, however, sends her hurtling through a rift in the dimensions.
Taking hold of the girl’s pendant, Crono bravely follows in pursuit. But the world into which he emerges is the one of four centuries before. Journey to the forgotten past, the distant future, and even to the very End of Time. The epic quest to save a planet’s future makes history once again…
Yesterday, the game was launched on Steam, which came as a bit of a surprise – as people expected it even less than they expect the Spanish Inquisition to burst through their doors. It’s something that should be cause for joy and celebration. One of the best games ever made, finally and officially available on PC! Hooray!
Only, it’s a blasted port from the mobile version, that looks terrible and plays just as badly. Here’s a Twitter thread from game developer and Chrono Trigger fan Fred Wood that charts the excitement, and its descent into misery.
Okay yeah, fuck. This is what I was scared of. It’s just the phone version ported to Windows. Touch controls and all. pic.twitter.com/ek8KJL94wu
— Fred Wood (@thatsmytrunks) February 27, 2018
Check out his Twitter feed for more comparisons between the original and the visually abhorrent PC port. The big travesty here is that Chrono Trigger deserves more than just a slap-dash port from the janky phone version. This is not how we should be preserving great games from a golden era, for future generations.
Last Updated: February 28, 2018
