Though the 16-bit console wars were savage in the early '90s, the end was in sight by 1995 and the Super Nintendo was crowned the obvious winner.
(Except by pouty Genesis fanboys who feebly compared Phantasy Star IV to Final Fantasy VI. I mean, it's a good try, but...nah.)
The Genesis was panting and dry-heaving at the finish line, but the Super Nintendo barely broke a sweat. In fact, it looked healthier than ever thanks to an injection of A+ games at the end of its life. One such title was Chrono Trigger, a now-legendary RPG by Square(-Enix). We should all hope for the dignified hero's death that the Super Nintendo recieved thanks to Chrono Trigger's legacy.
Now Crono (Chrono?) and his friends are being drawn out of stasis to appear on the Nintendo DS. It's been well over ten years since we last saw our friends. Sure, Crono got up once or twice to grunt and take a pee: the result was a limited mention in Chrono Trigger's sequel, Chrono Cross. Though Chrono Cross still stands on its own merits (a fantastic soundtrack being one), many fans insisted that the charm of Chrono Trigger was absent from the game. Speaking for myself, I can tell Square was going for something different with Chrono Cross, but I have to admit the attempt to turn a fun-loving shonen adventure into something about three shades darker than its source material didn't appeal to me. I missed Crono. I missed Marle, Robo, Luca and Ayla.
Now they're coming back. Fans partied naked in the streets when the initial announcement broke through in the form of an ominous ticking clock and a press release boasting a perfect port of the original Super Nintendo game.
Yes, a "port." Not an upgrade, which is what we've come to expect of Square-Enix Super Nintendo titles released on the DS (one such example being the upcoming Final Fantasy IV DS.
"Hold on, hoss," says a deflated fan, putting his clothes back on. "Should we be excited about a port? What about a remake? What about extra features?"
Fair questions. We've waited this long for some good Chrono Trigger news (the laggy, clunky Playstation port was the furthest thing from good news). Should we be this excited about paying over thirty bucks for something that, by all rights, should be on the Virtual Console and available for eight bucks?
Please note that I am a sucker and will buy this in a futile attempt to re-capture the nostalgia of that muggy summer in 1995. Regardless, I really want to see some awesome bonus content out of this. I've heard that Chrono Trigger is full of unused ideas, the most popular one being the "Singing Mountain" hidden deep within the cartridge. There's also word of an unused battle arena that brought grim joy to the downtrodden people of the future rotting under Lavos' rule. That would be a cheerful addition.
I am not upset that the original spritework will remain. Nothing against the work Square-Enix has been doing with the DS, but whereas Final Fantasy IV's original sprites were charmingly ugly, Chrono Trigger is still a beauty. Today's games have polygons a-plenty. Sprites are a lost art and should be preserved whenever possible.
We'll all be watching to see how this pans out, I'm sure.