E308: Chrono Trigger's controls explained

by JC Fletcher { Jul 16th 2008 at 4:30PM }

While, for the most part, Chrono Trigger on the DS looks just like Chrono Trigger on the SNES, some liberties have been taken to make the use of the new, screenier hardware. I snapped this control scheme diagram from the Chrono Trigger demo station, figuring there may be someone out there interested in how it would play on the DS.

Oh, and I played it. The big revelation here is the touchscreen movement. The touchscreen (which displays an automap of the room you're in) basically acts as a big analog stick: hold the stylus toward the right of the screen and Crono moves right; hold it farther toward the edge and Crono moves faster. Tap, or run into something, to make Crono interact.

It's awesome if you want to have a really hard time performing basic movement operations in Chrono Trigger. But the traditional button controls remain more than adequate. It doesn't really mar the fact that it's OMG CHRONO TRIGGER. And battling on the touchscreen is perfectly fine -- you just touch buttons on a menu.

In other Chrono news, an SE rep told me that the translation (yes, it was the English version!) was new! And according to a statement given to Spencer from Siliconera, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release.

Gallery: Chrono Trigger

Tags: chrono-trigger, e3-2008, e3-hands-on, e308, joystiqfeatures, rpg, square-enix

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jak Logan @ Jul 16th 2008 4:45PM

So, there will be two versions on the cartridge? Awesome!

Bluebreaker @ Jul 16th 2008 5:33PM

Huh? You mean we get the old SNES version AND a new translation DS version in the same package?? THAT'S very intriguing news right there!

Matt G. @ Jul 16th 2008 6:18PM

Okay. Everything was stuff I'd already read about earlier today...until I got to that last part. ARE YOU SERIOUS??? OMG, time to do a happy dance.

Matt G. @ Jul 16th 2008 6:35PM

Actually, now that I think about it, that makes me wonder. Will it be possible to start a NewGame+ file using a different version of the game?
Like say I beat the game using the touch screen and then I want to play the game old-school-SNES style, keeping all my schtuff from my first file.

Red @ Jul 16th 2008 7:35PM

Actually, the way I read it, the...uh...updated DS version has a new script, touch screen action, AND traditional button controls. Like, how that above control guide covers everything. I'm also willing to bet that the update might have additional stuff like the PSX cutscenes.

Matt G. @ Jul 16th 2008 8:19PM

I think I read somewhere (1UP, perhaps?) already that the PS1 cutscenes are in fact in CTDS.

aj @ Jul 17th 2008 2:51AM

Dios mio.

I actually really love having two versions on the cart. It just makes it that much more fun in the replay department. I mean, I lose patience sometimes running through the same scenes trying to get at alternate paths through the game, so if you have the option of firing up the original version with a different translation, then it will be different enough to stay fresh as I obsess over getting every possible ending. (Which I probably will. *sigh*)