Point/Counterpoint: The worth of Chrono Trigger DS

by David Hinkle { Aug 8th 2008 at 12:01PM }

One of the biggest titles to release on the DS this year is none other than Chrono Trigger DS. But, is it worth the $40 that Square Enix is demanding gamers cough up in order to enjoy this RPG classic on their handheld? The DS Fanboy staff has drawn a line in the sand and been split down the middle, with each side presenting a solid argument that effectively states their case. Instead of letting this get violent and taking it out into the streets, we've decided to turn to our computers and take it out into the virtual streets of the DS Fanboy blog. So, read on and then decide for yourself if Chrono Trigger DS is really worth the price of admission.

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Gallery: Chrono Trigger

Tags: chrono-trigger, chrono-trigger-ds, cost, price, rpg, square-enix

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Danny F. @ Aug 8th 2008 12:07PM

Voted yes:

Totalllly worth it hands down...

Now all we need is Mario RPG back on the DS for just one port round.

Eric E. @ Aug 8th 2008 4:25PM

its worth buying again for portability but not totally worth it at this price.
I still have Chrono Cross and plan to play it after trigger (cross is $20 new) on my *PS3!* Thats an option on all models that no one mentioned.
Yes i still have my SNES and its plugged into my 50" 1080p LCD, so what?
Yes i still have a ps2 and PS1 memory cards, but still my 60gbPS3 is a better option.
Castlevania will be getting my purchase for this fall, i only need 1 DS game at a time, especially with the Next Gen lineup this season.

nil @ Aug 8th 2008 12:07PM

I don't think I've ever seen Chrono Trigger sell for less than $40 on eBay. The game regularly goes for much more. When you consider that, $40 for a brand new copy, which will most likely have a longer life is a deal. Add in the extra dungeon, and it's a great bargain.

elsng @ Aug 8th 2008 12:18PM

"That's no big deal at all because it's Chrono Trigger."

Sums it up quite well. Chrono Trigger as a portable title? Yes.

Excellent article. Poses equally valid arguments to both side.

HellsHammer @ Aug 8th 2008 8:53PM

I agree. And Honestly, I've seen enough Secret of Mana sequels to know, without a doubt, that I don't want SquareEnix attempting anything except for a re-release of the old SquareSoft gems.

Also, I don't understand the complaints. If you still have a SNES or (crappy)Ps1 copy, fantastic! You don't need to buy the new one. But I really like the idea that younger gamers are going to be able to enjoy a game that I enjoyed as a kid, without having to
pay through the nose for a copy on ebay.

It's funny to me that nobody cried themselves to sleep over the fact that several Final Fantasy games released on the SNES/SFC (for $50) were shortly re-released on PS1 (for $50) and then a few years later on GBA (for between $30 - $35) only to be released AGAIN on DS (for $40).

Yet a 10 year old game that costs $50 used, on average, will soon be widely available (and portable) for $40 and NOW Square is being selfish.

CamranChaos @ Aug 8th 2008 12:20PM

I think that Chrono Trigger is totally worth $40, but I still think that $30 would've been a fair enough price. I mean, Square-Enix already makes a bazillion dollars off its NEW (and by new, I mean updated remakes and the like) and original titles, so why not give us a break? It's Christmas! Or it will be.

Phantom @ Aug 8th 2008 12:39PM

Not completly true , Square-Enix pretty much bled money last year .So they have to recover .

Also , this might just be them testing the market to see how well a sequel would too , remember when they patented the title , Echoes of Time .

Thanatos @ Aug 8th 2008 12:21PM

YES.

Jeff-O @ Aug 8th 2008 12:22PM

Frankly I refused to pay $40 for FFA2 and waited to buy it on ebay for $31 after shipping. Can anyone explain to me why Square-enix games are so expensive?

Danny F. @ Aug 8th 2008 3:16PM

Because people work hard on developing those games to the point where they are must-buys for almost any system they release. These games takes thousands and thousands of hours out of everyones life to make and they need to be compensated one way or another.

Games dont pop out of nowhere, ppl work hard to create them and in such should get paid for their great work. They got families like you and me that they have to feed. You wouldn't work at your job for free would you???

Jeff-O @ Aug 8th 2008 3:36PM

I understand about paying for games and all, don't get me wrong. The point I don't understand is why Square-enix games are seemingly always more expensive than other games that seem to have had just as much work put into them. I went to Gamestop on release day intending to get it for $35 dollars, but the $40 price tag just seems like I'm being taken advantage of.

RockerAnimeFreak @ Aug 8th 2008 12:46PM

Well since I bought Chrono Trigger on the Snes and bought it again for the playstation 1 in the (ff chronicles pack) I know where your coming from when you say that 40 bucks is kind of expensive for another port with just a tad bit more gameplay attached. Since I have custom firmware I can already play my ps1 copy on my psp and I can't say I can justify buying CT DS for the sake of multiplayer and that extra dungeon or whatever. But! If this is someone's first time playing Chrono Trigger and they don't have the mentioned systems above only a Nintendo Ds I would recommend they play Chrono Trigger DS.

That being said I might buy this I might not. Who knows?

Roto13 @ Aug 8th 2008 12:52PM

It should have been an eight dollar Virtual Console game.

Nintendo should also come up with a way to play Virtual Console games on your DS. That would be sweet.

fre @ Aug 8th 2008 12:55PM

Well I would say it's worth quite a bit more than $40.

The greatest console RPG ever made, and it's not generally available in a playable version (PSX version is gimped by loading time)

Reeve @ Aug 8th 2008 1:10PM

It's not yet known if the DS version will have similar problems. Best to do a "wait and see" for this one... I'll be waiting for a price drop, anyway.

Zack @ Aug 8th 2008 1:08PM

Not worth it. I feel a lot better playing it on my SNES, and have already beat the game multiple times. The only reason I would feel good about the purchase would be if there was indeed a refresh, like with Final Fantasy I and II on the PSP that features enhanced graphics and enhanced sound. That also featured only one new dungeon, but at least Square-Enix took the time to make it look better than it ever has before. I'll wait for a brand new Chrono Trigger on the next-gen consoles before buying it. For now, I'll put the game on hold for the other great titles coming down the pipeline that aren't just rehashes. Sorry if I offended anyone, but that's how I feel.

Jacksons @ Aug 8th 2008 1:19PM

Totally not worth $40.

When games like Sega Genesis Collection exist with Phantasy star 2, 3 and 4, plus Sword of Vermilion (and you know, like 25 other games,) I'm shocked to see how many people will throw $40 at what seems to be a direct SNES port with one new dungeon. It's a ripoff. No matter how good it is, charging a premium on a game that had to have taken a fraction of the development cost compared to one of their original DS offerings is a pretty lowdown thing to do. It's okay to be a die-hard Square fan, but at least know what your money's worth.

Like Roto13 said, it should have been an $8 VC release.

But of course, people are going to throw their money at this anyway. And again in a few years when it's remade.

Kevin @ Aug 8th 2008 1:19PM

I don't think so. I would think around $29.99-$34.99 for it. It is a port with not much added. Sure, it is a great RPG, for it's time. Nowadays there are much better RPG's to be played. I think the main majority people would buy this would be nostalgia value. Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but unless they add more to the game than just the one dungeon and touch-controls, then no. If there is more added I would say yea, it is worth it. Some current day gamers may say things like the story telling is lacking, or the game has too many RPG clich�s to count, or something like that. Even if they don't add much more though, I still bet it will be a great RPG game.

Now tht I am riled up, I would like to say I hate how so many Square-Enix RPG's for the DS are $39.99. Final Fantasy lV, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, and the upcoming Dragon Quest lV are all $39.99! I am not saying they are worth it but I think they are overpriced for DS games. I think DS games should be a maximum of $34.99.

Josh @ Aug 8th 2008 9:33PM

Yeah, I never really played the game until last year, and since I didn't have the nostalgia factor going for me, I really didn't like the game. As you suggested, I found the story and character development lacking, and the game in general was just primitive compared to modern RPGs. That is, modern RPGs do everything that Chrono Trigger did, but better.

prateeko @ Aug 8th 2008 1:28PM

No way the PS1 version counts as a viable alternative. The load times in that game are absolutely horrendous when you consider the whole game could probably fit (or at least any one time period) onto the buffer memory in the PSone...

Zach Toups @ Aug 8th 2008 1:37PM

No thanks...I still have my original cart. Would rather put that money towards an R4...

Will not buy.

Abbii @ Aug 8th 2008 1:47PM

Despite having a SNES as a kid that I loved and still play to this day, I never even heard of Chrono Trigger until recently. Of course now I'm super excited at this chance to play what I missed. Given that it would likely cost me $40 just to get a copy to play on the SNES, why not pay that much to get a DS copy? I'd take portable over home console anyway. Also, I can live without practicing the fine art of dust removal required every time I attempt to play the SNES.

I just hope they make the extra features of the game work well with buttons. I really dislike when I'm playing with buttons and then I have to pull out the stylus at awkward moments and perform a balancing act just to navigate a menu. Stylus-based games are fun once in a while, but it's starting to become a red flag for me.

ChangeOfFate @ Aug 8th 2008 1:47PM

The fact that people keep mentioning, "Chrono Trigger was the greatest console RPG ever made" is making me a little irked.

That is clearly an opinion and I would like to offer up Secret of Mana (which is often overlooked but a very strong game itself) Final Fantasy II & III (for the SNES) which also had strong plots and were considered great RPGs.

I've never seen any arguments as to why Chrono Trigger is the GOD game. I paid $39.99 for Final Fantasy IV, why? Because I think the remake and the gameplay and the new additions were well worth the extra money.

If it's a direct port with nothing new added on? $29.99
New dungeon, some more bells and whistles? $34.99 maybe.

$39.99 + tax? Why would I rather not spend that on a 360 Game or PS3 game. At least I know I'm not getting some ported game from 13 years ago.

As much as I want Chrono Trigger, I can't justify paying the same amount as a full tank of gas for a 13 year old game.

Red @ Aug 8th 2008 2:34PM

Actually, your comment made me realize that the title of 'best console RPG EVER' seems to switch between Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, depending on the context and assuming there's SNES nostalgia going on. Interesting!

I mean, here, people are gushing about how Chrono Trigger is the greatest of the great. Judging from the FFIV DS remake's comments, I think it's safe to assume that once FFVI's remake is announced, those comments would start gushing about how it's the greatest game ever. (I remember once stumbling across a top ten list talking about the greatest RPG characters, Celes Chere was #1, and the comments were a choir singing hymns to FFVI.)

I mean, once of the reasons some game...Black Sigil...Black Darkness...well, it's a DS game, and it looks like they ripped tile sets straight from those two games, and people gushed about how it looks like FFVI and CT had a baby and given that and that alone they're totally preordering the game. (Which doesn't mean that they actually will, but it means that they saw the art and just from that said, "It looks like FFVI and CT's lovechild! Want!")

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just that I find it really interesting and that I'm starting to wonder if TWEWY's going to be the DS's version of FFVI and CT: inspires strong feelings, causes random people to pop up and talk about how perfect it is and ignore that bad part, and is regularly dubbed the best JRPG on its system ever always totally.

Zealot @ Aug 8th 2008 3:33PM

Comparisons between CT/FFIV and Black Sigil are due only to the two former games being the most widely remembered SNES RPGs. The buzz (what pitifully little there is) over the game comes from the fact that it's a revival of SNES-style RPGs in general, not any particular SNES RPG. Given that the game is reviving a dead subsection of a genre that nonetheless holds a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people, it's only natural that people are going to be excited about it even without knowing much of the actual content of the game.

Professor Lario @ Aug 8th 2008 4:14PM

I agree with you regarding Secret of Mana and would LOVE to see that one back in some form or the other. Multiplayer co-op over XBLA!? I could wish... : )

Puddles @ Aug 8th 2008 1:51PM

I'm very glad that they went with a straight port rather than a remake, but $40 does seem too steep. Other developers are selling entirely new games for $30, so I don't see how they can justify charging that much.

Almadi @ Aug 8th 2008 1:54PM

Well, $40 today is like $25 back when the SNES game was released...so I guess the question is:

"would you have bought CT back then for $25?"

Makoto99 @ Aug 8th 2008 1:57PM

I played Chrono Trigger way back on the SNES the day it came out, buying it for a whopping $69.99 retail (minus my Waldensoftware employee discount... bonus points to anyone who remembers Waldensoftware).

I won't be buying it for DS at that $40. It was a good RPG, but it didn't have much that warrants replaying it for me. The way I look at it is if I couldn't be bothered to replay FF3US, which I thought had a better storyline and character interactions, then I probably won't replay CT either. I'll wait for the inevitable remake in a few years, which will at least give a new shine to it.

And if Square is going to do lazy ports, then please lazyport Front Mission 3 to DS! That game was way underrated.

Red @ Aug 8th 2008 2:20PM

Like most people, I'd feel differently if I had a SNES and a working copy, or if the PSX port wasn't so crappy. As it stands, I've got neither. So I'm totally eager and happy to pick up a copy of Chrono Trigger...once it's not $40.

I'm not paying full price for FFTA2 or TWEWY or FF4 DS, I'm not going to start with a port.

MagNet @ Aug 8th 2008 3:12PM

New games are like 100$ (mainly because the currency here is quite strong and USD weak at the moment but they're still bloody expensive) here anyway, I don't care.
Also there's nothing that would hold me back from playing it on an emu or something.

Maybe they think they didn't make enough money on the SNES and PS1 version so they want to fill their money gaps with this release.

Miranda @ Aug 8th 2008 3:27PM

It's definitely worth $40 to me, but I never played Chrono Trigger when it was out on the SNES or the PS1, so it's a new (and obviously, highly recommend) game for me.

mikelhend @ Aug 8th 2008 3:32PM

I'll stick with playing the PSX version on the PSP... newer visuals would be nice (and the DS version will likely look better in many regards), but it's getting tough to pay $40 a pop for remakes. C'mon SqEnix, how about some NEW games? (I know I know... expensive to write, produce, etc... but when you look at how terrific some of their fresh titles can be, such as FF VII Crisis Core for PSP, I'd love to get some of that action on the DS!)

igorponweed @ Aug 8th 2008 3:52PM

I have a PS3 so I can get the PSOne remake! Actually the SNES Chrono Trigger rarely dips below $60.

nintendo1889 @ Aug 8th 2008 3:59PM

Given the price tag of $40 for a game like that; it's a real steal. Whereas if you were to get that on Ebay/Amazon, either you get a decent copy that works for $50 or you get a mint condition copy that's $70 and the SRAM battery no longer works and honestly, who wants to go through the trouble of soldering on a new one? You're screwed if you and you're screwed if you don't. Why go through the trouble when someone else can do it for you? In this case, by Square Enix porting it to the DS. Paying $40 for game you can actually SAVE in is a lot better than getting SOLed and paying for a $70+ ebay game that doesn't work. Either that or Snes9x wii.

Cindy "MiWI" @ Aug 8th 2008 4:58PM

I keep on thinking "this is just a nightmare, I will wake up some day and will see some great pictures of Chrono Trigger remake � la FF on the DS..."
... but it never happens.

And for 40$? That Square-Enix are money vampires is a well know fact, but they usually don't charge you JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR DAMN NAMES.

ChangeOfFate @ Aug 8th 2008 5:44PM

Now bring Secret of Mana to the Nintendo DS, thanks.

atastysammich @ Aug 8th 2008 6:41PM

They do it because they can. They can bring all Japan to a grinding halt with one of their big-name titles, and with all that extra bank, they've got no problem occasionally taking a risk with something genuinely creative, like Mario Hoops or The World Ends With You (although those products' Square-Enix stamp lessens that risk noticeably). Tacking an extra $10 onto a port of a game, a loving fan-remake of which they infamously put a stop to without apparently stopping to take notes or anything, is no biggie to them.
Hey, whatever helps them sleep on their solid gold beds at night.

Shuyin @ Aug 8th 2008 7:39PM

"But, is it worth the $40 that Square Enix is demanding gamers cough up in order to enjoy this RPG classic on their handheld?" - to answer this.. hmm, is it worth to have the game that i consider the 2nd best rpg i have ever played in my years of gaming, with the all the anime cutscenes of the PSX version (but without the loading-between-battles that rendered the PSX version unplayable - a critical detail that Alisha Karabunis omitted) and a bonus dungeon on a portable console (thus being able to play it when i want, where i want)? Hell yeah.
I guess in the end it depends on personal taste. For me, this is one of the best games i've played so yeah, i voted yes.

Regarding the 'best rpg ever', this term is relative and is different for each person. You can't make a general assumption and say this title is the best ever. However u can say: "of all the rpgs i've played, i liked this the most and it's the best rpg. For me!". Do you understand now why many ppl say that line? They talk about their point of view. For me, the best rpg so far (not ever, because things are subject to change in the future :P ) is Vagrant Story and Chrono Trigger is the 2nd best. How can i miss the chance to have an enhanced port of it on my DS?

Another note: in recent years i've seen countless topics on forums in which ppl were asking for a CT port/remake for a current-gen console. Now, after the enhanced port is official, i see many posts of ppl complaining that it's just a port, that it's too expensive etc. I didn't check, but odds are many of the ppl that wanted it remade/ported are the same ppl that now complain abut it. Stupidity and hypocrisy rule the internet message boards i think :)

Monodi @ Aug 8th 2008 8:31PM

SIgh, I have always wanted to complete Chrono Trigger and as the DS is really great to shelf games there is o excuse I won't get it. However reading that you roam in the game with the touch screen is just anticlimatic, I personally would prefer if it was via D-Pad as the good old game. They better take care of that.

Also I say its pretty overpriced on what it offers. 24.99 is more than enough.

aj @ Aug 8th 2008 8:38PM

40$ does seem like a lot for a port.

But I'll buy it. I'd pay just to be able to play Chrono Trigger on the bus or train. Because that's awesome.

chibi_wings @ Aug 8th 2008 8:44PM

worth it. I love CT, and I will fork over 40 yet again to Squareenix. Sure $40 is expensive for just a port, but I'm glad CT wasn't remade, the graphics are part of its charm (unlike FF, where the enhanced graphics are a definite plus). If CT went 3D, I fear the 3D character designs wouldn't be as lovely as the original ones. I do wish Squareenix added more quests to complete before the final show down through, all well.

Christopher @ Aug 9th 2008 10:16AM

Then maybe the perceived value you have is in your imaginary rendition of what these characters look like? I'm just wondering since you made the comment on not wanting 3D versions, because frankly, Squeenix character design is usually quite lovely with a few exceptions.

chibi_wings @ Aug 9th 2008 3:17PM

I'll make myself clearer, I don't like the cell shading that 3D dragon quests do, in order to preserve Toriyama's art. If CT were to go 3D, that would probably be the way they would go about preserving his art. It's not horrible, I just prefer regular (polygon) 3D, or 2D to cell shading. FF doesn't have this problem. And yes this is subjective, I never said it wasn't.

Tatsukishi @ Aug 8th 2008 11:41PM

If its a complete 3d remake then its worth the full price and more! If it is simply a port like the really badly done one on the playstation then it is definitely not worth the money.

MIke @ Aug 9th 2008 1:09AM

beats me, but I just can't wait for the ebay prices of the original snes carts to go down after this is released ;P

TJF588 @ Aug 9th 2008 2:12AM

I'm mostly hoping for a rehandled translation. I don't want to overtly expose myself to the original localization(s), and what little I've played of and read on the fan retranslation is kinda iffy (Japanese suffixes do not belong in a particularly non-Japanese fantasy world), so if what was done for FFVI on GBA (another game I haven't played nearly enough of, and know slightly m ore about) is done for CT, then I'd like to get my hands on it.

However, yes, $40 is too much for something that likely didn't require much work to tweak. They got their money for their original work when they originally worked on it. The price now should reflect the new work done on it.

Let's see, what are my options... I can get into the Maxy Exchange and buy it without taxes, I can wait it out online for the price to drop (thanks you, Amazon, and your wonderful Super Saver Shipping), and, heck, I can find a reliable eBayer to nab it off of.

I recently wasted $40 (well, less than that, and less than a SSS'd FFIV(DS)) on a new copy of the Castlevania Double Pack (damn whoever proofreads their translations/localizations/grammar!) over FFIV under the reasoning that, hey, this is a Square Enix game we're talking about. It'll still be on store shleves, in online inventories, and, if I'm desperate enough, in used game shops/stores. When I feel like getting the game, it'll be there to be gotten. As (kinda) said, there's plenty to play in the meantime, so holding out half a year more on CT wouldn't be so bad. Then again, PKMN Emerald is still full price new...

HellsHammer @ Aug 9th 2008 5:18PM

"$40 is too much for something that likely didn't require much work to tweak. They got their money for their original work when they originally worked on it. The price now should reflect the new work done on it."

Except that they still have to pay for manufacturing costs, licensing (most likely to Toriyama/Nintendo), developers porting the game and modifying it for play on touch screens, creating the new dungeon, adding Wifi compatibility and the PS cutscenes.

It's pretty straight forward. If $40 is too much, go spend $50 or $60 for the SNES version.

chispito @ Aug 9th 2008 2:21AM

It's a great game, but charging $40 for a very very slightly updated port is not fair.

I'd think they would want to release this at a more affordable pricing point as a way to efficiently introduce neophyts to the idea of JRPGs and prep them to pay more for their other games that they actually, you know, put some work into sometime during the last ten years.