Diving back into Chrono Trigger / Chrono Cross

[Shademp]

Chrono Trigger on Steam gets updated with a new battle UI

 

[leadmyskeptic]

I have never played either of these games. Chrono Trigger I've at least seen some scenes of (actually I believe I played through the first few time jumps on emulator) at friend's places. All I really remember about CC is like, an evil....leopard dude?

Just felt the need to confess that, lol.

Right now Persona 5 is kicking my ass, but once I'm done, I was either gonna move on to the FFX PS4 Remaster (which I still haven't played), or possibly one of these...most likely "Trigger", as I hear that's the undisputed classic. If so, what is the best way to play? I dunno if you guys are squeamish about 'promoting' emulation, but for the sake of that route, lets just say I own the physical cartridge. Is that the way to go? Does the STEAM version offer anything significant?

EDIT: I've been reading up on the 'graphics' controversy, and watching corresponding videos...while I think there's no QUESTION that the option for 'original' graphics should've been present from the start (I feel the same about including Japanese audio tracks, or FFX Remaster's 'Original Music' option), I'm having a hard time seeing just why the high-res graphics are terrible. I've been trying to look at just the opening 'town fair' scene in videos side-by-side, and as opposed to the more blatantly 're-constructed' sprites/animations of ports for games like FF6, this looks more like...uh...just really really cleaned up SNES sprites. But I'm really big on having the first experience be the right one. What are your guys opinions on all this?

 

[ForceStealer]

Chrono Trigger on Steam gets updated with a new battle UI

An honest-to-goodness battle window?! Thank the Lord. Why can't all the crappy mobile ports get this? I despise those touch screen menus.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I've been reading up on the 'graphics' controversy, and watching corresponding videos...while I think there's no QUESTION that the option for 'original' graphics should've been present from the start (I feel the same about including Japanese audio tracks, or FFX Remaster's 'Original Music' option), I'm having a hard time seeing just why the high-res graphics are terrible. I've been trying to look at just the opening 'town fair' scene in videos side-by-side, and as opposed to the more blatantly 're-constructed' sprites/animations of ports for games like FF6, this looks more like...uh...just really really cleaned up SNES sprites. But I'm really big on having the first experience be the right one. What are your guys opinions on all this?

Some of the issues were around backgrounds being broken and shoddy looking and not meeting up properly. Overall, there are a lot of little things where there's care put into the depiction of pixelated sprites that get blended together awkwardly in the updated graphics version where they look like muddy watercolour interpretations, rather than crisp depictions of what's displayed – and even that effect was very inconsistently applied, sometimes leaving the pixelated things, sometimes not.

The world map screenshot comparisons in this article with the town, forest, & boat are a good example of why people were annoyed by it: https://www.vg247.com/2018/03/01/chrono-trigger-pc-perfect-example-not-re-release-classic-game/





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[leadmyskeptic]

Aha! Thanks, that actually does give me a way better idea of what the concern was than most of the screenshots/descriptions I've been reading. It wasn't that I disagreed with the general dissent, it was more one of those weird things where you're...not even sure what the two sides really are? Haha. Seems almost like what happened here (and presumably with FFVI as well) was almost like a LITERAL version of the way people talk about censored/edited/recut films etc...achieving 'smoothness' at the sacrifice of subtleties and artistry. Kind of a shame they couldn't have done a proper 'upscale' (if I'm using my terminology correctly)

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I can't seem to find the article, but someone went into REALLY good detail about why it failed but isn't necessarily a bad thing to do, and a lot of it was upscaling the tiles in the texture sets where they're stored, and not upscaling them against one another to make sure that they mesh together properly. Essentially it was done in an amateurish, slap-dash sort of way, rather than taking time and care into the implementation, which they seem to be recognizing with a lot of the really good changes that they've made after-the-fact now.

EDIT: Found it http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/Lars...make_the_Right_Way_Chrono_Trigger_Edition.php
The first 3 points are the ones I was getting at.





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[leadmyskeptic]

I have actually been mind-boggled (in the best sense) by the detail and specificity some of these articles have. A lot of times, with situations like this, articles will attempt to merely describe, or will contain a single static screenshot, but things like that 'slider' to compare in a flash the different graphical settings really puts it into sharp relief. I think the only thing to do at this point, when I decide to start the game, is to DL the Steam version, playing the opening in both "Classic" and "Hi-Res" for comparison, and simultaneously DL an emulated version with fan-made cleanups, and see which one just feels the most powerful overall. I know a purist would just say "PC, Classic, no question", but I can't seem to shake the FEELING that the cleaning up of the artwork has a...potential I guess would be the word, to be something great.
That said, I've been playing a lot of SNES greats on my SNES-Classic, on a big HDTV, generally using the CRT filter to avoid the 'accidental jaggies'...and I haven't had any complaints whatsoever. And that's alternating from Persona 5 on my PS4 on the same TV. So, overthinker over here. Then again, shit like "Mega Man X" is a lot less plot-based and delicate than CT...le sigh...

 

[ForceStealer]

As I've said elsewhere, FFs 1, 2, and 4 on PSP are remasters that realize the potential of cleaning up the artwork. They are gorgeous.
Lazy up-rez mobile and PC ports do not.

 

[leadmyskeptic]

Oh yeah man, I agree with you on that one. And, part of what's nice about those examples is that it's clear-cut: THIS is the way to play these games, unless you are really just a diehard purist who insists on the 'original' experience, graphically. My issue with things like CT is that there's less of a total consensus on a version, and more of a 'pros and cons' checklist. Talking it out here with you guys and getting some feedback has helped a lot, though.

 

[Shademp]

The Steam version receives yet another patch to its UI

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Fan-made Chrono Break "trailer" is beautiful and everything I've ever wanted:

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[Shademp]

Akira Toriyama, Yuji Horii, and Hironobu Sakaguchi during the development of Chrono Trigger.

Same people but outside and in mirrored order.

- Twitter post

 

[Torrie]

Mobile JRPG Another Eden is preparing to launch a crossover event with lauded PlayStation JRPG Chrono Cross, featuring new music by Yasunori Mitsuda and a story by Masato Kato. — IGN

 

[Odysseus]

Definitely not how I expected the Chrono series to come back after all this time. The characters look really nice in HD. Also, wassat Frog?

 

[Wol]

Definitely not how I expected the Chrono series to come back after all this time. The characters look really nice in HD. Also, wassat Frog?

That's Cyrus, a samurai turned frog from 20,000 BC. Has a different personality.

You all missing on Another Eden, such a great JRPG in every sense. I've been waiting for this collab since before being born.

The music in the collab is supervised by Mitsuda.