In 1996, I was introduced to a game that would change the way that I saw the world of video games. I was in the sixth grade and a friend of mine told me that I needed to play this game called Chrono Trigger. After a bit of persistence on his part, I finally agreed to loan him one of my games, and I borrowed Chrono Trigger from him. In this game, which I had never heard of before, I found a truly unique adventure that dealt with issues of class inequality, racism, morality, sacrifice, grief, vengeance and forgiveness. In short it had a bit of everything, and even showed you the consequences of actions that you took. The game was nothing short of amazing, and still stands as one of my favorite games of all time.

A gaming masterpiece

Yet, the games of our past can become nothing more than relics of a bygone era if they are not made available for a modern audience in a way that is faithful to the original experience. Never has this been more true than with the release of Final Fantasy Chronicles for the Playstation in 2001. This compilation of Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger seemed like a great way for more gamers to experience this wonderful game. Yet, the game suffered from poor programming and featured load times every time the player entered or exited a building, amongst other issues, making for an experience that lost the magic of the original. The one saving grace was the new anime sequences that were interspersed within key moments of the game.

Recently, I convinced my fiancee of the fact that she needed to experience this game, much the way that my friend had insisted that I should play it. After persisting for an extended period of time, she finally agreed to get the game for her DS and try it out. She is currently playing the game and enjoying it, but she doesn't have a lot of time to play it. So, when she is unable to play the game, and I have some free time, I have managed to make a fairly quick run through the game (I remember where just about everything is, so it didn't take too long). What I have found is that this re-release has taken the original game, maintaining the fidelity of the original, and added new features that that have not only added to the experience of this game, but made the events of the game's sequel, Chrono Cross make more sense. More than 15 years after my original experience with playing the game, I have been wowed all over again.

The first thing to note is that the anime sequences that were featured in the Final Fantasy Chronicles collection have returned, bringing added weight to some of the key story moments. Personally, I had found the Chronicles release unplayable, so this was the first time I had the joy of experiencing these sequences. From Frog moving mountains, to finding a future hero, to watching a caveman companion kick dino-butt, these sequences add a whole new level of charm to a game that already has enough for 10 games. I was particularly blown away by the new ending sequence that ties the game directly to a key character in Chrono Cross. I literally sat there with my mouth wide open in amazement at what they had added to this amazing experience.

Next, the DS version has a few new dungeons that only open up once you have beaten the game. I haven't played through these new areas yet, so I can't give you my personal take on them. However, new content is almost always a good thing, especially when it comes with the game in the era of DLC that we now find ourselves in.

Finally, the game added a new final boss and ending that tie directly into Chrono Cross. Chrono Cross may be a fairly incendiary game, but I have always had a deep appreciation for the game. So, seeing the new content for Chrono Trigger DS link the two games so directly made me undeniably giddy. Even though I cheated and watched this ending via youtube, I'm looking forward to playing through all this new content soon.

If not for the ridiculous number of playable characters with no story to support them, this would have been considered an all-time great

I think there is something something worth taking away here. In recent years, it has become very popular to re-release games with a shiny new high definition coat of paint. Yet, that is the extent of what the developer/publishers provide with these new renditions. Chrono Trigger DS stands apart from this trend because, rather than focusing on graphics which can be fleeting and often become outdated, they add new content to further enhance the lore of the game and the series. This is something that I would like to see more developers/publishers examine the economics of doing, as it makes a game more appealing to those that have previously purchased a game. After all, most people are not going to repurchase a game just for slightly better graphics. But if more content is added to the game, particularly content that enhances the experience, the product develops a new level of value for potential consumers, both new and returning.