From the beginning, it is obvious that this is the same game that was provided to us some 15 years ago. You start the same way, with Crono being woken by his mother on the day of the Millennium Fair, and suddenly running into these bizarre blonde named Marle. She eventually gets sucked through time…somehow…and you have to chase after her. From there it's a madcap adventure trying to restore the space-time continuum and prevent the world from ending.

The original game had a lot of charm, with simple but broad gameplay, down-to-earth and inspired writing, a great aesthetic, and introduced a lot of ideas that soon became commonplace in console RPGs, including active time systems and new game +'s. Be assured that it's great, and if you haven't played it yet, due to it effectively being out of print for 10 years, then don't hesitate to pick up or rent this if you're looking to experience one of the more finely-tuned RPGs of the 90's.

The real issue is what changed. What did they do to this one to warrant the extra dollars you're paying to play the game again? It's not just for convenience's sake, surely. The dual screen is used to some effect, presenting you with a map of the area outside of combat (welcome in some convoluted areas) and containing much of the battle commands during, allowing you to use the touch pad to maneuver through these menus and giving you a clear screen above. Using the touch screen does seem a bit faster, giving more of a visual cue, and it's a nice touch.

The game also adds to the repertoire of extras a bestiary, item list, and movie players, so that you can look up data on certain creatures and replay past videos. The game includes the animated sequences from the PSOne release, as well as ending videos that tie the game to ChronoCross. It basically makes the game easier to revisit, even though the tie-in videos seem like too little, too late, it's good that there's a catalog available.

The game also adds a few bonus dungeons that become available to you once you reach a certain point late in the storyline. These allow you more options and quests, but won't give you anything particularly game-breaking or unfair. There is also an additional dungeon added with a new endboss that provides a different ending, a challenge that will require a string of New Game +'s to achieve.

There’s also a monster raising arena that feels very tacked on that you can start playing from the beginning. It feels out of focus and not worth the effort, but the rewards can be sizable if you really train and spend, which makes it even worse. This add-on is a detriment, but it’s also pretty ignorable.

Really, the game is more a trip of nostalgia than an actually different experience. The new content doesn't even come into play until late in the game, and the new options in terms of screens and menus don't change the game that much. It's still the same ChronoTrigger, with the same themes and battles and moments. The only thing that's changed about the first half of the game is me.

For example, I never realized how short the game was. In under 4 hours, I was at a part of the game that I remember being deep in the game. It was almost disconcerting how quickly I was flying through it; the fights seemed simple and obvious to me now, and the plot tokens were easy to uncover. I also forgot how borderline stupid certain plot points were, such as exactly how you find out a certain location is actually a monster coven. I guess I wasn't as bitter at age 14. And rickrolling has ruined Robo's theme forever.

But it still works. It still feels special, and that’s all they needed to do. It feels as crisp and real as it did ten years ago. They offered us an opportunity to live in the glorious past, and we gladly take it. It falters some bit, but it’s still exactly what we needed; nostalgia in a difficult time.

Final Score: B+

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