Difference between revisions of "May 2022 - Chrono Cross Radical Dreamers Edition Questions and Answers"

Revision as of 03:20, 15 November 2022

General Information

Chrono Cross

Square held question and answer sessions across April and May 2022 on their Twitter account at this link.

Question Response

-How did the main character, Serge, come to be armed with a swallow?

He is a country fishing boy, so I wanted him to have a boat oar as a weapon. We designed it to be usable as a weapon, and named it the Sea Swallow based on the image we had of it.

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios --Masato Kato

Question Response

I'm really looking forward to it!

Will it be playable on PS5?

Thank you so much for your interest!

You can play the PS4 version on PS5 with backward compatibility.

Response by: SQUARE ENIX Development

Question Response

-What kind of reference book is that under the bed that Karsh is using!

I wonder what this is.

I think it might be something like "How to be a truly good man" or "How to be a truly competitive man".

Answer by: Masato Kato(Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response English

-I'd like to know more about the battle system in Chrono Cross. Also, the elements are deeply related to the story.

The battle system was newly created for "Chrono Cross". The gimmick of the last battle was invented first, and everything was created from there.

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response

-Is Orlha's sister Tia doing well in the Another world?

I hope she is doing well somewhere too.

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response

-I would like to know what the main theme "Scars of Time" means to you and how it relates to this work.

It's a nuance of "Scars of Time" and "Cross of Time" created as a result of the "Trigger of Time".

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response

-How did Pierre become aware of his heroism?

Pierre was born a brave man. He has been a brave man all his life.

There is no mistake. But, there is a reason why Pierre decided to become a brave man, but he has never told us about it.

Answer by: Masato Kato(Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response English

-In the "Chrono Cross Ultimania" interview, it is mentioned that Mr. Kato refused to port "Radical Dreamers -The Unstolen Jewel-", but did he accept it this time?

I've always wanted to play Radical, so I'm grateful for this remastering!

Answer: Masato Kato (original director), Wright Flyer Studios

It's been more than 20 years since the last remastering, and the game has been sold at a pre-sale price, so when we heard about it, we thought it was time to let it go.

Question Response English

-I would like to know why the scene in the opening movie where Serge runs with the Mastermune in Termina was cut from the movie, and what kind of story or scene was originally intended for the movie.

That scene was created with the priority of depicting Serge as brave in the OP, so it is not the case that the scene was cut because it was in the story first. It's not surprising to have a scene like that, rather it's like he's always like that.

Answer: Masato Kato(Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Question Response

-I was crying while watching the 6 colored flying hearts pouring down at the Chrono Cross live performance! I know it's hard to do now, but is there any chance to see such a great live performance again?

Thank you for coming to Chrono Cross 20th Anniversary Live 2019. I am happy to hear that you truly enjoyed the live performance that we paid attention to every detail, and I am happy too. We would love to do the live show again if we have the chance.

Response by Yasunori Mitsuda (Composer) -- Yasunori Mitsuda, Procyon Studio

Question Response

I remember that if I changed my name, I couldn't change my name back to Colonel Snake Bone, which was originally in Kanji characters.

Answer: SQUARE ENIX Development

As with the original version, it is not possible to use Kanji characters.

Question Response

-I would like to ask Masato Kato and Yasunori Mitsuda which event they are most attached to...!

My favorite is the ending sequence, but my personal favorite is the one involving Lucky Dan. It's a bit of a unique story, and the characters themselves are very special.

Respondent: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

For me, the scene where he and Kid talk about the past when the orphanage was burned down while camping out is the best part. I felt that the music fit perfectly with the event.

Answer: Yasunori Mitsuda(Composer), Procyon Studio

Question Response

-How does Serge carry his weapon, the Swallow, around with him?

Answer: Masato Kato(Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

It's on his back.

It is not displayed in the game.

Question Response

-What is Serge's vest made of? Is it metal like chainmail? Or is it fish skin? Or a fishing net? I'm wondering if it's amiami or scales!

Answerer: Nobuteru Yūki (Chakarata Design) -- Nobuteru Yūki

I'm thinking of a chain katabira and a leather shoulder strap (also with a metal insert), but it would be too heavy for the ocean setting, wouldn't it? (Sweat).

So, let's call it "Kodomo Giant Lizard's Leather" even though it shines like metal. (lol).

Question Response

-Why did you choose to have more than 40 friends in Chrono Cross?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

The original idea was to have all the NPCs become friends, but that became impossible, so I don't remember why we settled on that number. We added more and more characters as we wanted more and more of them, and that's how we ended up with the number we did.

Question Response   -Thank you for remastering "Chrono Cross".

Please tell us what you focused on in the remastering process and what were the difficulties in the development.

Answer: SQUARE ENIX Development

In this work, we were particular about making sure that you can enjoy both the good points of the original version and the remastered version. The hardest part was that we couldn't reproduce the original version on any other console than PlayStation because we didn't have the game's program and graphics data in a complete state when we started development.

Question Response

-What does the term "Chrono Trigger" refer to?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

As the word implies, it is also a "trigger of time" and sometimes means something that shoots a bullet and changes the world.

Question Response

-Thank you so much for the remaster! I'm so happy because I've played it many times and love it so much! I'm curious to know what kind of person (face and personality) Zelbeth, the mother of Slash and Marcella and wife of Farga, was like! Was she a mermaid like her sister Irenes?

Answerer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Yes, she was. I think she was a graceful and gentle mermaid, just like Irene. I also think she had a quiet strength as a sister and mother.

Question Response

-I especially like the song "The Girl Who Stole the Stars", which was proposed as the title (logo) of Chrono Cross.

This song was also played in "Radical Dreamers -The Unstolen Jewel", but since you didn't use it as the title, did you bring it into the song title? I'd like to know what you meant and what you really meant by these words!

Answerer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

The girl who stole the star is Kid. It was given as the name of a song during the time of Radical, and it is one of the titles that I have a lot of feelings about.

Question Response

-When composing, which song took you the longest to complete?

Answer: Yasunori Mitsuda (Composer), Procyon Studio

Actually, the music for "Chrono Cross" didn't take very long to complete. The game screens were pretty much done, and a large part of the scenario was also finished. The director, Mr. Kato, and I had a clear idea of the musical direction we wanted to take, so we were able to write every song without hesitation. I think the song that took the longest to write was "Prisoners of Fate".

Question Response

-What do the elements look like and how do you carry and use them? Do you think of them as decks, or are they arranged in a certain way?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

I was thinking of something like a sphere or orb.

The game system and specifications are also a part of the game, so to a certain extent, we were free to imagine what we wanted.

Question Response

-Will we be able to play all parts of "Radical Dreamers -The Unstolen Jewels" in Satellaview? The Sunflower and Kid version, the Fierce Eradication of Meteor Detectives version, and the other ones that are not in the main game...

Answerer: SQUARE ENIX Development

Yes, you can play all of the games that were distributed at this time!

Question Response

-Is it okay to drink draft beer?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

He is a bobcat, after all!

Question Response

-Serge plays the melody as a mediator, is this related to the fact that he was a musician in "Radical Dreamers -The Unstolen Jewel-"?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

Chrono Cross" is not directly related to "Radical Dreamers -The Unstolen Jewels", so the fact that Serge was a musician in that game is not particularly relevant.

Question Response

-Is it possible for a hydra to reproduce monosexually? Or is it unable to reproduce without a guardian, and the orphaned cubs are left all alone?

Answerer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

We believe that the orphaned hydra would have continued to live on in some form or another.

Question Response

-How did Spriggan and the fortune teller of Termina meet and become friends?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

I don't know. The fortune teller may have dabbled in witchcraft when she was young, met Spriggan, and trained under her.

Question Response

-Why is Serge's stance and motion in battle different in the demo version and the full version? Also, why can't I use "Chrono" when I change his name?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

The demo version was not completed due to time constraints, so it was a rush job. The reason why we can't use the name "Chrono" is because the name "Chrono Trigger" belongs only to him.

Question Response English

-What lands did you use as references when creating the world of "Chrono Cross"? Is the El Nido Islands in the Philippines involved?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

There is no particular reference. At the time of production, I had no idea that there was a place of the same name in the Philippines. It sounds like a lovely place.

Question Response

-I would like to ask a question that has been bothering me for 22 years. Lynx's neck peeking out from his collar doesn't look like he is wearing anything, but what design of clothing is he wearing under his robe? I am imagining something similar to Serge's innerwear...

Answerer: Nobuteru Yuki (Carata Design)

The overall image is leather armor combined with a cloak, with the hardest leather at the belly, and a metal guard sewn into the leather above that to allow for some movement. The long skirted part with the decorations is the clothing (like a collarless kantou gown with a front opening), only this part is made of fabric.

Question Response

I loved the interaction between the Salton and Shugar duo back in the day.

Please tell us the story of how this duo came to be and if there is anyone who was a model for them!

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

I guess this is the image of the bumpy duo of Abbott and Costemiro. They were hard to hate.

Question Response

-Is the substitution talisman a key item from the second week onwards? I would like to use it from the beginning if possible.

Answer: SQUARE ENIX Development

No, you can use the talisman from the second week of the game.

Question Response

-What is the reason for the name "Serge" and where did it come from?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

There is no particular reason. I just thought that the French sound suited the character.

Question Response English

-Is the background music used in Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamers Edition from the revival soundtrack? Are there any new songs? I'm looking forward to it...! I wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

Answerer: Yasunori Mitsuda (Composer), Procyon Studio

No, we did not use the soundtrack for the revival. The sound engineer from Square Enix prepared the built-in sound data of the PlayStation at the time, and I refined it with EQ, compressor, noise reduction, etc. The opening song "Chrono Cross - Scars of Time" and the ending song "Radical Dreamers - Unstolen Jewels" were converted to WAV files from tapes I recorded at the time. I like the performance take and mix very much, and I have not made any changes to them because they are complete. There is also one new song and 7 special (but not played) arranged versions of other songs. In all, you will be able to hear about 8 new music tracks. Enjoy!

Question Response

-If you have any stories about how the Draggy egg was with his mother's corpse in the drowned valley, or any episodes of his family or siblings. Also, I would like to hear what Serge's household help does and any spills of Arni village daily life.

Respondent: Masato Kato, Wright Flyer Studios (Original Director)

The episodes of the ancient dragon tribe are not particularly detailed.

Serge's daily life is described at ......, considering that he is usually forced to be Leena's errand boy.

Question Response

-Who's idea was it to make the dialogue so philosophical, from the villagers to the enemies? I personally think it's a lot of work just to come up with long lines for each and every one of them...

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

I thought it would be great if players could think of their own ideas by listening to the voices of the people who live in the parallel world. I enjoy writing NPC texts, so it's not hard for me.

Question Response

-What was the most important part of Lynx's design? Also, what is your favorite part of the design?

Answer: Nobuteru Yuki (Carata Design)

I like drawing beastmen, so I think I was able to get into the groove of drawing the design so that it would be unique to me.

I also like to have the face of the beast on the body of the human, but I tried to keep the balance just in between. I tried to keep the balance of the two in the middle, so that it would be impossible to wear a hat. (laugh).

Question Response

-Thank you so much for this wonderful project! I look forward to your answers to all of my questions! I love Tsukuyomi, so I'd love to hear her real face, backstory, etc.!

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

If you play the Another Eden cross collaboration, I think you will learn a new aspect of Tsukuyomi. We hope you enjoy it as well.

Question Response

-What is a leopard demon?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

A leopard demon is a demon that looks like a leopard.

It looks like a panther, but it is not just a panther.

Question Response

-Why was Serge chosen as the Arbiter?

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios

It means that he came into contact with the flame and as a result, he became so.

Question Response -I was very young, and this was the first game I had ever played. At the time, I used to name the characters that became my allies as I liked. Do you have any stories about the origin of each character's name and the process of deciding on it?

Answerer: Masato Kato (original director), Wright Flyer Studios I think my favorite name is Lucky Dan. Including the episodes. I tend to be rather straightforward when it comes to character names. Frog, Mushroom, Star Child, Dragon Child, etc.

Question Response -Did you have an illustration of Tsukuyomi's true face? In the setting material book, there was only the idea of a clown... Considering her true identity, I wonder if that costume was also chosen as part of some encounter or history (not just her preference).

Answer: Masato Kato (Original Director), Wright Flyer Studios I have my own image of Tsukuyomi's true face, but I'd like to leave it up to the players to imagine it for themselves. ......

Question Response -I'm not sure if this is a Chinese (oriental?) style character, but I'm sure it's a character that has not yet appeared in the original character drafts in the setting material book. Were you planning to create a Chinese town and related settings in the early stages of the game? If so, please let me know!

Kato: We had a lot of ideas for the characters, with various ethnicities and colors. But I didn't think of an oriental city. The setting was the El Nido Islands.

Question Response -In one of the endings, it is revealed that the bobcat likes to drink.

Kato: I think it is Fate's preference now that she has a body.

Response (Original question was deleted?) It is said that the Il-Lanzer is a sword made by dragons, but how was it handed down to the human side? I don't understand the meaning of giving a weapon that is effective against dragons to humans. Is there a time when the six dragons and humans interacted? [Thank you in advance]

Kato: I believe that the Il Lanzer was discovered as an ancient relic and passed down as a holy sword.

Question Response -How is Serge's bandana tied?

Nobuteru Yuuki: It's a bandana cap, which is very useful. I think it is what is called a "pirate's roll". You fold a square piece of cloth into a triangle and tie the long side in front of you while twisting both ends. Fold the remaining tail inside and you're done.

Question Response -I would like to know the lyrics of the song sung by the wise men of the subhuman tradition!

Kato: Maybe someday a Magical Dreamers song will be played. ......

Question Response -I think the music of Chrono Cross has a unique airy, expansive, and ridiculously pleasant sound. Mitsuda, is that just reverb?

Mitsuda: Not only the reverb applied by the PlayStation hardware, but also detailed delays via MIDI (almost audible or inaudible). (It is a very subtle setting that is barely audible.) When using two guitars, the tuning of the two guitars is shifted a little to make them sound wider. Is this a technique that is not used much nowadays?

From: Interviews