I strongly think the petition should ask for a new Chrono title, and not a remake of Chrono Trigger. I will begin with the primary reason.
To say the least, the titles we've worked on have been innovative, and I would like to continue this trend for our future projects. When creating a series, one method is to carry over a basic system, improving upon it as the series progresses, but our stance has been to create a completely new and different world from the ground up, and to restructure the former style.
Therefore, Chrono Cross is not a sequel to Chrono Trigger. Had it been, it would have been called "Chrono Trigger 2." Our main objective for Chrono Cross was to share a little bit of the Chrono Trigger worldview, while creating a completely different game as a means of providing new entertainment to the player. This is mainly due to the transition in platform generation from the SNES to the PS. The method I mentioned above, about improving upon a basic system, has inefficiencies, in that it's impossible to maximize the console's performance as the console continues to make improvements in leaps and bounds. Although essentially an RPG, at its core, it is a computer game, and I believe that games should be expressed with a close connection to the console's performance. Therefore, in regards to game development, our goal has always been to "express the game utilizing the maximum performance of the console at that time." I strongly believe that anything created in this way will continue to be innovative.
As I mentioned before, Chrono Cross is not a sequel to Chrono Trigger, so I'm not worried.
Of course, the fans of the original are very important, but what innovation can come about when you're bound to the past? I believe that gameplay should evolve with the hardware.
On a different note, the original scenario writer for Chrono Trigger, Masato Kato, worked on Chrono Cross's scenario as well, but actually, there's another game he worked on, called "Radical Dreamers," which was released between Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. This was an adventure game released on the Super Famicom online gaming system called the Satellaview. Radical Dreamers served as the bridge between Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. Gamers who have played all three games can probably figure out the connection, but since the media itself was so unique, I don't think many players know about it. As a result, we had to make sure players could play Chrono Cross without being too conscious of its connection to Chrono Trigger. This is why we have the title "Chrono Cross" instead of "Chrono Trigger 2.
The developers of Chrono Cross, speaking for and part of Masato Kato's team, said that they did not want to simply rehash Chrono Trigger. Now, everyone's well aware of the trend of rehashing lately in the RPG genre; the Chrono team vocally put it down, and aimed to make an entirely new experience with Chrono Cross. Taking risks, they opted not to reuse the old characters, settings, plot devices and rampant feel and pace of the first game, and instead tried to create an entirely different game that regardless expanded on Trigger's plot and the "Chrono" essence. Now, some of this is inferrence, but the conclusions are confirmed in the product: Chrono Cross is very different from Chrono Trigger, but is undeniably a Chrono title that takes the series to new places and gives it a certain amount of class not found in most games.
Why does this matter? If a Chrono Trigger Remake were produced, the above paragraph and the fact that the framework and copyrights are already in place would strongly suggest that Masato Kato would not be involved in the project. Kato and his team of developers are innovators; his productions are made with the aim of being unique. A remake of Chrono Trigger would not only be a step backward for him, but would also curtail his abilities by confining creativity -- he can't change up the plot, or the basic events. Most likely, the remake would be done by a regular group of Square Enix workers, who would give it an economy style treatment devoid of any creator care or attention to detail. The lack of Kato and his associates would also spell the absence of Yasunori Mitsuda, who holds a lion's share of creative influence over the Chrono series alone. Kato and Mitsuda are now good friends, and Mitsuda is a freelancer composer. While he might be interested in touching up his classics, he has stated in an interview that some of his Chrono Trigger songs represent pretty amateur attempts.
The absence of the creators and usual retainers of the Chrono games will mar the project severely, but other problems are present as well. If Chrono Trigger truly is to receive the treatment of a modern RPG, and won't simply be a mini 3D title, the world will have to be expanded. RPGs take place on a much larger scale than before; the Cross script is four times the length of the Trigger script, for instance. Expansion is unlikely, as the new places and lines would have to be contrived and would feel tacked on and superfluous to those who have played the original game. With such a perfect product as the original, adding to the equation could potentially devastate the balance achieved; the only true flaw of Chrono Trigger has been cited as being a lack of length, and extending it now, especially without creator oversight, could ruin the game.
Thirdly, the fact stands that regardless of a new dimension, artwork, and updated sounds,
it's still the same game. Gamers have been playing it for the last ten years; the quotes of Magus are burned into the minds of many, as is the basic feel and flavor of the game. Playing an updated game would be fun -- but just about once. The lines will not change. What happens won't, either; we will simply be playing what we've already completed countless times in the past -- seeing what's already graced our vision several times in the past. Though on the surface, the changes will be readily apparent, within, the game will have remained static. In the end, a 3D Lavos will have been beaten, but what remains? The original Chrono Trigger will continue to be the standard; the remake will be just that -- a remake; a fun little diversion that possibly accentuates the original. But it's still retreading ground covered long ago; ground that should be used as a strong foundation to launch the series into new strata.
If the Chrono Trigger Remake were released, and failed, it would be the end of the Chrono series. It would seal the fate of the series as being a one trick pony by drawing more attention to Trigger, in effect trumping Cross. Masato Kato has considered the possibility of a sequel, saying it might happen someday. However, doing a remake would be a step backward; it would be hiding in the past in a time when the series desperately needs a strong contender to establish itself anew. What is the Chrono series known for? It is known for amazing fun and gameplay, a tasteful science fiction theme, a bevy of memorable heroic and evil characters, and moreover a quality and mastery to be envied by other games. However, left as it is, the Chrono series will simply become a downtrodden milestone of the past; something to compare to, and reminisce about while playing another Final Fantasy game. No, we cannot settle for that! While we may always have to accept the possibility that the series is dead, the petition and the answer from Square Enix that they will respond to it is a viable grasp at hope. Only a true new Chrono title, complete with Kato's vision, Mitsuda's music, and the talent of those recruited will ensure the Chrono series boasts a living legacy that continues to set the standard for quality! Now that we have a hand with which to knock at the door of the future, let us not beckon at the wrong gate! We must ensure that our request be for a new title -- a new vessel of the series legacy, a new entry in the illustrious halls of perfect games, and a new declaration of life that will ensure the series will live evermore in new incarnations and continuations! Let us call for a new sequel; let Chrono Break exist!
