Amazing Alpha Version Preview, Mitsuda with SSBB

[ZeaLitY]

Chrono fan Carnivol has ripped a 1994 V-Jump preview VHS tape showing off several Japanese games, one of which is Chrono Trigger. The video depicts a radically strange 1000 A.D., with completely different and basic graphics. Other differences abound, such as the Epoch's exhaust vapor and opening / closing grill, in addition to sprites of airplanes on the overworld. The video also features early Chrono Trigger music; the instrumentation is really rough, though the Chrono Trigger 'sound' is somewhat there. But most cool of all -- the beginning of the video witnesses that Untitled track from the Prerelease, whose purpose is totally unknown. You have to see this stuff to believe it! Watch the video and observe high quality screenshots at the Chrono Compendium's Alpha Version Page. Secondly, Yasunori Mitsuda has signed on with several other notable composers to rearrange old school Nintendo music for Super Smash Brothers Brawl. While a cameo of an actual Chrono character is probably out of the question, at least the franchise is getting some attention! See the full list of composers here.

[Vehek]

What a great find!
I once saw pictures of that old overworld on a French site, and I was looking for them just this or last month.

[Romana]

Incredible.

What the heck's with the planes, and I wonder what the back grill of the Epoch was supposed to be used for? Some sort of boost, maybe?

[Kyronea]

Aye, the planes, the grill on the back of the Epoch, and the Epoch concept art are what intrigue me the most.

The planes seem to suggest that 1000 A.D. was originally even more technologically advanced than we thought, which makes one wonder at just how advanced 1999 A.D. is.

[CrAzY]

Simply Amazing. I watched and examined this video for awhile, then went here to see you guys knew about it yet.

Gah, I love things like this! So exciting! 

[justin3009]

Wow this is amazing.  Although I laugh at the overworld.  Looks like an RPG Maker Tileset.  But I loved Crono's slash!  It flowed so quickly and smoothly.  Looks better in Alpha then Final IMO >_>

[knuck]

Jesus. Christ.

Don't you love how the old overworld was more zoomed in?

[ZeaLitY]

Jesus. Christ.

Don't you love how the old overworld was more zoomed in?

Yeah, really makes things better. Some day, I hope a new Chrono game or port gets enough active TF editors to realize the four or five connected overworlds idea for one giant 1000 A.D. based off Radical Dreamers. You'd access parts of each through checkpoints; it'd be a massive, engrossing era.

[Kyronea]

Yeah, really makes things better. Some day, I hope a new Chrono game or port gets enough active TF editors to realize the four or five connected overworlds idea for one giant 1000 A.D. based off Radical Dreamers. You'd access parts of each through checkpoints; it'd be a massive, engrossing era.

That sounds like one of the many ideas I've had about Chrono ROM hacking that I'll never be able to put into practice because I lack the basic ability to run programs like Temporal Flux effectively. Pity, that...I'd be extremely active in ROM hacking otherwise.

[Glennleo]

Excellent find! Glad to be back and during such an exciting time!

[CrAzY]

That sounds like one of the many ideas I've had about Chrono ROM hacking that I'll never be able to put into practice because I lack the basic ability to run programs like Temporal Flux effectively. Pity, that...I'd be extremely active in ROM hacking otherwise.

Wouldnt we all?   .......... well most of us anyway.  

[knuck]

Jesus. Christ.

Don't you love how the old overworld was more zoomed in?

Yeah, really makes things better. Some day, I hope a new Chrono game or port gets enough active TF editors to realize the four or five connected overworlds idea for one giant 1000 A.D. based off Radical Dreamers. You'd access parts of each through checkpoints; it'd be a massive, engrossing era.

Wait what, giant 1000ad based on RD? Elaborate o_O

[justin3009]

I've had that same idea but I am far to lazy to do it

[dan_death]

whoa! holly crap this is an awesome find!

[Chrono'99]

Whoaaa! It's awesome... That overworld... It's like it's a totally different world... (well, looks kind of like a Sim City 1 map at the same time). These windmills and planes are simply fantastic, it really fleshes out the atmosphere of the era. Makes me think about Miyazaki's classic Porco Rosso anime.

It's a shame they removed them in the final versions. Because of the way the world map is shown in the final version, I always had difficulty imagining the Chrono world to be huge and vast... But simply imagining these kind of planes soaring through the skies really adds a whole new dimension. Imagine walking on a vast field with rich and colorful sceneries painted by Honne, with pre-WWI planes flying in the skies, weird creatures running in the grass, and mood-setting Mitsuda songs playing in surround sound... That should be 1,500 A.D. in Chrono Break... or something.