Chrono Spinoff Games, Series, etc.

[koolkame]

Square-Enix is giving mad love to FFVII lately through a number of spinoffs. They have a movie (Advent Children), a non-RPG PS2 game (Dirge of Cereberus) and a cell phone game in Japan featuring those loveable gestapos the Turks. How about giving some some spinoff love to the Chrono series? New games are on everybody's wishlist of course, but who here wouldn't want to see a CT or even CC anime?

The CT series could done in the style of the cutscenes in the PSX remake; having a look similar to Dragon Ball would only help it gain mainstream popularity. A fun series about time-travel could trigger a revival.

The second game would work well in the format of a 50-episode series and might give all the playable characters a chance to have their stories told. I imagine the look would mature somewhat and the content would be better suited for the Adult Swim block. A feature film would connect the two and be released after CC's run. As confusing as animes can be (ex. Neon Genesis Evangelion) putting CC in an episodic format could force the writers to clear up some plot points.

A CT remake for the PSP and the Nintendo DS (with a seperate screen for the inventories and menus) would look even better on these new platforms. Extra content that ties the game into Chrono Cross would it make worth the purchase; maybe even a new playable character and endings? And new games for these platforms would be easy to make compared to a full-fledged next-gen RPG. The time-periods, characters, and universe are full of potential spin-offs.

Lucca was in Xenogears; maybe Chrono characters could appear in a Kingdom Hearts game like the FF crew. Picture it: Sora, the main character of KH, enters an arena that is apparently empty. Suddenly a time gate appears and Chrono steps out of it. Then, the Arena turns black and Serge falls from above and lands next to him. That would be a cool fight with some X-Strikes and Double Luminaires. You could win a Rainbow Keyblade. Ayla and Leah on a dinosaur-themed world. Magus as a boss. Some characters like Poshul, Draggy, and Neo Fio already look like Disney creations and would fit in well.

Granted, the Chrono series isn't in the spotlight right now, but it's safe to say it is still remembered fondly. The Compendium is evidence of this, as are all the fansites on the web. Nintendo Power readers still send in fan art of the Chrono characters, twelve years after the game was released. My best friend is two years younger than me and had never heard of CT until he played the PSX remake. Chalk up one convert.

Any ideas for Chrono spinoffs? Game spin-offs? Merchandise or the like?

[Peaceman]

It'd be really nice if they remade the games again for the DS or PSP.  I'm not so sure about new playable characters, since I think that seven characters is just right; there aren't too few, and the game can actually develop all the characters.

[The Arbiter]

It'd be really nice if they remade the games again for the DS or PSP.  I'm not so sure about new playable characters, since I think that seven characters is just right; there aren't too few, and the game can actually develop all the characters.

Peaceman is right, don't mess too much with a winning formula. New characters would probably not work too well. It could get Square-Enix burned. Just release them on the new platforms a little updated and in regard to Chrono Trigger with the FMV's and other bonuses. Also potential extra endings would not be a bad idea as they would have no real impact on the game, unless they revealed something about the period between Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.

[Dunsparce]

Lucca was in Xenogears? Tell me more. And mabye a link or two. I must know more.

[Leebot]

Just a cameo in the beginning, she explains a few game mechanics.

What they really need to do is fill in the fall of Guardia.

[Aitrus]

Amen to that.  In fact, it would prove interesting to have Chrono Break set during that time period, or maybe a little later in the reunified world "after" CC.

[V_Translanka]

As far as I know, FFVII's Dirge of Cerberus's genre still hasn't been revealed...And a while ago the creators were saying people will be surprised...I still don't know if that means it will be some kind of action 3rd person shooter or if it will be some kind of RPG metamorph...

Also, I don't know about that whole DS thing...Why bother with it? Is what I say...The PSP is more powerful and could do more than the DS (minus stupid flashiness like the ghetto touch screen and the double screen...wowie Nintendo! Useless crap that'll probably break...).

Anime up Chrono Trigger, but only if they could actually get Akira to do it...Those underlings sucked it up in Chronicles if you ask me...

Maybe do a Spirits Within-like CGI series of Chrono Cross...You really just couldn't shove all of CC into one movie. Maybe a mini-series or something...Probably wouldn't work either way though with all the characters and crapola.

A PS2 game would be nice...Maybe explore where Lavos originally came from...Possibly other worlds...Other times in other worlds...Maybe Breath of Fire it and just use similar characters only on different worlds dealing with other Lavoses...

I think that any new CT remake shouldn't be FMVed. It should stay relatively 2d (ie cell-shading of some kind). I also wouldn't mind a better translation of CT to boot. And of course, new music and sound would be a major plus.

[Symmetry]

I'd be disappointed to see a remake of CT. The game is fine as is and the time spent updating its graphics, sound, and so on could be spent making another entirely new game.

Personally, I doubt we'll see an addition to the Chrono series anytime soon. As its been said, the development team has split and S-E let the trademark expire. In my opinion, if they had something solid on the game, they would have renewed the trademark and continued onward, old devs present or not.

There's only so much you can do in the same universe before credibility starts to drop. I can't think of too many viable storylines for an entire game other than an adventure involving the source of Lavos and/or multiple dimensions.

[JasAce5]

I'd be disappointed to see a remake of CT. The game is fine as is and the time spent updating its graphics, sound, and so on could be spent making another entirely new game.

Personally, I doubt we'll see an addition to the Chrono series anytime soon. As its been said, the development team has split and S-E let the trademark expire. In my opinion, if they had something solid on the game, they would have renewed the trademark and continued onward, old devs present or not.

There's only so much you can do in the same universe before credibility starts to drop. I can't think of too many viable storylines for an entire game other than an adventure involving the source of Lavos and/or multiple dimensions.

its people like you who make square enix think that ct isnt popular enough anymore and not worthy of effort for a new game.

[Hadriel]

As much as a DB style would help popularity build...I f--king hate that style.  IMO, it's god-awful, cliched as hell, and the sole reason why people make fun of anime fans -- they don't know that animes that actually have a story and interesting characters exist.

I'd love to see a much darker take on the Chrono universe.  Yes, the story's plenty dark already, but the art has to reflect that.  Anime is an approach that certainly lends itself to that kind of story, done correctly.  It's that kind of darkness that's as addicting as drugs or sex with your best friend's hot girlfriend -- evil, but fun.

I'd like it if they did three series -- one for CT (of course they'd have to give Crono some dialogue, but I think I've got his character pretty well pinned down) one for in-between, and one for CC.  Then, if that does well enough, do something else.  It's like what they're doing for Gargoyles -- if the first season DVDs sell well enough, they're releasing season 2.  If that does well enough, season 3, and then maybe new stuff.

[Symmetry]

I'd be disappointed to see a remake of CT. The game is fine as is and the time spent updating its graphics, sound, and so on could be spent making another entirely new game.

Personally, I doubt we'll see an addition to the Chrono series anytime soon. As its been said, the development team has split and S-E let the trademark expire. In my opinion, if they had something solid on the game, they would have renewed the trademark and continued onward, old devs present or not.

There's only so much you can do in the same universe before credibility starts to drop. I can't think of too many viable storylines for an entire game other than an adventure involving the source of Lavos and/or multiple dimensions.

its people like you who make square enix think that ct isnt popular enough anymore and not worthy of effort for a new game.

You're so right. : )

That's why I spend oodles of time writing fanfiction about the series and post frequently on a Chrono fansite. Yeah, its people like me that screw it all up for the rest of your guys and gals.

[koolkame]

Yikes. Didn't think I'd start a thread that would be so heated. For the remake I agree that extra characters would be a bit much, though I was thinking of side missions starring secondary characters. Any extra endings would be to fill in a little more bertween the games.  As for which system it would be on, either wouild be good but I kinda like the touch pad myslf and having the battle menus on the bottom one would eliminate the flipping of the menu. It would be less of a remake than a revival.

The animated movie I' m thinking of wouild be  backstory focusing on the future where Chronopolisa is built, the present defeat of Guardia, and the Time Crash in the past. Cramming Chrono Trigger into a two-hour OVA would be a crime.

V_Translanka:

A PS2 game would be nice...Maybe explore where Lavos originally came from...Possibly other worlds...Other times in other worlds...Maybe Breath of Fire it and just use similar characters only on different worlds dealing with other Lavoses...

That is freakin' awesome! The only problem I would see would be that ity could be a retread of CT unless the time distortions of Lavos were handled differently, maybe splitting the alien world into two like Metroid Prime Echoes of Sudeki (Ithink.Haven't played it.) or some other plot device. Think of the character designs of the alien race of the characters: totally original yet still part of the Chrono Universe. I smell a cameo by Starky's race...

Thanks for your responses on this thread. I'm alittle late to respond but I'll try to stay part of the discussion.

[ZeaLitY]

That's been my main worry as well; how can you top a creature that can consume all of reality? That's pretty much the ultimate card right there, like a playground kid telling you he rules "infinity," so your only option is to say "infinity + 1," and so on. However, I think a game would just as much rule even if it centered on something smaller, such as the fall of Guardia. Our connection is to the characters, and receiving another adventure in their shoes to fill in the twenty years between Trigger and Cross in detail would be just as enthralling as the other two, even without LAVOS: BOOMWIG breathing down mankind's neck.

That's actually my vision of Chrono Break, and though I've written like a 36kb plot for it, Temporal Flux consumes a lot of time. I will thus wait for new releases and try to get this project going sometime in the future, as right now I should focus on editorials, polling, etc. getting that off to a good start as well as ripping the Japanese CT script, which is proving difficult.

[V_Translanka]

Or, you could follow Magus back to 20,000BC...maybe he'll somehow manage to open a portal which flings him into the future where he learns about a Time Egg that Lucca is working on in 1025. Then he'll go there using a time machine made only for robots which will mess with his spirit and make him the slightest bits softer (in personality you shmucks!). Then he'll save a slightly older Marcy from a pack of werewolves...and...waitaminute...this just sounds like my fanfic...Go Read It!

Har har...But seriously, gives the people what they want...More MAGUS!

What's bigger and badder than Lavos? Whatever made Lavos...and whatever made that...or something...Like I said, the origin could be the clencher if done right...But the idea of just staying in the same world and not dealing with any Lavos of any sort or even going there would be just as interesting...