Just a Lazy Port?

[GenesisOne]

Recently, I happened upon this article about Chrono Trigger DS:

http://www.pressthebuttons.com/2008/07/chrono-trigger.html

I don't know about you, but I very much enjoyed the new and semi-challenging Dimensional Vortexes and the Singing Mountain dungeon.

Still, how does this port of a past (and still amazing) Square-Enix game speak for the company's PR image?

[V_Translanka]

Meh, just an angry d-bag who was expecting too much. It's an enhanced remake akin to the GBA ports (a little better actually because of added story content)...The PSX port was the lazy one. They could have done better, but I see the enhanced remakes as kind of being SE testing the waters.

[GenesisOne]

In what ways do you believe the PSX port was lazy?

The anime cut-scenes (though not entirely canon) are far from what I would classify as "lazy."

As for SE testing the waters, I've seen their schedule of upcoming releases, and their yields shows that they still think the water's too cold.

Hitman 5 (What did the first four fail to provide the player?)
Final Fantasy XIII (Another one!?)
Dragon Quest X (Catching up to their FF cousin)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Sequel, or port make-over?)

[V_Translanka]

Like most of the PSX ports (idk about Origins though, to be fair), they basically just slapped the ROM onto the disk (resulting in those pesky load times everyone complains about and also sub-par sound quality). I was ok with the anime sequences, but their apparent lack of ability to stick with the original designs certainly threw me off. Then there was the rest of the added content which was completely useless as you had to basically beat the game to get at any of it and even then you only had access to it from the menu screen.

[Truthordeal]

Not to mention they pretty much had Toriyama rip off his DBZ character design for the cut scenes.

[V_Translanka]

Maybe the underlings in charge of the animation only saw the chibi versions from the Japanese cover art and their heads exploded so they just went with what they knew instead.

Still no excuse for what they did to human Glenn.

[MDenham]

Like most of the PSX ports (idk about Origins though, to be fair)

Origins is a full-on rewrite.  It's probably what the PSP re-re-re-re-re-re-re-releases of FF1 and FF2 were based off of, though.

[ONSLAUGHT]

Somone just wanted too much from it, just like the majority of Smash Bros' so called "hardcore fans" that got pissed when they realized the site showed them everything Brawl had to offer.

The DS port was a good one. PS not so much(although I still would say get simply cause it's Chrono, but that's ME).

As for all their comments about Cross being crap and not worthy. You don't know Cross if you're calling it unworthy. Not as good as Radical Dreamers but that doesn't mean bad.

[FaustWolf]

Still no excuse for what they did to human Glenn.

I thought Glenn just went Super Saiyan for the knighting scene...?

It's awesome that SE got Masato Kato back to write the extra plot bits for CT:DS (it was Kato, right? I'm not sure whether that was confirmed). If that's true, seems to me that the "we can't get everybody together right now" argument against producing a Chrono sequel loses some credibility. I suppose it depends on who you think the critical members of the Chrono Trigger production team were.

[ONSLAUGHT]

Either that or (not likely though)he literally meant EVERYBODY. Everyone from the creators ending, all those people to come back together.

[CelestialPhantasm]

Not to mention they pretty much had Toriyama rip off his DBZ character design for the cut scenes.

To be fair, Toriyama is only capable of drawing like four types of faces (I have been reading Dr. Slump lately, and he makes fun of himself regarding this in a chapter where a young girl impersonates her professor by wearing makeup). 

But yes, cutscene Glenn did not resemble the long-haired sprite.

[Sheiken]

The DS version is the definitive way to play Chrono Trigger, very polished, and not at all lazy.  The cutscenes run at a higher frame rate than the PSX version,  no load times, the translation is more 1:1 to the original Japanese text making it far superior for canonical purposes once you get over your nostalgia, it has extra content (lost sanctum could have been better), and adds a new ending that further ties the game to Cross.  Also the extra content is optional, so you can just ignore it and get the original experience if that is what you desire.  I recommend this version above all others as it is to this day available new on amazon if you don't mind paying 60 bucks (still cheaper than an SNES cart) and you can find it pretty cheap used.

The PS1 or PSN version works if you have no other way to play and has the original english translation, but damn them load times!  They also butchered certain tracks and some of the sound effects seem off compared to its DS and SNES counterparts.  You can get this version new physically for 17 USD on amazon if you so desire.

The SNES version I can only recommend if you already have it or you are collecting.  Plays way better than the PSX version and gameplay wise is exactly the same, but without the annoying load times.  The only reason it is hard to recommend is because it is so expensive, albeit not that hard to find on ebay.

The mobile and PC versions are just Square putting the game on current hardware so people can still buy it.  Both versions have less content than the DS version overall, but all the extra story content is there as well as the new translation.  However due to a few gameplay hindering bugs, I still cannot recommend buying them over the DS version despite being much cheaper.

[Lavos, a one-eyed tick]

SNES is in my opinion, the best way to first experience the game. Either download the ROM or get it on eBay if you have the money. Despite having a sometimes wacky translation, it's charming and has superior sound quality compared to the PSX and DS. Chrono Trigger never needed any changes or extra content to be more perfect from my standards, this is the version to play.
Avoid the PSX version. It's haunted by sound quality worse than the DS, terrible anime cutscenes, and tons and tons of lag. Plus, a fourth composer translated every single song from the SNES over from memory, resulting in lots of missed/wrong notes. Plus, the PSX and DS can't render the SNES synthwaves correctly, as a result they butcher the Undersea Palace, Zeal Palace, and Last Battle themes.
DS is the best remaster/port of the game, but the lower sound quality, poorly designed Lost Sanctum, and rehashing the cringeworthy cutscenes and force-feeding you them when you turn the game on even if you turn them off in your save file all hurt.
Mobile is alright, but lacks any of the extra PSX/DS bonus menus, has a strange text font, forces the anime cutscenes (but you can skip them), and was retroactively given the smoothing steam filter over everything.
The PC version still has some gameplay-hindering bugs, has some of the extra menus but not all of them, copies the DS font instead of using a more readable/nicer looking one, and force-feeds you the terrible anime cutscenes.
From worst to best, PSX, PC/Mobile, DS, SNES.

[Razig]

terrible anime cutscenes

I'm curious as to why you think they're so terrible.

[Sheiken]

I like the anime cutscenes and grew up with the SNES version.  Still feel DS is the best way to play the game and the sound differences are minimal by comparison.  I noticed a few, and they did not seem that bad.  No where near like Lavos is suggesting.  Also if you turn off the cutscenes and ignore the lost sanctum/arena, you are basically just playing the SNES version with a more accurate translation.  You can even immediately skip with the press of a button the opening montage if you hate it that much, so it really does not force it on you at all.

The PSX version did butcher the soundtrack though, as all they did was slap the rom on a PSX disc instead of doing a proper port.  Still better than the PC version though because last I checked, save points are still bugged and can only be approached from the top.  This makes a large number of them broken and is a far greater crime than anything the PSX version puts you through.

Lost sanctum was trash and the area of ages was meh, but Dimensional Vortex was good IMO on the DS as far as the extra content goes.  I also really liked the epilogue ending that was provided, despite the Dream Devourer himself being lack luster overall.

The only scenario where I feel the SNES version would be superior from a completely objective standpoint and outside of nostalgia would be if you MUST have the original translation (which would be for nostalgia anyway) or you MUST play on a big screen.  In that case, the SNES version would be the best way to play.

Also by saying the DS version is the best way to play overall does not make the SNES version any less of an experience, so do not get me wrong.  But given that it is a truly solid port that offers an expansion to the canonical lore of the franchise with OPTIONAL extra content, I find it hard not to rank it on top personally.