Supporting Material Translation

While translated information is added to several relevant places in the encyclopedia, it is centralized here for easy access and tracking. Contributing translators are listed above image; we owe them everything! We still need your help to translate some other items; see Material Requiring Translation.

Chrono Trigger Prerelease[edit]

EGM Alpha Screenshot[edit]

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  EGM #7, dialogue in screenshots

The upper left screenshot (with a monster or tech name) and the screenshot featuring a Goon battle in Manoria Cathedral were selected for translation, as the Cathedral screenshot contained unique dialogue.

The upper left screenshot says "Triple Tech" and "Arc Impulse", while the middle one reads, "Well, it's about time to get started. This will be your grave." or "Now, let's get on with it! Welcome to your grave!!"

Script[edit]

Chrono Trigger Prerelease Translations

The CT Prerelease is a beta version of Trigger distributed by Square in 1994. Check out this incredibly fascinating look from GlitterBerri at an earlier stage of development, with all sorts of goodies that didn't make it in or were changed for the final!

Chrono Trigger[edit]

Chrono Trigger Scene Logs[edit]

http://members.tripod.com/tokyo_garakuta/nichipon.htm

The link above is an archive of communications within a Japanese scene community. It appears the Prerelease was first sold in Hong Kong on a CD full of other Super Famicom titles.

Original tweet for more information: https://twitter.com/kataetheweirdo/status/1155584353113477120

Archive of the text: Chrono Trigger Scene Logs

Chrono Trigger Gamest Coverage[edit]

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Chrono Trigger Development Team Special Talk

"The latest RPG released by Square"

RPG; Super Nintendo; 11,400 yen (plus tax); 32-bit; on sale now from Square

Chrono Trigger, the epic collaboration of Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, and Hironobu Sakaguchi that is dominating all current hit charts, is an extremely entertaining work, packed with highlights. Here we present a special round-table discussion with the staff who contributed to its development as we delve into Chrono Trigger to find its appeal.

Excitement over the story and new battle system!

Our hero Crono's adventure begins when he goes to save a girl who was sucked into a time warp created by a teleportation device.

Such is the very simple start of Square's newest game, Chrono Trigger. But that simplicity is actually not to be trusted—the details of this story, that gradually reveals itself as you travel through time to each different era, far surpass the story's creation. It is truly a first-rate piece of entertainment.

Let us explain the two points that bring out the fun of Chrono Trigger.

First is the mystery of a time travel story in which adventuring through various eras influences later eras, and the situations change again and again. The statue of the hero worshiped in the fiend village changes in response to battles fought in the past! And the stingy, greedy village elder... and the desert... and the adventurer... nngh, I want to write them. But I won't. I want you to see it all for yourself as you fully enjoy playing the game. The bartering system in the prehistoric era is fun (you trade items), and the most minor bits of dialogue really hit home. Anyway, I recommend going back to later eras every time you do something. It's really very good how the eras are altered and the story changes.

The second point is the lively battle scenes that make the game seem like an action RPG. It's a turn-based RPG, but the field doesn't change, and the monsters move around the battle scenes. The characters' actions are very distinct as well. Frankly, you could say that the charm of Akira Toriyama's characters shines more and more, precisely because of this battle system. The appeal that the designer put into the characters is drawn out 100%, and in that sense, you might say that this is a true character game. I really want you to experience this thrilling adventure RPG.

Captions:

The trial scene, with its elaborate graphics.
This line makes my heart skip a beat. Wow. (Line: The person I hate most? My dad, of course.)
Who lives in the house in the desert?
The Great Adventurer Toma rests here. (Line: Crono, long time no see.)
You really feel presence in the battle scenes. They're turn-based, but suddenly you're at the edge of your seat!

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Development Team Special Talk

The battles are Chrono Trigger's greatest secret.

First, I'd like to ask about the biggest special feature: the battles.

Higuchi: Before, like in Final Fantasy for example, when you're walking around and you run into monsters, the screen would go fuzzy and it would cut to a battle scene, but that doesn't happen in Chrono Trigger.

So is it like Secret of Mana?

Higuchi: No, Secret of Mana is a real-time battle RPG type, where you control the characters and slice things up.... This is a turn-based RPG. This is the first time we've done anything like that.

Kamata: In appearance, it does look like Secret of Mana, but as for what you're doing, it's closer to Final Fantasy.

Was that really hard?

Higuchi: It was hard. We had to meet a lot of conditions, which is why we hadn't ever done it before.

You had been cutting to a new scene.

Higuchi: Yes. This all started when we decided to take on those conditions from the beginning.

Because that way is more natural than cutting to a new scene?

Higuchi: That's right. And also, the battle backgrounds, like the town or the castle ruins, can stay the way they are on the field.

So you're saying that before you had just one image to express the battle backgrounds before, but now you can just show them as they are?

Kamata: That's right; so the world's presence and things like that are completely different, and it can draw the players in because it's like they're really moving, fighting, and living inside that world. And on top of that, it's not an action battle, so people who aren't so good with action can still play.

When you do that, what kind of areas give you problems? For example, the monster graphics show up on the field, so you can't have monsters that are too big, maybe?

Kato: No, we do have big monsters. In the boss battles. They take up about half the screen.

So then do you make them move very forcefully?

Higuchi: They're not very forceful (laugh). Like one part of it will be kind of vague. It was really hard seeing how far we could stretch the limits of V-RAM capacity and processing speed. Like, there wasn't enough V-RAM, so we could only show so much, or we couldn't draw something this huge or make it move.

May I ask for more specifics?

Higuchi: We would get something from the field programmers, and the battle took place on it just as it was, but it was incredibly difficult to deliver it well so that the battle takes over smoothly and in a way that isn't obvious, and do it all in a way that wouldn't destroy the field programming and graphics. At first we couldn't really pull it off, and we'd destroy the monsters. Until now, in Final Fantasy type battles, there would be about a second of darkness, and a lot of things happened in that one second, and we were able to turn it into a battle scene. But this time, we couldn't do anything like that at all. We couldn't turn it black; we had to change it in a snap. That was extremely hard.

So it was an experiment that had never been tried before. As a programmer, how do you feel now that you've completed it?

Higuchi: I've worked on Final Fantasy up until now, and it was really more of a behind-the-scenes job, and what I did didn't show up on the surface very much. For example, my calculations would be processed where no one could see them...

Captions:

The sound of the bats sucking blood is a nice touch.
Five elite chosen to represent the Chrono development team of over 30 members.

Creator's Profile:

Katsuhisa Higuchi

Programmer. A veteran programmer who has worked on the Final Fantasy series for years. One of the people who toiled from beginning to end on the battle programming for Chrono Trigger. We hear that he became a father while working on Chrono Trigger.

Akihiko Matsui

Planning. After working on Final Fantasy and then completing Romancing Saga 2, he moved to the Chrono Trigger team in the middle of its development. He was in charge of moving the monsters in battle.

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Higuchi: ...and the only thing that actually showed up on screen were the numbers. Then this time, I did things like dimensions for the first time, and of course I struggled at first. Then somehow the schedule got tight, and I realized I had a mountain of work to do, and that's when I really hated it (laugh). But after getting through that and finding a kind of an end in sight, for the first time, I thought, “Wow, look at the great game I made.” But at first, it was nothing but hard, and there were a lot of times I wanted to give up (laugh).

But you started out thinking, “I think it'll work if I do this,” right?

Higuchi: Hmm, of course I did think that to an extent, but you don't know that it will work out the way you expect. It's that gap that's really hard. Actually, we were hoping to make something where the monsters moved better, and you could move around a lot doing the smallest actions, so it would move the same way as an action game, but the Super Nintendo had its limits—the processing speed was slow, there's only so much V-RAM, and we took a lot of time dealing with things like that.

You just mentioned the monsters. It seems like there aren't so many of them?

Matsui: Numberwise, they probably aren't that many.

Kamata: But the pattern numbers...

I see. Each character has a lot of different patterns.

Matsui: That's right. Because they need a pattern to do anything. You can pretty much just reverse right and left, but they move looking toward and away from the screen, so compared to Final Fantasy, where you only see them from the side, they have to have a lot more patterns.

So you're saying there are fewer monsters, but it takes the same amount of data because of all the patterns they have.

Kamata: No, this way uses up a lot more data.

Matsui: The amount of data we attached to everything went up quite a bit.

The side-view characters we've seen traditionally don't have so much data?

Higuchi: Because you only see them from one side. And in Chrono Trigger, you get more than just one side. They move around, and they have their attack patterns, so their graphic data is overwhelmingly greater.

Kato: The enemies in a normal RPG are just the one still picture. And if a really cool picture shows up, then it moves just a little bit in the battle. In this game, it's not like that. The enemies really exist, and they move around like the characters, and it takes an enormous amount of data to animate them. That's just how alive the enemies are.

Ideas are born from planning meetings with everyone participating

The basic premise is that it's about time travel. Where did that idea come from?

Kamata: At a general meeting. We wanted to start with something completely new, and we had a general meeting to solicit ideas of what kind of thing we wanted to do, and I guess someone suggested it there. They said, “I want to do something like a time patrol.” Then everybody thought that sounded interesting, so we threw ideas around, trying to think of scenarios that handled time.

It seems like it would be really hard to check for bugs on something like this. That goes for programming, too, but do you have to also check the story?

Kamata: What was hard about it was that we knew there were bugs, but when we fixed them, unexpected results would show up in other places. When you're working with something where the story only keeps going to the end, you only need to check what happens after that point, but here, there are places where it uses the thing you fixed and something happens before that point.

Right, if you open the treasure chest with the crest on it in the past, then it's not there in the future. I thought it was done very well.

Kato: On the other hand, if you open it in the future, and then go to the past, it's still there.

Ah!

Kato: When you think about the flow of time, you can do things like that. If you go get it in the future first, then if you go to the past, you can get it again.

I see, so that's how it is.

Kato: I think that once you see the entire flow of the story and understand it like that, you can think, “The way time flows, it should be like this,” and make all kinds of sweet discoveries.

But for the people making it, that would be incredibly hard.

Kato: Indeed. But the fun comes first when we're making it.

So did everybody get really excited at that planning meeting?

Kato: Actually, I came to Square from outside...

Captions:

All these monsters appear and move around in one battle.

Creator's Profile:

Masato Kato

Planning. After leaving another software company, Chrono Trigger was his first work with Square. He was in charge of story and events. He says that he had never experienced such intense planning meetings before, and they really left an impression on him.

Yasuhiko Kamata

Graphics. After working on Secret of Mana, he moved to the Chrono Trigger team. Mainly in charge of background graphics. He wracked his brain pulling the team along while managing group work--delegating jobs to the graphic team and creating entire images.

Yasunori Mitsuda

Music. After his training years (in his own words) of doing sound effects for Secret of Mana and sound engineering for Romancing Saga 2, he was finally able to attain is long-held dream of composing and was responsible for nearly all the music in Chrono Trigger. He used the full extent of his talent by composing up to 80 pieces.

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Kato: ...so this was my first game with Square. And a lot of people started from scratch to make it. So we were making the stories and this giant group of like 30 got together and clamored about at every meeting. It was pretty rough. My stomach would start hurting at the time (laugh).

Was it the first time you'd experienced anything like that?

Kato: Yes. Until then, I'd worked in small groups, where we'd just go ahead and make something, and it was like, “Okay, I'm going to do it like this.” Everyone working together is a pro in and of itself, but we'd have to change direction because of opinions that came up when we had meetings. But when meetings were taken up mostly with, “What the heck is this guy talking about?” kind of opinions (laugh), I would almost snap. There were times I just barely managed to get through by holding myself back. Well, I think everyone in every division is the same way. Because at the general meetings, we'd also argue about the graphics. But there were some really painful things involving the scenarios.

Higuchi: At first, your division has nothing to do with it, after all.

Kato: It's incredible. Everyone just says whatever they want without even thinking. That part was really hard to deal with, but once the basic parts are set, then everyone is left to their own devices to an extent, so it's like a battle of the game sense and abilities of the people working together on the various game events. It's very high-energy, and creates something with a lot of suspense, and that part of it is especially fun—it makes me happy. It's like we were fumbling around in the dark, trying to find the possibilities of this media, what we can do only in video games, but not make a normal, straightforward epic.

Wringing out every drop of ability in the limited time allotted.

Mr. Mitsuda, you were in charge of music. I understand this was your first game?

Mitsuda: Until now, I did sound effects for Secret of Mana and engineering for Romancing Saga 2. They never let me do music before. That was my training period (laugh).

What are your thoughts on your first game?

Mitsuda: Boy, it was tough. It was in development for two years, but I worked on Romancing Saga 2 in the middle of it, so I did it in the one year that was left. In the beginning, the music was ahead of everything. But towards the end, everyone had passed me by, and finally, the music was finished last (laugh).

Matsui: There are times when we're doing it and we realize there really isn't enough music. And we start talking like, “I really do want a musical theme here,” and we make a ton of requests at once. When we're working on something as a big group, we can immediately divide it all up, but with music, it all focuses on one person.

Mitsuda: The number one goal this time was to make something that you could listen to over and over without getting sick of it, so each piece is really long. Normally, the music loops after a minute, but all of my pieces are more than two minutes. So no one gets tired of them, but it's tough writing two minutes of music. Well, it takes twice as long as usual. Then in the end, the number of pieces needed jumped dramatically, and I got so busy I couldn't do anything. Anyway, there is a sense that I accomplished as much as I possibly could at this point.

Speaking in terms of the impressions I got playing, this game had a slightly different feel from the Final Fantasy and Romancing Saga games that I've played. I thought it was interesting.

Kamata: Looking at the consumers' reactions, I think they're loving it like crazy.

Mitsuda: Yeah. The reactions weren't bad. But around December 20 of last year, when I needed so much more music all at once, I was at a total loss (laugh). I wrote the last battle, and then a long one, about four minutes, for the end credits, and I thought I was done, then they'd say, “Haven't you written the sub-boss music yet?” (laugh). I stayed at my office for four days without sleep to write the music for the last sub-boss, but I really wanted to run away. Well, I used up every ounce of my abilities, so anything I have left to do will have to wait until next time.

Are there plans for a sequel?

Mitsuda: Hmm, I wonder (laugh). But I really don't know. I don't want to do it (laugh).

The music really is done by only a small number, huh?

Mitsuda: That's right. At our company, it's almost all done by one person.

About how many people work on the graphics?

Kamata: This time, we ultimately got help from some of the first development division, but when it's just our fourth division, it's about fifteen people. Including the first division, it's about twenty.

The first division? You mean, once they were done with Final Fantasy.

Kamata: Yes, they happened to have some free time. In autumn, we got eight more bits, but there was no way we could handle them. Game graphics aren't done once the picture's drawn. You draw the picture, and then you have to turn it into data and then process it into the map. That processing eats up all the time. Drawing the pictures takes a relatively short amount of time, but all the time after that is taken up with making that data afterward, and we weren't able to get to those extra bits we were given.

It seems like this game really emphasized the feel of light. Were there any specific goals you had for this project?

Kamata: Good question. Basically, we did have the fact that it was Mr. Akira Toriyama, but personally, I think the expressions of Ridley Scott, the director of Alien, with the rays of light and the smoke coming up are very beautiful, and I wanted to make that the main feel of the game.

Captions:

The sub-boss that caused the composer four days of all-nighters.
The light gives the screen a feeling of solemnity.
One of the highlights is this statue of Magus that changes based on battles fought in the past.

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I think the music has a lot to do with this, too, but it has a dank feeling. Is that what we might call the overall tone?

Kamata: To be honest, the first thing I thought was, “We need to make this something that's not Final Fantasy or Mana.” I wanted to make it something that wasn't either of those but still very much a Square game. So first I thought about the in between. It is dank, but it's not as dark as Final Fantasy.

And it's not as bright as Mana?

Kamata: Right. I think that Mana has white mixed in, like it's a pastel.

Individuality, cooperation, and curiosity. These are indispensable traits for a game developer.

Finally, this is technically supposed to be a personnel recruitment article, so please give a message to those aiming to work for Square.

Higuchi: If you're not motivated, don't bother (laugh).

Matsui: I'd like some interesting people to come work here. You don't have to be almighty, but if you have just one talent, even if it's really pointless, then be really well-versed in it.

What about you, Mr. Kato? Since you've only made one game since you started here.

Kato: You must be able to talk about normal things in a logical way (laugh). That's a major prerequisite. Of course, you need to have your own vision and game concepts, and have a clear idea of how you personally would want to make games, but before you get there, the very minimum requirement is to be able to talk normally and make games with other people (laugh).

What about the graphics representative?

Kamata: I think being able to draw is a good prerequisite, and you should like playing with computers. I think the graphics are rapidly going to move to CG, and in the next generation of consoles, they'll be completely CG. We need someone who would be like, “I wanna try this! I wanna try that!”

And what about the underpopulated music division?

Mitsuda: First, we need someone who can go along with new ideas. All of our musicians are idiots who aren't afraid to play along with crazy ideas (laugh). And it would probably be good to be interested in all kinds of things. I don't think they'll let anyone in who doesn't listen to lots of different music and think, “Oh, this is nice,” or, “I'd like to try that.” But it takes more time than regular music, so I think the workload would be really tough. You'd really have to be somebody who can stay awake for four days (laugh); I think it would be good to get somebody who can get by on little sleep.

Thank you very much.

Captions:

The team dissolves when the game is complete. When their break is over, they each have different games waiting for them.
The colorful events are one of the strong points of working as a team.

The Perfect: Talk Battle[edit]

Chrono Trigger: The Perfect "Talk Battle" developer interview with Yuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi, translated by GlitterBerri. Thanks to CuteLucca for the source scans!

• Source

V Jump Books Dokusen Project!!

Two members of the Chrono Trigger team discuss the secret story behind the game!

It’s a scorching hot TALK BATTLE!!

Y. Horii VS H. Sakaguchi

DREAM PROJECT

Event ideas, character design, the real story is just inside! See the dynamic relationship between the developers revealed as we present this information to you!

They are, of course, Yuuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi, masters of the Chrono Trigger world!! We conducted this special interview for our readers!

Let the interview begin!!

The game and its graphics were beyond belief.

—Let’s start the interview off with something basic. After completing the game and playing the final version, what were your thoughts? Do you think you were able to accomplish what you set out to do?

Horii:
In my mind, the game went beyond our expectations. There were highlights that, in the end, were more than I thought they’d be. The scene where you’re going into the jail – just the feeling I got from entering the dungeon surprised me. Seeing the scrolling background of the passage left a deep impression on me. Not just the mountains in the background; the inside as well.

Sakaguchi:
Our colleagues who worked on the graphics were also talking about that. If the prison had been done in the normal style, it would have been rather devoid of colour.

—Horii, would you say that he dungeon had the best visuals, in your opinion?

Horii:
Yes. The graphics were excellent, if that’s what you mean. I’m not a professional artist, so I appreciate someone else going in there for me.

—Sakaguchi, how about yourself? Do you find that there was a place that went far beyond what you had imagined?

Sakaguchi:
Something like the stained glass of the courtroom. That part was amazing. At the beginning I imagined the courthouse to be suspended in the sky, connected by a floating bridge to the mountains. I wasn’t thinking about the contrast with the light, that was created the efforts of the staff who drew it.

Horii:
As for this game, I’m only involved with the plot. If there’s a fairground, I just write that there’s a fairground; I don’t write down any of the details. Then the staff brainstorm and come up with a variety of attractions to put in. With entertainment like a robot battle and Square’s ride, there are many things with which to amuse yourself. I think it lent a certain freshness to the game to have everyone working together.

Ideas were brainstormed under the orders of the director.

—Do you think that working with each other, there were parts of the game that reflected your personalities?

Horii:
Off the top of my head, I think that the fairground events were very Sakaguchi-esque. Characters like Gonzalez, especially.

Sakaguchi:
I was the one who created Gonzales. (laughter)

—Is that so? (laughter)

Horii:
Suddenly bursting into song…

Sakaguchi:
Actually, I was also behind the primeval dance next door. (laughter)

Horii:
It’s a good thing that I started dancing to it too.

Sakaguchi:
Actually, Kitase, who was directing the game, was the one who asked me to put something in there.

—Was it because you would always say that to him when you were the director and now your positions have been reversed?

Sakaguchi:
That’s right. (laughter) Kitase only recently became director, so he was always saying “Sakaguchi, Sakaguchi, I’m really sorry about this, but since I’m the director now, I’m going to have to ask you to do this.” (bursts out laughing)

Square had a variety of new ideas – Horii

Chrono Trigger had a degree of freedom never-before-seen in games.

Sakaguchi:
There were times that I felt under pressure to make as much of a Toriyama-style world as possible, but contrary to my expectations I found that it was okay to play around with Toriyama’s universe. It felt like anything was possible.

Horii:
Because of this, even in really serious scenes there’s a lot of silliness. Take the part where you defeat the Dragon Tank after escaping from the prison. The enemies hanging off the edge link together to form a human bride. (laughter)

—Even with the character names, like “Sir Krawlie.” (laughing)

Sakaguchi:
That would be impossible with something like Final Fantasy. It would be rejected immediately. (laughter)

Horii:
We had a lot more freedom than we would with Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. We weren’t worried about the feel of the world; it would be whatever we ended up making.

Sakaguchi:
It was a totally new game.

—Sakaguchi-san, would you say there was a part where Horii’s personality shone through?

Sakaguchi:
Yes and no. When I read the faxes he sent me, I was surprised. They were written like flowcharts, and the response time showed an almost user-like mentality. I thought it was amazing.

They wanted to make the most of time travel.

—I thought I had played till the end, but after the Undersea Palace the game suddenly awarded the player a lot more freedom. You culd go around doing all sorts of things. What was your intention there, seeing as the story was so much linear before?

Sakaguchi:
FFVI wast he same. The style had its pros and cons. We had several events that had to be completed using time travel, so we wanted to make the most of them. Also, when we came up with ideas for bosses that you had to defeat by hitting their weak points, we began to realize we couldn’t put them into a linear story. Players would get stuck and need to consult a walkthrough. As a result, I wanted to make use of those ideas in areas that were optional for the player. The game is accordingly easier to understand than Final Fantasy, and in order to help the player progress through the game we made the Brink of Time (End of Time). We created it so the player could go there to receive hints and carry on.

—I feel that there is one particular optional event that you’d like the player to experience most. There were a lot of events that caused time paradoxes or made use of time travel, weren’t there?

Sakaguchi:
Those were the most popular Chrono-like parts according to the testers as well. Though surely if you just skipped through the story at that pace from the beginning, you wouldn’t be able to follow it, right?

Horii:
Isn’t that right. It wouldn’t make sense.

Sakaguchi:
Because the Chrono Trigger world could be understood through a linear story, I thought players would enjoy events that caused time paradoxes and required traveling through time.

Enjoy the differences between the 1st and 2nd playthrough! – Sakaguchi

The second playthrough will feel different.

—Chrono Trigger has the option for a second playthrough using your progress from the first game. Was this so players could enjoy the multiple endings?

Sakaguchi:
That was one of our intentions, but there was also something we didn’t expect…the testers themselves felt as though they wanted to travel through time again. They wated to start a new game, go to Leene Fair, and time travel once more. That was actually the good thing about time travel, I think. In normal RPGs, the second time through, it feels like a chore to play all the way from the beginning again. With the New Game + you’re able to keep your characters’ strength, so your sense of battle is different. You feel like time traveling in Chrono Trigger once more.

Horii:
With the options in Chrono Trigger, you often find yourself wondering about what would have happened had you chosen to do something different. The second time through gives you more chances to toy with what people say.

Sakaguchi:
Wherever we could, we tried to make it so that a slight change in your behavior caused subtle differences in people’s reactions, even down to the smallest details. If you feel the changes, I think the second playthrough will hold a whole new interest.

Horii:
For example, even if you’re found guilty during the trial the first time through, you might be found innocent the second time. During the initial playthrough, you won’t be aware of the hole in the dungeon wall; you’ll clear he game wondering what it is. But, later, if you try to clear the game 100%, you’ll go outside and realize that you could have gone out there in the first place. (laughter)

Sakaguchi:
Even just waiting I the dungeon for your punishment to be enforced, you’re able to expand the story.

—You can play through again with a different history. By changing history through your actions, you can change the ending, right?

Sakaguchi:
Everyone will probably play a second time to see the different endings. But multiple endings aside, I think that if you enjoy the differences between playthroughs, you’ll find the second time interesting as well.

You can toy with the subtle changes in people’s reactions – Horii

We’re often asked if we like frogs.

D—The world of Chrono Trigger is so varied that it gives rise to a variety of characters that suit it. Chrono Trigger seems to boast characters that have, until now, never before been seen in games like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. Where did those original ideas come from?

Horii:
The staff studied the drawings of Toriyama. They put a lot of effort in. We felt as though we couldn’t let the drawings go to waste.

—One of the protagonists is a frog. Was that your idea, Horii?

Horii:
Toriyama gave us the rough sketch of a frog character had had drawn.

—So what made you decide to use a character like that?

Horii:
For some reason, we had been talking about how we wanted a non-human character.

Sakaguchi:
We’re often asked that. Frogs have appeared before in the Final Fantasy series. People ask if it’s because Square likes frogs! (laughter) But that’s not the reason at all. (laughter)

Horii:
When we were creating the characters, we were thinking about what sort of friends Crono would have in each era. The game’s protagonist is a young boy, so how many females should we have? When Square was working on in the in-battle actions, they thought it would be boring to have only human characters. When trying to think up characters that weren’t human or robot, they started considering the frog. (laughter)

—Easy to understand that development. It has character.

Horii:
There were pigs, too. And monkeys. But they aren’t so different from humans.

I want to better capture the feel of a Toriyama-style world. – Sakaguchi

The events that make you burst into tears are the best.

—Out of all the events, which ones did you two like?

Horii:
It’s a normal part of the story, but there’s a course of action where Marle disappears somehow, you see the resulting future, and you have to do something to prevent it. That’s the start of it all; the rest of the story just stems from it. I like that part.

Sakaguchi:
I really like the episode with Marle and her father. That’s because in this game, contrary to what you’d expect, there are some family issues. (laughter) I like events that, rather than making you cry like in Final Fantasy, make you burst into tears.

No matter what the developers do, the game tends to be difficult.

—For the first time in a while, Sakaguchi designed detailed monsters.

Sakaguchi:
When we were making Final Fantasy III, Aoki, the producer of Chrono Trigger, was the one in charge of the monsters. He’s been poking his nose into it ever since. So, I designed some concepts for monsters, then I, Aoki, and two others crowded into a room and discussed things like needing a barrier to defeat certain types of magic. In this game there are many enemies you have to defeat by hitting their weak points. I think it shows that we like simulations.

—So that means that your personality shone through, Sakaguchi.

Sakaguchi:
At first getting through the game was tough. The testers were saying “You guys are being cruel. Whose idea was this?” It was mine! (laughter) Harsh, right?

Horii:
We developers had managed to make the game too difficult!

Sakaguchi:
It’s always like that the first time, no matter what.

Horii:
It’s because we know too much. The developers think the game’s just right; that they’re being too soft. They’re thinking from their own experience. The puzzles were the same. Lots of players didn’t figure out things we thought they’d get asily.

Sakaguchi:
There were exceptions to where people got stuck, though.

Horii:
Right, the places where players got stuck differed from person to person.

Sakaguchi:
You get to the point where you just need to talk to the person, so why don’t you talk to them? (laughter)

We’ll get Toriyama to draw the world map! (laughter) – Horii

They wanted to release the game by the end of the year.

—It’s hard to hear after everything’s finished, but do you feel there are places where you would have liked to have done something differently?

Sakaguchi:
If we had tried a little harder, we could have reached our goal of releasing the game by the end of the year. (bursts out laughing) It was a little heartbreaking to have to change the release date.

—Can we hear about what you’d like to do if you made a sequel?

Sakaguchi:
The sense of dancing you get from exploring Toriyama’s worlds is a little more difficult to capture than I initially thought. If we can successfully channel that feeling, we’ll be able to create a fantastic world. If we try to do a sequel, I want to perfect that completely.

Horii:
And we’ll get Toriyama to draw the world map for us! (laughter)

Sakaguchi:
Then it will really be a Toriyama-style world. (laughter)

—Well, everything turned out great! (laughter) Thank you very much for joining us today.

Hironobu Sakaguchi Profile

Born in 1962 in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Sakaguchi joined Square in 1982 and participated in development, starting with computer games. After the Famicom’ sKing’s Knight the Final Fantasy series became a big hit. Since then, he has continued to play an active role as producer.

Yuuji Horii Profile

Born in 1954 in Hyogo Prefecture. After having a hand in Free Writer, Horii was influenced by the Enix Game Contest which sparked his career. He was in charge of scenarios in the smash-hit Dragon Quest series, and has also worked on the Itadaki Street games.

V-Jump Video 1[edit]

Transcribed by GekkaHikko and translated by GlitterBerri. Screenshots and other information at Chrono Trigger Prerelease Coverage.

V-Jump Video 2[edit]

Interview Dialogue[edit]

Transcribed by GekkaHikko and translated by SheaNizbel. Screenshots and other information at the Alpha page.

Screenshot Unique and Different Lines[edit]

Transcribed by GekkaHikko and translated by GlitterBerri.

             Director

             Programmer

             Director

             Programmer

             Graphics

             Director

             Programmer

             Graphics

             Director

             Programmer

             Graphics

             Director

             Programmer

             Graphics

             Director

             Programmer

             Graphics

Papa Bat

On Sale: Saturday, March 11th, 1995 Suggested Retail Price: 11,400 Yen (Tax Not Included)

V-Jump Magazine[edit]

October 1996, Next Gate 8[edit]

Huge thanks to Reld. This Next Gate featured a postcard sent by a reader, asking why preview coverage in 1994 looked so different than the final product. What is thus established:

• The V-Jump Festival 1994 VHS video apparently shows a 24 Mb build, prior to Chrono Trigger's expansion to 32 Mb.
• The ice field map is a location that's floating in the sky. The magazine speculates that this area was like Zeal, but it's obvious they aren't sure what its purpose was.
• The darkened chamber with the two Zeal statues "had something to do with techs", according to Square. The magazine speculates that Spekkio may have been involved.
• A Mode 7 overworld mode is shown. It's difficult to tell if it's Ayla or Marle walking on it.

Speculation:

• Are the R-66 series in the dummied out location "Robot village"?
• Zenan Bridge has gravestones by the entrance. See later on this article, "Mock-up Recreation" section, for speculation on this based on the possible name of Zenan Bridge in the 24Mb build.

V-Jump Player's Guide[edit]

• 

  188 Toriyama sketches

• 

  189 Toriyama sketches

The details of the making of Toriyama’s character illustrations finally revealed. Let’s turn back the clock a bit and take a look at how the characters were born and how they evolved.

Chrono – The Protagonist That Retained His Innocence: His hairstyle, clothing, the Japanese sword he wields… it seems that the protagonist Chrono’s image has been more or less set in stone since the beginning. Only his expression belies his youth here.

Lucca – The Wise & Lovely Inventor Girl Genius: It seems that Lucca’s design has also been more or less set in stone since early development. The difference lies in her symbol-emblazoned headgear being a headband rather than than a cap.

Magus – The Leader of the Demon Tribe, Shrouded in Sorrow: His cold gaze and long hair remain the same. Only the helmut and armor he was equipped with in early development are different from the final game. His pose is different as well. Kind of cool, isn’t it?

Marle – A Miniskirt Suited Her!: Her ponytail and bow gun are the same, but it seems that at first she wore a skirt. Her appearance is somewhat Robin Hood-esque.

Robo – He Was Truly a Machine: His image changed so much that practically nothing of his prototype was retained. He was designed as a machine. He gradually became a little more human-esque, however.

Ayla – Her Beauty Was More Prominent Than Her Strength: Ayla has changed quite a bit. Instead of the curly hair she sports today, her hair was once straight and long. In addition, she isn’t wearing her customary fur bikini. Her appearance looks quite neat and tidy.

Frog – A Fiery Spirit Lies Hidden Within his Atypical Form: Is Frog really a frog? It seems that his image hasn’t changed very much since the beginning. His pose brings to mind a knight, however.

Finally, all the masterpieces complete! Ahaha!

Toriyama: Just kidding, everyone worked hard. Robo and Ayla were the characters that changed the most.

Caption: A mysterious cut character, the “Old Man”. What a waste, not to use him. He’s got a certain charm.

thanks to GlitterBerri

Brut Press Volume, December 1994[edit]

Recovered by Cabbusses's Retro Obscurities here. Download the original file here (MP4, 250 MB). Original NicoNico URLs, now down:

• http://nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21657890
• http://nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21628083
• http://nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21657890

A rip of a Brut Press volume from Dec. 1994 (sm21657890 + sm21628083 + sm21657890 -【非売品】ブルートプレス Vol 17 19). Contains previews for various Super Famicom and PC-FX titles. Chrono Trigger coverage starts at roughly ~15:43. Among the findings:

• Different dialogue box
• Different instrumentation for some songs (Chrono Trigger, Lavos's Theme, Battle 1 (very briefly))
• A possible demo version of Battle 1's percussion/drum track
• Mock-up battles (Goon on Zenan Bridge; Gato on the Blackbird)

Translation:

Square's Chrono Trigger. A timeless RPG created by masters from various fields.

Next, we would like to talk to Mr. Yamashita of Square.

You mean that the masters from various fields have participated in this project? That's...

Akira Toriyama, Yutaka Horii, and myself, Hironobu Sagauchi. We started Chrono Trigger with the idea of making the most interesting game in the world. An unprecedented story and events that transcend time and space. A dream game that pushes the limits of RPGs with a wide variety of characters and breathtaking graphics. Chrono Trigger, the most epic role-playing game of this century, has finally been born. Game designer Yuji Horii, who has created numerous hit titles such as the Dragon Quest series, has created a new game, Chrono Trigger, which is the most epic role-playing game of the century.

Dr. Slump Dragon Ball

Akira Toriyama, a popular manga artist who has released hit titles such as Dr. Slump Dragon Bus Ball. The three masters, Akira Toriyama, who has created hits such as Dr. Slump Dragon Ball, and Hironobu Sakaguchi, the supervisor, started the project with the determination to create the most interesting game ever.

The main character Chrono meets a girl in a square crowded with festivals. She urges him to go to the festival with her, and he decides to go with her. Crono decides to visit his childhood friend Lucca and her son to see their new invention. There he finds a mysterious machine...Marl, who is full of curiosity, willingly becomes a test subject. Crono's adventures unfold across all eras, past, present and future.

And the unique characters that color the world of Chrono Trigger. The main character, a boy named Crono. Crono and Marl have a fateful encounter . Lucca, a girl who loves to invent . Mysterious character Frog who speaks human language . Eira, a female warrior of primitive times .

And the latest system is introduced to combat. Active Time Battle, first introduced in Final Fantasy 4, has been significantly upgraded. Various other elements and new systems make Chrono Trigger even more fun and exciting. The first 32-megapixel Super NES RPG. The result is detailed graphics pushed to the limits of the hardware. The result is a world that is not at all inferior to the hardware of the new generation.

The biggest blockbuster of the century, role-playing game Chrono Trigger. March 1995.

1995 Gendai Plus Chrono Trigger Feature[edit]

See 1995 Gendai Plus Chrono Trigger Feature.

Chrono Trigger Ultimania[edit]

Chrono Trigger Ultimania was released in January 2009, and featured interviews and concept art among other new content.

Opening Comments[edit]

• 

  Page 3, opening comments

Translated by Cherenkov.

Japanese

その星は病んでいた。

はるか大昔、そこに住む人間がまだ、大地
に生まれ落ちたばかりの幼き種族だった時代
---破滅をもたらす病魔が、星の体内深くに
巣食ったのだった。

病巣は潜伏しながら長い年月をかけて育ち、
やがて未来の一点で星を食い破る。地表へと
あふれ、星が育んできた数多の生命を絶滅へ
と追いやる。それは同時に、星の命そのもの
の終焉を意味した。

滅びの日を迎えたその刹那、星は夢を見る。
みずからの上で---地上でつむがれてきた生
き物たちの歴史を、走馬燈のように思い返す。

通過してきたいくつもの時代を、ページをめく
るようにつぎつぎと夢想する。

それは、生きのびようとする命が、記憶の
どこかに死の運命から逃れるすべが記されて
はいないかと、懸命に探しつづける行為だっ
た。無意識にあがこうとする、理不尽な死に
さらされた生命のあるべき姿だった。

この夢に、応える者たちがいた。

星の滅亡が決定する日から、999年をさか
のぼった時代に生きる3人の若者たち。偶然
にも時を超える手段を手に入れた彼らは、絶
望に包まれた星の行く末を知り、決意する。

自分たちには関わりのない、気が遠くなるほど
先の未来であろうとも、かならず破滅から救っ
てみせようと。時を旅して歴史を変え、大地
に生きるものたちの力を結集して、星の命を
冒す病魔をその手で取りのぞくのだ---と。

かくして、星の夢でつながれた五つの時代
を行き来する、クロノたちの時空を超えた大
冒険の幕が上がる。

「未来を、変えるんだ！」

English

The planet was ill.

In the distant past, in the era when human beings were young and had only just been born from the earth—Destruction was being brought about by a terrible illness, nesting deep inside the planet.

The center of the illness, incubating and growing for many long years, until that time in the future when it will consume and destroy the planet. Bursting from the surface of the planet, forcing into extinction the many life forms the planet had given birth to. This simultaneously brought about the end of the planet's life as well.

On this day of destruction, at that very instant, the planet had a dream. Reliving and remembering all of the history of all the life upon the planet's surface, spinning before its eyes.

Turning back the pages of countless eras, dreaming and reliving.

In order to preserve its life, searching its memories for a way to escape from the fate of death. The method of escape may not be found, but it is eagerly sought after.

In an unconscious struggle with the irrational death of all life.

Within this dream, there were those that answered. In an era 999 years before the determined day of ruination, lived 3 youths. By coincidence, discovering the means to cross through time, they knew the fate of this world wrapped in despair, and were determined.

Even though a distant future with little connection to themselves, they were determined to save it from destruction. Traveling through time and changing history, and concentrating the strength of those living upon the planet, they seek to remove the disease threatening the life of the planet.

Thus, traveling back and forth between the five eras connected by the planet's dream, Crono and companions embark on their great adventure.

[We will change the future!]

In case you'd like romaji:

Sono hoshi ha yandeita.
Haruka oomukashi, soko ni sumu ningen ga mada, daichi
ni umareochita bakari no osanaki shuzoku datta jidai
---Hametsu wo motarasu byoumaga, hoshi no tainai fukaku ni
sukutta no datta.
Byousou ha senpuku shinagara nagai nengetsu wo kakete sodachi,
yagate mirai no itten de hoshi wo kuiyaburu. Chihyou heto
afure, hoshi ga hagukundekita kazuooku no seimei wo zetsumetsu he
to oiyaru. Sore ha douji ni, hoshi no inochi sono mono
no shuuen wo imi shita.
Horobi no hi wo mukaeta sono setsuna, hoshi ha yume wo miru.
Mizukara no ue de---chijou de tsumugaretekita iki
monotachi no rekishi wo, soumatou no you ni omoikaesu.
Tsuuka shite kita ikutsumono no jidai wo, peeji wo meku
ru you ni tsugi tsugi to musou suru.
Sore ha, iki no biyou to suru inochi ga, kioku no
dokoka ni shi no unmei kara nogareru sube ga shirusarete
hainaikato, kenmei no sagashi tsuzukeru koui da
tta. Muishiki ni agakou to suru, rifujin na shi ni
sarasareta seimei no aru beki sugata datta.
Kono yume ni, kotaeru monotachi ga ita.
Hoshi no metsubou ga kettei suru hi kara, 999 nen wo saka
nobotta jidai ni ikiru 3 nin no wakamono tachi. Guuzen
nimo toki wo koeru shudan wo te ni ireta karera ha, zetsubou
ni tsutsumareta hoshi no yukusue wo shiri, ketsui suru.
Jibun tachi ni ha kakawari no nai, ki ga tooku naru hodo
saki no mirai de arou tomo, kanarazu hametsu kara sukutte
miseyouto. Toki wo tabi shite rekishi wo kae, daichi
ni ikirumono tachi no chikara wo kesshuu shite, hoshi no inochi wo
okasu byouma wo sono te de tori nozoku no da---to.
Kakushite, hoshi no yume de tsunagareta itsutsu no jidai
wo ikiki suru, kurono tachi no jikuu wo koeta daibouken
no maku ga agaru.
[Mirai wo, kaerunda!]

Table of Contents[edit]

Translated by Lorenz.

• 

  4 Table of Contents

• 

  5 Table of Contents

Let’s go back about nine years – to the end of 1999.

When the members of the production staff were working on the Ultimania Guide for Chrono Cross, the sequel to Chrono Trigger, one idea kept raising its head:

We wanted to try to write an Ultimania, not just for Chrono Cross, but for Chrono Trigger, too.

But there was little hope that that dream was ever going to come true.

That is because there was no reason for a publishing company to ok an Ultimania guide when the original game had been newly released back in 1995.

But there were some big changes at the end of 2008.

Thanks to the massive Time Gate called the Nintendo DS appearing in this world, Chrono Trigger has emerged in the present as a new product once more.

Along with Chrono Trigger’s reemergence, our dream has also become a reality.

Who could have predicted this turn of events?!

Quickly, we hatched a Time Egg of our own memories and brought back tons of information from 13 years ago.

The cramming together of the accumulated knowledge of the past and the newly minted “know-how” gained from a fresh play-through of the DS version resulted in this book.

Both as an attendant on a magnificent trip through time, and as a guide for viewing all of Chrono Trigger’s endings, we hope you will be able to take full advantage of this guidebook.

(Note: I am not certain about the last sentence in the introduction. I believe it is a shortened version of a common polite phrase, but the wording is a little strange to me.)

CONTENTS

Prologue
World Map
An Introduction to Chrono Trigger

CHAPTER 1
Characters
Chrono
Marle
Lucca
Robo
Frog
Ayla
Magus
NPCs (literally “people you encounter on your adventure” in the Japanese)

A Guidebook to Ultimania 1
Dialog Options (literally “Let’s enjoy the changing of lines,” in the Japanese)

CHAPTER 2
Game System
Before setting out on your journey
Map movement
Menu
Parameters
Battle basics
Attack basics
Techs and Double/Triple Techs (literally “skills and combination skills” in the Japanese)
Tech list (literally “skill list”)
Status Effects
Affinities/Attributes? (I forget what this is called in the English version. It refers to the elemental alignment of a character, for example Lucca is fire and Frog is water.)

A Guidebook to Ultimania 2
Battle Technique Course

CHAPTER 3
Main Scenarios
View of the main scenario’s chapters
1 Departure! Dreaming 1,000-Year-Festival
2 The Prodigal Queen
3 The Vanished Princess
4 I’m home!
5 Kingdom Trial
6 Beyond the Ruins…
7 The Mysterious Country’s Factory Ruins
8 The Brink of Time
9 The People of Demon Village
10 The Appearance of the Legendary Hero
11 Tata and Frog
12 Red Stone, Rare Stone
13 Footprints! Chase!
14 Fight, Grand Leon!
15 The Decisive Battle! Magus’ Castle!!
16 Waking up in the Primitive Age
17 Earth’s Laws
18 Magic Kingdom Zeal
19 Release the seal, summon the storm.
20 The Wise Men of the Mountain of Grief
21 What Waits in the Heavens
22 Lavos’ Call
23 The New Ancient Emperor
24 The Time Egg
25 To the Fated Time
26 At the End of the Planet’s Dream

A Guidebook to Ultimania 3
Advanced: Monster Evasion

CHAPTER 4 Side Quests (literally “multi-events”)
Side Quest Challenge
A) The Green Dream
B) Ozzy's Palace (Ozzy is called "Vinegar" in the Japanese)
C) Geno Dome (in Japanese, an abbreviation/pun on “Genocide Dome”)
D) Sun Stone
E) Hero’s Tomb
F) Rainbow Shells
G) Dragon’s Sanctuary
H) Dimensional Vortex
I) Darkness at the End of Time (lit. “Time’s Darkness”)

A Guidebook to Ultimania 4
Go for it! Quiz master!

CHAPTER 5
Items
Item Classification
Shops
Item List

A Guidebook to Ultimania 5
A Guide to “Seduction” Items (This references Ayla’s tech.)

CHAPTER 6
Monsters
Monster List

A Guidebook to Ultimania 6
Recommendations for Completing your Compendium (This references the extras that track and display the enemies in the game, may also include the same features as they apply to items, techs, etc…)

CHAPTER 7 Arena of Ages (literally “Dimensional Arena”)
How to Compete (literally “play”) in the Arena of the Ages
Arena of Ages’ Facilities
Choose your monster
Train your monster (lit. “Strengthen your monster with training.”)
Battle your monster (lit. “Challenge monster battles.”)
Arena of Ages Monster List

A Guidebook to Ultimania 7
Arena of Ages: Training and Battle Guidance

CHAPTER 8
Secrets
Complete Ending Guide
Complete Gallery (lit. “Gallery’s everything”)
Secret 30
Masato Kato Mail Interview
Mitsuda Yasunori Interview

INDEX : )

Foldout poster
Front: Effects and Tech List
Back: Chart of each episode’s main acts and an ending guide

• In this book, each main scenario is listed numerically from 1 to 26; each side quest is listed alphabetically from A to I.

Character Bios[edit]

Translated by Nagereochiru.

• 

  Pages 22-23, Crono

• 

  Pages 24-25, Marle

• 

  Pages 26-27, Lucca

• 

  Pages 28-29, Robo

• 

  Pages 30-31, Frog

• 

  Pages 32-33, Ayla

• 

  Pages 34-35, Magus

22-23 Crono

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed here: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included Mr. Woolsey's names as a default reference.*

_____

<PG.22>

Crono _____

<RED HEADER TEXT>
'His crimson hair is a symbol for his blazing courage'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
A boy who lives in Guardia Kingdom's Truce Village with his mother, Gina, in the peaceful era of 1000 A.D. He looks like any other ordinary boy; but in fact, he holds the power to cut through difficult paths with his unbreakable will in the face of all adversity. Sleeping within him is the essence of [Heaven] magic, which controls lightning, and he also belies a natural genius in swordsmanship with katanas. He serves as the leader on the great adventure through time and space, and his characteristic courage is his greatest weapon as he travels through various ages to save the planet's future.

<INFO BOX UNDER CHRONO'S IMAGE>
SEX: Male
HOME ERA: The Present
HOME: Truce Village

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
TABAN: Oh! You're going after her, Chrono? Attaboy!

↑He displays stunning strength of conduct in a crisis, fearlessly jumping into an unknown world.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
Tyran Glider	Chrono
Giant Beast	Eira
		Robo

←[Heaven] magic, which Chrono learns, inflicts an electric shock effect on many dinosaur-type monsters.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
QUEEN: Hmm? So you're going to fight? What could you possibly do?

→Until you come to a certain point in the story, you cannot remove Chrono from the party.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN HE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[1]{The Journey Begins! The Dreaming Millenial Festival}

~[22]{Lavos' Call}

[25]{To the Fated Time...}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

_____

<PG.23>

<PROFILE BOX>
ELEMENTAL ATTRIBUTE: Heaven
Chrono's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 1	ATTACK POWER: 8		DEFENSE POWER: 16
EXP.: 0		STRENGTH: 5		HIT: 8
NEXT: 20	SPEED: 13		MAGIC POWER: 5
MAX HP: 70	EVADE: 8		STAMINA: 8
MAX MP: 8	MAGIC DEFENSE: 2

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Wooden Sword
HELMET: Leather Cap
ARMOR: Leather Clothes
ACCESSORY: Bandana
※Also has 400G

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____ Spinning Cut: Deals damage in a circular area around the target
Cutting Wind: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies on a line between himself and the target <The original name for this technique, 'Kamaitachi', refers to both cuts inflicted by whirlwinds and a mythological pack of weasels supposedly responsible for causing these cuts on people's legs. See http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Kamaitachi or other sources for further information.>
☆Thunder: Deals Heaven-type damage to a single enemy
Full-Power Cut: Deals damage to one enemy
☆Thundaga: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies
☆Raise: Removes incapacitated status and restores HP to a single ally
Confusion Cut: Deals damage in four hits to one enemy
☆Shining: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies

Spinning Aura: Restores HP to all allies
Ice Sword: Deals Water-type damage to one enemy
Icega Sword: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target <§ "Ice Sword 2">
Flame Wheel: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Fire Sword: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Figa Sword: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target <§ "Fire Sword 2">
High-Speed Spin: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Great Spinning Cut: Deals damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo
Super Elec: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies
X Cut: Deals damage to a single enemy
Sword Waterfall: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Lightning Rod: Deals Heaven-type damage to a single enemy
Drill Kick: Deals damage to a single enemy
Lightning Bite: Deals Heaven-type damage to a single enemy
Falcon Cut: Deals damage to any enemies on a horizontal line encompassing the target

Mix Delta: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Keep Araise: Puts all allies into Reraise status <§ "Life Line">
Arc Impulse: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Final Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Figa Circle: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo <§ "Fire Zone">
Delta Storm: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Gatling Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Triple Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy
Big Tornado: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
3-Dimensional Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy

_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH CHRONO

<RED TEXT>
He becomes a pivot for the party's attacks

<MAIN TEXT>
As his strength increases and the weapons he can equip get stronger, his attack power becomes top class among the party. Basically, using [Fight] and physical attack techniques is sufficient. Also, although his magic power is low, [☆Shining], the last technique he learns, is his most powerful solo magic attack, capable of dealing plenty of damage. Use items to recover HP and protect allies or entrust those duties to other party members.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Monk Gargoyle	Fight		Chrono
Jarian		Techniques	Kaeru
		Items		Eira

←The dual technique with Eira, [Falcon Cut], is comparatively strong and uses little MP, so it's quite convenient.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
[Chrono]
Marl
Lucca
Robo
Kaeru
Eira
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

24-25 Marle

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*

__________

<PG.24>

Marl

_____

<RED HEADER TEXT>
'A kind-hearted princess who knows no fear'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
An affable girl who quickly became a close friend to Crono after their chance encounter at Guardia Kingdom's Millenial Festival. By birth she is Princess Marludia, the only daughter of the reigning King Guardia XXXIII. Having a highly curious personality, she sneaks out of the castle on her own in the guise of a normal girl in order to enjoy the festival at Leene Square. Her old pendant, which she treasures dearly, opens a gate to the past that sucks her in and draws back the curtains on Crono and his friends' adventure.

<INFO BOX BESIDE MARL'S IMAGE>
SEX: Female
HOME ERA: The Present
HOME: Guardia Castle

<QUOTE; BROWN TEXT>
'I'm my own girl BEFORE I'm a princess!'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
KAERU: Indeed, you　resemble the queen closely.

↑Marl, thrown into the Middle Ages, is mistaken for her lookalike, Queen Leene.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
MARL: I don't want to stay here anymore! I'm leaving the castle!

←Crono, who rescued Marl, is charged with the crime of kidnapping the princess, so she decides to leave the castle once again.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
MARL: Get, get away from her, Crono!

→You can tell that she harbors greater feelings for Crono than just friendship.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN SHE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[1]{The Journey Begins! The Dreaming Millenial Festival}
[3]{The Vanished Princess}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.25>

<PROFILE BOX>
ELEMENTAL ATTRIBUTE: Water
Marl's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 1	ATTACK POWER: 8		DEFENSE POWER: 14
EXP.: 0		STRENGTH: 2		HIT: 10
NEXT: 20	SPEED: 8		MAGIC POWER: 8
MAX HP: 65	EVADE: 6		STAMINA: 6
MAX MP: 12	MAGIC DEFENSE: 8

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Bronze Bowgun
HELMET: Leather Cap
ARMOR: Leather Clothes
ACCESSORY: Ribbon

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USEABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.> _____ Aura: Restores HP to a single ally Provocation: Inflicts Confused status on a single e
nemy
☆Ice: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
☆Care: Restores HP to a single ally
☆Haste: Puts a single ally into Haste status
☆Icega: Deals Water-type damage to all enemies <§ "Ice 2">
☆Carega: Restores HP to a single ally <§ "Cure 2">
☆Araise: Removes incapacitated status and restores all HP to a single ally <§ "Life 2">

Spinning Aura: Restores HP to all allies
Ice Sword: Deals Water-type damage to one enemy
Icega Sword: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target <§ "Ice Sword 2">
Reaction Bomb: Deals Dark-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Reaction Bomb 2: Deals Dark-type damage to any enemies in a circular area
around the target
Reaction Bomb 3: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Aura Beam: Restores HP to all allies
Ice Tackle: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Carega Wind: Restores HP to all allies <§ "Cure Touch">
Ice Water: Deals Water-type damage to all enemies
Glacier: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Double Carega: Restores all HP to all allies and removes status changes <§ "Double Cure">
Double Seductive Trick: Receive an item from a single enemy
Ice Throw: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Glacier Throw: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target

Mix Delta: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Keep Araise: Puts all allies into Reraise status <§ "Life Line">
Arc Impulse: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Final Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Dark Eternal: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Poyozou Dance: Deals damage to all enemies and inflicts Confused status
Grand Dream: Deals damage to all enemies <"Grandream", all as one word, is also a somewhat clever possible spelling; this is similar to Geno Dome's original pronunciation of "Genocidome".>
_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH MARL

<RED TEXT>
Her recovery and support is more important than her attack

<MAIN TEXT>
Her attack power doesn't grow much, and her solo techniques max out in power at [☆Icega]. When you attack with her, you should use cooperative techniques as much as possible. On the other hand, her recovery techniques come in plenty of varieties so use her primarily for recovery. Also, her extraordinarily convenient [☆Haste] ability causes the ATB bar to fill twice as fast as normal. After you learn this technique, it's a good idea to support your allies by using it at the beginning of battles against strong enemies.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Valkyrie
Protect Helmet 38 Auto-Protect
Prism Dress 99 Auto-Barrier
Gold Pierce MP Consumption 1/4

A rainbow-colored dress that emits a mysterious glimmer / [Bottom Screen]

←Her Max HP and Stamina are lower than all the other characters', so you'll want to equip her with strong defensive items.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
[Marl]
Lucca
Robo
Kaeru
Eira
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

26-27 Lucca

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*

__________

<PG.26>

Lucca
_____
<RED HEADER TEXT>
'An inventor girl who is attuned to the power of science via her natural insights'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
Crono's older childhood friend, a girl who wears glasses that suit her well. Thanks to the influence of her father, Taban, who runs a blacksmith shop in Truce Village, she has been connected to the study of science since she was very young. She has since become a genius inventor of all kinds of machines. Taban calls her his "brilliant and lovely" daughter, but she also causes her share of trouble whenever she gets carried away. She debuts her great invention, the Super Dimensional Material Transfer Machine Telepods, at the Millenial Festival; when they cause a distortion in space-time that flings Marl into a different era, Lucca creates the Gate Holder--a device that uses the principles behind her telepods to stabilize space-time distortions--in order to rescue the girl.

<INFO BOX BESIDE LUCCA'S IMAGE>
SEX: Female
HOME ERA: The Present
HOME: Truce Village

<QUOTE; BROWN TEXT>
'No enemy can prevail against science!'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
LUCCA: I'll fix it so that it won't do that. Robots have no will of their own to attack anyone...

↑Lucca, who feels kinship with machines, can understand even the "hearts" of robots in the distant future.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
LUCCA: Ulp.. hahh! Crono! You gotta drink some, too!

→Yes

No

←She's a dependable 'lady', but she's an unexpectedly boisterous, heavy drinker underneath it all.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
LARA: My, my, what kind of machine is this...? Taban said it was dangerous, so we should keep away from it, but it's SO dirty!

→Because of an incident when she was very young, Lucca devoted her life to the study of science.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN SHE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[3]{The Vanished Princess}
[5]{The Kingdom Trial}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.27>

<PROFILE BOX>
ELEMENTAL ATTRIBUTE: Fire
Lucca's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 2	ATTACK POWER: 8		DEFENSE POWER: 19
EXP.: 20	STRENGTH: 2		HIT: 8
NEXT: 40	SPEED: 6		MAGIC POWER: 9
MAX HP: 75	EVADE: 7		STAMINA: 6
MAX MP: 14	MAGIC DEFENSE: 8

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Air Gun
HELMET: Leather Cap
ARMOR: Martial Arts Gi
ACCESSORY: Search Scope

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____
Flamethrower: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies on a line between herself and the target
Hypnotic Sound Waves: Inflicts Sleep status on all enemies
☆Fire: Deals Fire-type damage to one enemy
Napalm Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
☆Protect: Puts one ally into Protect status
☆Figa: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies <§ "Fire 2">
Megaton Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
☆Flare: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies

Flame Wheel: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Fire Sword: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Figa Sword: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target <§ "Fire Sword 2">
Reaction Bomb: Deals Dark-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Reaction Bomb 2: Deals Dark-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Reaction Bomb 3: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Fire Punch: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Figa Tackle: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy <§ "Fire Tackle">
Double Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo
Flame Kick: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Flame Tornado: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies
Flame Triple Kick: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Red Needle: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Line Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies on a horizontal line encompassing the target
Frog Flare: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies

Mix Delta: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Figa Circle: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo <§ "Fire Zone">
Delta Storm: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Gatling Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Dark Eternal: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Omega Flare: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Poyozou Dance: Deals damage to all enemies and inflicts Confused status
_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH LUCCA

<RED TEXT>
Dedicate her to using magic attacks while being cautious about elemental affinities

<MAIN TEXT>
Although, like Marl, Lucca's attack power is low, her offensive techniques are all powerful. Her maximum MP and magic power are high, so mainly rely on her magic attack techniques in battle. However, all of her damage-dealing solo techniques are Fire-type, and her cooperative attacks mostly deal Dark-type or Fire-type damage. You may want to switch her out of the party before you battle enemies that either absorb or nullify those elements' damage.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Black Tyrano	Fight		Crono
Azala		Techniques	Eira
		Items		Lucca

←[Hypnotic Sound Waves], which inflicts sleep status on all enemies, even affects certain bosses, which is rather convenient.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
Marl
[Lucca]
Robo
Kaeru
Eira
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

28-29 Robo

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*
  

__________

<PG.28>

Robo
_____
<RED HEADER TEXT>
'A steel warrior who weaves hope into the dismal future in which he was born'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
A completely humanoid robot, abandoned and broken down in the ruined world of the distant future 1300 years after Chrono and his friends' era. Thanks to Lucca's skill, Codename R-66Y was repaired, awakened from his long sleep, and received a different name from Chrono. Other robots of the same model have attack programs installed in order to eliminate any human intruders in the production facility, but Robo, perhaps from Lucca's reprogramming of his thought circuitry, is especially friendly to humans. He travels with Chrono and friends to ensure that his first independent volition--to see the end of the journey to save the planet--is achieved.

<INFO BOX ABOVE ROBO'S IMAGE>
Sex: Male-form?
Home Era: The Future
Homeland: Genocidome

<QUOTE, BROWN TEXT>
'Could it be that I, too, have a birthplace?'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
ROBO: Ms. Eira, I apologize... for calling you violent.

↑Possibly due to Lucca's repairs to his thought circuitry, he may be seen speaking and acting more human than humans themselves.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
ROBO: What do you say, everyone? About leaving me here to help Ms. Fiona?

→Since he is an unaging machine it's possible for him to continue working without rest, even if he is needed for centuries at a time.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
ATROPOS: Ho, ho! Prometheus was given a different, more special duty than those of other R-Series robots.

→After this moment, the special duty Robo was given separately from other R-Series robots becomes clear.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN HE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[7]{The Mysterious Land's Factory Ruins}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.29>

<PROFILE BOX>
Attribute: None
Robo's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 10	ATTACK POWER: 39	DEFENSE POWER: 74
EXP.: 1840	STRENGTH: 21		HIT: 10
NEXT: 650	SPEED: 6		MAGIC POWER: 7
MAX HP: 235	EVADE: 9		STAMINA: 28
MAX MP: 24	MAGIC DEFENSE: 12

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Tin Plate Arm
HELMET: Iron Helmet
ARMOR: Titan Vest
ACCESSORY: Protector

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____
Rocket Punch: Deals damage to a single enemy
Care Beam: Restores HP to all allies
Spinning Laser: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Robo Tackle: Deals damage to one enemy
Heal Beam: Restores HP to all allies
Machinegun Punch: Deals damage to a single enemy
Circle Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around himself
Elec Attack: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies

High-Speed Spin: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Great Spinning Cut: Deals damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo
Super Elec: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies
Aura Beam: Restores HP to all allies
Ice Tackle: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Carega Wind: Restores HP to all allies <§ "Cure Touch">
Fire Punch: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Figa Tackle: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy <§ "Fire Tackle">
Double Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo
Toss Sword: Deals damage to any enemies on a line between Robo and the target
Bubble Press: Deals damage to a single enemy
Carega Wave: Restores HP to all allies <§ "Cure Wave">
Stage: Inflicts Stop status on all enemies <§ "Boogie" | The original name, "otachidai" does mean "stage" (like you'd find at a dance club), and it is this definition that is most likely here. Another prominent meaning the word carries is any "balcony of appearances" where officials and other highly-ranked individuals, including the Imperial Family of Japan, sometimes address or greet people during special events.>
Great Spinning Kick: Deals damage to a single enemy
Hell Throw: Deals damage to a single enemy

Keep Araise: Puts all allies into Reraise status <§ "Life Line">
Figa Circle: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around Robo <§ "Fire Zone">
Triple Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy
Big Tornado: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Omega Flare: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Strike Spin: Deals damage to a single enemy
Grand Dream: Deals damage to all enemies <"Grandream", all as one word, is also a somewhat clever possible spelling; this is similar to Geno Dome's original pronunciation of "Genocidome".>
_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH ROBO

<RED TEXT>
He is capable in both physical attacks and recovery

<MAIN TEXT>
While his maximum HP and stamina are high, his magic defense is poor. When enemy magic becomes more powerful close to the story's end, cover him with a magic defense-boosting Prism Helmet or Moonlight Armor. His techniques nicely balance physical and magical attacks, as well as recovery, but his magic power is low, so don't hope for too much out of his magical attacks. It's practical to use him primarily for physical attacks and, in a pinch, to recover.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Deibu	Chrono
	Robo
	Maoh

←With high strength, his physical attacks are powerful. Still, his maximum MP is low, so refrain from abusing techniques.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
Marl
Lucca
[Robo]
Kaeru
Eira
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

30-31 Frog

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*
  

__________

<PG.30>

Kaeru

<RED HEADER TEXT>
'A grotesque swordsman who follows the way of the knight'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
A swordsman in the form of a frog who lives in the Middle Ages kingdom of Guardia, 600 A.D. He was a young human working in the service of the kingdom until ten years ago when he was defeated in battle by the king of the Magic Tribe, who used a powerful magic curse that has completely changed the young man's appearance into that of a frog. While keeping his past concealed, he has remained true to his vows to King Guardia XXI and Queen Leene, fighting in isolation to protect the kingdom from the clutches of the Magic Tribe. His encounter with Chrono's party while rescuing Queen Leene, who was captured by the Magic Tribe, brings cheer to Kaeru's nearly broken spirit, and he resolves to take up the battle his deceased friend left unfinished.

<INFO BOX UNDER CHRONO'S IMAGE>
Sex: Male
Home Era: The Middle Ages
Homeland: Unknown

<QUOTE, BROWN TEXT>
'Indeed, it is because I am in this form... that I have what I have!'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
Ah, I suppose it's useless to tell you to believe me when I look like this...

→Through his words, he demonstrates self-deprecation toward his apperance as a giant frog monster without a moment's thought...

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
GLEN: U...wah!!

←One fateful day his close friend, the hero, Cyrus, lost his life, and a transformation curse was put on Kaeru.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
Super Mayone		Chrono
			Kaeru
			Marl

→Although his human form was taken from him, his skill with the sword--said to surpass even Cyrus' long ago--is still in fine shape.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN HE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[3]{The Vanished Princess}
[14]{Fight! The Grandleon}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.31>

<PROFILE BOX>
Attribute: Water
Kaeru's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 5	ATTACK POWER: 18	DEFENSE POWER: 38
EXP.: 240	STRENGTH: 11		HIT: 9
NEXT: 160	SPEED: 11		MAGIC POWER: 8
MAX HP: 128	EVADE: 9		STAMINA: 14
MAX MP: 17	MAGIC DEFENSE: 9

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Bronze Sword
HELMET: Bronze Helmet
ARMOR: Bronze Armor
ACCESSORY: Power Glove

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____
Lick: Restores HP to a single ally
Lick Cut: Deals damage to a single enemy
☆Water: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
☆Heal: Restores HP to all allies
Jump Cut: Deals damage to one enemy
☆Wataga: Deals Water-type damage to all enemies <§ "Water 2">
☆Carega: Restores HP to a single ally <§ "Cure 2">
Frog Drop: Deals damage to all enemies

X Cut: Deals damage to a single enemy
Sword Waterfall: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Lightning Rod: Deals Heaven-type damage to a single enemy
Ice Water: Deals Water-type damage to all enemies
Glacier: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Double Carega: Restores all HP to all allies and removes status changes <§ "Double Cure">
Toss Sword: Deals damage to any enemies on a line between Robo and the target
Bubble Press: Deals damage to a single enemy
Carega Wave: Restores HP to all allies <§ "Cure Wave">
Lick Kiss: Restores HP to all allies and removes status changes
Bubble Tackle: Deals damage to a single enemy
Cross-legged Falling Cut: Deals damage to a single enemy
Red Needle: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Line Bomb: Deals Fire-type damage to any enemies on a horizontal line encompassing the target
Frog Flare: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies

Arc Impulse: Deals Water-type damage to a single enemy
Delta Storm: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Triple Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy
3-Dimensional Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy
Strike Spin: Deals damage to a single enemy
Grand Dream: Deals damage to all enemies <"Grandream", all as one word, is also a somewhat clever possible spelling; this is similar to Geno Dome's original pronunciation of "Genocidome".>
_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH KAERU

<RED TEXT>
He demonstrates his true value in cooperative techniques with comrades

<MAIN TEXT>
His parameters are all average, though his physical attacks are slightly better than his magical attacks. This is especially true when you equip him with both the Grandleon and the Hero's Badge, which reliably increases his critical hit rate using the [Fight] command. Whenever you do opt for techniques, you may want to try his more useful cooperative techniques instead of his mostly low-power solo techniques.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Zeal	Chrono
	Kaeru
	Lucca

←His cooperative attack with Lucca, [Frog Flare], proves extremely powerful in a pinch.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
Marl
Lucca
Robo
[Kaeru]
Eira
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

32-33 Ayla

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*
  

__________

<PG.32>

Eira
_____
<RED HEADER TEXT>
'A cheerful and beautiful Amazoness who continues fighting to become stronger'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
A primitive woman whose physical abilities, far exceeding those of present-day humans, ruled as the chief of a human settlement, the Ioka Village, 65,000,000 years ago. There humanity fought in a confrontation with the Dinosaur People, a race that evolved from dinosaurs, over control of the land. Eira continues to fight in this battle according to the law of the land--survival of the strongest. She has a fondness for strong people and possesses a big-hearted personality that reveals her unconditional affection toward those she cares for. She also holds a strong sense of ethics, willingly risking her own life to atone for the mistakes of people she thinks highly of.

<INFO BOX BESIDE EIRA'S IMAGE>
Sex: Female
Home Era: Primeval Times
Homeland: Ioka Village

<QUOTE, BROWN TEXT>
'Eira not lose. When Eira quit fighting, Eira dead!'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
AZALA: ... But do not forget: this land belongs to us, the Dinosaur People...

↑Azala, leader of the Dinosaur People, is Eira's destined rival in the fight for the survival of each race.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>
Dalton Corps	Marl
Byte		Kaeru
		Eira

←She fights fiercely without weapons, using only her body. There's even a scene where she uses her toughened fists to save her comrades in a pinch.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
EIRA: Kino no can come. If Eira lose, Kino Ioka's chief...!

→Though strict with him, she holds both strong love and deep trust for the next strongest member of the Ioka Village, Kino.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN SHE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[13]{Footprints! Follow!}
[17]{The Law of the Land}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.33>

<PROFILE BOX>
Attribute: None
Eira's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 18	ATTACK POWER: 76	DEFENSE POWER: 103
EXP.: 11520	STRENGTH: 39		HIT: 22
NEXT: 2050	SPEED: 13		MAGIC POWER: 8
MAX HP: 335	EVADE: 25		STAMINA: 38
MAX MP: 38	MAGIC DEFENSE: 26

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Fist (Level 1)
HELMET: Stone Helmet
ARMOR: Ruby Vest
ACCESSORY: Power Scarf

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____
Kiss: Restores HP to a single ally and removes status changes
Roly Kick: Deals damage to a single enemy <§ "Rollo Kick" | The name is based on the in-game enemy monster called Roly.>
Scratch and Bite: Deals damage to a single enemy
Rock Throw: Deals damage to a single enemy
Seductive Trick: Receive an item from a single enemy <§ "Charm" | The Venus flytrap is sometimes referred to by the original name for the technique, "irojikake", but both the nature of the attack and it's description are evidence that the given meaning is likelier.>
Tail Whirlwind: Deals damage in a circular area around herself
Dinosaur: Deals damage to all enemies
Triple Kick: Deals damage in three hits to a single enemy

Drill Kick: Deals damage to a single enemy
Lightning Bite: Deals Heaven-type damage to a single enemy
Falcon Cut: Deals damage to any enemies on a horizontal line encompassing the target
Double Seductive Trick: Receive an item from a single enemy
Ice Throw: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Glacier Throw: Deals Water-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
Flame Kick: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Flame Tornado: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies
Flame Triple Kick: Deals Fire-type damage to a single enemy
Stage: Inflicts Stop status on all enemies <§ "Boogie" | The original name, "otachidai" does mean "stage" (like you'd find at a dance club), and it is this definition that is most likely here. Another prominent meaning the word carries is any "balcony of appearances" where officials and other highly-ranked individuals, including the Imperial Family of Japan, sometimes address or greet people during special events.>
Great Spinning Kick: Deals damage to a single enemy
Hell Throw: Deals damage to a single enemy
Lick Kiss: Restores HP to all allies and removes status changes
Bubble Tackle: Deals damage to a single enemy
Cross-legged Falling Cut: Deals damage to a single enemy

Final Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Gatling Kick: Deals Dark-type damage to a single enemy
Big Tornado: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
3-Dimensional Attack: Deals damage to a single enemy
Strike Spin: Deals damage to a single enemy
Poyozou Dance: Deals damage to all enemies and inflicts Confused status
_____

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH EIRA

<RED TEXT>
Fight with her various moves and powerful attacks

<MAIN TEXT>
Her speed is extraordinarily high, so she can act frequently in a short time. Thanks to her high strength, even a single attack from her is more than ample, so you should be able to use her as your party's main source of offensive power. She also specializes in fighting using her own fists, without equipping any weapons. As she levels up, the critical hit rate of her fist increases, and it gains the ability to inflict status effects; above level 72, it takes on new names and special effects (->P.421).

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
Got a Red Plate

Rust Tyrano	Chrono
		Eira
		Marl

←[Seductive Trick] allows you to receive items from enemies, so if you learn it at an early stage, it will come in handy.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
Marl
Lucca
Robo
Kaeru
[Eira]
Maoh
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

34-35 Magus

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations--especially in the screenshots of dialogue and enemy names--that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• § indicates a technique name has been (at least to some degree) phonetically transcribed: such techniques usually have names with no particular meaning, chosen only to evoke the idea behind them (e.g. the idea of "ice" for 'Icega'). In these instances, I've included the Woolsey text's names.*
  

__________

<PG.34>

Maoh
_____
<RED HEADER TEXT>
'A monarch of darkness whose means justify his ends in accomplishing his goals'

<MAIN PROFILE TEXT>
The supreme commander of the Magic Tribe who, upon his arrival in the Middle Ages, took command of their army of powerful magical monsters in a bid for global conquest. Although his form is that of a human, he possesses overwhelming magical power, able to control all four types of magic, including [Dark] magic. To Kaeru, Maoh is both the slayer of his close friend, Cyrus, and the one responsible for placing the transformation curse on Kaeru. According to remaining legends passed down in the Magic Tribe of the Present, he supposedly attempted a ritual to create a dreadful monster that would bring humans to their ruin--but who knows what hidden motives he might have had?

<INFO BOX UNDER CHRONO'S IMAGE>
Sex: Male
Home Era: The Middle Ages?
Homeland: Unknown

<QUOTE, BROWN TEXT>
'This time I will defeat you... and settle the score once and for all!'

<SCREENSHOT 1 & BLACK BOX>
With the legendary sword broken, you can't do a thing!!

↑Before Maoh's magical power, even the legendary Grandleon, wielded by the hero, Cyrus, was broken.

<SCREENSHOT 2 & BLACK BOX>

←In Maoh's Castle, the Magic Tribe's headquarters, he attempts to awaken a dangerous entity that will bring forth disaster in this world.

<SCREENSHOT 3 & BLACK BOX>
Lavos' power is immense. Before that THING, its howling black wind of death will blow everyone away...

→When danger or evil omens draw near, he perceives it as a black wind and speaks of it prophetically.

<CHAPTER NAMES (PEACH-COLORED BOX)>
WHEN HE CAN BECOME A PARTY MEMBER:
[24]{The Time Egg}

~[26]{At the End of the Planet's Dream}

__________

<PG.35>

<PROFILE BOX>
Attribute: Dark
Maoh's Battle Abilities

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
BEGINNING STATS
_____

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE LEFT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
PARAMETERS
_____

LEVEL: 37	ATTACK POWER: 134	DEFENSE POWER: 148
EXP.: 97780	STRENGTH: 51		HIT: 40
NEXT: 9200	SPEED: 12		MAGIC POWER: 50
MAX HP: 650	EVADE: 33		STAMINA: 43
MAX MP: 84	MAGIC DEFENSE: 72

<BEGINNING STATS CHART; BROWN BOX ON THE RIGHT, UNDER "BEGINNING STATS" TITLE BAR>
_____
EQUIPMENT
_____
WEAPON: Dark Night Scythe
HELMET: Death Helmet
ARMOR: Jet Black Armor
ACCESSORY: Sara's Amulet

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; UNDER THE PROFILE BOX>
_____
PARAMETER GROWTH
_____
<GRAY COLUMN LABELS ON TOP OF CHART, LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
LEVEL
MAX HP
MAX MP
STRENGTH
HIT
SPEED
MAGIC POWER
EVADE
STAMINA
MAGIC DEFENSE

<CHART'S TITLE BAR; RIGHT OF PARAMETER GROWTH CHART, UNDER BEGINNING STATS CHART>
_____
USEABLE TECHNIQUES
_____

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; ON TOP OF CHART>
NAME
EFFECT
DETAILS

<ORANGE BOX ON THE LEFT>
SOLO TECHNIQUES

<GREEN BOX ON THE LEFT>
DUAL TECHNIQUES

<BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT>
TRIPLE TECHNIQUES

<TECHNIQUE CHART ROWS>
<Techniques are listed in NAME: DESCRIPTION format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
_____
☆Thundaga: Deals Heaven-type damage to all enemies
☆Icega: Deals Water-type damage to all enemies <§ "Ice 2">
☆Figa: Deals Fire-type damage to all enemies <§ "Fire 2">
☆Dark Bomb: Deals Dark-type damage to any enemies in a circular area around the target
☆Magic Barrier: Puts a single ally into Barrier status.
☆Dark Mist: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
☆Black Hole: Causes instant death to any enemies in a circular area around himself
☆Dark Matter: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies

Dark Eternal: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
Omega Flare: Deals Dark-type damage to all enemies
_____

<SCREENSHOTS BELOW TECHNIQUE CHART>
<SCREENSHOT 1 TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>

Prototype	Chrono
		Eira
		Maoh

←His versions of the magics that Chrono, Marl and Lucca can use, all of which have names like [☆Thundaga], are much more potent than theirs.

<SCREENSHOT 2 TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>

Terra Mutant	Maoh
		Robo
		Lucca

→Special items are necessary in order to use the cooperative techniques [Dark Eternal] and [Omega Flare].

<FEATURE BOX W/SCREENSHOT; BOTTOM OF PAGE>
<TITLE TAGS; NEXT TO IMAGE OF A GEAR>
HOW TO FIGHT WITH MAOH

<RED TEXT>
Use him for magical attacks from all four elemental affinities

<MAIN TEXT>
All of his parameters are above average, but his maximum MP, hit, magic power, and magic defense are higher than any other character's. Furthermore, not only can he learn magic attacks in all four elements of magic, Heaven, Dark, Fire, and Water, but all of these attacks are also high-powered. These qualities make him a highly capable independent fighter, but he has almost no cooperative techniques available, so make sure you form parties from remaining members who can still perform any necessary cooperative techniques.

<SCREENSHOT TEXT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>

Lalacargo	Chrono
		Maoh
		Kaeru

←His strength and weapons' attack power are decent, so he can even hold his own against Crono and others using the [Fight] command.

<LIST; RIGHT MARGIN>
Chrono
Marl
Lucca
Robo
Kaeru
Eira
[Maoh]
People you meet on your adventure
Guide to ULTIMANIA

DBT/Quiz Walkthrough Pages[edit]

Translated by Nagareochiru.

• 

  Page 408

• 

  Page 409

• 

  Page 410, Quiz

408

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations of dialogue that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*

_____

<BLUE BAR; TOP OF THE PAGE>
[Episode 1]

<WHITE HEADER TEXT>
Darkness of Time

_____

Time's Eclipse

<HEADER; MAIN TEXT>
The bucket sitting at the End of Time that is connected to the Day of Lavos——it also seems to connect to another dimension. Chrono and his allies leap through the bucket to ascertain the true form of the dreadful Lavos-like presence that has emerged there.

<SCREENSHOT>
MAOH: Up ahead, a new enemy is being born. It's spreading outward just ahead, in the depths of the Darkness of Time.

<WHITE BOX BELOW SCREENSHOT>
PARTY

Chrono Marl Lucca Robo Kaeru Eira Maoh

<BLACK BAR>
[Route of Journey]

<SCREENSHOT; TITLE BAR>
∞ The End of Time

<SCREENSHOT BELOW FIRST SHOT (PARTY TALKING WITH HASH/GASPAR)>
From a different, faraway dimension... well on the other side of the Darkness of Time... it seems like a great power is flowing through.

<BLUE BAR NEXT TO MAOH/MAGUS' SPRITE>
[Maoh]

<GRAY BAR>
[A world where an even greater threat sleeps]

<MAIN TEXT>
In traveling through space and time to defeat Lavos, who falls on the planet in ancient times and brings the future to ruin, we change the history that the planet should otherwise follow. In other words, all that we are attempting to do amounts to nothing more than seizing a single possibility from many through our actions.
If that is so, then do the other histories we do not choose simply fade into nothing? Of course not. Countless and endlessly branching apart are "possible" worlds, worlds that slide off our own dimension and overlap each other, continuing to exist in separate spacetimes. Perhaps there are worlds where were unable to stop Lavos... or worlds where we are trampled underfoot by much more troublesome magical monsters*.
At any rate, I expect to keep fighting and resisting. Whatever cruel fate may come, I must...!

<*In the above the word "mamono" is used where I have "magical monsters". It seems to indicate the Magic Tribe's/Mystics' "army of monsters" rather than the people themselves. However, the fortunes of the Magic Tribe ARE tied to their rise in power during the war, so you might say it really is the Magic Tribe as a whole that tramples humans in the alternate world Maoh describes here.>

<BLACK BAR>
Advancement Chart

<BLUE BAR>
∞ The End of Time

<GRAY BOX; TITLE BAR>
The End of Time (→P.169)

| 1 | Square
•Talk with the old man
•Check the bucket

<RED TEXT AND PARAGRAPH>
The Door to the Darkness of Time Opens

When you clear the dimensional distortions in all three eras and visit the End of Time, the old man will call out to you. After speaking with him and then checking the bucket, you can choose to move to the Day of Lavos or to the Darkness of Time.

<GRAY BAR; BLUE ARROW POINTS TO IT>
See next page

409

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations of dialogue that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*

_____

<GRAY BOX; BLUE ARROW POINTS TO IT>
Continued from previous page

<GRAY BOX; BELOW BLUE "???" BAR>
The Darkness of Time (→P.409)

| 2 | The Central Area
•Approach the character standing around there
•Check the gate

| 3 | Beyond the Darkness of Time
•Fight with the Dream Devourer
|BOSS| Dream Devourer (→P.527)

<GRAY BAR; BLUE ARROW POINTS TO IT>
To the ending

<RED TEXT W/PARAGRAPH>
Follow the Mystery Character Beyond the Darkness of Time

As soon as you visit the Darkness of Time, you can see a certain character from behind. If you approach him, he'll enter the gate deeper inside, so chase after him. However, when you do so you'll break into a battle with the Dream Devourer, so you'll want to make sure your equipment is in order before you enter the gate. When you overcome the Dream Devourer, you'll be able to see Ending 13, [The Dream's Epilogue] (→P.561).

<SCREENSHOT AND SIDE TEXT>
Return to the End of Time?
☞Yes
　No

←Even after the mysterious character enters the gate, Chrono and his friends can withdraw to the End of Time. If you feel like you haven't prepared enough, then come back later.

<ORANGE BOX W/SCREENSHOT>
The Darkness of Time
|Save Points > 0 | | Boss Battle > Yes|

The bucket at the End of Time connects to a world in a different spacetime than the one Chrono and his friends live in. It is a spacetime where a new enemy is awakening in the wake of Lavos' defeat.

<GREEN SCREENSHOT TAGS>
<TALL VERTICAL SCREENSHOT>
The Central Area

<BROWN BOX BELOW VERTICAL SCREENSHOT>
To the End of Time (→P.169)

<OTHER SCREENSHOT>
Beyond the Darkness of Time
<ア is a location marker in the image; see the chart below the screenshot>

<BOTTOM RIGHT; BLACK BAR>
Monsters That Appear Here

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
Location | Monster Type and Number | Escapable? | Monster Returns?

<CHART ROW>
ア | The Dream Devourer | X <Not escapable> | X <Monster does not return>

<MSALL BLACK BOX W/"?" THUMBNAIL>
Dream Devourer (→P.527)

410

作者---{流れ落ちる}

• Created with a monospaced font (to keep charts and the like in line), so please use one while you read for best results.*
• This guide was written without using an official game script and, as a result, likely contains a few translations of dialogue that don't precisely match the game's text. Please compare it to a game script if you'd like to see the official translations of any in-game text.*
• Sections are loosely arranged in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading order. <> tags indicate commentary or additional guidance on what each section refers to on the original page.*
• There is a handful of footnotes about difficult or peculiar translations appearing in this guide, each marked with a superscripted letter. See the end of the guide for explanations and possible (if unlikely) alternative interpretations.*

_____

<TOP BAR>
GUIDE TO ULTIMANIA

<RED BAR>
Eyes on...! The Quiz Master

In the dimensional distortion of the Future, a special map with a quiz related to content of the game will appear. We'll show you all 32 questions on it in one place, which may come in handy when you tackle this dimensional distortion.

<SCREENSHOT>
Correct. You knew that one easy, huh? Okay, head to the next room.

<BLACK BAR AND TEXT>
For the quiz each kidᵃ has eight types of questions apiece

When you talk to the children in the mysterious town (Question Rooms) which lies in the dimensional distortion (Future), you'll be given a four-question quiz there (→P.401). Each of the four kids has eight kinds of questions which are chosen and arranged randomly. All of the quiz's questions are displayed below. Furthermore, the order in which each choice is shown is predetermined, so they don't change in order.

<SCREENSHOT & DESCRIPTION TEXT>
What is Glen's real name?

←If you changed a party member's name or the name of the Sylbird, a question like this might come up...

<BROWN BAR>
Questions and Choices in the Quiz Rooms' Quizzes

<GRAY COLUMN LABELS; LEFT-TO-RIGHT>
Questions | Selections (Correct answers in red) <In this guide, correct answers are those marked by ★ instead of •.>

<LEFT-HAND-COLUMN>
First person
Second Person
Third Person
Fourth Person

<Questions and answers are listed in QUESTION: ANSWERS format, roughly as they appear on the chart.>
Which of these is not a runner in the race at Leene Square?: •Iron-masked Runner •Sudden Death Dinaᵇ ★Royal Cat •Nonstop Soldierᶜ
Which is the correct description on the Dragon Tank's blueprints?: ★Head protects against Heaven-type and Fire-type attacks •Head protects against Water-type and Fire-type attacks •Head protects against Heaven-type and Water-type attacks •Head protects against Fire-type and Dark-type attacks
What do Grand and Leon say when they merge?: •Brotheeeer Fuuuusion •Fuuuusion ★Confuuusion •Chemical Fuuuusion
In the fight with Maoh, how many arms does the bronze statue in the background have?: •Two ★Four •Six •Eight
What is the red stone that you need to repair the Grandleon called?: •Power Stone ★Dreamstoneᵈ •Red Stone •Fire Stone
What is the name of the device Lucca created to stabilize space-time so that you can enter gates?: ★Gate Holder •Rainbow-colored Shell •Dreamstone •Pendant
In the Ioka Village, what do you get for trading a [Petal] and a [Fang]?: •Mammoth Sword ★Ruby Gun •Red Plate •Ancient Sword
Who is the chief of Medina Village in 1000 A.D.?: •Vinegar IV ★Vinegar VIII •Vinegar XII •Great Vinegar

What is Kaeru's real name?: •Cyrus •Tarta ★Glen •Edible Frogᵉ
Kaeru's technique, [Frog Drop], has the same effect as what other technique?: •Elec Attack •Flare •Dark Matter ★Dinosaur
What is Cyrus' technique?: ★Nirvana Slash •Meteo Final •Ultimate Slash •Shining Sword
What is the name of the dinosaur you ride to Tyran Castle?: •Azarla •Pteranix ★Pteran •Tyran Kite
In what era did Lavos first appear on this planet?: ★Prehistory •Ancient Times •Middle Ages •1999 A.D.
What is Maoh's real name?: •Fritz •Alphard •Marco ★Jacki
What is Maoh's older sister's name?: •Leene ★Sara •Ariche •Fiona
What was Maoh's childhood pet's name?: •Cro ★Alphard •Sweet •Mud-eater

What was the last invention of Gash, the Guru of Reason?: •Time Gate •Chrono Trigger ★Sylbird •Nu
Who is the Guru of Time?: •Bosch •Gasch ★Hasch •Mesch
Who tests your strength against them at the End of Time?: •Mamo ★Spekkio •Johnny •Gonzales
Who does Eira like best of all those living in Ioka Village?: •Don •Fritz •Taban ★Kino
Who is the lawyer who defended Chrono during the kingdom trial?: •King Guardia •Chancellor •Bosch ★Pierre
Who is your opponent in the bike race through the No. 32 ruins in the Future?: •Michael •Don ★Johnny •Marco
Who is the giant skeleton monster who attacks you on Zenan Bridge in the Middle Ages?: •Heckran ★Junkdragar •Vinegar •Melfikk
For whom does Mayone have feelings?: ★Maoh •Soyso •Vinegar •Chrono

What elemental attribute does Maoh's magic have?: •Heaven-type ★Dark-type •Fire-type •None
What is the name of the pink robot who wore a ribbon?: •Prometheus •Perseus ★Atropos •Artemis
What is the new name Dalton gave to the remodeled Sylbird?: •Dalton Blue Throne •King Dalton Throne ★Sky Dalton Throne •Dalton Fly Throne
What is the name of the humanoid robot in Leene Square?: ★Gonzales •Prometheus •Great Goro •Johnny
Which of these marks is shown when you're in [Confused] status?: •Eye ★Star •Clock •?
What is the name of the leader of the Dinosaur People?: •Alarza •Arzala •Azzala ★Azarla
To whom does the name Princess Marludia refer?: •Lucca •Eira •Mayone ★Marl
What is the title of this game?: ★CHRONO TRIGGER •CRONO TRIGGER •CRONO TPIGER •CURONO TRIGER

_____

<ᵃThough it's more common to interpret "kodomo" (as is written on the original page) as "child/kid" rather than "children/kids", the text describing the quiz proctors seems to indicate that the plural form is intended.>

<ᵇうっちゃる roughly means "to leave behind/abandon/discard"; the similar-sounding verb うちゃる means a come-from-behind victory throw in sumo where a wrestler getting pushed out of the ring twists his torso and throws his opponent out instead.>

<ᶜほいほい in the original name has a few meanings, one of which is something like "pampered". I opted for what I thought was the more likely meaning, "without thinking of the consequences/recklessly" or "without stopping".>

<ᵈ"Dreamstone" should, strictly speaking, be ドリームストーン, but is given in the original text as ドリストーン, which sounds more like "Dori Stone".>

<ᵉ"Shokuyougaeru" literally means "edible frog", which specifically refers to Pelophylax kl. esculentus; it is also the name of the enemy frogs called T'Pole in the original translation.>

Secrets[edit]

Translated by Lorenz.

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  Page 572

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  Page 581

• Page 572

Page 572 Secret 30

Many unknown secrets are buried between the flow of thousands of years. Here, we present you with 30 stringently selected secrets, ranging from practical techniques to some rare phenomenon that will make you laugh.

01)

In the DS version of Chrono Trigger there are various features that weren’t its SNES or PS predecessors. Not only are there different menu layouts, but there are also some big changes as well. So, we have compiled a list of the features new to the DS version, especially the major, standout changes. Let’s take a look:

• Arena of Ages (see page 530)

The Arena of Ages, where you raise and battle monsters, makes its debut. You can also battle against other players via Wi-Fi.

Caption: The battle system used in the Arena of Ages is completely different than the one found in the main game.

• New Events and New Endings (see pages 344, 378, 408, 561)

Three new side quests have been added: G (Dragon Sanctuary), H (Dimensional Vortex) and I (Time’s Darkness). Upon clearing I (Time’s Darkness), you can view a new ending connecting the original game with its sequel, Chrono Cross (see page 581).

Caption: If you challenge yourself to unlock the additional ending, you can enjoy a new story.

Picture: In the photo Magus is saying, "From the depths of the Darkness of Time that stretches before us, a new enemy is trying to be born."

(NOTE: As usual, there a several ways even I can think of translate this line, so I am sure that others will devise other interpretations, as well. Literally, it is more like this: “Ahead, a new enemy is attempting to be born. Expanding from beyond this point, at the bottom of Time’s Darkness.” I would also point out that the word “new” is used in the English here, but the Japanese word actually implies more a “fresh” concept, implying some connection to a previous enemy who has changed in same way, likely referring to Lavos metamorphosing into the Dream/Time Devourer.)

• New Items (see page 413)

There are 56 additional types of items that were not present in the SNES and PS versions of the game. You can obtain these items through the Arena of Ages and the added side quests.

• New Monsters (see pages 513-527)

40 types of monsters have been added. They appear in the new side quests.

• Controls Unique to the DS (see pages 45-60)

You can control most of the game using the touch screen. During battles, you can choose between two modes: an easy-to-use touch screen control setup (DS) and one that is similar to the SNES version (Classic) (see page 60-61).

Caption: Characters and monsters are no longer hidden behind battle gauges in the DS game mode.

• Change to the Menu Setup (see page 48)

The entire design of the menus has changed. Along with that, the way in which you navigate the menus has also changed.

Caption: The menus have been changed so that you can easily navigate them with the touch screen.

Picture: The menu shows Crono’s equipment menu. He is equipped with a Swallow, Haste Helm, Nova Armor and Gold Earring. The player is currently examining the list of available swords.

• Kanji for Item and Tech Names (see page 416-434)

The bulk of item and weapons that were written in hiragana in the SNES and PS versions now have their names displayed in kanji.

(NOTE: Obviously, this doesn’t really matter much to western audiences, but it does make the game easier to play in Japanese in my opinion. Once you learn the language, reading things in kanji is much faster and smoother than doing so with only kana. This also may reflect the games maturation, as it is now expected that older gamers, those who probably couldn’t read a great deal of kanji when the first played the game, are now going to be playing it anew.)

• “Bonus” is now the “Gallery” (see page 564)

What was called the “Bonus” section in the PS version has been renamed “Gallery” in this version. Also, in the PS version entries increased according to the types of endings you achieved, but in the DS version entries increase as you encounter them throughout the core game.

(NOTE: I have never played the PS version, so this final point is a little difficult fore me. I am pretty sure it is saying that when you beat the PS version, it updates you “Bonus/Gallery” with the appropriate items, whereas in the DS version the game updates you spoils as you play. So if I get the Swallow in PS version, it won’t show up in my Bonus area until I get an ending with it in my inventory, in the PS version. Whereas, in the DS version, obviously the second you acquire the Swallow it is available for viewing in the Gallery area.)

• Page 580

22 Initiation into the ways of speedy “Monster Extermination”

    Mini-Game

You can clear the “Monster Extermination” mini-game in Leene Square’s Beckerah Experiment Hut without having to touch the blue light on the left side of the screen by use lightning fast timing to knock back the monsters in this order: middle, left, right, left, right, right. The trick is to press the D-Pad in a diagonal-up direction when moving your character. (See Page 117)

Picture Caption: Even if you start run a little bit behind, if you hit the left and right monster one more time each it is still possible to clear the game without touching the blue light.

23 Secrets of the Poyozo doll and the Doppleganger Doll Mini-Game

By clearing a mini-game at Leene Square’ Beckerah Experiment Hut you can get two types of dolls: a Poyozo and a Doppleganger. As shown in the chart below, the dolls will be sent to various locations depending on who is the head of your party. While on the topic, the result of examining the dolls will change as well, with the Poyozo playing a different tune until you exit to the world map and the Doppleganger assuming different random positions.

Chart Destination of the Dolls and Poyozo’s BGM

Character	Destination					BGM
Crono		Truce, Crono’s House, 2F			Crono and Marle, Far Away Promise
Marle   	Guardia Castle (Present Day), Princess's Room	Crono and Marle, Far Away Promise  
Lucca		Lucca’s House, Lucca's Room			Crono and Marle, Far Away Promise
Robo		Prometheus Dome, Entrance      			Robo’s Theme
Frog		Monster Frog Forest, Frog's Hidden House	Frog’s Theme
Ayla		Ioka Village, Chief’s Tent			Ayla’s Theme
Magus		North Cape					Magus’ Decisive Battle

24 A Must See for Top Breeders – The Mechanism Behind the Fluctuation in the Number of Cats Mini-Game

You can first get a cat by winning at “Monster Extermination” at Leene Square’s Beckrah Experiment Hut, increasing the number of cats at Chrono’s house to two. From that point on, the number of cats in Chrono’s House will fluctuate depending on the amount of cat food you have (you win more by playing the same mini-game, see Page 117). The actual method for determining this is spelled out below. If the number of cats increases, the number of cats that appear when the Silver Bird remains undamaged (lit “ShiruBa-do,” perhaps a shortening of/pun of Silver and Bird) in ending 001 “To the Other Side of Time” will also increase accordingly.

Info Box: The Process of Fluctuation in the Number of Cats

• Every time the party enters the fountain area of Leene Square, the amount of cat food decreases by 0-3 grams. If that exhausts your cat food supply there is an approximately 4-35% chance that you will lose a cat (the greater the number of cats, the greater chance one will disappear). Provided you still have some cat food, the probability that you will gain a cat is between 0-77 percent (the less cats you have, the greater the chance that an extra one will appear).
• After a new cat has appeared, the amount of cat food will drop between 2-200 grams (the more cats there are, the more likely it is that a large amount of food will disappear).
• The maximum number of cats you can have is 11, the minimum is 2.

25 What Happens if You Change a Character’s Name? Name Change

In the game you are able to decide the names of the characters yourself. Even after you have chosen a name once, you have the freedom to go back and change them later (See Page 217, 240). Changing their names will influence the game in the following ways:

Info Box: The Effects of Changing Names

• Marle’s real name will become “the first 3 character of her name” + “dia.”
• After defeating Yakra the 13th and returning to the banquet hall in Guardia Castle (present day), the HP and MP recovery meal you will be able to eat will be named “the first two character of Chrono’s name” + “Special.”
• The character names as they appear in the quiz available in The Dimensional Vortex’s Mysterious Town will also change to reflect any alterations made to their names.

Picture: Depending on the names you choose, Tech names and in-game explanations can end up sounding hilarious. (NOTE: The picture shows Ayla doing the “kuronage” attack. It is called this because “kuro” are the first two characters of Chrono’s name, and “nage” comes from the verb “nageru,” meaning “to throw.” So the attack literally means “Throw Chrono,” or “Chrono Toss.” However, the player renamed Chrono “ha” in Japanese. Thus, the explanation highlighted within the red square in the top left corner of the picture shows that, accordingly, the explanation of the Tech has been changed to “hanage” instead of “kuronage.” This would be funny to Squeenix’s – and Ultimania’s – target Japanese audience since the new word it creates “hanage” means “nose hair” in Japanese, certainly one of the most fearsome-sounding attacks in the game. It’s almost as bad as being smashed by an Omega Flare… or licked by Frog.)

• Page 581

26 What happens if you examine curtain, thrones and so on?

Things on the Map

Investigate particular places on the map and objects will move, characters will perform special actions. You might enjoy visiting those places and checking out those reactions.

Info Box: List of Places Where Something Happens When You Investigate

Location					Happening
Truce, Second Floor of Crono's house		The curtain opens and closes.
Sky Prison, Cell Block				A man turns into a skeleton.
Ozzy’s (Vinegar’s) Palace, Conveyer belt path	Examine the pulley and the upper part of the chain moves
Giant’s Claw, Old Throne Room			The party leader sits on the throne and laughs.

27 The Piano Player’s Song List Grows Larger and Larger

Pianist’s Songs

If you treat the female piano player at Truce Inn to a drink, she’ll play you a song, and the number of songs she can play increases the story progresses. The type of song and the requirements for unlocking those songs are listed below. Also, after you unlock two or more songs every time you buy her a drink the song she’ll play is chosen at random.

Info Box: Additional Songs and Conditions to Unlock Them

Song Name			Condition
Green Remembrance		Can be heard from the start of the game
The Wind’s Longing		Return to the Present in chapter 4, “I’m Home!”
Desolate World			Return to the Present in chapter 9, “The People of Demon Village”.
Wind, Sky and Earth Rhythym	Go to the Primitive Age in chapter 12, “Red Stone, Rare Stone”.
Corridors of Time		Go to the Ancient Age in chapter 18, “Magic Kingdom Zeal”

28 Dialog Before and After Battles Changes According to the Situation

    Enemy Dialogue

During the story there are a lot of bosses to fight, but one part of those battles, the conversations that lead into and follow them, can change depending on the circumstances. For example, the battle that occurs in Zeal Temple with the Dalton Golem – regardless of the outcome of this fight the story will progress, but if you win a frustrated speech by Dalton will be added. Also, the lines delivered when you battle Nizbel in Pteran Castle change depending on whether or not you spoke with Nizbel before the fight.

29 The Unexpected Origin of AU, the Name of the Character Hiding Behind the Shield

Monsters’ Names

In the Black Dream there is a monster who goes by the strange name of “AU.” At first glance you may think this mean “hero,” but the truth is that the golden shield braced before the shadowy figure is also one part of the origin of this name. In the Periodic Table of Elements, gold is represented by the symbol “Au,” so that is where his name is derived from. (Gold shield – Au Shield – “AU”)

(NOTE: Ok. This one is tricky and may require a bit of Japanese knowledge and a gander at the original scan to understand. Also, I honestly don’t remember what this guy’s name is in the English version anyway; so that only further impedes my ability to explain this satisfactorily. Moral of the story is the enemy’s name is a really lame pun. In Japanese, a lot of words with different meanings sound the same; a fertile ground for punning. The big joke here is that in katakana the enemy’s name is “eiyu-“ which shares its pronunciation with the two-character kanji meaning, basically, “hero” or “brave person.” So a Japanese person would probably assume that was the meaning. However – and here’s the real knee-slapper – it turns out that they named him that because they were trying to awkwardly transliterate the Periodic Table symbol for gold, Au, into Japanese. Get it? He has a gold shield and… oh never mind… Let’s just get to the big finish, shall we?)

30 A Door to Another Chrono Hidden Within the Ending (lit. “…the Ending, etc…/ the Ending and other places” but that sounds really awkward.)

Examination of Events

In an ending movie and some of the additions special to the DS version, there are some parts that you won’t understand if you have only played Chrono Trigger. The truth is that these sections suggest a connection to Chrono Trigger’s sequel, Chrono Cross. That game is set in a Gaurdia Kingdom that has been decimated by Porre (lit. “Parepori”) 20 years after the adventure of Chrono and company, and there are clues as to how that came to pass hidden within Chrono Trigger.

Picture 1: In one ending, is the baby picked up by Lucca really Chrono Cross’ heroine, Kid?

Picture 2: In Event I, “The Darkness at the End of Time” (lit. “Time’s Darkness), the “Dream Devourer” you battle makes one think of an evolved form of Chrono Cross’ final boss, “The Devourer of Time."

(NOTE: In the screenshot, the dialogue box basically reads: “If everything vanishes, that is fine. If everything is lost, then so be it.” Now, I know this is the kind of thing people love to overanalyze – I have read some of those Magus/Guile posts : ) – so I’ll leave it at that for now. BUT I will say there are definitely a few different ways to translate/interpret what Magus/Janus/Jacky is saying here.)

Picture 3: In Event H, “The Dimensional Vortex,” Dalton’s declaration that Porre will seize political power is in agreement with the background of Chrono Cross.

(NOTE: In the screenshot, Dalton is saying: “Because someday I will make Porre into world’s the strongest military nation and destroy your country. Don’t ever forget that, Crono!” Again, some minor variance probably exists in how to translate that one as well, but I’m fairly confident with that one.)

Masato Kato Interview[edit]

Translated by Cal Hampton!

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  Page 582, Kato interview

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  Page 583, Kato interview

Chrono Trigger Story Planner

Masato Katō

Mail Interview

We secured an e-mail interview with Mr Masato Katō, the man responsible for the ever-popular story of Chrono Trigger. Questions were mainly focused on the production of the Super Nintendo version.

What kind of work is Chrono Trigger to you?

Right from the start we go straight to the heart of the matter, huh? (laughs) Let’s see, how should I answer?

For me past titles are just “titles I worked on in the past.” That’s really all they are, nothing more, nothing less. But to answer like that would be a bit too blunt, so perhaps I should think about what kind of game it is… I suppose it might be called an RPG on the Super Nintendo, primarily targeting the age range of the upper years of elementary school, in which I tried to figure out what could be done and what should be done in a game about time travel.

Up to that point I had never made an RPG, I’d only been involved in Action and Character Development games, so it was probably the first title I went into with a strong awareness of matters like “What kind of story should an RPG have? What kind of story could only work for a game?”

How did the production of the Super Nintendo version progress?

At the very start the entire production staff of 50 or 60 people were gathered together in a large meeting room and each gave their opinions on what kind of game we wanted to make. Thinking about it now, it was a pretty messed up way to go about things. (laughs)

Ever since I was a boy I’ve liked Sci-Fi, and within that really loved time travel and time patrolling kinds of stories. The person who initially suggested we do a time travel piece was actually someone from outside of the project, and I objected to it at the time. Because I liked time travel stories so much, I knew that dealing with this subject in a game carried an unusually high danger of becoming a boring, unappealing work. However, my opposition to going with time travel was in the minority, and furthermore, the person who became the de-facto scenario head wasn’t the person who had originally suggested it, but me. What the heck was that all about?

After that, for the first year I spent hours every week in meetings at Mr Horī’s studio (Yūji Horī - Supervisor). I had to summarise any suggestions I’d been given or ideas I’d had about quest scenarios. I’d then take the parts that we’d worked on in the meetings back to my own company and think about how to continue those stories.

Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories from the production period?

Funny behind-the-scenes stories, huh… No, I don’t think there are any. (laughs) I just silently beavered away at my desk… while listening to prog rock on my headphones. Back then it was a job that was quite isolated, with me shut away in my own little world.

Oh, at the initial meeting I turned in a design I’d drawn in pencil for the party’s combined attack. The producer Mr Sakaguchi just smirked and said, “Don’t turn in scribbles like this.” Well, I guess it was right after I joined the company, so I wasn’t able to use my own booth or computer, I’d just drawn it sitting at the long meeting room table. (laughs)

There was also a time during a meeting when the idea of the main character dying came up, and the whole room suddenly burst into laughter. I seemed to be the only one who thought “That was a serious suggestion, what’s so funny?” and sat looking blank. (laughs) Although at that point Mr Horī did say “Hey, that might be pretty interesting.” Incidentally, the idea that I had at that time was for Crono to really die, and the others would have to go back in time and enlist a version of Crono from the night before the Fair. Then after the final battle they would have to return him to that point in time and bid him farewell. But that idea was rejected (laughs). They said it had to be a happy ending, so we eventually settled on the story with the clone as it is today.

I also used to stop by Mr Mitsuda the composer’s booth a lot, listen to some of the music he was making and tell him what I thought of it. One time he got really angry all of a sudden and was like “If you’re going to complain about every little thing, make it yourself!” (laughs)

But you know, looking back on it, they’re all good memories. Maybe.

What was difficult about writing a time travel story?

I wrote it 15 years ago, so it’s hard enough to remember how I felt at the time. (laughs)

Firstly, there’s the matter of what kind of time scale to give both the whole story and the individual quests. You can go on a journey across time, through past and future. You can directly influence events in history. Together with your allies, you can change the world. I racked my brains on how to bring out that sense of excitement and thrill as much as possible.

Furthermore, when making a game about time travel there’s a high chance of it not being done well and becoming like a chore for the player. Like planting a flag in the past and checking on the effects of it in the present and future over and over again, for instance. This could be said about RPGs in general, but if you think it through, whether it’s “do this,” “take this,” “defeat these monsters,” or “plant this flag,” it can become just a long string of errands.

With time travel, you have to develop quests that allow the player to visit different worlds back and forth along the timeline. This being the case it needs to be made easy to understand even more so than other kinds of games, or else the player can get lost and have no idea where to go or what to do next. You have to make it so that the player can clearly visualise causes and effects. On the other hand, there’s also the pitfall of it becoming a boring “plant the flag” kind of game. These are the kinds of things I had to take into consideration.

Which character do you feel most emotionally attached to and why?

It’s a hard choice, but if I had to narrow it down to one, I guess it’d be Lucca. I like characters like her who don’t need to act spoilt or flirty but can be dignified and stand on their own two feet. She never rejects the world or others, she’s adaptable and kind, and unexpectedly bewitching when she occasionally misses the point of things. (laughs) Magus and Frog are close seconds.

I also think Robo’s design is excellent. I wanted them to make a real one, but at the time the market for figures and the technology available to manufacturers hadn’t taken off as much as it has today. Maybe someone will make one sometime soon? (laughs)

Which events do you like and why?

Perhaps the Prophet vs. Lavos ending. His lines “If history is to change, let it change! If the world is to be destroyed, so be it! If my fate is to be destroyed... I must simply laugh!” are a great expression of life. It gives me the chills, even if I did write it myself. (laughs)

I also liked Robo cultivating Fiona’s Forest, that’s the kind of chance to change the world and change history that I wanted to have.

When the game was originally released I cited Lucca and Robo’s meeting as the event I liked, too. Lucca asking, “What do you want to do?” and treating this machine as an equal. It’s like Robo is reborn as, prompted by Lucca’s question, he starts to wonder for himself, “What do I want to do? What should I do? What must I do?”

How did you feel when you heard there was going to be a DS remake?

I wanted it to be based on the original Super Nintendo release rather than the Playstation version. I thought we should look at the additional elements from the Playstation version, re-examine and re-work them to make it a complete edition. That’s how it struck me and I told the staff so later on.

Some wanted to see Radical Dreamers (released on Satellaview , the game that became the inspiration for Chrono Cross) included as an extra on the DS version, was there ever a plan to do that?

No, I don’t think there was much demand to have Radical Dreamers included. If we did include it that would mean part of Chrono Trigger’s story would head into a different direction. As I stated before, for this version what we had in mind from the start was how best to port Chrono Trigger to the DS, how to rework the elements that weren’t developed properly in the PS version and to collate and revamp the whole thing.

As for Radical Dreamers, I have talked about the possibility of reworking it into some different form, but at present I don’t know what will happen. Personally I have lots of doubts about re-releasing it as it is, so I’ve also been discussing how to revise it after all this time.

What message would you give to the people reading this book?

No matter what it is, something that has taken serious effort to make is crammed full of the various thoughts of all the staff members involved in its production. I think it’s a wonderful thing that the crystallisation of those thoughts can reach other people. Looking back on when Chrono Trigger was first made, for me it’s a job from over 15 years ago. 15 years… Thank you to all the people who have held Chrono Trigger in their hearts all throughout that time.

And to those who will be playing Chrono Trigger for the first time, please enjoy your adventure through timewith Crono, Lucca, Marle and the others to your heart’s content.

You can surely change the world and the future.

Masato Kato Sketches[edit]

Translated by kobun20. Please note that the old man character is Gaspar, intended to be the 8th character of Chrono Trigger but ultimately cut. This is proven thanks to the Chrono Trigger V-Jump Player's Guide.

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  Page 584, Idea Sketch

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  Page 585, Idea Sketch

kobun20 has graciously provided scanlations:

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  Page 584, Idea Sketch

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  Page 585, Idea Sketch

Transcriptions:

A first-time ever exclusive!

Mr. Kato's own "Chrono Trigger" early development concept sketches

Tin Robot (This thing? Needs some work...)

Prehistoric Girl

Aristocrat's Daughter (Elf King's Daughter?)

Monster Man (In some kind of Godzilla costume?)

Inventor Girl

Protagonist

Maoh / Demon King

Wise Man

An image of the main characters. Robo's design and size are completely different here, while Crono gives off an impression of a mischevous brat. And in place of Frog, a "monster man" would have appeared instead?

The three heroines

Prehistoric girl (21)

The cheerful, energetic type Marle (14)

Inventor girl (19)

A rough sketch of Ayla, Marle, and Lucca with an early idea of what their ages could be like. Marle's short haircut looks so very different than the Marle we know.

Lucca (image)

In this characterization image, Lucca makes a dramatic appearance in a cloud of smoke that was probably produced by an invention of hers. Could the original Lucca have been even more flamboyant and wild than our own?

Crew gathering

A wild-looking Crono stands at the heart of this picture, with all the main characters converging in one image! Drawn like the cover of a shounen manga, this page is filled with life and pulsing with energy!

Yasunori Mitsuda Interview[edit]

Translated by Lorenz.

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  Page 586

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  Page 587

"Chrono Trigger is crammed full of every idea I had about music at the time."

Mitsuda Yasunori
Interview

When attempting to convey the charm of Chrono Trigger, one cannot forget to include the music of Yasunori Mitsuda. Whether it be stories from the days of the SNES version’s development or concerns about the DS version’s sound, we went and spoke with Mr. Mitsuda about all kinds of interesting topics.

"I feel the “wild, unrefined quality” lends a lot of power to the music."

• The SNES version of Chrono Trigger marked your debut at a composer in the game industry. Once more, could you please tell us how you came to be in charge of the music?

Mitsuda: From the start, I joined Square (now Square-Enix) because I wanted to compose songs. However, back then there were only a few people who could make sound effects and work as sound engineers, so for the first two years that was the only type of job they’d give me. Then, one day I went directly to Mr. Sakaguchi (Executive Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi) and said, “I want to write songs. I don’t care what kind of project it is, just please let me give it a shot.” At that time Mr. Sakaguchi said, “All right then, try this,” referring to some project that had just come up, a game called Chrono Trigger. So, it wasn’t like, “We need you for this project or else we’re doomed.” It was more like, “Well, if you really want to give it a shot, knock yourself out.” The whole decision was surprisingly nonchalant.

• But, as far as you were concerned, this was finally the chance you had been waiting for, right?

Mitsuda: Well, to tell you truth, even when I was working in sound effects, I was still secretly writing and compiling songs. But no matter how many I made, I could never present them to anyone, so I was really frustrated those two years. Because of that, when I was assigned to Chrono Trigger, even though I had technically just begun work as a composer, I would go through the pile of songs I had already stored up and choose one that I thought fit the game world. If I felt that I didn’t already have a song to fit a particular scene, then I would go back and create a new piece of music.

• Is the game’s main theme, “Chrono Trigger,” also one of the pieces you had stockpiled earlier?

Mitsuda: That song, “Chrono Trigger,” was one that I wrote only when the game’s development had begun in earnest. I wrote the whole thing in one sitting; I just couldn’t contain my excitement at finally being able to write music. The day after I was told, “Well, we’re leaving it up to you,” the final version was just about finished. I think the feeling of careening along in the intro part is all of my pent-up desire to be a composer finally bursting into existence.

• Chrono Trigger spans several time periods, each composed of varied genres. This is another one of the game’s unique characteristics, isn’t it?

Mitsuda: I have always liked different genres myself, so challenging myself to create a variety of songs – without just milking one genre – was really a lot of fun. The “me” that existed back then, every time he thought, “I’d like try and make this kind of song,” he took all of those ideas and jammed them into the game. In a way, I suppose you could say that’s the meaning of “Chrono Trigger.” If I go back and try to listen to those songs again now, there are a lot of parts that are rough around the edges. It’s kind of embarrassing, but at the same time I feel like if you look at it in a positive way the wild, unrefined quality brings a lot of power to the work.

• In your mind, is their a single theme that unites your entire oeuvre?

Mitsuda: If I were to try and put it into a few words, I’d say, “Music that can conjure up a scene.” Take, for example, the Middle Ages world map theme: rolling fields stretching into the distance, a lone windmill… I am driven to create the type of song that can allow you to clearly visualize that scene, even if you just listen to the music without looking at the screen. Songs can really strengthen something’s meaning. That’s because it makes it easy for most people to imagine the same scene and, when coupled with the game’s visuals, it can create for players an even stronger impression of that scene. With regard to that concept, it’s something that I knew I absolutely wanted to do ever since I began working on Chrono Trigger.

• Which is your favorite song?

Mitsuda: Though I enjoy songs such as the main theme, I’d have to say the ending music, “To Far Away Times,” has a very special place in my heart. I’d go so far as to say it’s a song that I may not be able to write now. That song was based on a piece I wrote a long time ago. I mixed in a phrase from Chrono Trigger’s main theme and reworked it a bit, imagining scenes with Crono and company and the thoughts that come with them. I wanted the piece to capture the kind of feelings you can’t truly express in words like, “After coming back from a long journey, I’m happy that we saved our planet’s future, but I’m sad because now I have to say good bye to all my friends.”

{NOTE: “To Far Away Times” is, as far as I can tell, literally translated as “To His Direction When Time Becomes Far Away” or “To Him When Time Grows Distant.” Obviously, this doesn’t quite have the ring of the name they eventually decided on.}

{NOTE: I chose the word “scenes” to describe what Yasunori is discussing about halfway through his response. I think this makes sense in context, and he uses a Japanese word for scene [シーン] several times over the course of this interview. However, I do have to point out that after zooming into the PDF a million times there is not doubt that the actual word in the Japanese version of the interview is ジーン. That means “gene,” like DNA and all that good stuff. Now, he could be using the term in a poetic way, referring to the more meme-like concepts of Chrono Trigger that continue to propagate themselves in the minds of players long after the adventure has concluded. He could. But I really don’t think so. I honestly suspect it is a typo as the two words are very similar – just two small dots separate them – and the idea of “scenes” fits much more readily with his response than that of some impromptu discussion of genetics. Regardless, for the sake of accuracy I just wanted to make a note. I’m certainly open to different opinions on this one.}

• Did you really watch the in-game ending and then write that song?

Mitsuda: No, the visuals still weren’t done, so I composed the song first, based on what I had heard from someone in the planning department. Then the programmers created visuals that would fit the music. I had heard that the final sequence would show Crono and company flying around in Epoch the so I thought I’d like to create a song with the feeling that you were careening through the entirety of the Chrono Trigger story. I’m sure you agree that the programmers did a great job matching visuals to that idea.

{NOTE: The Epoch is literally the Shiruba-do/Silver Bird, likely a pun similar to Jenosaido-mu/Genocide Dome, the Japanese name for Geno Dome}

• By the way, there is a song called “MITSUDA” in the Music Room of the Gallery (see page 569) that doesn’t seem to be used anywhere in the game…

Mitsuda: You see, I originally made that song to be used in the Developers’ Room (see page 562). I had heard that you can do whatever you want in the Developer’s Room, so I was going to have that song play when my comment came up. However, in the end it wasn’t used [smiles].

The Theme for the DS Version’s Audio: “A Perfect Replica of the SNES Version”

• How did you feel when you heard that the game was going to be rereleased on the DS?

Mitsuda: Well, it’s pretty complicated, right? I mean, I am extremely happy, but at the same time I was really inexperienced at the time I was working on Chrono Trigger. Putting that part of me out there into the world again is painful [smiles]. It’s a battle between my joy that there are people playing Chrono Trigger once more… and my embarrassment. I think it’s both.

• You are officially involved with the DS version as the Music Supervisor , but is there a specific area where you are focusing your energy?

Mitsuda: I think a lot of people who were elementary and middle school students when Chrono Trigger came out on the SNES are now adults and are saying, “Maybe I’ll play a little Chrono Trigger again.” The image they have of the original game is vividly burned into their memories. Players are sharp, so if there is even the smallest change in the music they are going to be able to tell the difference. And if that’s the case, we have to work to make this version a perfect replica of the SNES version. That said, because the Super Nintendo version was made using considerably older equipment, we can’t just bring it over to the DS “as-is.” So we search for sounds in the latest synthesizers that are as close as possible to the original sounds and use them to create the music. From the perspective of a composer, this is an unusually arduous task. But if you think about the fan’s feelings, wouldn’t they be happier if the music was just like they remember it from the SNES original?

• On the other side of the coin, 13 years have passed since the SNES version was released. I think there are also a lot of players who have never experienced the original game. How do you feel about that?

Mitsuda: With today’s games, it’s expected that they’re going to have full symphonic scores blaring out of the speakers, right? So, I’m extremely interested in how today’s players will feel when they play Chrono Trigger and hear the music, which was originally composed on a system that only had eight sounds. I would be especially happy if I could have elementary and middle school students, people for whom the DS version is their first version, send me an e-mail or post their impressions on my home page’s bulletin board. Also, since this version of Chono Trigger is on a handheld, I think there will be a lot of people who will end up playing with the volume turned down. By all means, I would like to encourage them to plug in their headphones and listen to the music while they play. That is my heart-felt request, as a composer [smiles].

{NOTE: This is a request that would be particularly important in Japan, where the idea of playing music or making noise in general in a lot of public settings is frowned upon. If you were to play your DS on the bus or train or while waiting at a store, you would be expected to have the volume off so as not be a nuisance. With that mindset, I can definitely see why Yasunori would specifically implore people to bust out the headphones since they would be doing themselves (and him) a great disservice if they never really listened to the game.}

(2008/11/14 Recorded at Square-Enix)

Comment at the bottom of page 587, next to his picture:
I’m extremely interested in how kids today will feel about this game’s music.

{NOTE: A quotation is a quotation. It can’t change, so some people may wonder why sometimes the text in the body of the interview and pull-out blurbs scattered on the pages don’t always match in this translation. That’s because they don’t always match in the Japanese either. Several of the headers and pull-outs are paraphrases, and thusly not put in actual quotation marks though they are based on something Yasunori said in his responses.}

Written at the bottom of page 587, below his picture:

• Yasunori Mitsuda’s official homepage “Our Millennial Fair” can be found at:

http://www.procyon-studio.com/

Written at the top right of page 587, in the Character Profile Info-Box:

Yasunori Mitsuda
Profile
He joined then-Square in 1992. He began his career as a composer on Chrono Trigger. Since 1998, he has been a multi-faceted freelancer, working on varied game, anime and movie projects.

Chrono Trigger OAV Manga[edit]

Currently, everything has been translated up to Gate 3. We aren't quite popular enough to attract scanlation help and don't want to solicit until we've got the rest translated. For the actual images:

• V-Jump Chrono Trigger Nuumamonja Manga (ZIP, ~247 MB)

7.jpg Neutral Time Adventure NuuMamonjaa~ Neutral [note: NuuMamonjaa, as we will see later, is an amalgamation of the main characters' names Nuu and Mamo; adding the 'njaa' to the end makes it sound like the Japanese pronunciation of Ranger, as in from a tokusatsu show (i.e. Red Ranger)] Story: Izawa Hiroshi Art: Kikuchi Akihiro

Right after these messages! [lit. Right after this!] Don't change that channel <3

10-11.jpg GATE 1 The Story of The Formation of NuuMamonja! ['The Story of' can be optional; comes from the '...no Maki' at the end, lit. 'The Scroll of', and is used often with period pieces; probably used to be comically "epic" here]

Long, long ago, way before Nuu and Mamo met

(sfx: rumbling)

A mysterious object was flying through the universe.

-

Meanwhile, here at the village of the Mamo tribe..

-

Tomorrow I'm going to climb the mountain, mo

[note: it seems the Mamo end their sentences with Mo; the long o sound is held out, which written in plain text would me moo, which.. looks like the sound a cow makes; may want to typeset it as mō or mo~/mo-]

(sfx: rustling)

I'll pick lots of fruit, mo

-

Hm!?

(sfx: sparkle)

-

(sfx: more rumbling, it's literally nubobobo, which is notable for Nu in the front..)

-

S-Something's happening, mo!!

-

(sfx: ka-boooom)

-

My hoooouse! [lit. Mamo's house is...!]

-

[Uncertain of the text bubble; looks like sound effects for rustling, but as speaking it seems meaningless; maybe *cough* or something]

(sfx: Eh?)

-

That sure was a fall.

[not 100% certain; it's definitely a pun or wordplay from Mamo's 'Something's happening' (okkotte kuru, which is already a weird spelling) by saying 'okkochita,' which doesn't have a clear meaning; probably related to 'ochita,' fell.]

-

Who the heck are you, mo?!

I-I'm Nuu.

-

My favorite thing is my mop. It's pretty useful when you want to scratch the middle of your back.

(small text: what the heck, what the heck)

Don't tell me about that, mo!!

-

The House of the Mamo Tribe's Elder

-

Your honor! [lit. Elder-sama]

(background sfx: chatter, whisper)

I want you to do something about this weird Nuu thing, or whatever it's called, mo!!

(small text: I sure have been caught)

-

Nuu, or whatever, having come to our village you must swallow your pride and obey our rules. [lit. 'I'll have you accept our conditions'; accept here is 'nomu' which can also mean to drink, which sets up the next page's pun....]

12-13.jpg Well, I sure can swallow this water. [lit. If you want me to swallow, you sure must mean water.]

Don't just drink it on your own, mo...

-

Aa..

-

Sploosh

-

Waaaa~ What's going on, mo!!

(sfx: kyuuuuuuuuuuuun, the sound of a gate from Chrono Trigger)

Sure dunnoooooo [lit. Daaaa naaaa; he ususally ends sentences with da na, which I usually translate as some form of 'sure am']

-

(sfx: buoooon, sound of a gate opening)

-

Aa! That Nuu is gone, mo!! Now where did he run off to, mo!?

-

I sure am stuck...

-

Well then, visitors are a rare sight.

(sfx: wriggling)

Where are we, mo?

-

This is the place where all time periods intersect, the End of Time. [note: it's actually Farthest Reaches of Time, but End of Time is fine] I am Hash, the gatekeeper of the farthest reaches.

-

I hate this gloomy place, mo! I'm going back to the village, mo!

Ho, ho, ho (slow laugh)

-

If you wish to return, you may jump into that bucket.

-

You should have said so sooner, mo!

Bye bye!

(sfx: jump)

-

sploosh

-

Waa!!

-

There was something terrible in there, mo!!

It was bumpy...

(sfx: trembling)

Ho, ho, ho

-

That thing is Lavos, the life-form from outer space. And this guy's Ramos. [reference to Ruy Ramos, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruy_Ramos and google a picture, you'll see the resemblance]

-

It is a dreadful creature that exerts an evil force on all time periods...

-

I don't wanna go back to something like that, mo!! What do we do, mo? What do we do, mo?

Hmm...

-

You could just give up!

14-15.jpg

Ehhh! Why do I have to live in a place like this, mo!! And with this guy, too!!

You two make a great combination.

-

Flash [as in flash a glare]

(sfx: rub, pick)

-

(sfx: sound of light turning on)

Truly, I had a short life, mo.

-

Seriously. We should come up with a name for you as a pair! What are your names?

Mamo here, mo!

I'm Nuu

-

If we combine the two of you, Nuu and Mamo... (sfx: Hmmm...)

-

The Farthest Reaches Comedy Brothers!!

-

What do you think?

That has nothing to do with our names, mo!!

-

Hmmm... (sign: Spekkio's Room)

There's no choice, mo. If we're stuck living here, let's make ourselves at home, mo!

-

(sfx: bang from door opening)

W-what are you!?

-

Who do you think I am!? I'm the great God of War, Spekkio!

-

Alright, first off, we change the wallpaper, mo!

Yup.

Hey!

-

Let's throw out that dirty futon.

Yup.

Wawa!

-

Alright!

(sign: NuuMamonjaa's Room)

-

So that's that then.

-

Heeeey, so you've decided on a name for your partnershi--

-

(sfx: mop squeaking)

My room...

Thus was the formation of NuuMamonjaa. Go, go, NuuMamonjaa! Until you return to your own time period!

~

16-17.jpg CLAY COMIC Exciting Clay Action Nuu and Mamo

(The Story Of) Picnics Are Fun, mo!

-

Picnics sure are fun.

Why did you bring ice cream to a picnic, mo!?

-

Cause it sure is delicious

You're gonna get the runs. [lit. And then you'll have a cold belly. I asked my Japanese friend about this phrase, and she said in Japanese cold stomach leads to 'friends with the toilet']

-

Hau--

(sfx: surprise)

-

Toilet! Toilet!

Hey now..

-

Despite all that, what a nice view, mo... The mountains're nice, mo [I assume these are the phrases spoken by the mamo on Denadoro Mts...]

-

It sure is a nice view over here!

-

Hooo...

Gyafuun! [Some kind of surprised scream?]

The end

-

GATE 2

(The Story Of) Zoom Zoom with Mahha

-

Due to various circumstances, Nuu and Mamo have fallen into the End of Time, and due to further circumstances the Time & Space Squad NuuMamo-nger have formed, but...

(background picture: MOUNTAIN - MAMO VILLAGE)

arrow box: Radar Operator Spekkio

Wh-why am I doing this..

-

(sfx: long high pitched sound, like an alarm...)

It's an emergency, mo!!

-

I j-just farted...

(background sfx: more high pitched sounds, like a Nuu fart I guess...)

-

(sfx: more farts)

Cut it out already, mo!! [lit. So insistent!]

It's for real this time!

(sfx around Nuu: more farts, kind of.. sputtering now)

18-19.jpg Knowing exactly what will happen as we face the future...

Well, there's only one way to find out. [lit. well, if we go we'll understand.]

-

Entering that gate should allow you to go to the future.

-

Spekkio! I have a mission for you as well!

Eh?

-

Until we return, I'll need you to do the housework and laundry, and begin to prepare dinner... And, let's see...

Mops sure are for housework.

-

Stop playing around!!

(sfx: kick, boing)

-

NuuMamo-nger, take off, mo~!

Yup.

-

AD 2300

That monster called Johnny is why I can't return home!

-

To return home, I have to take this road.

Johnny only lets those who beat him in a race to pass!

-

That's simple, mo! All we have to do is challenge the guy and win, mo!

Yeah! I can take down 5 bowls in 1 minute!

U-uh.. It isn't a speed eating challenge...

- [note: the robot speaking text is entirely in katakana; as you might expect, this makes them sound robotic] SUSPICIOUS PERSONS

PERSONS-RIBBIT

-

Hold it!

-

Boss! <3 [Aniki- <3] [Aniki here is literally older brother. It's used often in gangs or other hierarchal male groups. Some would translate this as "Bro!" or "Big bro!" I personally like Boss, which is pretty neutral. I leave it up to whoever would typeset this to decide what they would like.]

Aa! Johnny!

-

The Lord of the Rats eh? You know ya gotta defeat me in a race to get through here.

Yeah, and today we have come to challenge you!

(background robots: Boss! Boss!)

-

Nuu-san! Mamo-san! It's all you!

-

Shf shf (sound of throwing punches)

Shf -

Shf

Shf

-

We'll drop you in one round, mo

I'm not gonna do boxing!

-

20-21.jpg

-

Johnny Racing Form - On!

-

kasho--n (engines revving)

-

pakon (sound of the wheels touching)

-

Yeah!

jaa--n (Tada type sound)

-

Hey hey! You gonna do this or ain't ya? [Decide already.]

Ma-mamo-san, where's your car?

Right here, mo!

[The green and yellow arrow symbol is used in Japan for Novice drivers.]

I'm gonna run.

Transformation! Nuu Jet!

gaki---n (machinery sound, hi pitched)

goki--n (machiner sound, deeper)

-

jika--n

Nuu Jet - Complete

-

I... I can't move...

(sfx: zuko---n - everyone falling over)

-

Johnny! If we win, you become our servant, mo!

Interesting. I accept!

-

Beep

Boooop

-

GO!

(sfx: baon!)

-

Energy supply!

-

Nuu Turbo Full Power!

(sfx: bobu--n)

Gege-!

-

Nuu-san, that's amazing!!

-

Dammit!

I won't let anyone in front of me!!

-

See ya

Ah!

-

Nuu!

Hurry, mo! Hurry, mo!

(sfx: coughing, wobbly)

Guess I c-can't... keep up anymore...

-

(sign: Nuu's Body)

-

(sfx: loud rolling)

Guwa--!

Stop us, mo!

GOAL

-

(sfx: loud rolling)

-

Aah! That's my house...

-

(sfx: LOUD EXPLOSION)

-

Case closed, mo!

And that's how Johnny became the servant of Nuu and Mamo!

I'm home...

-

22-23.jpg

-

(sign: Festival! Game Making) Surprising Scoop! 'NuuMamonger' has become a game!!

yellow text on right: A Chrono Trigger crossover!?

Mamo text on left: Yahoo! Mamo is the King, mo!!

Nuu: I.. I'm the main character

What kind of secrets could there be in the map?

Big scoop! Nuu and Mamo have been put in a game! According to these screens, it looks like an RPG! I can't wait for the release date!! ... Or something like that. Actually, it's an original game created with 'RPG Tsukuuru' from ASCII Software. Give it a try and it will teach you everything you need to know to create.

caption for lower right image: Nuu, standing on the stage, tells a joke. What kind of scene is this? lower right image - Nuu text box" Kato-chan pe-

blue box on bottom: Title: This game was used to create the game Create your own original RPG. For Playstation.

red box: Continued on page 28, mo!

- GATE 3 - (The Story Of) Magical Ka-boom

middle white box: NuuMamonger - Introduction to All Members!

(clockwise from Mamo)

NuuMamonger Member #1 MAMO

Radar Operator & Housework Helper SPEKKIO

NuuMamonger Commander - HASH

Servent JOHNNY

Eh?

NuuMamonger Member #2 NUU

-

Heeeeeeeey! Why do *I* gotta be the servant here??

You promised to become our servant if you lost the race, mo.

-

Yeah, well what bout this then!?

So you won't escape, mo.

They sure are pretty cool lookin' shoes.

-

(background sfx: high pitched alarm)

There's trouble!

Let's go, mo!

Yup!

H- Hey...

-

I'm not done speakin'..

-

Gue--!

(sfx are pretty obvious!)

-

We have a Priority One case in the year 1000 AD.

A Priority one!?

-

A child's cake was stolen, you see.

(sfx: neck crack)

-

There's no way that counts as Priority One.

Strawberry cake sure is yummy

-

I think I'll bring Spekkio along this time.

Eh!?

-

Ah jeez, I guess, even though you've never called me for a case before this Or how about, It's finally time for my true power...

-

Everyone's already left.

-

AD 1000 - Heckran Cave

Heke Heke [I guess this is laughter?]

Cake is my favorite food, kehe~

Gimme back my cake!

-

(sfx: gate opening, landing on the ground)

-

Hold it, mo!

-

Holdin' it.

(sfx: slap)

Not you.

-

NuuMamonger! You've come for me!

It'll be all right, mo.

-

DA--!!

-

(sfx: Nuu is making scrubbing sounds, Mamo is making metallic thwacks)

-

(sfx: heavy breathing)

The spade was not effective, mo.

Mop too...

These guys intended to used THOSE to take him down?

-

Hey! If I beat this guy, promote up from Servant!

Do what you want, mo.

-

Awwright! Hey you! Ya got three seconds left of this lifetime!!

Johnny s-sure is cool

-

Racing Mode - On!

-

Take this! Jet Tackle!!

-

(sfx: ching!)

text: Still attached.

- (sfx: booom!)

Guwa-!!

Johnny remains Servant for the time being, mo.

-

26-27.jpg

-

Ah jeez, I can't watch this.

No matter how many cuts or strikes you land on Heckran, it will be pointless.

-

Only magic is effective against this guy.

So I'll blow him away with magic!

-

Kero kero

Geko geko

Hekko heko

(background sfx: rising power)

-

FLARE!

(sfx: booom!)

Gyowa--!

-

Did you see? With my power...

background text: That's done with clouds: heavy breathing

-

(sign: Tactical Meeting In Session)

It's definitely a Cream Cake then, mo.

The best cream sure is chocolate.

Why couldn't you watch, jeez!!

-

Blue box: Spekkio

-

Now's our chance, mo! Let's end this, mo!

Yeah!

-

(sfx: dooooooo)

Final Nuu Ataaaaaaaaaaaack!!

-

O-okay, I don't need the cake, heke...

-

We did it--!

That was simple!

-

Noow then, where's that cake, mo~

Wonder if it's come out.

-

Ah...

It sur eis a mess...

-

Nuu-san, Mamo-san, didja get my cake?

-

Transformation! Nuu Cake!

-

(high pitched machine sound)

-

(lower pitched machine sound)

-

Right here!

Served up quick for you

Is that even edible!??

Final Fantasy III DS Interview[edit]

Hiromichi Tanaka was interviewed back when Final Fantasy III was being remade for the DS. The full interview is found here. Legends of Localization picked up on a fascinating bit about Chrono Trigger, reproduced below:

From FFI and on, we would always look at the previous games for things we felt could have been better. FFI had an orthodox design, while II featured a narrative story plus a brand new growth system that didn’t use experience points. FFIII had jobs you could switch between while you fought, the ability to cast multi-target spells, and other such gameplay tempo improvements, as well as more fully-refined experience and battle systems.

After we finished FFIII, we started FFIV with the idea of a slightly more action-based, dynamic overworld rather than keep combat as a completely separate thing. But, at some point, it wound up not being IV anymore… Instead, it was eventually released as “Seiken Densetsu 2” (Secret of Mana), but during development it was actually referred to as “Chrono Trigger”. (laugh)

At the time, just after FFIII, we were working with Mr. Toriyama on a game with a seamless, side-view system. A CD-ROM attachment for the Super Famicom was scheduled to be released, you see. So we had this enormous game planned out for the CD-ROM attachment, but ultimately we were never able to release it.

So we had the Chrono Trigger project changed to a new game, and this other game we had been working on was condensed down into Seiken Densetsu 2. Because of this, Seiken 2 always felt like a sequel to FFIII to me.

Final Fantasy VII Developer Interview[edit]

These interviews likely came from one of the player's guides. They're transcribed here. One relevant bit references Chrono Trigger's courthouse scene as follows. Thanks to akaipanda74 for translating!

・直良有祐（グラフィック）


（要約）

　ムービーも含めたグラフィック全体の統括をやりました。仕事の中身的には背景関係のグラフィックが
大部分ですね。これまでのグラフィックは、大概が上から見おろしの固定画面でした。つまり、町を例にして
説明すると、家、道、草地、塀、といったグラフィックのパーツを組み合わせて成立する絵だったんです。
今回はそういったパーツではなく、あくまでも１枚の絵として見せたいという気持ちがありました。

　スーパーファミコンの『クロノトリガー』の裁判所のグラフイックなどでも試みたことなのですが、容量を多めに
使って、書き込んだ一枚絵でマップを見せるというものです。パーツではなく、家、道、草地、塀を１つの絵と
して描いて、町のマップとして使用するというものです。マップのアングルも演出にあわせて色々変えて見たり
ムービーと自然に繋いでみたりとか、できる限りのことを試しています。

Yusuke Naora (Graphics)

(Summary)

I supervised the inclusive graphics of the cut-scenes in their entirety. In regards to the majority of the work, it would have to be the scenery graphics. So far, the graphics in general have been fixed images with a birds-eye view. In other words, to better illustrate: houses, roads, grasslands, walls or some such graphic components join up and complete the scene. This time there wasn't such components. To the best of my ability, I wanted to display the feeling of a seamless graphic.

I can say that this has been tried even with graphics such as the courthouse in “Chrono Trigger” on SNES. Though storage capacity is largely used, such a map could display with one stored image. Not only components, but also houses, roads, grasslands, and walls are depicted as one image. Even town maps use this method. I am trying to the best of my ability to also be able to do things like match various color changes to the angle of the map in production and naturally transfer to cut-scenes.

shmuplations Chrono Trigger Interviews[edit]

shmuplations has translated three CT interviews previously archived at the Japanese GSLA website. Check them out here and support their Patreon, as they're translating an impressive body of work.

Mystery Geocities Interviews[edit]

Refer to Mystery Interviews.

Chrono Trigger DS Retranslation[edit]

Dream's Epilogue[edit]

by Arc Impulse

？？？「ここには、もうラヴォスはいない。 ここはすでにラヴォスが倒された 未来の時空だ。 俺たちがヤツを滅ぼした。

???: Lavos is no longer here. This is a future timespace where Lavos has already been defeated. We destroyed him. [I find it curious that this future(?) Magus refers to himself throughout this ending as 'ore'-- Magus in the rest of CT refers to himself as 'watashi' everywhere but a single scene.]

Ｍａｇｕｓ「もっとも、お前たちが やってきた世界で 俺たちが手を組んでいたかどうかは 知らぬがな。

Magus: Although I don't know whether or not I joined forces with you, in the world you come from. [He said this to me with Magus in my party, so I assume he says the same thing no matter what.]

世界は、せんたくの数だけ存在する。

There are as many worlds out there as there are choices.

Ｍａｇｕｓ「この先で、新たな敵が 生まれようとしている。 この先に広がる、時の闇の底で。

Magus: Beyond [this Gate], a new enemy is trying to come into being. In the deepest depths of the Darkness of Time beyond this point.

人の記憶を、夢を、想いを 喰らおうとしている...。

It's trying to devour people's memories, their dreams, their thoughts...

Ｍａｇｕｓ「俺のジャマをするな。 お前たちはそこで見ているがいい...。

Magus: Don't get in my way. You just stay there and watch...

((blah blah, Magus fights DD, sucks at it))

Ｍａｇｕｓ「クッ... ま、まだだ......。

Magus: Ungh... Not-- not yet...

((the party enters. In my party of Crono/Magus/Marle nothing interesting was said))

Ｍａｇｕｓ「ジャマはするなと 言ったはずだ...。

Magus: I told you not to get in my way...

サラ「なにもかも、消えてしまえばいい。 失われてしまえばいい......！

Schala: Everything should just disappear. It should all be lost forever...!

Ｍａｇｕｓ「ダメだ！目を覚ませ！ 目を覚ましてくれ......、サラ......！

Magus: No, don't! Open your eyes! Please, wake up... Schala...! ['open your eyes/wake up' have the same metaphorical meaning in Japanese as they do in English -- he's begging her to break free of Lavos's influence.]

誰か「あ、あぶない！！

Somebody in the party: Look out!

((more boring messages from the party here))

サラ「滅びなさい、すべてのものよ！！

Schala: Let all things perish!!

((DD battle goes here. Moment of editorializing: was pathetically easy at lvl 60 once I equipped status immunity items.))

Ｍａｇｕｓ「ダメだ！ いけない、サラ......！

Magus: No, don't! You can't do this, Schala...!

Ｍａｇｕｓ「くッ......！　姉上！

Magus: Ungh...! Schala! [he actually says 'ane-ue', i.e. "big sister". This is what Janus/Jyaki always calls her in the JP version.]

Ｍａｇｕｓ「あ、姉上......？

Magus: S-- Schala...?

サラ「いずれ私の意識は、 完全にラヴォスに 飲み込まれてしまうでしょう。

Schala: Sooner or later, my consciousness will probably be completely swallowed up by Lavos.

絶望と悲しみの底で、 すべてを消し去ることを...... 自分を消し去ってしまうことさえ 望んだのは、私自身なのだから......。

Because I myself was the one who, in deepest grief and despair, wished that everything... that even my own existence would be erased...

サラ「いまのあなた方のちからでは、 私を解放することは不可能です。

Schala: All of you -- with your power as it stands now, it's impossible for you to free me. [Note that she's specifically speaking in the plural, addressing the party as well as Magus.]

いえ、むしろ、 ちからに頼っている限り、 あなた方には世界の絶望も悲しみも、 いやすことはできないものです。

No, rather-- For as long as you rely on power, none of you can heal this world's grief, or its despair.

さあ、いまは、自分たちの時代に おもどりなさい。

For now... back to your own eras with all of you.

Ｍａｇｕｓ「姉上......。

Magus: Schala...

サラ「ジャキ......、ありがとう。 私は、もう以前の私ではないの......。 あなたは、強く生きて......。

Schala: Janus... thank you. I'm not the same person that I was before... Please, live on and be strong*... [*literally "live strongly". In this part, she talks in an informal style, and her speech almost sounds like the slang of a perfectly normal girl... you can really feel her love for Janus in this bit, I think.]

Ｍａｇｕｓ「姉上！？

Magus: Schala!?

サラ「さようなら......

Schala: Goodbye... [a formal "sayounara", which hints that she expects never to see him again.]

Ｍａｇｕｓ「姉上ーッ！

Magus: Schala--!!

Ｍａｇｕｓ「俺の力では、どうあっても かなわぬというのか？

Magus: Do you really mean to say that with my power, no matter what happens it will never be enough?

ならば、俺という存在に、 これからの俺の日々に いったいどんな意味があると いうのか......？

If that's the way it is, just what meaning could there ever be in my existence, or in my days to come?

Ｍａｇｕｓ「フッ、いいだろう......。 ならば、俺もすべてを投げ出して 消え去ってしまうとしよう。

Magus: Heh... very well, then... If that's how it is, I too will throw away everything and disappear.

それでもまだ何かが残り、俺という 存在が続いていくというのならば...... その時こそ新たな何かが生まれ、 始まるのだろう。

And if even then, something still remains-- if some part of this being I call "myself" still keeps existing... Maybe then it will be possible for something new to be born, to begin.

((Cue Magus poofing into the darkness, then reawakening in Random Forest A.))

ここは......？

うっ......

Where...?

Unh...

俺は......俺は、だれなんだ？ 何も思い出せない......。 いったい、何がどうなっている......？

I...... Who-- Who am I? I can't remember anything... What in the world is going on...?

俺には、何か、どうしてもやらなくては いけないことが......、見つけ出さなくては ならないものがあった......はずだ。

There was something I... had to do... no matter what... Something I had to find... I'm sure of it.

それを、なんとしても取り戻してみせる。 きっと、な。 No matter what happens, I'll get it back again. No matter what.

And that's that. Like I said, not a lot different, but it's evident that the translator wasn't too worried about preserving nuance.

Chrono Trigger DS Original Soundtrack[edit]

Liner notes, of course! These were translated by Lorenz.

It has been a long, long time since the birth of Chrono Trigger, but I am pleasantly surprised that it continues to be loved by people to this very day.

When Chrono Trigger was released, I was just a twenty-year old beginner, a baby chick that didn't know its right from its left. Who would want to listen to songs composed by some amateur who had only spent a few years on the long road to becoming a composer? I still clearly remember the medley of emotions, the negativity blending with the desire to write music. Focusing every day solely on writing songs may have been the only way I swept away my trepidation.

Of course, even the game's release did little to assuage my fears and insecurities. This was before the Internet era; I wasn't able to check online right away to find out if people liked the music. It wasn't until after the release of the Chrono Trigger Soundtrack that people started sending me postcards and letters saying, "That's good music!" Little by little, I started to gain some confidence.

Chrono Trigger marked the beginning of my career, but no matter how much times passes the things people said and the lessons I learned are indelibly etched in my mind. I am sure that going forward there is still a great deal for me to learn from this work, so I hope that—much like its theme, "Transcending Time"—the work itself is able to continue to find a place in people's hearts.

One last thing. To everyone who played Chrono Trigger; everyone involved in making the game; and all the people who helped to bring up the Mitsuda Yasunori, the composer, I would like to express my gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

6/10/2009
Mitsuda Yasunori

Radical Dreamers[edit]

Tsushin Interview[edit]

So far, we only have a Satellaview tsushin scan provided by lytron:

• 

  Page 1

• 

  Page 2

They've been translated thanks to AkaiPanda. Note that due to the low quality of the scans, certain symbols were indecipherable; these are denoted with X in the original Japanese.

Chrono Cross[edit]

ANVIL III - The Man in the High Castle[edit]

This is an artbook featuring some of Nobeteru Yuki's work on Chrono Cross.

• 

  104 El Nido Water

• 

  106 Water Dragon Isle

Bandai Card Game[edit]

See Chrono Cross Bandai Card Game for more information. The name card still needs to be translated. Download all here:

• Download All (ZIP, 45.2 MB)

Thanks to rin-uzuki of Ramsus-kun scanlations for the translations!

This is a very quick, rough translation. It’s likely error-ridden and inconsistent and needs to be tweaked by someone with an actual understanding of the card game. I’m available to answer translation questions to the best of my ability here or at RinUzuki@gmail.com

In conjunction with the previously translated card game rules, I translated [一番手] as “first card position”/“first-position card”/”card in first position”.

particularly dubious or questionable translations have been underlined

Japanese often doesn’t clearly distinguish between

a) singular vs plural nouns, or

b) the subject of the action

So while [自分のx] = “your x (deck, card, etc.)” and [相手のx] = “your opponent’s x (deck, card, etc)”, when these phrases are absent, it can be ambiguous just whose card is being affected.

This is assuming more than two people can play the game or that there could be multiples of certain cards in play. As above, when a card affects another - like Kid adding 100 to a Serge card - it’s not clear if Kid adds 100 to one Serge card or all Serge cards.

- for the summon cards, I’m drawing a blank on the definition of [みの切り札]. [切り札] = “trump card”, but what that [み] means is unclear to me. As of 06/06/2015, I’ve translated the rule as such below, but this should be revised:

★このカードは特殊ルールのみの切り札カードです。
山札に入れられるのは一枚だけ。使用後は山札に戻せません。
This card trumps other card’s special rules.

So, please keep in mind that the rules laid out here are a rough/possibly incorrect approximation of the original and would have to be combed through more finely to actually fully make sense in the context of the game. I would recommend reviewing these for errors at least a couple times before doing the work of putting them into the card templates.

• 

  01 Serge
  皆を導くリーダー・セルジュ。
  自分の一番手を＋１００アップ。
  Serge, everyone's leader.
  Add 100 to your card in first position.

• 

  02 Serge
  自分の一番手のカード＋１００アップ。
  Add 100 to your card in first position.

• 

  03 Serge
  時空を越える冒険をする少年。
  自分の一番手を＋１００アップ。
  The boy on a space-time-crossing adventure.
  Add 100 to your card in first position.

• 

  04 Kid
  頼もしい相棒キッド。セルジュのカードを＋１００アップ。
  Kid, the trusty sidekick. Add 100 to Serge card.

• 

  05 Kid
  ヤマネコの宿敵キッド。相手のヤマネコをー５０ダウン。
  Lynx’s arch-enemy, Kidd. Minus 50 from an opponent’s Lynx.

• 

  07 Glenn
  龍騎士団所属のグレン。緑属性の一番手を＋５０アップ。
  Acacia Dragoon Glenn. Adds 50 to one Green Attribute card in first position.

• 

  08 Leena
  恋する乙女の力でセルジュのカードを＋２０アップ。
  The power of a woman’s love adds 20 to a Serge card.

• 

  09 Poshul
  親友レナのピンチにかけつけ、レナのカードを＋１００アップ。
  Comes running to aid her best friend Leena. Add 100 to a Leena card.

• 

  10 Razzly
  場に捨てた緑属性のカードを一枚山札の一番上に戻す。
  Return one discarded Green Attribute card to the top of your deck.

• 

  11 Riddel
  許婚に思いをはせるリデル。
  相手の一番手をー１００ダウン。
  Riddel remembers her fiancé.
  Minus 100 from an opponent’s card in first position.

• 

  12 Karsh
  栄光の騎士団参上！自分の四天王を＋５０アップ。
  Call on the glory of the Acacia Dragoons! Add 50 to the Four Devas.

• 

  13 Zoah
  騎士団きっての肉体派ゾア。
  自分の四天王を＋５０アップ。
  Zoah, the most muscular of all the Acacia Dragoons.
  Add 50 to the Four Devas.

• 

  14 Marcy
  見事な武術の腕前。自分の四天王を＋５０アップ。
  Splendid martial arts abilities.
  Add 50 to the Four Devas.

• 

  15 Dario
  場に捨てた蛇骨大佐を自分の山札の一番上に戻す。
  Return a discarded General Viper card to the top of your deck.

• 

  16 Viper
  場に捨てたカードを一枚選び自分の山札の一番上に戻す。
  Choose one discarded card and return it to the top of your deck.

• 

  17 Radius
  育てたグレンを思う親心。グレンを＋１００アップ。
  Remember the parents who raised Glenn.
  Add 100 to a Glenn card.

• 

  18 Luccia
  蛇骨大佐に使える天才科学者。フィオ、ギャダランを＋５０アップ。
  The genius scientist employed by General Viper. Add 50 to NeoFio and Grobyc cards.

• 

  19 Harle
  ヤマネコの右腕。ヤマネコのカードを＋１００アップ。
  Lynx’s right-arm. Add 100 to Lynx cards.

• 

  20 Grobyc
  復讐の狂戦士。冷酷な攻撃で、相手の一番手をー１００ダウン。
  Revenge of the super-soldier. In a ruthless attack, minus 100 from your opponent’s card in first position.

• 

  21 Pip
  科学者ルチアナの使った新種生命体。ルチアナに＋５０アップ。
  The new life-form created by the scientist Luccia. Add 50 to Luccia.

• 

  22 Korcha
  口は悪いけど根はいいヤツ。母親ママを＋５０アップ。
  He’s got a bad mouth but he’s a good kid at heart. Add 50 to Macha.

• 

  23 Nikki
  隠された絆でマルチェラのカード＋５０アップ。
  Hidden bonds add 50 to a Marcy card.

• 

  24 Pierre
  金髪美男子。自分の一番手の女性蔵＋１００アップ。
  Blonde beauty. Add 100 to one of your female character cards in first position.

• 

  25 Miki
  素敵なダンスでスラッシュのカードを＋５０アップ。
  A dreamy dance adds 50 to a Nikki card.

• 

  26 Macha
  厳しく優しく育てた息子・コルチャのカードに＋５０アップ。
  Raised her son strictly and with kindness. Add 40 to a Korcha card.

• 

  27 Turnip
  カブの戦士。白か黄色の属性のカードを＋５０アップ。
  Turnip Knight. Add 50 to a White or Yellow Attribute card.

• 

  28 Fargo
  蛇骨大佐に抵抗心を持つ。相手の蛇骨大佐をー５０ダウン。
  Oppose General Viper. Minus 50 from an opponent’s General Viper.

• 

  29 Orlha
  ガルドーブで酒場を営む。青属性のカードを＋５０アップ。
  Runs a bar in Guldove. Add 50 to a Blue Attribute card.

• 

  30 Steena
  龍の巫女。５０～５５のカードの特殊効果を無効にする。
  Dragon Priestess. Disable 50 to 55 card’s special abilities.

• 

  31 Norris
  バレボり軍の若い士官。黄色属性のカードを５０アップ。
  Young officer of the Porre army. Add 50 to a Yellow Attribute card.

• 

  32 Van
  芸術を愛する心を持つヴァンリフ。黒属性を＋５０アップ。
  Van, who loves art. Add 50 to a Black Attribute card.

• 

  33 Leah
  なんでも食べる食いしん坊。相手のカブ未の解く社交果を無効に。
  Glutton who will eat anything. Cancels out an opponent's Turnip’s special ability.

• 

  34 Greco
  元レスラーの墓守。自分の一番手を＋１００アップ。
  Protect the grave of an unknown wrestler. Add 100 to your card in first position.

• 

  35 Janice
  ウサギの亜人。自分のファルガのカードを＋５０アップ。
  Rabbit demi-human. Add 50 to your Fargo card.

• 

  36 Irenes
  人魚の亜人。『歌』を奪った相手のファルガをー５０ダウン。
  Mermaid demi-human. Minus 50 to an opponent’s Fargo, who stole the ‘song’.

• 

  37 Mojo
  軽快なダンスを踊り攻撃する。相手をー５０ダウン。
  Attack with a jaunty dance. Minus 50 from an opponent.

• 

  38 Skelly
  スケルトン道化師。相手の一番手をー５０ダウン。
  Skeleton clown. Minus 50 from an opponent’s card in first position.

• 

  39 Guile
  人々を驚かせる凄腕のマジシャン。自分の一番手を＋５０アップ。
  A magician who frightens people with his abilities. Add 50 to your card in first position.

• 

  40 Mel
  友だちのコルチャに恋をしている。コルチャを＋５０アップ。
  Loves her friend Korcha. Add 50 to Korcha.

• 

  41 Sprigg
  場に捨てたカードを一枚選び自分の山札の一番上に戻す。
  Choose one discarded card and return it to the top of your deck.

• 

  42 Sneff
  おちぶれた超一流のギャンブラー。相手をー５０ダウン。
  A ruined elite gambler. Minus 50 from an opponent.

• 

  43 Orcha
  蛇骨大佐の名コック。蛇骨大佐とリデルを＋５０アップ。
  General Viper’s famous cook. Add 50 to General Viper and Riddel.

• 

  44 Draggy
  くるくる飛びながら炎を吐き攻撃！一番手を＋５０アップ。
  Fly around in a circle while breathing fire! Add 50 to your card in first position.

• 

  45 Starky
  重力を自在に操り光線中で攻撃する。一番手を＋５０アップ。
  Attack with an anti-gravity beam. Add 100 to a card in first position.

• 

  46 Doc
  場に捨てたカードを一枚選び自分の山札の一番上に戻す。
  Choose one discarded card and return it to the top of your deck.

• 

  47 Zappa
  テルミナの頑固な鍛冶屋。相手のピエールをー５０ダウン。
  Termina’s stubborn blacksmith. Minus 50 from an opponent’s Pierre.

• 

  48 NeoFio
  イバラ状の手足を動かし攻撃する。ルチアナを＋５０アップ。
  Attacks with its thorn-like limbs. Add 50 to Luccia.

• 

  49 Funguy
  グルメなキノコの怪人・オーチャを＋５０アップ。
  A mysterious mushroom gourmet. Add 50 to Orcha.

• 

  50 FrogPrince
  自分の一番手が水の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a Water Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.
  ★このカードは特殊ルールのみの切り札カードです。
  山札に入れられるのは一枚だけ。使用後は山札に戻せません。
  This card trumps other card’s special rules.
  You may only have one in your deck. Do not return to your deck after use.

• 

  51 Sonja
  自分の一番手が緑の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a Green Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.

• 

  52 Golem
  自分の一番手が黄色の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a Yellow Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.

• 

  53 Unicorn
  自分の一番手が白の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a White Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.

• 

  54 MotherShip
  自分の一番手が黒の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a Black Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.

• 

  55 RedWolf
  自分の一番手が赤の属性なら無条件でゲームに勝利。
  If you have a Red Attribute card in first position, you unconditionally win the game.

• 

  56 Serge, Kid, Lynx
  カードタイトルにある名前の一番手を＋２００アップ。
  Add 200 to a first-position card whose character appears in the name of this card.

• 

  57 Kid, Lynx
  カードタイトルにある名前の一番手を＋２００アップ。
  Add 200 to a first-position card whose character appears in the name of this card.

• 

  58 Serge
  海でリフレッシュ！相手の特殊ルールの効果を無効にする。
  Get re-energized by the sea! Cancel out the effect of an opponent’s Special Rule.

• 

  59 Leah, Serge, Orcha
  カードタイトル名と同じ相手の一番手をー１５０ダウン。
  Minus 150 from an opponent’s first-position card featuring a character that appears in the name of this card.

• 

  60 Kid, Serge
  カードタイトル名と同じ自分の一番手を＋１５０アップ。
  Add 150 to a first-position card of yours featuring a character that appears in the name of this card.

• 

  Back

• 

  Name Card

• 

  Rules (Back)

• 

  Rules (Back) Translation

• 

  Rules (Front)

• 

  Rules (Front) Scanlation

Chrono Cross Demo[edit]

We've kept translations of demo material on the Chrono Cross Demo page. Head on over!

OST Liner Notes[edit]

1 Yasunori Mitsuda[edit]

Yasunori Mitsuda commented on each track; his words have been translated by Ongakusei, and posted at Chudah's Corner. Ongakusei has graciously allowed us to display the notes here; these are the absolute best available.

Still Green Around the gills

Seems it's been nearly 10 years since I started really coming to grips with my "musical job" (including my days of training). When I think about it carefully, it now seems I was charging on with no thought to consequence. And I'll probably keep doing the same thing... until I die... (laughs). Back in my days of youth, I often thought, "I'm working hard but...why does no one acknowledge it?" and flared up at various people for that. Considering it now, I realize that the production process is not important to others; what matters is the result, the meaning the listener gets out of my work. But at that time, I was too young to realize this. Even now, my immaturity hasn't changed, but I do feel that the real value for me is not in being recognized for my hard work, but in the emotions my music stirs in people. So perhaps I have grown a bit. Were you all moved to cry just once in this game?

Only Death Stops Learning

People keep learning until they die. My father always used to say that. For someone like me who hated studying, I really resisted this (laughs).

But recently I've come to think that it's not "studying" he was talking about, so much as "internalization". The world is full of fashion trends, but most people don't seriously question why something becomes fashionable, and simply submit to the vogue of the day. I'm the kind of person who isn't satisfied when something doesn't pass through my internal filter, so if something's concerning me, I always analyze it and attempt to digest it. So I finally arrived at an understanding of what my dad meant when he said "study".

I had no thought of writing "fashionable" music, and I realized that my awareness of this destiny, which finally passed through my internal filter, was directly tied to my personality, so I can't ignore that one really does "keep learning until they die". Heh. I'm trying, dad. (laughs).

The Power of Sound

Sound has a mysterious power. A power greater than anything you can say with words. I think that no matter how good a piece of music may be, if it isn't expressed with the right sound, it has no meaning. A composer saying that sounds don't matter is the same as him saying that he has no love for his own music. There are so many colors in sounds.

By way of understanding this, you'll notice that most of this soundtrack is built on a "guitar sound". Of course, it can't compete with the sound of a real guitar, but to enable people to perceive this atmosphere, I tried to use the "nerve" of the guitar to the maximum extent possible (does that make sense?). In pursuit of this, synthesizer programmer Ryo Yamazaki supported me without giving up to the very end. I cannot thank him enough.

If even a bit of the emotion this music possesses reaches you, you could say it's because of the power of his sounds.

The Power of All

Not just in this project, but always, producing game music requires the total commitment of everyone involved.

For example, to accommodate the slow disc loading speed, sound memory was reduced, so even if someone on the production level wanted to do something, the programmers frequently had to nix it. If I can only do half of what I envisage, I'm satisfied.

In the sound for this project, thanks to the combined efforts of the main programmer, the battle programmer, and many many others, we were able to overcome things I thought were physically impossible and finally arrive at this point. I would like to emphasize that the music echoing from these CDs is built on the power of all these people.

Folk Music Continues Onwards

I tried to apply a Mediterranean sound to all of this music, experimenting with Fado guitar type sounds.

I have a strong sense of Fado style as being represented by deeply expressive lyrics and minor-key music. But for a challenge, I tried to make my overall theme as writing music that could penetrate to the depths of one's heart with a bright, major-key sound.

In addition, as I've recently been studying African percussion, I made use of the rhythms of Africa, and the sounds of the ancient music of various lands like Finland, China, Mongolia and Greece. Of course, my Irish sound is also doing well...(laughs).

When I listen to this collection of music, the one thing I admire is that I'm able to achieve a well organized form out of seemingly disparate sounds. Could that be my greatest accomplishment!?...probably. (laughs).

From here on, in order to deliver more of that enjoyable yet mysterious Mitsuda sound, I'm really going to crack the whip on myself. Please have fun and wait for it.

Disc 1 ~ Awakening

Chrono Cross - Scars of Time -

The music adorning the opening of Chrono Cross. I think you can really sense how high the level of the musicians was. During the recording, new ideas constantly came to me and were quickly incorporated. The ambiguity of what the lead instrument is makes for a high tension piece. The mixing was extremely difficult. I thought the sound produced by laying a Gran Cassa (a huge drum) on its side and hitting it with brush sticks was very interesting.

Deadline

I think there is one version of this with voices and one without, but I included the version with voices on the CD. I don't like the standard orchestral style very much, so I tried emphasizing the percussion. I really am such a contrarian (laughs).

Aruni Village ~ Home

All the "first town" themes I'd written to this point were very sunny and bright, so this time I tried to make something with a calmer atmosphere. I thought Fado guitar style music would be great for this town, but Fado music typically has a dark, sorrowful image. So I thought, if I tried writing a bright, peaceful song with a Fado guitar, what kind of music would it turn out to be? Well, maybe in that case it's not really Fado...(laughs)

The Field of Time ~ Home World

Oh! Where have we heard this melody before? That's right, I rearranged the main theme from Chrono Trigger. But since a simple rearrangement wouldn't be interesting, I started with the "C" melody section. So it takes a while before you realize it's from Chrono Trigger. Somehow, the sound of sitar seems to go well with Chrono.

Dance with the Lizards

The strange piece from the first dungeon in the game. I don't think there are many people who would use the hammered dulcimer in a shuffle tune. And since the Angklung (an Indonesian instrument) is rarely heard in games, I tried playing it faintly in the background. It's nice having a dungeon that reminds you of good weather, isn't it? (laughs)

Reminiscing ~ Enduring Memories

I wanted to bring out the sense of a memory both nostalgic and painful on solo piano. I'm not a very good pianist, but I was able to play the whole thing with only a few later corrections (for Playstation playback). I played it over and over again until it had the right emotion, so even though it's simple, you can feel the love right!? (laughs)

On the Shore of Dreams ~ Another World

Those who know will recognize this as the main theme of Radical Dreamers. The use of the themes from Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers for "Home" and "Another World" was the idea of Masato Kato, the director. I'm glad this theme didn't wind up being forever unknown.

Aruni Village ~ Another

Aruni Village Another gives you the sense of non-existence that comes from pure emptiness. So I arranged Aruni Village Home with a feeling of emptiness as the theme for this piece. The desolate sound of piano and guitar fit this village well.

Transient Thoughts

This is another simple piece, using only electric piano and clarinet, but it's full of Lena's thoughts for Serge. Love is by no means a major theme of this game, but working in the common thoughts one feels towards the opposite sex in every day life was terribly hard.

Lost Fragments

A guitar and cello version of the Chrono Cross opening theme. I tried to approximate Kira-san's phrasing in my sequencing of his guitar part. I was really worried it wouldn't work out.

Drowned Valley

I was trying to create a medieval-style melody featuring two recorders, and before I knew it, the piece had wound up in 5/8 meter. (laughs). I suppose when you compose from a melody, rather than consciously try to create an odd metered piece, the result sounds very natural.

Telmina ~ Another

Yup, here it is! This is my 18th festive song with a 6/8 beat. This time, I tried arranging it with a Scottish feel. However, it sounds just like the Guardia Millennial Fair from Chrono Trigger! (laughs). . . Well, you've got to have at least one of this kind of piece, you know.

Departed Souls

I wish I could have expressed the heroism of the Dragon Knights even more emphatically in the second half of this piece. The sense of harmony one perceives in the sound of the Shakuhachi and the Shinobue would have worked well here, but synthesized emulations cannot capture the particular essence of the actual instruments, so I didn't want to use them. And this is how the piece turned out. But I wonder if there wasn't a better solution?

Forest of Shadows

One of my favorite genres of music is minimalism; repeating the same motif over and over produces such a nice sensation. I don't know how many times I dozed off while writing this song. . . Did you all fall asleep while listening to this in the game too?

Jakotsu Mansion

We had extra memory here, so synthesizer programmer Ryo Yamazaki and I thought "what would be a really interesting sound to put in here?", and wound up putting in this really cool sound. We still laugh about it and think "how stupid".

Victory ~ Gifts of Spring

This is the same fanfare from Chrono Trigger, arranged for orchestra. Personally, I didn't like using fanfares, but when I put this one in, it gave it the flavor of an old-school RPG. I think this game has a real sense of the theatrical.

A Child Lost in Time

I'm particularly fond of the sound of the cello and the pizzicato phrases in the second half of this piece. Does it cause you a sense of unease? Personally it just makes me laugh...this one's stupid too. (laughs).

Galdorf ~ Another

When you move back and forth between the dimensions in this game, the "Home" and "Another" towns each have their own versions of their themes. But sometimes you lose track of which dimension you're in, probably because of the different arrangements. But personally, I thought the effect of losing track of where you are was kind of interesting...

Hydra Swamp

I broadly synchronized this to the movements of the dwarves. If the timing's right, it should look like the dwarves are dancing. I hope, anyway... This map had both a sense of pop and a sense of mystery, so it was tough trying to attend to both of those elements.

Pieces of Dreams

You may have noticed already, but in one of Kato-san's projects, you always have to have a music box theme. I really think that even though the music box is very simple, it's a strange instrument (or is it a machine?) capable of powerfully affecting musical expression.

Sailing ~ Another World

The kind of music I'd like to hear while lazily sailing around on a boat. At first glance (or is that first listen?) it sounds perfectly natural, but the form and chord changes make it a good but kind of strange piece. In musical terms, it changes key rapidly via a II-V progression until the harmony comes full circle and arrives back at the original key. So it's a mischievous piece.

Phantom Ship

No matter what, when I hear the sound of a Vibra Slap, I think of Saburo Kitajima's song "Yosaku". I was conscious of this when I used the sound and tried to slip past that image so the listener wouldn't make the association but...it was no good (laughs). This piece really makes you realize the impact of "Yosaku".

Death Volcano

After a fretless bass intro, an African beat fades in slowly. After that, the development changes up and the Uillean Pipes of Ireland and distinctive Udo percussion come in. There are instruments from all over the world in this piece.

Ancient Dragon's Fort

I had to rearrange this piece 2 or 3 times before I was satisfied with it. At first, it was a progressive rock piece that sounded like the Italian band Goblin, but as I rearranged it, it took on a completely different feel. If I had more space on the staff paper, I would have written a long 20-minute track (laughs).

Grief

Please listen to Mitose's "demonic wails" (laughs). The track lasts only a few seconds, but it produced a very frightening effect when synched with the video. This sort of thing is the most interesting aspect of writing music for images. I tripled each of Mitose's 6 parts to make an 18 voice choir altogether. (In fact I wanted to include even more...) You keened very nicely for me, Mitose-san, thank you.

Disc 2 ~ Acceptance'

Beginning of a Dream

This was composed for Square's internal presentation, not used in the game itself. But I figured only a few people had heard it and I'd gone to the trouble of writing it, so I should include the full version here. This was my first image of Chrono Cross. It truly sounds like the sea.

The Bend of Time

I had a pressing urge to compose this, and finished it in 2 hours. (laughs) Some strong inspiration must have hit me. If it was like this all the time, I could finish a whole soundtrack in 10 days (laughs).

Telmina ~ Home

The way I handled the music for Telmina was special, so strictly speaking I would call this the theme music for events that occur in Telmina. I also based this on ancient music, while preserving something of the feel of a festival.

Dragon Knights

This is so-called pop orchestra (laughs). This type of feel brings out the knights' bravery and pride. Yamazaki-san re-recorded this numerous times to get the brass sound right.

Sailing ~ Home World

I sampled a distortion guitar very meticulously, so the sound actually approached the quality of the real thing. I wanted this one to be very fast paced.

Galdorf ~ Home

I composed this piece early on in the production, and so thought of using it for Aruni village, but I switched it over to Galdorf instead, which it fit very well. I put a guitar tremolo in midway through, but I declined to even try to play it on a real guitar. I really wish I was better at guitar...

Marbule ~ Home

I composed this with medieval music in mind. Because ancient instruments have so many limitations, it was difficult to write this as if it could have been genuinely performed, but I wonder if it wouldn't be possible afterall...If I ever do an ancient music arranged album, I'd like to take a shot at it.

Zelbess

In this comfortable, pleasurable town of paradise, you learn an important lesson about how to live your life. Enjoying yourself is important, but as a human, so is experiencing hardship. This town teaches you how to best find that balance (laughs).

The Great Sneff's Troupe

Somehow when I hear the word "magic", I think of China, but why? Is it only me? I like how this track messes with my mind. (laughs)

Bed Time

OK everyone, let's sleep. 1. .2. .3. . zzzz...

Chronomantique

This is my cheap attempt at a reggae version of Chrono Trigger (laughs). It's only heard briefly in the game, but it's a pretty long track (for game music). In arranging it, it really turned into a different piece of music. This piece makes me think I need to study up on arranging a lot more.

Predicament

Just like with "Jakotsu Mansion", we had extra memory for this track, so I wondered if I couldn't do something with voices, and added in the exclamation "Zon!" with a male voice. It changed the character of the music, but I thought it was interesting. Do you get a sense of climbing up a cliff?

Optimism

Somehow optimistic, but also a bit funky. It develops into a very sweet arrangement in the second half, but the first half is so cheerful it makes me laugh. There sure are a lot of tracks that make me laugh in this game...

Island of Departed Souls

This was a dungeon theme I really felt compelled to write. I thought the flute keening that comes in midway through made a big impact; I liked that a lot. I also thought the Ring Rhythm (my own term) percussion came off great (laughs). To explain, "Ring Rhythm" creates the effect of revolving percussion through speaker positioning. I was able to put minimalism and polyrhythm to use. If the piece was just rotating percussion, it wouldn't have been much.

Dead Sea / Ruined Tower

The sound of the clarinet was very troubling to me here. A particular problem with the Playstation hardware is that reverb breaks up the sound to which it's applied, and since there were very few tracks in this piece, it was extremely noticeable. On top of that, the volume was very low and out of balance with the other pieces, so it was a really bad situation. Thanks to Yamazaki-san, the issue was skillfully solved.

Prisoners of Fate

The heart-wrenching scene of the fateful battle with Migel (Lena's father). When I heard this song during the battle, my hands faltered in inputting the commands. In any case, I used the emotion of this scene to shape the chord progressions and string arrangement. So sad, so sad...

A Light for Lost Hopes

This was the first track to be programmed into the game. The theme of this one was a "guitar sound", and I wrote it while checking the memory. This piece was very important in determining the overall sound for the game. Even so, they only used it as the game over message theme, so this game does have its poisons. (laughs)

Earth Dragon's Island

I think this piece really dealt with the concept of atmosphere well. The sense of transparency matched up to the images nicely and really expressed a sensation of space, despite the music's simplicity. Somehow it turned out really well, but it was just as much thanks to Yamazaki-san's power as mine. (laughs)

Navel of the World

Percussion was the focus here, and produced a very fast-paced mood. Even though the scene it's used in has a very laid-back feel, it matched up unexpectedly well. There were so many tracks in this one, mixing it was a real trial.

Hurricane

The abundant use of polyrhythm created a battle theme unlike anything else. Mixing 9/8, 3/4 and 4/4 meters together in the climax, then throwing 5/4 in as well, resulted in something completely crazy. I call this "Radical Traditional" (laughs).

Victory ~ Shouts of Summer

This trackname was thought up by Kato-san, and what a great title it is. It's the "Shouts of Summer"! I've never seen a jingle tune with such a great title before (laughs). It ties in so well with "Gifts of Spring"(laughs).

Marbule ~ Another

I arranged the Marbule theme in so many different ways, I wasn't really sure which one was the "original", but this was the first version. It's really simple, isn't it. I wanted to use instruments of the thinnest possible sound, as it's always a task of mine to make my music as clear as possible.

The Fairy's Magic

This is the "model" of this tune for the important scene where the dancer Miki teaches Slash about music and the joys of life. At first I just used the sound of Slash's guitar for this, but it was much too floaty, so I made up this version very quickly.

Etude 1

Kigoshi-san, who came up with this event, told me "Slash does know his way around a guitar, so rather than having him play wrong notes at the start, please show his development through the 'soul' he puts into the music", so that's what I had to do. (It was really hard!) I wonder if you can really tell the difference?

Etude 2

I think this has more "soul" than Etude 1 but...what do you think? I'm sorry if I didn't really get it.

Magical Dreamers ~ Wind, Stars, and Waves

As I listened to Etude 2 more, I decided it did sound like a satisfying performance, but for me, this version has the most "soul", so I decided to use this take. The Mike Oldfield-style guitar in the second half really enhanced the medieval quality of the melody and gave the whole thing a very unique flavor, I thought...

Disc 3 ~ Return

Garden of the Gods

I had planned to use a boys' choir only in the "Garden of the Gods" sequence, but it was used right in the opening. But to recreate the originally intended track sequencing, I put it on the CD here. It's perfect for the start of disc 3. And now, the surging waves of high-tension music begin...

Chronopolis

I created this track using the chord progression from "Chrono Trigger" over a techno rhythm. You might think this one track is far removed from the general image of Chrono Cross, but I really think this kind of music has a place in Chrono. Perhaps those who have played Chrono Trigger will understand.

FATE ~ God of Destiny

Once again, a progressive tune. I particularly like the 4 measures in the middle where the organ and bass take over. This was the very last piece I composed for this game; incidentally, in Chrono Trigger, the 2nd boss battle theme was also the last one I composed. Somehow, the two situations wound up being the same. How strange...(laughs).

Jellyfish Sea

This is an ambient style piece. The transparent sound of the fretless bass and piano really evoke the impression of being deep underwater. If I'm picking my top 5 pieces from the soundtrack, this is one of them. Just like with "Forest of Shadows", I kept falling asleep while listening to this (laughs).

Orphanage Fire

When I tried combining a female Gregorian chant chorus and a male operatic chorus, this was the result. I really love the sudden modulation just before the final chord loops back to the beginning. Hearing this music should make you want to swear vengeance against Yamaneko. Yamanekooooooooooo!

The Girl who Stole the Stars

Hidden within Kid's tough exterior is a kind heart, and this piece portrays that side of her. Noriko Mitose's "lan, la, la, lan" scat suited Kid's image perfectly. She was personally one of my favorite characters in the game.

Dreams of Time

This was the music for the demo version's trailer, but I made some slight alterations here. It tries to sum up the essence of the whole game by including the themes from Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers. The perfect music for quickly giving a sense of the game's content from a storefront demo.

Dragon's Prayer

Jerry Goldsmith is one of my favorite composers, and I challenged myself to somehow absorb his unique sense of development and orchestration for this track. But...I'm at a loss for words. (laughs). I still need to study how to write various styles of music...

Star Tower

At first, there may appear to be nothing unusual about this track, but the Yoik vocals that slowly fade in and out give it a real sense of the macabre. This piece serves to remind you that you're getting closer and closer to the end. Did everyone's heart start to pound?

Frozen Flame

This piece was used in Radical Dreamers, but here it paints the beauty of the frozen flame, and describes the pattern of human misery that surrounds the gem. The music sounds normal on the surface, but I believe it actually presents a parade of key changes. I don't really remember how I composed this one (laughs).

Dragon God

This piece makes use of Yoik vocals and string quartet, on top of which I added a sizeable amount of percussion. To better frame the introductory Yoik vocal, I kept the strings and brass arrangements in the middle simple. I tried playing this battle before there was any music, and thought "what an easy going last boss", but when I put the music in, it became an incredibly up-tempo battle.

Life ~ Faraway Promise

In this piece, sound effects gradually synchronize into music, but it can't really be explained without the images. I had goosebumps for days after I first saw this scene. I suppose there are people who've bought this CD without playing the game, but if you get a chance, you should really hear this one song with the visuals.

Reminiscing ~ Enduring Memories

This piece is heard at the beginning, but also appears at the end of the story, as the keyword "enduring memories" for the 2 people. Which were the most important memories to Serge? And what was the meaning of that photograph...?

Radical Dreamers ~ Unstealable Gem

Kira's piquant guitar and Mitose's beautiful voice matched so well in this song. Initially, I twice thought about adding strings to the song, but it promised to sound too conventional, so I dared myself to stick only to vocal and guitar to the very end. It took a real act of courage to bring such a simple song for the ending theme. The difficulty of pulling off a song with so few parts is really felt keenly here. If the song truly is persuasive enough, I would consider that a great success. Noriko Mitose's lyrics are wonderful too, so please reflect on them while you listen.

Fragment of Dreams

Listening to this tune will surely put you into a peaceful state of mind. (laughs). After I finished watching the ending, I just sat there for awhile, listening to this music. Quietly close your eyes, and think back on the many adventures you had in the game.

2 Hiromichi Tanaka[edit]

“Eh, listen here now, have you seen it? They say it’s some kind of next-generation thingamajig.”

“Saaaay, Ayumi, um, whadza a next-generation machine?”

The world is aflutter with talk of the coming next-generation machines, from the gossipy old ladies to kindergartners. The evolution of hardware sure is amazing. It has brought about the birth of computers! Now that’s something there, computers.

But, why do you suppose everybody is trying to get their hands on the latest hardware? There was nothing wrong with the good ol’ days, when a simple square bounced left and right across a black and white screen was all the fun you needed. So how about the transformation that has taken place in a mere 20 years? Where did the game systems of yesteryear get off to? What people are looking for in the new hardware isn’t improved calculating power or faster processing; people only want better graphics and sound!

And I suppose there is a pretty sizable gap between the current systems and the next-gen systems. But, wait, hold on! You can’t just go racing off down the pass! Just like a student driver has to spend some time practicing driving around with a sign on their car, we need time to develop our computer skills, too. After all, which do you figure is faster, a student driver in a sports car, or an F1 driver in a sedan?

Well, that introduction ran a little long. Anyway, Chrono Cross is in some ways a continuation of Chrono Trigger and in other ways it is not.

It has been five years since Chrono Trigger. Modern game systems have dramatically improved in every way imaginable; their hardly even comparable to the systems of just a few years ago. The F1 drivers working on Chrono Trigger wanted to create a game that would push the limits of the current generation of consoles so far that it would even be able to stand up to even next generation games. That was the starting point for the Chrono Trigger development team.

The anti-Square people out there often go around proclaiming, “The only reason Square can make a game like that is because they tossed a ton of money at the project!” Well, it simply won’t do to have people go around spewing out nonsense. No matter how much money you put out there, if you don’t have talented and passionate workers you will never be able to make a game like Chrono Cross. The truth is that without putting out loads of money and whatnot every single character that appears in Chrono Cross was modeled by just people. The monster design was done by only one guy. Sure, he cried the whole time, but he did it! And of course, poor Yasunori was able write every song, arrange the score and digitize the effects all by his lonesome.

And so we finally come to the topic of music. What are these crazy sounds?! Back in the day, game music was just blips and beeps. Do you think that you could imitate the sounds of Chrono Cross even today? Fat chance. You can even hear the fingers gliding across the strings of the guitar; that kind of attention to detail is pure genius, enough to make you swoon. And, as I’m sure people who have already played the game are well aware, the people in the graphics department are no slouches either, filling the game with unbelievably refined visuals. Hmm, I wonder what kind of craziness Yasunori and his pals are working on now. Those guys are true game maniac: They don’t know how to give less than a 100 percent.

So here’s how I’m looking at it today. Even with today’s technology, as long as you have a team of driven, dedicated and passionate people, you can make an astonishingly good game. Heck, who needs this “next generation machine!”

3 Masato Kato and 4 Ryo Yamazaki[edit]

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Masato Kato

Liner Notes 3: Masato Kato – The Devil’s Pawn

So, the time has come to bring an end to another – albeit enjoyable – ordeal. What sort of story should I do next? In any case, I should give a few words to commemorate the release of Chrono Cross.

It’s already been four years since Chrono Trigger came into the world. During that time I’ve worked on such games as Radical Dreamers, Final Fantasy VII and Xenogears. Perhaps through these games you and I have come into contact, then parted ways again.

So why is it Cross this time? If we’re talking about the progression from Trigger to Cross, I have to touch on Radical first.

Radical was a game somewhat like an independent film that I put together with a few colleagues in the short space of about three months. At first I didn’t intend for it to be like that, but before I knew it, it had become the continuing story of a sub character from Trigger. I guess I wanted to take anything I wasn’t able to explore in full in Trigger, show what happened to those characters and properly tie up the loose ends.

However, after being plagued by deadlines and working at it day and night without much success, production of Radical had to be halted in its half-finished state. …Well, these things happen.

After that the months and years rolled by… Xenogears made slow progress, but was eventually finished, and when I was asked what kind of story we should do next, I heard Kid’s voice echo from within me. “My fight’s not over yet!” Thus those reckless Radical Dreamers once more took the stage…

In the beginning, there was Chrono Trigger.

But, like I mentioned earlier, since then a fair amount of time has passed, and the hardware we work with is also different. We’re not so weak nor cheap as to try to make something exactly the same as Trigger. What we were aiming for was a new kind of fun for a new console, while still maintaining the feel and atmosphere of Trigger…

As before we started on a trial and error basis, and welcomed days filled with both joy and despair. And right in the middle of all that were Kid and Serge… Accordingly, Chrono Cross is not Chrono Trigger 2. It doesn’t simply follow on from Trigger, but is another, different Chrono that interlaces with Trigger. When you see the ending you’ll probably understand what I mean…

My desire is that Chrono Cross will see the conclusion of the battle that started in Trigger and continued in Radical. And that people who do and don’t know Chrono, who do and don’t know Kid, can all enjoy this game. That’s right, because the stars’ dream isn’t over yet…

Well, I guess that’s it… When I think about it, is there anything else I can add? People who aren’t interested won’t take note anyway.

That said, I am definitely satisfied that while this is the Chrono we all know, we were also able to give birth to a new kind of Chrono in this form.

At the start of Autumn when development entered its final stages, I would sometimes get bogged down, feeling that somehow while everyone else was chasing up fine-tuning and debugging, I was the only one laboriously working on event data…

One of those times, I took a ride on my motorcycle,

“Ah, I can feel the wing beats of my dreams…”

That’s what I suddenly found myself thinking.

What kind of dreams will take flight from your hands?

I hope that you, too, are a Radical Dreamer…

That’s right, because our dream isn’t over yet.

Ryo Yamazaki

Have any of you ever wondered while hearing the music in a game whether it's running off CD or being produced by the PlayStation sound chip? A lot of people might say "Well if the music's good, it doesn't matter", but for us who handle sound it's a big problem. Compared to recording the music, the process of cramming all the sounds into the hardware's available memory requires a lot more time and labor. When I work with outside creators who have no experience dealing with chip generated sound, they're generally dumbfounded by the hopeless hardware specs.

Because of that, a lot of creators who have to compose chip music give up or delegate the work out, but working with Mitsuda on this project, I never saw a trace of that disappointing attitude. Rather, he took the attitude that chip generated music was a challenge to be faced, and I felt incredible sympathy for him for that.

I did at times think it somewhat reckless to attempt to express some humanity through mechanical, computerized performances, but I was also just as often encouraged by Mitsuda's enthusiasm and insistence on communicating exactly what he wanted to convey through his music.

Afterall, achieving sound of this quality through the internal sound module may be due to no more than the ego of the developers, or else part of a process that gets left behind as hardware evolves. But no matter when or on what hardware, I would like for creators never to forget the history of conflict that arose in attempting to communicate something with all one's skill.

If listening to this soundtrack, permeated as it is with our obsessions, brings you to ponder even briefly your viewpoint on this thing called game music, it would be an honor.

5 Noriko Mitose and Yasunori Mitsuda[edit]

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  Mitose

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  Mitose

Yasunori Mitsuda

This time around we got Mitose-san to provide the vocals for the game’s ending song. Thank you so, so much for the great work; you must be quite exhausted after working on such a lengthy project.

Noriko Mitose

What do you mean? It was great fun, you know, being attacked by alternating waves of anxiety and laughter (laughs). I got to watch the game progress while I worked, so the long production time actually worked out better for me, as I grew quite fond of Cross.

Mitsuda

We started off by passing you the demo tape and for you to write lyrics to… and then, as the three of us— you, the director Kato-san and I—kept making changes as we went, the song itself had turned into something quite different … Didn’t you ever wonder “What is this guy trying to do”? (laughs)

Mitose

It had really changed a lot, didn’t it! But I enjoyed watching the song get better in the process. Mitsuda-san and Kato-san both do not accept compromises, so whenever the three of us would listen to the song together, someone would always have something to say: “no, this bit shouldn’t be like that…”.

Mitsuda It’s like if you please one, you can’t please the other… There’s never any end to it, though. Just like with drawing, deciding when you’ve got the best possible version is the hardest thing to do. By the way, remember when the lyrics were just completed? I got you and Kato-san both to come over to my house and sing a draft of the vocals… in that ridiculously tiny booth! (laughs)

Mitose

Aaah, the incubation tank!! (huge laugh) It’s a cramped, glass-walled booth lit up by incandescent bulbs of all things, so sometimes when I sang in there I’d feel like whooo, I was floating off to some faraway place. (laughs) Thanks to that, though, I received quite a bit of inspiration and developed a deeper bond with the lyrics and music. We were on quite a high, weren’t we, staying up till late at night hemming and hawing.

Mitsuda

I think because we had the benefit of preparation, the song turned out much better than I ever imagined, but what about you, Mitose-san? Are you satisfied with your performance?

Mitose

My performance… performance… oh, but the song does go so well played over the ending screen…

Mitsuda

What kind of an answer is thaaat?! (laughs) Yeah, alright, leaving that aside… This time you did the lyrics to the song as well. What did you pay the most attention to when writing them?

Mitose

Well, you know how the game world in Cross is a continuation from Trigger. So for people who’ve played Trigger, that world already exists inside them, right? Even though it doesn’t feature that much in Cross directly, I wanted to preserve those hidden ties. Also, Kato-san’s script and choice of words have a very unique kind of power. I thought I’d try writing the lyrics so that they seamlessly complement that power. Kato-san helped me with revising the lyrics on numerous occasions, so I think they turned out well. And the music also links back to Trigger and Radical Dreamers.

Mitsuda

That’s right. I was very particular about the score myself. I was worried about how I was going to connect all the musical themes with the story… Uhh, well, it’s like first loves (laughs)—you know how if you don’t see them for a few years, all you remember about them are the good things? Well, in the same way, people who’ve enjoyed Trigger have built up particular impressions of the game world which would have expanded over time. And I think this might have made the four years since Trigger a real headache for the whole production team, not just the music guys. It means we have to, at the very least, start off one level above the well-regarded Trigger. So in that sense, I think this was a rough journey. We had to change the melody and chorus numerous times, even at the recording stage, modify the lyrics because of problems with pronunciation, and so on. At any rate, I felt—in more ways than one—that we really tried out some things I’ve rarely experienced before while recording. Any new discoveries on your end, Mitose-san?

Mitose

Well, I often create songs by changing the music and words with the composer as we go along, so (it’s nothing new). After all, a vocal piece is only ever complete with music, words and song, and you know, I really want to make all three elements work well with each other. I might have felt particularly strongly about that this time, though… Everyone from Mitsuda-san onwards had this amazing unitedness about them. Between the music, words and vocals, I feel like did discover some something even more cohesive and closely connected. Is this way of doing things uncommon for you, Mitsuda-san?

Mitsuda

Yeah, it kinda is… Most game soundtracks are basically instrumental pieces, all of which I usually take care of myself. So going into the studio to fix things like lyrics doesn’t reeaally happen very often. I’d almost always come up with the instrumentation in the studio, though.

Mitose

When it’s time to do the recording, you don’t budge at all either, I’ve noticed. Also, even though you do have such a clear vision of how things should go, when you record a take and it sounds good, even if it’s not what you expected, you still have the flexibility to okay it. I thought that was pretty impressive.

Mitsuda

What! Really? Flexible, huh… I haven’t really thought about that much (laughs). Well, I guess to me, as long as the basic feel of the composition stays the same anything goes; if it sounds interesting, why not?... or something like that! By the way, changing the subject here, but I’ve heard that kirche started off as a copy of Zabadak. So what went through your mind when you heard that Zabadak’s own Kira-san was going to do the guitar? It must have made you nervous, right?

Mitose

I was just… I didn’t know what to say… (lost in recollection)

Mitsuda

Yeah, I remember you sounded really, really stiff on the first take. Man, you know, I really should have included that take as a bonus track on the album… (laughs) Heh heh heh…

Mitose

Noooooooo! You can’t! (screams) Wait, you’re… you’re not telling me you still have a copy, right…? You did erase it, right…?

Mitsuda

Nyah! Worry not, for I have it safely secured in my vaults. If you ever want a listen, I’m always happy to loan it out (laughs). Oh, and yeah, aside from the ending song, you also seemed to have great fun singing with all the “weird” in-game voices – so, am I right in guessing that you like weird-sounding voices?

Mitose

I love them! (excitedly) Kato-san called them “shrieks of the she-devil”, though (laughs). Bulgarian choral singing, joiks, that sort of… alternative? Primitive? style of singing—I just love it. I wish I could’ve done more of it. Your compositions somehow seem to run in the same vein. And since you were guessing just there, you must be fan of too, I suppose? Of weird voices?

Mitsuda

I love weird voices. Oh god, people are going to think I’m such a weirdo for saying that. My favourite would probably have to be Bulgarian choral singing. It’s like there’s bits of rough among the smooth… on the other hand, if it’s supposed to be typically “clear” singing, unless it’s really clear and beautiful I’m probably not going to like it, to a rather frightening extent even… Don’t you ever do that sort of [rough] singing with your band?

Mitose

I’d really like to… I really do. Don’t you ever do live performances, or play in bands?

Mitsuda

Bands! Mmm… I do like playing on instruments, but I’m not much good and I’ve got an extreme case of stage fright to boot, so… (laughs) It does sound like fun though, so I have been working out some plans here and there. Not that I know when I’ll go ahead with any of them…

Alright then, on a final note, could you briefly introduce your band, and then we’ll round it all off with any messages you have for the people who listened to this track, what plans you have for the future, or whatever else you want to say. All yours!

Mitose

My band is called kirche, and I’m the main singer and lyricist. It’s the spiritual descendent of this (?) sort of music. To all you gamers, I hope you’ve enjoyed playing Chrono Cross! To everyone on the production team, it was a great pleasure working with you, and thank you so much for your hard work. I know it’s hard to pay attention to the background music when you’ve got battles and dialogue to focus on, so whether you’re one of those who managed to listen to all the pieces while playing the game, or you’re one of those who couldn’t do so, please enjoy listening to this CD at your own pace. And I hope we’ll meet again.

Mitsuda

And to end it all off, Mitose-san, thank you very much for joining us. Until next time!

Credits[edit]

CHRONO CROSS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

All Music Composed, Arranged & Produced by: Yasunori Mitsuda

Synthesizer Programmer: Ryo Yamazaki
Sound Programmer: Minoru Akao
Recorded & Mixed by: Kenzi Nagashima
Mastered by: Ichiko Furukawa (Bernie Grundman MASTERING)
             Hitomi Misaizu (Bernie Grundman MASTERING)

Art Direction & Design: Keiichi Yamashita (LOTUS GRAPHICS)

Directed by: Kishio Ozawa, Tsuyoshi Takemura
Sales Promotion: Saiko Fukui

Production Coordinator: Kosei Ito
Production Assistant: Emiko Funahashi
Production Manager: Keiji Hamada
Supervisor: Susumu Arai, Hirofumi Yokota
Co-Executive Producer: Kensuke Matsushita
Executive Producer: Nobuo Uematsu

Presented by SQUARE ENIX CO. LTD.


CHRONO CROSS ~Toki no Kizuato~

Composed & Arranged by: Yasunori Mitsuda

Acoustic Guitar & Bouzouki: Tomohiko Kita (ZABADAK)
Shinobue & Shakuhachi: Kinya Sogawa
Percussion: Tamao Fujii
Electric Upright Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
Keyboards: Yasunori Mitsuda
Strings Quartet:
1st Violin: Hijiri Kuwano
2nd Violin: Motoko Fujiie
Viola: Jun Yamamoto
Cello: Haruki Matsuba

Recorded & Mixed by: Kenzi Nagashima
Assistant Engineer: Ken Hiranai (GREENBIRD)
Recorded at STUDIO GREENBIRD
Recording Coordinator: Kenichi Funayama



RADICAL DREAMERS ~Nusumenai Houseki ~
Composed & Arranged by: Yasunori Mitsuda
Words by : Noriko Mitose (Kirche)

Acoustic Guitar: Tomohiko Kira (ZABADAK)
Vocal: Noriko Mitose (Kirche)

Recorded & Mixed by: Kenzi Nagashima
Assistant Engineer: Ken Hiranai (GREENBIRD)
Recorded at STUDIO GREENBIRD
Recording Coordinator: Kenichi Funayama


Special Thanks to:
Hiromichi Tanaka, Masato Kato, Keiji Kawamori,
Takeharu Ishimoto, Satoshi Akamatsu, Hideaki Katayanagi (MAGNET),
Fumio Takano (TOUSHITSU), All Staffs of "Project KID = CHRONO CROSS"

Missing Piece[edit]

Artist Interview[edit]

• 11-13 Interview with Nobuteru Yuuki

• 

  Interview

• 

  Interview

• 

  Interview

Nobuteru Yuuki

~ Roots of an Animator, Nobuteru Yuuki ~

Have you liked drawing pictures since you were a student?

I liked to draw. At that time, I liked comics more than animation so I bought books such as "how to draw comics" and I drew randomly. I never thought of making a living drawing (laughs). I always thought that I should get a proper job because we were a fatherless family and I was the first son. I couldn't say that I wanted to be a caricaturist with no secure tomorrow.

So is that how you became a government employee first?

Yes. I did become a review administrator at the National Health Insurance office (Laughs). I did it for about two and half years.

Then, how did you manage to get into this field?

When I was a student, I drew my own comics and I was crazy about animation—especially the "Yamato" and "Gundam" series. So I still had feelings for that field even after I got the job. Even though I was working in a totally unrelated field, my feeling for animation still grew (laughs). I started hanging out at an animation studio after I got out into the real world. I became close friends with animators under the pretense of doing a part-time job there. I was told that if I like it that much I should just do it. They said that life is short and they pushed me to follow my interests. If I had continued being a government employee, I wouldn't have succeeded (laughs).

You made a big decision.

Of course, I had hesitation. I was in my early 20s at that time, so I promised my mother that I'd quit if I couldn't succeed by age 25. After that, I brought my pictures in person to the closest animation studio. The studio was called "Art Land" (makers of "Macross"), and by chance, I was told just one word—"Ok"—by Mr. Noboru Ishiguro, who was a director of "Macross". It opened the doors for me, so I gave my old job my notice of leaving. I brought pictures daily to Mr. Ishiguro until I retired. He checked it every time, like homework.

What kind of influence did working on anime have on you?

There was no particular influence, but there were many shocks. In my case, I got into the animation world without much effort. Soon after, I was able to do original works. Everything was going very well. I guess that is why I was conceited. It was like "Hey, I'm really cool!" (laughs) But I got shocked so much when I did the movie "Macross" (NOTE ONE). People who worked in different studios gathered together and it was like a movie exclusive team for Tatsunoko Production. There were so many people who became popular later on, such as Mr. Anno (NOTE TWO). To think about it now, it was an incredible environment inside that studio. The place was occupied by so much talent, and they seemed like incredible geniuses. I was so shocked that I felt like a microbe. Mr. Anno and I are almost same age. I can never really forget that feeling of being impressed and inadequate at the same time.

Did you use any reference on the technique aspect of your work?

I think that I have been influenced by American comics. I had several opportunities to go to America for jobs (NOTE 3), and I read and reread the local American comics. However the major comics were not my type. I was like "what the hell was 'BACOOOON!'" (laughs). But there were new tides in America at that time. Batman was becoming a superhuman stereotype, but suddenly there were now human stories, such as one featuring an elderly Batman. The touch was also different compared to American comics that I knew. I think I was triggered by those new tides of American comics. I had studied about muscles on my own and I wanted to use it in my drawings somehow. So I think that my touch and the way I express my work nowadays stemmed from my trial-and-error designs in that period.

What do you do first when you start on your design?

I first start with a mental image. If I can't picture what I want to do with, it can't be in my work.

How did you fee about "Chrono Cross"?

In my case, I had done "Seiken" (NOTE 5) before, so I had a strong image of my work with Square. That is why we argued at the beginning of the design process. I wanted the head and body of characters to be lower. But through the discussion, I realized that the alternative might be all right in a game, even if it looked weird in animation. In my case, I think every little detail in animation through thoroughly. For example, if I draw a belt, I consider the culture and technological progress of the period, and then design. With a belt, it's like I envision the technology level of metalworking in my mind.

I see. Well, its a game that intermingles a machine feeling in one hand and ethnic atmosphere in the other hand.

Yes, those concerns initially were on my mind, because I don't know how to design chains in a world that has cyborg technologies (laughs). But after all, I thought that excessive direction was necessary in a game with such an enticing vision. In a game, we go on an adventure in a world which is limited. For example, if you choose a certain culture for the game's settings, then you will see the same culture everywhere in different towns. It's boring, isn't it? So I have totally different thoughts about designing animation versus games in my mind. In "Cross", I wanted to express a faint feeling of a unified look in a rough atmosphere where everything is possible. I'm pleased if people feel like that.

Nobuteru Yuuki Profile

Born on December 24th, 1962, in Kouenji, Suginami, Tokyo; he moved to Heda, Saitama starting junior high school. He started working right after graduating high school and afterwards got into the field of animation. Through original comics he became an animation director in the OVA "Shin Mashinden".

After that he was busy as an animation director and a creator of original manga, movies and OVAs. His masterpieces include the movie "The five star stories" and the OVA "Record of Lodoss War", and many more.

He's known for the manga "Vaelber Saga" (issued by Fujimi Shobo), as well as others. In video game characters design, he notably worked on "Seiken Densetsu 3" (developed and published by SFC, Square).

Notes:

1. Tatsunoko Production created the movie "The super dimension fortress Macross / Do You Remember Love?" utilizing staff from different studios.
2. Mr. Hideaki Anno created a big movement all over Japan via his anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion", in which he was director and scenario planner. He also worked in animation for Macross as an animator. Mr. Yuuki says, "His animations are genius. He became famous as a director but I believe he is the child of an animator."
3. An anime TV series "Bionic Six" was televised only in the United States. It contained 100 volumes as feature animation, with content featuring very mysterious and intense stories.
4. In those days, America had started discovering works very different from previous Western comics, such as those lead by Frank Miller. Mr. Yuuki was affected by Miller's work, as well as that of Bill Sienkiewicz and Frank Frazetta. American comics had a big influence on his designs; he was shocked and overwhelmed by their talent.
5. The SNES game "Seiken Densetsu 3 (Square)" was the first work for which Mr. Yuuki designed the characters; it was also his first game that he played. "I played it obsessively. I didn't know that such an interesting thing existed! The sound of the battle played in my head all the time in those days."

Character Section[edit]

• 028 Acacia Dragoons

CATEGORY ACACIAN KNIGHTS

Categorizes the members of the Acacian Knights, the face of El Nido, and the characters involved.

Acacian Knights of the Dragon

No discussion of the El Nido Islands would be complete without mentioning the knights who protect them. Under the command of the hero, Colonel Snakebone, these valiant soldiers ride on dragons and run across the land. The people called them the "Knights of the Acacia Dragon.

-The reality of the knights who protect the El Nido Islands from foreign enemies

History of the Order of the Dragon

Chronology of the Knights of the Dragon

The first serpent bone (see Colonel Serpent Bone's KEYWORD for the serpent bone family lineage system), a military man skilled in swordsmanship, played a remarkable role in the settlement of the El Nido Islands by the continentals. ) When he was appointed Lord of the settlement of Termina, he formed the "Knights of the Dragon of Acacia" to govern the El Nido Islands.

However, although it is called a vigilante group, El Nido is nominally the territory of the great power Pareboli, and it may participate in battles as a friendly force when called upon. In fact, during the war 20 years ago, Colonel Snakebone himself went into battle. He achieved great successes and made it known throughout the continent that the "Knights of the Dragon of Acacia exist in Paleborg.

See the chronology on the right for the recent major activities of the Order.

Organization of the Order of the Dragon

The Dragon Knights are led by Colonel Serpent Bone, Lord of the El Nido Islands. Although he is no longer in active service, his swordsmanship is so great that it is heard throughout the land.

The four knights under the direct command of Colonel Snakebone are the Four Heavenly Kings of Snakebone, Dario Kash, Zoa Marchella, and Zoa Marchella. All of them are the most powerful men in the Order, and are highly respected by Colonel Snakebone. However, Dario was killed in action during the expedition to the island of the departed three years ago, leaving only three as the Four Heavenly Kings at present. Who will take the vacant seat is still undecided.

Colonel Snake Bone

The Four Heavenly Kings

Dario

Kersh

Soa

Marcella

deceased

• A.1.1003 Colonel Snakebone, Radius, and Garai Zappa arrive on the continent. A.0.1005 The Kingdom of Gardia is destroyed.
• A.D.1007 Discovered on the continent of Grand Lyon. A.0.1008 Marked by the hand of Radius. Garai dies. A.0.1008 The seal is passed on to the Gandryonians.
• Grand Lyon is sealed by Radius.
• A.3.1010 Colonel Snakebone, Radius, and Zappa retire from the army and return home. A.D. 1014 Radius hands over the sacred sword Ilulanzar to Dario.
• A.B. 1016 Radius retires from the Order of the Dragon. A.D.1017 Dario and Liddell become engaged. Dario dies on the Isle of the Dead.

The Dragon Knights go to the Dead Sea (Homeworld).

• A.0.1020 At the advice of a bobcat, a guest from the continent, the Knights of the Dragon appear in the vicinity of Kash and Arni (Another World).

As its name suggests, the Dragon Knights of Acacia specialize in dragon-riding combat. The coordinated attacks by the dragons, which have high mobility and combat ability, and the knights who ride them, are truly a match made in heaven. This is the reason why the invading forces, including the Pareboli, cannot carelessly send out their troops to Termina. However, raising and training a dragon is much more difficult than raising and training a horse, and only a few of the knights are actually given a dragon and allowed to go into battle.

• 111 Serge, Lynx, Harle (Chris)

The Real Cast and concept tidbits

Serge

1. This Serge is equipped in a fairly wild style. Odds are this guy would probably be scolded by Leena or Kid for trying dirty things.
2. This rugged looking Serge emanates an aura from his whole body of a fearless drifter. Completely different from the normal Serge.
3. Formal wear Serge. Lightly studded with accessories.
4. There was also a test Serge that wore a green and purple vest.

Lynx

1. The appearance of a drifter, or a nobleman that was turned down. “Very similar to a Mongolian,” was the strange reason for the drawing.
2. A sudden change, this is a more full on cat style Lynx. This one actually seems a little more obscene.
3. This is a more human version, rather than a cat like creature. Maybe the factor that he didn’t really look villainous was why he was turned down.

Harle

1. Tough to request any other characters to have more of an impacting appearance. Here’s a more clownish style.

• 113 Dario, Glenn, Karsh (GlitterBerri)

Karsh:

1. Though Karsh is a brave knight, saying he is troubled and strange would be closer to the point...
2. Karsh with armour. It was judged that he looked like too much of a knight and didn't fit with the game's atmosphere, perhaps [the armour] was discarded?
3. Though misunderstood because of his character flaws, Karsh is one of the most attractive characters of Chrono Cross.

Dario

1. It's hard to tell in-game, but Dario is actually quite tall. Is this due to his Garai blood?
2. The epaulets on Dario's armor are big, differentiating him from Karsh.
3. Perhaps due to our (too?) strong desire to make the leader of the Acacia Dragoons a large figure, Dario gives off a rather amusing impression of a middle-aged fellow.
4. He looks more like a samurai than a knight? With his slender sword, Dario has an uncanny resemblance to a samurai.

Glenn

Glenn's appearance is that of a boy knight. His hairstyle is also the so-called "zealous hero." It wouldn't even be a stretch to call him the game's protagonist.

• 119 Unused Characters (Chris)

Mechanical Doll

By combining various parts you could probably control the style and settings of her attacks. It’s a shame she was turned down.

Baker’s Daughter

Looks like a character that attacks with the bread she holds. The top picture looks like a child, while the one on the left is more developed.

Grappler

Appears to be a Chinese monk that uses his hands. Thinking about the salesclerk on page 118, maybe they originally planned a Chinese style town.

Ninja

Like the RPG’s of yesterday, there was always a ninja. This also could have been a variation of Grobyc.

Journeyer to the West (?)

What? There was a plan in Chrono Cross to have a Journeyer to the West (Character from a Manga)? Maybe some sort of heroic female preist, or a character wearing all seeing goggles…or whatever Square’s interpretation was.

• 

  Unused Characters

Here we pick up the original color drawings of the original character designs. The scholar and the wizard are two characters who regrettably have not appeared in the book. I don't know how they were supposed to appear, but it's fun to imagine them appearing in the future. By the way, as for the aquatic subhumans, you can just assume that there were such types of subhumans.

Student

A boy in oriental costume carrying an abnormally thick and large book, his face suggests that he is a boy genius scholar who has come from far away to investigate the six dragons.

Wizard

A rather cute wizard girl. Although she did not appear in the game, she may be the sister of the element store in the village of Arni.

Mermaid

It is very interesting to see how the mermaids in the painting fit Irenes, and one can imagine, for example, that the mermaid on the right is Zelbess.

Other Interview[edit]

• 

  Interview

• 

  Hiromichi Tanaka

• 

  Interview

• 

  Interview

Hiromichi Tanaka Producer

Hiromichi Tanaka is a producer of Chrono Cross and an executive officer of Square. He is mainly in charge of the battle system in the production site.

Nobuteru Yuki

Character Design

Illustrator and animator in charge of the design and image illustrations of the main characters. See p. 12 for detailed profiles.

Masato Kato

Director

General director who worked on a wide range of projects, including scenarios, planning, and character drafting. The worldview of "Chrono Cross" is largely due to his work.

Chrono Cross completion commemorative roundtable discussion

A somewhat strange "work of confidence"

On a certain day in November, a roundtable discussion was held to commemorate the completion of the software. What are the highlights of "Cross" and what is "weird" about it that we can say after the development is finished? Watch out for the honest talk!

I'm going to be invited to an adventure by this girl... I like the opening... (Yuki)

A game that abandons "promises"

KATO: Which scene left the biggest impression on you this time, Mr. Yuki?

Yuki: The opening scene with Kid. That was great. I felt like, "Oh, I'm going to be invited by this girl and taken on an adventure." It was very impressive.

Kato: I see. Are you a Kid fan, Mr. Yuki?

Kid and Leena are forced to make a choice at the beginning of the game. Is it intentional that only one of them can be chosen at first?

Kato: In most RPGs, if a character is important, even if you have the choice of whether or not to join them, they will somehow end up together. It's kind of become the standard, so I thought, "Why not just be a heroine and not be one of them? I thought it would be interesting to let it go like that. It's amazing that you can finish the game without Kid if you want to. I thought you were more concerned about your childhood friend.

Tanaka: Kato is the one who is responsible for those events (laughs).

Kato: Childhood friends are the basis of the game, after all.

Yuki It's like "Urusei Yatsura" (laughs).

Kato: The first part is the entrance to the game, so I decided to keep it orthodox.

Yuki: You've already skipped enough. Lucky Dan appeared so early in the game (laughs).

Kato: No, I wanted to add breadth. If the girl next to him comes out, I want to surprise him with something strange this time. I wanted to surprise them with a strange guy.

Tanaka: That way of thinking makes it sound like you are more interested in Lucky Dan than in the little girl.

Yuki: That's right. (laughs) When he appears in the beginning of the game, I think that's the way the game is played.

Kato: Until the middle of development, the first members were Poshul and Lucky Dan (Note 1). Tanaka-san was the one who wanted to be a part of that process.

Tanaka: Because, you know, just when we were about to go into the heart of the story after the dimensional transfer! At the moment we were about to get to the core of the story, we were forced to have those two members. What kind of story is that?

Yuki: Visually, it's amazing, too. A dog, a straw doll, and the main character. It's a mystery, isn't it? It's a mystery (laughs).

What is your favorite party composition?

Kato: Mr. Yuki, did you have a favorite character you designed for this project? From what I've heard, it's "Forgive me. The character that isn't seems to be a slash."

(laughs).

Yuki: No, he is not good (laughs).

I don't think he's right.

Kato: You can't allow that kind of thing to be part of the worldview (laughs). (laughs). But you know, Nikki seems to be really popular with the girls.

Yuki Oh, really? You are so gullible (laughs). As a man, I prefer masculine characters. I like pirate captains.

Kato: You are Fargo, aren't you, Yuki-san? He looks like an old man, but has a rugged image.

Yuki: I like it myself. He looks like a dandy, austere old man, like something you would see in an old American movie. You don't see that in anime or video games. He looks good with a pomade on.

Kato: I see. How about a female character? What about the female characters? I thought you put a lot of effort into painting Tsukuyomi.

Yuki: I heard she was an important character, so I paid attention to that. I had the image of her taking me to some wonderful place far away from my daily life. She seems to be a rhapsodizer, or a guide, which suits her very well.

Tanaka: Is she indispensable for parties?

Yuki: That's right. More than the sister next door. It's very attractive (lol). If it were a party, what would be the other one? I don't know...maybe Karsh.

Kato: Why Karsh again?

Yuki: He seems strong. He seems useful.

Kato: Practicality comes first (laughs). (laughs) But in fact, he is a very useful character.

Yuki: What kind of parties do you organize, Kato?

Kato: Well... Starky and Lucky Dan, I think.

Yuki: All ghetto things, huh (laughs)? Is it the movement?

Kato: No, it's all kinds of good. I like them.

Tanaka: Lucky Dan also has events that secretly make you cry.

Yuki: You want to make me cry (laughs). Tanaka-san, what kind of combination would you use?

Tanaka: This time, Serge can be removed on the second lap. So, I'm going to use the following combination. Orlha, Steena, and Miki. I'm going to use only female characters.

Tanaka: The concept is to create a team of adult women.

Yuki: Surprisingly, you don't mention the names of Janice and Leena. Janice is pretty cute, though.

Kato: I like characters who are more like little girls. Dragon girls and star girls are cute.

Tanaka: The starry-eyed girl is summoned by a robot, isn't she (laughs).

Yuki: But there are a lot of weird characters. There are a lot of strange people who enter the party.

Kato: There are a lot of strange things going on. The character motions and events show the taste of the staff in charge of the game.

Yuki: With 45 people (*2), it must be difficult just to create unique motions. I heard that you did not use any capturing (*3) for this project, and I was impressed by the fact that everything was handmade.

Kato: No, no, no, on the contrary, if you capture the movement, it would not be like that. This time, it is especially difficult to show individuality, so I made it too exaggerated. I can create such strange movements because I am using only my imagination.

Tanaka: In "FF," for example, we hardly captured anything except for the movie. After all, it is not enough to make everything realistic.

Yuki: I see. I thought Square was more oriented toward realism these days. (Note 4)

Tanaka: I think that if you just go the realistic route, you will be cursing the imagination of the users.

Yuki: Ah, I understand that very well. I understand that very well. I felt that the movie "Cross" was well balanced in that respect.

In a game that cannot be praised without giving it away

Tanaka: Recently, when I have time, I often surf the Internet, and it is interesting to look around. I also look at game-related bulletin boards. Users' requests are all over the place (laughs).

Kato: It's as if we have become the evil ones (laughs). (Laughs) I think the anonymity is a big part of it. I guess that's why we can hear what they really think. Looking at reviews on the Internet and in magazines, there are a lot of comments about how the image of the new game is different from the previous one, and how the system is different.

Yuki: Well, that's the kind of thing that is a real pleasure for a creator, isn't it?

Kato: It's just that the magazines that I have played the game in have been very different from the previous ones.

Kato: However, it seems that the reviews in magazines that played the game gave it a fairly high rating. Yes, this time there were many 9s. Everyone thinks there is something definitely wrong with it. They said, "It's not a perfect score. The creator shouldn't say that" (laughs).

Kato: No, I would be suspicious if someone gave this game a perfect score (laughs). (laughs). There is something definitely wrong with "Cross. So, a score of 9 is the highest praise I can give. It contains some broken parts, but I am happy to hear that it was still good."

Tanaka: I give it a 10. The battle is a perfect score. I can't do any better than that (laughs).

Kato: But you see, there are some things that are difficult to understand. That's why I gave it a point deduction of 1.

Yuki: Come to think of it, it's hard to know how to look at the screen at first.

Tanaka: Even if you don't know how to look at it, you will be fine for a while. You will get used to it later, and you will understand it when you need it (laughs).

Kato: Well, you will never get a perfect score. (laughs).

Yuki: But if you get used to it as you play more and more, and if it is deep enough, then it will become an element to get into the game. That's the element that makes people get hooked, isn't it?

Kato: I would be happy if you think so.

Yuki: But game developers are really rich in ideas, including weird ones (laughs). I am really impressed. So I am sure that they must have done a lot of strange things in this game as well.

Kato: Oh my gosh. I've received a lot of "Oh my God, they're going to do it like this! No, why are you doing this! Why do you do it like this?" I'm not sure why I do it this way. (laughs). Yuki, I also think they are weird! Minus 1 point!

Kato: That's the best (laughs).

What we valued in Chrono Cross

I bought into the attitude that I would not compromise on what I wanted to make, and tried to make the rest of the game as normal as possible. I was able to do whatever I wanted to do, such as cutting the movie scripts and organizing events. I also wanted to do the ending the most this time. I could say that was all I wanted to do. That's why I made it a point to create the entire ending. I never cut corners, down to the last line. The team's concept was to do something new.

Masato Kato

Contrary to Kato, I cut corners this time. In the past, when I wanted to make 100 things, I prepared 100 things. This time, we dared to leave 20 or so for completion, leaving room for the user to intervene. In both the system and the battles, we did not provide a complete road map. We wanted to leave some elements for users to enjoy through their own imagination. So I hope that users will read between the lines to see what is missing. In that sense, I think we have done the best we can do right now. I hope you will read the parts that I tried to create but did not complete.

Hiromichi Tanaka

I am not directly involved in the development process, so I have always tried to keep in touch with the development side. I have been trying to avoid misunderstandings between the two sides. I think that the morale of the people on site is very much influenced by the quality of the game. Of course, this includes the image of the game. I didn't want to do anything that would lower morale. I wanted to respond to Mr. Kato's wishes to the best of my ability so as not to damage the image of the site as much as possible. I would like you to see the worldview that exists only in "Chrono Cross," which was delicately balanced and unified in my mind. Please take a look at the chaotic, yet subtly unified worldview that exists only within "Chrono Cross."

Nobuteru Yuki

Scoop! This is the next work!

If you were to make another game with the same team, what kind of game would you like to make?

Tanaka: Well, that's a good question. Kato, what would you like to make?

Kato: Well, maybe a gal game next time (laughs)

Tanaka: I look forward to your illustrations, Yuki-san.

Yuki: Wow, I don't think my illustrations will be a good match (laughs). (laughs) I guess Mr. Yuki will do the illustrations and Mr. Kato will do the scenario. Mr. Tanaka, what kind of system are you planning to use?

Tanaka: How about a game where you beat up a bunch of gals (laughs). (laughs). Yuki, I wonder if that would be a "gal game" too.

Kato: I think Tanaka-san's main concern in that game is the shaking of the breasts (laughs). (Laughs.) She said, "The beating of my heart makes my breasts jiggle, not the impure jiggle! It's not an impure shaking!

Yuki: Hmmm... I can't help but notice that there is a hint of bankruptcy in this game. It's not a game that will get a perfect review score (laughs).

NOTES:

1) In the early versions of the game, both Poshul and Lucky Dan were characters who joined the game through forced events. That's why Lucky Dan was dancing in the scene where he meets up with Rena.
2) 45 is the number of characters in the party, and it is said that more than 60 were planned in the planning stage.
3) Motion capture.
4) Mr. Yuki had an inorganic image of CG movies and was initially reluctant to use high life-size characters. However, when he saw the completed movie after finishing the development, he said, "It sent shivers down my spine.

Ultimania[edit]

Staff Comments[edit]

See Ultimania Staff Comments.

Main Book[edit]

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  464-465 Secrets

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  466-467 Secrets

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  468-469

464

Chrono Cross Reading Guide

In this section, we will select parts of the story of "Chrono Cross" that may be particularly difficult to understand and explain them, including links to related works. Since the contents are quite in-depth, we recommend that you read this section after you have completed the game, if possible. This section was compiled with the cooperation of scenario writer Masato Kato.

Frozen Flame

A legendary treasure said to heal all wounds and make any dream come true.

The Frozen Flame is a generic name for a fragment of a life form, of which there have been several since ancient times. The Frozen Flame, the subject of this work, was discovered in El Nido in the year 2300 A.D. It is one of the most powerful and dangerous of the fragments. It is said to have the power to manipulate time and fulfill wishes, but only a few people are able to use its power, and it is called the "living stone with a will" because it seems as if the stone itself chooses its users. It is also known as the "Shining Flame" because of its fiery red appearance.

Arbiter

The flame recognizes you as a mediator, depending on your choice. The frozen flame cannot be used, or even touched, except by those whom the flame itself recognizes. The term "mediator" refers to those who can do this, those who are "chosen by the flame," those who can link to the life form of the flame through the frozen flame and serve as mediators between the life form and the life of the planet. The mediator can be a powerful force. The mediator has great power, but if he or she does not use that power to "mediate" between life forms, i.e., to stop the conflict between them and reduce the negative emotions that are the cause of the conflict, he or she risks becoming a "time eater" and leading the world to destruction. In "Chrono Trigger", Sara, who had the power to control the magical weapon, is said to have been a mediator.

LINK TO TRIGGER : Dreamstone

The red stone "Dreamstone" in "Chrono Trigger" and the frozen flame are of the same species. Dreanstone has been recognized since 65 million years B.C., when Lavos was still a star in the sky, and has been highly prized since that time. In particular, the people of the magical kingdom of Zeal, who prospered by harnessing the power of Lavos, made the most of the stone. Among their various inventions, the greatest was the "Mammon Machine," which was used so extensively that the kingdom collapsed.

The pendants of Masamune and Princess Schala were also made from dry stones during this period. Among these, Schala's pendant was once passed from Schala's hand, which was swallowed by a dimensional vortex, to someone else's, and then passed to the Guardia royal family, where it became Marle's. The story of the frozen flame told by Kersh at the Snake Bone Pavilion is related to this pendant. The northern kingdom that passed it down from generation to generation refers to the Kingdom of Guardia.

Serge and the Two Worlds

Radius. "This world is not one. There is another, different world in a different dimension.

The Prophet of Time. "The bond with the world that was severed 10 years ago..."

The parallel worlds are infinite in nature, but the subject of this story is the parallel world that diverged 10 years ago due to Serge's birth and death. Therefore, the events that took place before 10 years ago are the same in both HOME WORLD and ANOTHER WORLD. If there is any difference between the two worlds, it is that they were created within the last 10 years. Then, how was Serge able to move between these two worlds? Because his existence itself is the key to the bifurcation of the two worlds, and thus the dimensional boundary is uncertain for him. Furthermore, his first dimensional transition is related to the power of a woman who invited him from another dimension.

Serge's Fate

The world of man will soon come to an end. Then, Serge, you will become the world's enemy, and the world will become your enemy.

What do these ominous words imply? Does it mean that Dark Serge will be wreaking havoc in various parts of the world? Serge's defeat of the fates will result in the resurrection of the dragon god, the enemy of mankind, and the destruction of mankind.

Does this mean that Serge will not act as Arbiter? and will bring people to the brink of crisis?

If Serge defeats the Fate, he himself will eventually be assimilated by the Time Devourer and lead the world to destruction? There are so many factors that could make Serge an "enemy of the world."

Childhood Memories

"Serge, you almost drowned after that, you were in a lot of trouble. ......" (Lena) Originally Serge was supposed to die 10 years ago. The existence of Chronopolis in God's garden is an extension of his death. But die! His fate was to be rescued, and a new dimension called HOME WORLD was born. This is no coincidence. This is a deliberate divergence by someone who knew that this irregular world contained the danger of a world collapse (see the Dead Sea section) and still had hope for Serge's existence. Serge was only seven years old when he was rescued, but his memories remain. The images of the beach that are occasionally inserted into the film are scenes from 10 years ago that are still burned deep into Serge's mind.

The movie may seem casual, but it actually hides a very important meaning in the story.

465

DeepL struggles with this page, but in short, Ultimania claims that Kid remembers Serge saving at her at the orphanage as a kid, and that she (despite being the only thief) calls him a Radical Dreamer, even before she's met him. Of course, this a predestination paradox and just silly, so, whatever, sigh...

466

Garden of God / Dead Sea

"Sleeping, that flame. In the garden of God, where past and future meet.

The garden of God, the place where the past and the future intersect. There are rumors that time is reversed inside." (Sage) The Garden of God was created when Chronopolis, a building that should have been in the future in 2400 A.D., was sent back 10,000 years in time by a time crash. Therefore, the time here is different from that of the outside world. If the possibility of the future existence of Chronopolis and Fate were to disappear (which is what Fate fears the most), the Garden of God would also disappear.

Signs of the Dead Sea's Doom

The Dead Sea is the future of this planet in its original form. HOME WORLD is an irregular world that Fate never envisioned. In this world, the Dead Sea exists instead of the Garden of God. This means that beyond this timeline in which Serge lives, another future in which Chronopolis does not exist - in other words, the scene seen in the Dead Sea - awaits him. The scene that unfolds in the Dead Sea is the image of the destroyed future that Crono and his friends avoided (i.e., killed) in the previous work. In other words, it is implicitly shown that the world will collapse if Serge is still alive. This is related to the fact that Serge is an Arbiter. This future image was created because at the time Serge survived and visited the Dead Sea, it was more likely that he would be consumed by the Time Eaters and bring about the destruction of the world. However, the future shown here is a fluid one. The fate of the world after this time may change depending on Serge's subsequent actions.

ZEALITY NOTE: This...how does this even work? The Time Devourer threatens to destroy all space-time, not just Home World. And it's still a threat, not a surefire thing that's occurred; why would it be reflected in Home World's future? And since it jeopardizes all space-time, wouldn't it also destroy Another World's future? Was there zero thought put into this game?!

LINK TO TRIGGER: Children's Vision

Children first appeared in the Dead Sea and are still seen in the Tower of Stars and on the beach of Opasa. They are Crono, Lucca, and Merle, the young boys and girls who saved the future in the previous "Crono Trigger". They know all the circumstances leading up to this point, which is why they repeatedly make meaningful statements. The fact that they say "they do not exist in this time line" or appear as phantoms implies that they are already deceased. This is not unrelated to the fact that the world of this work is on the timeline after the destruction of the Kingdom of Guardia. However, this is one of countless possible timelines. It does not necessarily mean that they met this fate after the previous work. From left, Merle, Crono, and Lucca. Crono is the main character of the previous film, but Lucca is most closely related to this film.

ZEALITY NOTE: This is so weak. "Let's show Crono/Marle/Lucca, but not elaborate why they're dead, or even what timeline they're from." What was the point?

LINK TO TRIGGER : Nadia's Bell

Located at the center of the Time Crush explosion is the Leane Plaza from Chrono Trigger. This square is the starting point of the Chronos' adventures, and also the place where they are greeted after they have altered the future. The "Maardia Bell" was placed in this square to pray for continued peace after their adventures. Incidentally, the bell is named after Princess Mar's real name (Mar Dea).

Einlanzer/Masamune

The legendary sword forged by the people of the Dragon

... Radius.

The White Holy Sword ------"

Its Transition

The white shining holy sword, Einlanzer, and the cursed sword with a red blade, Grandrion. The history of these two swords is as follows. 1 Radius, obsessed with Grandrion on the continent, slays Garai. He takes custody of Einlanzer, and after returning to El Nido, he casts Grandrion into the sea. The place where the sword lands is transformed into a cursed magical island (birth of the Isle of the Dead).

2 Dario takes over Einlanzer from Radius.

3 Dario is possessed by Grandrion on the Isle of the Wraiths, and when Kersh tries to stop the runaway, he is cut down and sent to the bottom of the valley, along with Einlanzer. A bobcat, watching the whole scene, carries off the Grandrion. (*The above 123 are matters common to the two worlds, and the following are the branches of 4.)

In 4ANOTHER WORLD, Dario's body is found by a search party together with Illanzar, and they are buried in a mausoleum in Termina. In the HOME WORLD, after the search for Dario is terminated, Radius discovers Einlanzer. It is deposited on the island of the departed.

CHRONO CROSS ULTIMANIA

LINK TO TRIGGER : Grand Lyon

The Grandrion is a sword made from dreamstone, as mentioned in the section "Frozen Flame. This sword was forged by the sage Bosch in the magical kingdom of Zeal in the year 12000 B.C. It was originally a small knife. Originally a small knife, it was transformed into a long sword the moment it was used to stop the outburst of a magical weapon made from the same stone. The reason for the sword's great power is certainly related to the fact that it is made of Dreamstone, but how it became a magical sword remains a mystery.

LINK TO RADICAL: Einlanzer

The Einlanzer, along with the red sword Grand Lyon, is a sacred sword said to have been made by a wise man in ancient times. The White Sword of the Ancient Times, Einlanzer, should be able to defend against the evil of the Chamber of Death. It once danced like the wind in the hands of Brang, wielder of the sword of the Knights of Acacia, and was the star of the stars.

...... The Radical Dreamers

The holy sword Einlanzer also appeared in Radical Dreamers. Although the creator and owner of the sword are different from those in this work, they share the same ability to dispel evil spirits with its holy power.

467

LINK TO TRIGGER: Prometheus

The name "Prometheus," a circuit inside Fate, comes from the official name of a fellow character from the previous work, Lobo, "Prometheus. However, this circuit is not the system used in Lobo itself. This is a safety program that Lucca completed at the end of the previous work in memory of Lobo, who had returned to the future, in order to prevent the machine from running out of control. It was not created for any specific purpose, but in the future, after its invention, Gush, who shares her ideology, actually incorporated this circuit into Fate.

ZEALITY NOTE: This contradicts a separate Kato interview where he states that Prometheus truly is Robo.

Developer Interviews[edit]

• Room #1 - Event Team

Transcribed and translated by GlitterBerri.

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  Original

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  Scanlation 1

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  Scanlation 2

• Room #2 - Battle Team

Transcribed and translated by GlitterBerri.

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  Original 472-473

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  Scanlation 1

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  Scanlation 2

• Room #3 - Sound Team

The movie is in 5.1 channel. The movies are mixed in 5.1ch.

What kind of staff did you have for the sound for "Chrono Cross"?

Mr. Mitsuda composed the background music. For sound effects, there are three parts: movies, battles, and events. Akao created the program for the background music and sound effects. In addition, there was a background music engineer who worked with Mr. Mitsuda.

In this interview, I would like to talk mainly about sound effects. What is the selling point of this project? "We did the mixing and final finishing of the sound effects for the movie in Los Angeles to enhance the quality. We used that as a benchmark to improve the quality of the work we did in Japan.

What are the advantages of finishing sound effects in Los Angeles?

In Japan, there are few engineers who can mix 5.1ch sound effects (a stereoscopic sound format compatible with a system consisting of 2 front speakers, 1 center speaker, 2 rear speakers, and woofers), and there are few proper studios. When you go to L.A., you can create sound effects in a very good environment, using the same techniques as in movies. And I get a lot of inspiration from being there.

Sound Programmer

Minoru Akao

We do a lot of RPGs, but sometimes I'd like to work on sounds for tranquil adventure games as well. I learned a lot from the experience. I was able to talk with the same people who did the sound effects for The Matrix, which was a great learning experience.

-The 5.1 channel mix means that the sound effects and music for "Chrono Cross" were mixed in 5.1 channel.

The sound effects and music for "Chrono Cross" were mixed on a 5.1 channel system.

Can I listen to the sound effects and music of "Chrono Cross" on a 5.1 channel system? II "Unfortunately, you can't hear them in the actual game software. In the game, we use a 2-channel stereo mix. However, we have the master 5.1 channel data on hand, so we can always burn it onto a DVD, for example, along with the video.

-If there is a movie DVD of "Chrono Cross" with 5.1 channels, I would love to watch it. By the way, DVDs remind me of the PS2. Can the PS2 playback 5.1 channels?

If you use the same format as DVD, at least the movie part can be played in 5.1 channel. What about the built-in sound source? Depending on how you program it, it might be possible, but I can't say for sure yet.

If a 5.1-channel game environment can be realized, then we may see games with ideas that take advantage of this environment. However, it will cost a lot of money to have speakers and amplifiers for proper listening (laughs).

(Laughs.) "We use the sound of a real frying pan being tapped.

This time, you used interesting sound effects to match the unique attacks of the characters, didn't you? Rena's hitting the frying pan.

Sound Engineer (in charge of sound effects for movies and events)

Chiharu Minegawa

I always say this, but I like to play the game with headphones on and loud volume. Don't play without sound!

The sound of a real frying pan hitting an enemy with a frying pan.

That sound was made by recording the sound of a real frying pan being struck.

We recorded the sound of a real frying pan, processed the data a little bit, and then used it in the game. The same method was used for the sound of the rice spoon. Yes, it was. There are so many characters, and each of them has a weak, medium, and strong attack. Looking back, it was a daunting task to match the sound effects to all of them. We had to think about how to individualize the sounds for each character equipped with a sword, and what sounds would and would not work for each character.

Sound Engineer (in charge of battle and other sound effects)

Yasuhiro Yamamoto

I love "Star Wars," so I was probably somewhat influenced by the sound effects of the elements.

What sound effects did you make for this project that we hope you will listen to?

The wind chime in the room sometimes rings, which I think adds to the atmosphere. Also, when Tsumaru hits his enemies, not only does it sound like a bang, but we also included the sound of the bell on his neck ringing. Razzle has also included a sparkling sound along with the hit sound to make him look like a fairy. I'm glad you can hear these little details.

I think the best sound effects are those that feel right at home.

I think the sound effects are the best.

I know it may be difficult for users to understand, but is the sound program in this game completely different from the past Square games?

Yes, it is. It's similar to the sound programs of FFVIII, Seiken Densetsu Legend: Legend of Mana, and Front Mission Third in terms of generation, but it's been customized and evolved for Chrono Cross. We are making small changes to each game to make it faster and to make the sound more beautiful.

How do you see the sound program evolving in the future?

We have a lot of things in mind. For example, there are many sounds in this room right now. For example, there are many sounds in this room right now: the sound of the air conditioner, the faint footsteps of someone walking down the hallway. ...... To express all of these sounds, we have to work harder and harder.

I thought I would challenge myself to create a system that would allow me to play as many sounds as I wanted at any given time, without regard to the number of simultaneous sounds of the two speakers or any other factors. Even in a forest scene, each tree makes a different sound depending on the quality of its leaves and the size of its branches. I wondered if it would be possible to make all of these sounds. If we could do that, I think we would be able to create a very realistic space.

-I'm looking forward to hearing the sound effects in future Square titles.

In Japan, "Star Wars: Episode I" was released in the summer of 1999, and there was a lot of excitement about the 6.1 channel soundtrack. However, I think there are some things we should not forget. Once you have a certain amount of experience in sound effects, you tend to think in the direction of "good sound, good environment, 5.1 channel, in L.A., ..... I think that when you have a certain amount of experience in making sound effects, you tend to think in that direction. However, before talking about the quality of the sound or how many bits are used, I think it is important to add sound effects that make the game interesting. The best sound effect is one that fits the story, not one that is too loud. Without sound effects, games and movies would not be possible. However, sound effects tend to be relegated to an inconspicuous position. I would like to make them stand out someday (laughs).

• Room #4 - Yasunori Mitsuda

Translated by Chronoshock, originally here.

"Wanted to create RPG music that is not based on Orchestrated Sound"

• Could you tell us how you stepped into the path of music and how you first became interested in composing music for video games?

Mitsuda: Usually, the people who follow that path tend to be in a band during high school. However, that was not the case for me. I just went home and enjoyed watching movies and that's how I spent my free time. I loved watching "The Railroad Man" and movies that cast Audrey Hepburn, and the music in it was so good. I started thinking, "It would be awesome if I could create movie soundtracks like that" and my dreams gradually leaned towards music. I was an assistant of a man whom one could call a "master" in a 2 year college I attended. He just so happened to be composing video game music, and when I was close to graduating and getting a full-time job, I was skimming through the game magazines that were in my work place, I saw an ad from Square saying they needed a music composer and I applied and got hired by them.

• Your debut first official composition was "Chrono Trigger" correct?

Mitsuda: In the beginning, I was in charge of the sound effect department, but I wanted to compose music, so I kept trying to convince Sakaguchi-san (Hironobu Sakaguchi, Vice President of Square at the time) directly of my desire to compose music. Well, at the time, I was not in a very good financial situation (laughs bitterly). Then, Sakaguchi-san gave me an opportunity to compose music for a game named "Chrono Trigger" and I am very grateful to him for that.

• And this time, you composed for "Chrono Cross" as a freelancer...

Mitsuda: When I first received this offer, I couldn't believe it. I quit Square and Square has many composers and I assumed one of them will be the one composing. But Kato-san, who was the director, strongly convinced the others for me to do it. And in that situation, I thought "I gotta give my best to create the best music."

• What kind of theme did you use to compose music for "Chrono Cross"?

Mitsuda: I had previously worked on "Xenogears" and that game's composition was based on Orchestrated sound. As you may already know many RPG's use Orchestrated sound, but I wanted to take them into a different direction and discussed this with Kato-san. And what I am really good at is creating Traditional music. It was then decided that we use Tradtional sound as a base and center the music around the guitar.

• How did Traditional music become your forte?

Mitsuda: While I was in that 2 year college, my master heavily worked on Asian music, and because of that, I became interested and totally got into it. I've been working on those types of music ever since, but I realized that it was quite maniacal and if you listen to it normally, it's just too much for Japanese people. So I wanted to find a way to make it very pleasant to listen to it with the "foreign country" music feel. I think the work I put in has paid off to the music I've recently composed.

"The opening theme ended up exceeding my expectation"

• Chrono Cross centers around parallel worlds, did you compose it with that theme in mind?

Mitsuda: I first thought about making songs that are totally different songs for each world, But as you go back and forth those worlds, I thought that the player would not be able to distinguish between the worlds. But if I made totally different music for 2, one'd lose that feeling and I didn't want that. So I composed them with a similar tone but a little different type of feel. Generally speaking, I arranged it so that HOME WORLD is brighter, and ANOTHER WORLD has darker music.

• You kept your previous works "Chrono Trigger" and prequel "Radical Dreamers" themes, correct?

Mitsuda: Yes. I adapted them so that I don't betray "Chrono Trigger" fans, and although it's not very well known, but I also used elements from "Radical Dreamers" so that people who know that game will notice them. Chrono Cross has its own uniqueness as well so, it's basically a mix of 3 sounds to create 1 outlook on the worlds.

• I really love the ending theme with the vocals. It has a really nice atmosphere.

Mitsuda: We've already decided that we'll be putting in vocals to it from the beginning due to Kato-san's strong demand for them. Noriko Mitose, who is an artist who Kato-san has recruited, has a very transparent voice. We wanted to make use of her voice and the warm sound of the guitar to create tone, so we decided not to use any other instruments. We asked Tomohiko Kira from ZABADAK, with whom I worked in the past when we were creating the arranged version of Xenogears's soundtrack, to play the crucial guitar parts.

• Any song you like in particular?

Mitsuda: Opening theme of course! (Chrono Cross ~ Scars of Time, disc 1, track 1) It far exceeded my expectation and I think it gives an enormous impact to the listener. Though, unexpectedly, I like "Jelly Fish Sea" (Disc 3, track 4) as well... I think. I doubt there are many people who like that song (laughs).

• And any songs that were hard to compose?

Mitsuda: Fortress of Ancient Dragon (Disc 1, track 24). I received "redo" from Kato-san 3-4 times (laughs). It was really hard to come up with a song that has a scary tone but is easy to accompany. Kato-san is really fastidious (laughs). He has a huge collection of music CD's himself, and because of that, he'll demand more from even the very small parts of the song. I don't think there are any directors who are able to demand that much from music (laughs). But that's why it is really fun to work with him.

"I think people should create songs that sway the player's feelings."

• What do you consider good game music?

Mitsuda: People try to make it sound like music from movies, but I personally think that game music is its own genre, which is why I love game composers who do not copy other genres. A game's value partly lies in it allowing the player to move its characters around on the screen. I think people should create songs that sway the player's feelings.

• Speaking of players, at what age did you start playing video games?

Mitsuda: I started playing in the era of "The Black Onyx", so way back then. Around 1982, when PC-8801 was released. Back then, the game's art, and Japan Famicom's game music were so awesome!

• I see. I did sense a very old game feel from your songs, and I was right about that. Speaking of which, as I approached the last battle in Chrono Cross, it reminded me of The Black Onyx. At that time, everyone was stuck on that particular part "Iro, Ikkaizutsu"

Mitsuda: Indeed (laughs). And when you say The Black Onyx, ....(he starts talking about old PC games passionately). I really think old game music was well composed. I think current game music lacks in its own uniqueness due to the fact that its range has expanded. I think it would be great if people could compose music while infusing the video games with their own personality, and I'm in the process of thinking of a way to do that right now.

• Lastly, anything you'd like to send a message to people who enjoyed Chrono Cross's music?

Mitsuda: I think there are many people for whom the Chrono Cross soundtrack was their first time listening to my music, but if you end up really liking even one song, I will be very happy that I composed Chrono Cross's music. I'll be trying things like making my own album, playing live, and concerts. If you have a chance, please come and listen and get into the world of Mitsuda! (laughs)

• Room #5 - Masato Kato

Translated by Chris.

“Serge and Kid were where I tried the hardest, moreover making a ‘boy meets girl’ kinda thing”

In the pace of Radical Dreamers

Interviewer – Many user’s (this magazine) have been hopefully waiting for a sequel to Chrono Trigger (CT), and finally you have made an appearance. Since you (Kato) were the scenario director for the previous games, you’ve thought a lot about the series. This time around, how are the story elements going to continue or take over from the previous games?

Kato – CT wasn’t just me (Square), but Yuji Hori and Akira Toriyama were also involved in creating it. If these members met again right now, I think a serious attempt to make a CT 2 is not at all a realistic possibility. When talking with the producer Tanaka about the possibility of making a new Chrono game, I was requested to do in the storyline vein of Radical Dreamers (RD).

I – Your talking about the text adventure game that came out on the Stellaview, right?

Kato – Yeah. Honestly, there were some story elements and unfinished business that I wanted to create in a sequel to CT itself. It seemed like there was another story in a parallel dimension. If we could do in that pace, I’d like to try making in the same flow and direction as the level of the Chrono series. Also, for RD, we only had 2-3 months to develop it, and I didn’t get to a point where I felt satisfied. I think I’d like to get that a little more completed too, since it’s always been in my heart.

I – The title “Chrono” is attached, but is the influence of RD also very strong?

Kato – This time I think we were really lucky. Many people played the Super Nintendo title CT, so first of all there was a hope to have a sequel or remake. Also, no one knew about RD, since it barely slipped by production. I like the story of RD, but we left it unfinished in an emergency rush, chased by the engaging gears of production. I wanted to somehow take it up again, since I thought about it daily. What’s more, I didn’t know that CT was being ported to the PS. (laughs)

I – Oh, you didn’t know? (laughs)

Kato – I learned about halfway through the completion of Chrono Cross (CC). Actually, I knew that CT was going to be ported. (laughs) I went to anime movie meetings for the porting publisher and we talked about connecting CT to CC with some hints through the ending movie. Like how we could link the pieces together well.

I – There was only a difference of two weeks in the release dates of the ported CT and CC. (In Japan, at least…)

Kato – It was to give a feeling of wanting to continue playing. CT was already released 5 years before on the Super Nintendo. There were easily some people who forgot the story, or people who weren’t even the age to play it. That’s why we planned from the beginning to not have it take over the exact story. The people who wouldn’t have played the first game would have no reason for playing a game they couldn’t understand. Taking this into consideration, we thought about the timing, having the ported CT come before CC. If we did that, CC could be played right after CT, and the story relationships would be somewhat strengthened. That way, the previous game could be incorporated better.

I – Thinking about the various connections between CT and CC, what’s enjoyable now is not necessarily understanding the Chrono world, but actually playing it. That in mind, there are no real ways to play RD. To the Chrono fans, are there any stories from the works that could be handed down?

Kato – Actually, about RD, there was some attempt before CC was put on the market. The Stellaview data was planned to be put on a ROM cartridge and connected to a premier at Akihabara (Electronics district in Tokyo, nerd central). The porting development team heard this and wanted to put all of RD into the CT Playstation port, but was told to leave it as it was. I also rejected it. It was made four years about, and when I read the script now, I’m easily embarrassed. While the development of the RD story is in CC, I think there’s no reason you need to understand RD to enjoy CC.

I – Where did you get the conception to use parallel worlds as a platform?

Kato – From the get-go, I was against using time travel exactly like in CT, but wanted to keep on the same level in the series. Eventually, we decided not to do the “If something happened in the past, could it change the future?” pattern. If we did that, we would only be rehashing and cranking up the volume of the last game. That wasn’t at all what we wanted to do.

I – It’s only natural that you wouldn’t want to do something like that.

Kato – Yeah. If we ended up doing that, the gameplay wouldn’t dramatically change at all, would it? So we thought a bit about it, and I really liked CT’s style, but since we did time travel then, this time would be parallel worlds. Doing it this way made perfect sense to me. (literal translation: straight into my head it popped and fit) So, we started thinking about what would be most interesting when using parallel worlds as a platform.

I – Like meeting Kid in the world that you died in.

Kato – From a cursory look, it looks like the normal world, but some things are different. Then, the main character realizes the biggest shock of all…he’s supposedly dead. So he’s living in one world and not in another, and the puzzle begins; “Why did I die?” From there, Lynx gets involved, there are hints that fate is controlling the world, there are the six dragons symbolizing nature, and so on. Then, from CT, there’s more about Lavos, when Lavos came, how it lifted primitive people up to create a magic kingdom, and other connections. Maybe even Lavos was the trigger than caused humans to evolve from monkeys. Elements like that incorporate into each other, one after another. We thought about how it would flow together smoothly to surprise the players in the best way.

I – What was the main theme you tried to write into this work?

Kato – I usually don’t care too much for themes. The most important thing is whether the game is enjoyable. For this time…well, I already talked about the time element, but in CT I couldn’t write much about what happened to Schala. What truly could have happened what left an unfinished story, and that’s why I chose to properly complete it. Since both games could be played, I chose to make a conclusion between the worlds of CT and CC.

I – So you wanted to connect the works with the relationships between Serge and Kid, and also Schala.

Kato – To pin it down, Serge and Kid were where I tried the hardest, moreover making a ‘boy meets girl’ kinda thing. A kid named Serge meets a girl named Kid and together they get wrapped up in an adventure. From the world he doesn’t know about secrets are slowly revealed, about Serge himself, Schala from the past, and how fate is tied in. This could just be an ending where boy meets girl and they do their story, but perhaps there’s another dimension, another story, a different meeting, and a completely different life story that you could have. I persistently tried my hardest to get the player to question things like this.

I – So for a good ending movie, you tried to use the crossing point of a young girl and her other side to imagine “a story in another dimension.”

Kato – Yeah, like that. I thought that was the perfect material to use to give meaning to a parallel world. In each independent parallel world there would be respective developing stories. If we did it that way, people at home could use the experience of Serge in the game’s worlds to think about the reality of their own world. Maybe somewhere in our world there’s a Kid, and surely someday we will find and meet. For a long time I’ve wanted realizations developed from games to not just stop with the game, and now I feel I’ve done it right. There’s a message that comes after the ending movie finished, and I hope that all players will understand these words that have come from my heart. That’s what I’d love to have happen.

Q&A Section

Ask Mr. Kato! The Mystery of the Scenario

The scenario of "Chrono Cross" contains many mysterious elements. The scenario research page (→P.460) will clear up some of the mysteries, but there are still a few questions that remain. Therefore, in addition to the usual interview, Mr. Kato gave us the opportunity to ask him questions about the content of the scenario. Every Q&A is worth reading!

Kid from HOME WORLD died in a fire five years ago?

Considering that there are whispers of Radical Dreamers in HOME WORLD, he may be on the move on the continent.

Why is the Kid chasing a frozen flame?

Underneath the surface reason of "pursuing a legendary treasure," Kid understands the danger of the Frozen Flame. Before the orphanage was attacked, the bobcat had approached Lucca several times, and when he was rebuffed, the bobcat decided to play hardball. The Kid was aware that the bobcat was threatening Lucca to get the frozen flame, and that Lucca was very reluctant to do so. Lucca was able to infer some things from what little information the bobcat gave her, and she was able to tell him, "I'm not going to do that without a fight."

He must have muttered something along the lines of, "If you put a bobcat in the hands of a human being, it will be a disaster. Hearing this, Kid decided that he could not give the flame to the bobcat, and that he would take it himself and finish the job.

The world of "Chrono Trigger" is set on a single moon, but there are other moons in the same world. Why are there two moons in Chrono Cross, which is set in the same world?

The time crash changed the dimensions of the world. When the dimension was torn apart and Chronopolis and Dinopolis were blasted into the past, the other moon also came into existence.

Do Yamaneko, Tsukuyomi and the Six Dragon Gods exist only in one of the two worlds, HOME WORLD or ANOTHER WORLD?

As for the six dragon deities, they may have originally existed in both worlds, but each of them was destroyed in one of the two worlds. The story is set in a world where there were two bobcats and two tsukuyomi. There were two bobcats and two tsukuyomi, but HOME WORLD is missing in the Dead Sea.

Tsukuyomi is said to be 18 years old.

Tsukuyomi is a distortion of the birth of her alter ego 14 years ago, when Sara was attracted by Serge's crying. She was born 14 years ago when the temporal seal on the Dragon God was broken due to the strain of Sara's birth of her alter ego over Serge's crying. Therefore, her age of 18 is her apparent age. The question arises as to whether Tsukuyomi itself ages normally. (laugh). (Laughs) I think that Tsukuyomi has looked like that since she was born.

What is the reason why Tsukuyomi seems to have a hard time staying away from Serge and her friends?

Tsukuyomi is a separate part of the dragon, but she cannot play as large a role as the dragon, and exists only as an adjunct to integrate the elements. Tsukuyomi himself was proceeding as planned with the mission he had been assigned, utilizing his fates through the bobcat. However, she always knew that she would eventually have to fight for her life with Serge and the others with whom she was now working. That is why I shed tears in the farewell scene as a final farewell. The fact that Tsukuyomi is in human form, not dragon form, is in a sense a child born between a dragon and a human, as opposed to a human being who exists as the child of the planet and Lavos. Tsukuyomi was in a position that could be called a bridge between people and the world. Tsukuyomi herself was in a very peculiar and sad position.

Is there any reason why Tsukuyomi and Kid say similar lines and have the same fortune-telling results? Tsukuyomi is the moon, after all.

There are two moons in this world, and as the brother star of the big moon, there is another tiny moon. Tsukuyomi is the smaller of the two. Her name itself is "Tsukuyomi," so she says the line "Till the moon..." in reference to the moon. Well, Tsukuyomi was initially set up as a counterpart to Kid, so it makes a lot of sense.

Gush's own words, "I did not expect to create Chronopolis and cause the Time Crash," and "It was all Gush's plan. Which is true, Gash's defense or Lucca's analysis?

Lucca is probably correct. Even though Gush may not have foreseen everything 100%, and even though he may not have been setting it all up. As to why Gash made such an explanation, I think he decided that it would not be good to reveal everything at the time of the star tower. The movie where Serge is facing the frozen fire is a good example of how Serge is trying to explain the future in case he does not release the Time Eater. The movie of Serge facing the frozen flame may be an allusion to the future if Serge did not release the Time Eater.

Why did the dragon gods take the frozen flame with them, when the seal had already been broken, in order to gain new power?

If anything, it is because the dangerous flames are too dangerous for human hands.

Who is the giant face that calls out to Serge and the others at the Tower of Stars?

It was supposed to be a different person in the initial setting, but in the game, it is now considered to be one of the researchers.

What is the connection between Farga, the bobcat, and Colonel Snakebone?

The relationship between Farga and Colonel Snakebone is not directly related to the relationship between the two. The bobcat is not directly involved in the relationship between Farga and Colonel Snakebone. Farga, who defected from Colonel Snakebone, came into contact with the bobcat several times while resisting Colonel Snakebone.

In Miguel's recollection, whose voice did Wazuki and Miguel hear in Chronopolis?

It is the voice of the frozen fire. Or rather, it is more like the thoughts of the flames, but in their own words.

Why did Miguel stay in the Dead Sea? And does Miguel exist at all?

When Miguel entered the Garden of God 14 years ago, he was fascinated by it. Knowing the future and Fate's ka. He is swallowed up by the sea of information or becomes a part of Chronopolis. When the world was divided into two, there were two Miguel's, but the one in the Chronopolis must have been erased by Fate for some reason.

In ANOTHER WORLD, Kash, not Dario, is the demon, as Kash says in a reminiscence scene. Kash was the one who was possessed by the magic sword, not Dario?

I don't think so. It seems as if it is Kersh who is possessed by the sword. However, if you read it after you know what happened, you will understand that he was talking about Dalio.

Why did the Snake Bone Museum in HOME WORLD collapse?

After Colonel Snakebone and the Dragon Knights disappeared, it was destroyed by fire. The fire may have been started by a lightning strike, or it may have been caused by mismanagement by a secret agent of Palepoli who had infiltrated the building to check on the situation.

Q: Lucca's letter mentions the existence of Jaki, but does Cross mention Jaki (the demon king of Trigger)?

I originally wanted to tell the story of what happened after Sarah and Jaki, but when the number of characters reached 40 or so, I gave up on that. I thought it would be impossible to depict the close connection between Sarah, Kid, and Jaki without reducing the number of characters. Rucka's letter was written in the early stages of development with Jaki's presence in mind. I knew that Lucca knew that the Demon Lord was looking for Sara, and I didn't want to make a statement that she was there, so I left it as it was.

Room 6: Hiromichi Tanaka

The Elements are a development of the job change system in FFII.

Mr. Tanaka, you have been with Square for a long time. Right?

That's right. I've been with Square since the beginning. We were classmates in college, and when we were looking for a part-time job for spring break, I saw a job application magazine and joined Square, which was just at the time of its founding.

I got the impression that you have been creating a different trend within Square from the "FF" series.

Well, I'm not particularly aware of the recent "FF" series. ...... In my mind, I always think that what I am making is the mainstream of "FF" (laughs). (laughs) I was involved in "FFIII" and we parted ways for "IV," but I think of us as twins. The development periods of "FF" and my team always differ by about half a year, so we don't have a lot of staff transfers, and in that sense, I think we are gradually becoming different cultures.

The latest work produced by Mr. Tanaka is "Chroma", which is the latest in the series of "Chroma". How did you start this project?

Originally, the members came together to make "Chrono 2" at the time of "Xenogears". A lot of the staff from the original "Chrono Trigger" were also involved, but after a lot of things happened, it was released as "Xenogears. But after that, there was a strong will on Kato's part to make "Chrono Trigger," so we decided to give it another shot and began work on it.

Tanaka-san was the main designer of the battle system, wasn't he?

That's right. But in my mind, as usual, it is an extension of the "FF" system. For example, in "Seiken Densetsu" (Legend of the Sword), I created a motion battle system as an evolution of the battle system in "FFIII", but it was a bit more action-oriented, so it was a bit different from a pure command input type RPG.

The game system was different from that of "Xenogears". Then, when the hardware became more expressive with the PlayStation, we decided to bring that system back to a command-input RPG, and that's how we created the battle system for "Xenogears. I designed the battle system for "Xenogears" as a further evolution of that system.

-What did you first consider when designing the system?

We started with the idea that "FF" would take a different direction from "Dragon Quest". We've been trying to create a game that would showcase the game and give the user a sense of oneness with the controls for more than a decade since "I." We wanted to make a game that could be played on the most powerful hardware available at the time. I've been pursuing it for more than a decade since "I", while maximizing the performance of the hardware at the time. So this time, rather than trying to come up with something that would fit the "Chrono" series, I started from the idea of what would be the best I could do at that point in time.

The idea of arranging the elements in a grid is interesting, isn't it?

Job change allows you to change a character's occupation and abilities at any time. I wanted to express the feeling of being able to create your own character by combining each of the COPY00 techniques on a more detailed level.

In the field

I thought that when you start out as a developer and reach a position similar to that of Mr. Tanaka (Executive Vice President, Square Inc.), it is not surprising that you are no longer involved in the actual development of the game. I think it's not surprising that a developer of Mr. Tanaka's caliber (Executive Vice President, Square Inc.) would stop being involved in actual game development.

I think I am in a position where I have to take a step back (laughs). I have never really cared about my position. I want to create games as a creator. If anything, the position comes later. I'm so excited.

You are a creator from the bottom up, aren't you?

I, Kawazu (Akira Kawatsu, director of the "Saga" series), and Ishii (Koichi Ishii, director of the "Seiken Densetsu" series) are all in this business because we want to make games. I may not be the best at organizing people, but we are all here because we want to make things. Well, if you have been here for a long time, you can't help but get stuck in other places. But, if you have been here for a long time, you have to take care of the other staff members.

-When you are making games at Square, is there any pressure to achieve a certain level of sales each time?

No, it's just a title, but I don't think about it too deeply. If what we want to create is not accepted by users, we are disqualified as creators. In that sense, it may be a matter of pride, but I think it's important to have confidence.

I am making them with that much confidence. I feel that if you don't have that level of confidence, you won't be able to make a good product. How you drive on the road is up to you. It's up to the user.

How do you feel now that "Chrono Cross" is completed?

I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would, and I'm glad about that. The staff put a lot more thought and care into it than I had expected, and I think it is something I have never seen before. I'm more of a planning person, so I can think about the gameplay aspects of the system to some extent, but I can't design the battle effects or the content of the program. I think the staff members who worked on each part of the project did a great job.

How long was the development period and how many staff members did you have?

We started with a staff of about 30 people. We started with about 30 staff, and in the end we had about 50 employees and about 10 part-timers to support them. It was not a short development period, and the number of staff members was not small, but when I look at the finished product, I am amazed that you were able to organize such a large volume of game content. I'm an old guy myself, but many of the people on our team have been with the company for a long time. We are the oldest team in Square in terms of average age.

I'm sure everyone knows how to proceed with development efficiently.

Well, we have people from all over the world.

The book also includes a section titled "Suggestions on how to play Ultimania," and it is a game that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, isn't it?

We have a certain amount of roads, but we leave it up to the user to decide what kind of car to drive and how to drive it. Some people may go slowly, while others may go crazy in a sports car. We wanted to keep the road as wide as possible so that people could do whatever they wanted. So, we have created a framework, and within that framework, you can play the game as you like. I think that's how the game is supposed to be played.

Finally, as the producer of "Chrono Cross," could you send a message to the readers of this book?

In the past, games used to allow players to participate more freely. However, recently, the performance of hardware has improved so much that the creators have been trying to express too many things and have been saying too many detailed things. They said things like, "This is how a character should develop," or "This is how a monster should be defeated. I felt that this was a little too intrusive, so I decided to go the other way and make it more like an old-school game. Chrono Cross" has evolved a lot in terms of its appearance and programming, but I think the core of its gameplay has gone back to the old days. I don't know if people who are used to the latest games will find it fun or if they will find it boring, but I hope that people will enjoy it because it shows that there is such a thing as a game.

Executive Officer of Square Inc. He has worked on game design for "FFI-III" and "Seiken Densetsu 2.3", and produced "Xenogears". In this game, he is also in charge of the battle system design.

V-Jump Preview Video[edit]

See Chrono Cross V-Jump Preview Video; nothing really interesting is discussed.

Miscellaneous[edit]

July 15 and 16, 2003 - Interviews with Takashi Tokita[edit]

Thanks to akaipanda74

Takashi Tokita was a director for Chrono Trigger. In one of these interviews, he mentions a "Chrono Trigger 2", and thanks to Lorenz, we now know the context.

Interviewer: Speaking of a change of environment, in April of this year Square welcomed a big change when we merged with Enix. What was really going on at the developer?

Tokita: The various operations departments at Square had been used to working independently, but then Enix entered into the picture. This meant a lot more chefs in the kitchen and, in a good way, served to shake things up a bit. I feel like the company is moving in a positive direction. That's why I feel like there could be a discussion about making a game like Chrono Trigger 2. But there is a big difference between someone upstairs bellowing "Make this game!" and the people in the trenches deciding themselves that they want to work on this project. It's a matter of motivation. Of course, this is true for the operations departments and the whole merger itself, but the real theme here is having motivated people make the plans and set the budgets. If you don't want to do something, naturally you won't try your hardest to make it a success, and I don't really think that you can make an interesting product that way, either.

Interview: And with that, I'm sure all of our dear readers who know of Mr. Tokita are thinking, "Hey, you're forgeting all about that game!" "That game" being one that is exceptionally important to Mr. Tokita's career—that's right, Hanshuku Hero. As a matter of fact, that's the next topic we're going to cover, so let's wrap this up.

Yasunori Mitsuda 2003 Procyon Studio Interview[edit]

Thanks to AkaiPanda

（要約）

光田康典：1972.1.21、山口県生。音楽系短大卒業後、1992年スクウェア入社。

独立後、2001年(有)プロキオンスタジオ設立

[音楽をやるきっかけ]

高校生の頃から本当に映画が好きで、学校帰りにレンタルビデオショップに寄っては大量に借りて夜中までぶっ通しで見てたりしたんですが、その中で「鉄道員」というイタリア映画があって、その音楽が強烈に良くて。僕もそういう音楽が作れたらなぁと思ったのがきっかけですかね。絵にも興味があったのですが、父が画家だったので同じ事はしたくないなと思って。その辺は結構適当です（笑）

[病弱]

制作中に必ず病気をするんですよ。クロノトリガーのときは胃潰瘍で、かなり危なかったんですけど絶に入院はしなかったんです。結局１人じゃ間に合わなくなっちゃって、植松伸夫さんに手伝ってもらいました。トバルNo.1のときはアレンジャーの方とスタジオに入って１ヶ月ぶっ通しで作って、夏に作り始めたんですが終わったのは秋で、外に出たら「寒ーい！」みたいな（笑）。１つのタイトルだけじゃなくて複数タイトルを同時進行で作曲したりもするんですが、そのときは血便が出ましたね（笑）

で、ゼノギアスのサントラを出すことになったとき、ついに過労で倒れてしまって。朝方のことだったんすがスクウェアにはあのとき僕の他にも徹夜で泊まり込んでる人もいて、普通に仮眠を取ってる人も顔色が悪かったもんだから、僕と間違われて救急車で運ばれていきそうになったりして。誰が救急車呼んだの？って捜したら奥で僕が受話器を持ったまま倒れてた、と（笑）。そのせいでゼノギアスサントラの発売が遅れちゃいました。

[作曲]

クロノクロスの曲は僕も好きな曲ばかりなんです。当時は使える音数が限られていたんで、手抜きと思われたらどうしようかと思ってたんですが、支持が得られて良かったですね。僕が一番大事にしていることは、意味のある音楽を作ることです。この場面のこのポイントでこの音楽が流れてこそ！というのを実践してるんで、僕が作る曲の数って他のコンポーザーの方より少ないですよね。ゼノギアスはクリアまで８０時間以上かかる長編なのに曲数が限られているのは、敢えて必要な曲しか作っていないからなんです。何十曲あるうちの何曲かが印象に残るんではなくて、全部印象に残るように。

その割には完璧に仕込んだ曲の人気が出なくて、さらっと出来た曲の方に人気が出たりするんですが(笑)クロノトリガーのロボのテーマなんかは、僕としては普通の出来なんですけど人気が高くてびっくりしました。完璧だと思うのはゼノサーガのオープニング曲で、映像と数フレームの差も出ないように生録できっちり作りましたね。シャドウハーツIIは前作の曲も手がけたんですが、IIでは日向大佐の曲のアレンジがオイシイ場面で流れるんですよ。僕のお気に入りの曲なんで、ぜひ聴いてみて下さい。

（２００３）

(Summary)

Yasunori Mitsuda: Born on January 21, 1972 in Yamaguchi Prefecture. After graduating from a music-based junior college, Mitsuda joined Square in 1992.

After becoming independent, Mitsuda founded Procyon Studio in 2001.

[The Cue to Compose Music]

Since my high school days, I really loved movies. On my way home from school, I used to stop by a video rental store and rent massive quantities of movies; however, among them, I came across an Italian film titled, The Railroad Man, and the music was exceptional. I thought, “If only I could make music like that, too...” and guess that was my cue. I also had an interest in drawing, but since my father was an artist, I didn't really want to do the same thing as him. The timing was perfect. (laughs)

[Prone to Illness]

During production, I was inevitably ill. During Chrono Trigger, I had a stomach ulcer, and while it was quite serious, I was not hospitalized. In the end, I couldn't make the deadline in time alone and received help from Nobuo Uematsu. During Tobal No. 1, the arranger and I worked in the studio for a month straight. We began in the summer, but when we finished it was autumn. It seems it was “freeeeezing” outside! (laughs) I wasn't composing just one title at the time, but several titles simultaneously when I then ended up with bloody stool! (laughs)

And then, when the soundtrack for Xenogears was published, I finally collapsed from overworking. Someone must have mistakenly called an ambulance to carry me away that time because with the early mornings at Square there were also others besides myself who looked pale; like those that stayed and worked all night and those who usually got little sleep. When I questioned, “Who called the ambulance?” I collapsed with the telephone receiver in my hand. (laughs) That was the reason the release date for the Xenogears' soundtrack was delayed.

[Compositions]

The melodies of Chrono Cross are pieces that even I merely like. At the time, the number of supported syllables was limited and I had to think about what should be done if I needed to consider cutting corners, so I am pretty glad that the support has been obtained. My most important task is making music with meaning. With the practice of approaches like, “The music should flow with this scene at this point!” the music I compose is often unlike what other composers are doing. Despite Xenogears taking over 80 hours to clear, the number of tracks is limited because of the challenges that producing essential pieces presents. It's not just a dozen of compositions that I want to leave an impression with, it's with all that I wish to leave an impression.

Unexpectedly, it's not the perfected pieces that are popular. I can see how a smoothly done piece may be popular when it's released, (laughs) but I am surprised that a track like Robo's Theme from Chrono Trigger, which is something I don't normally do, is highly popular. A composition that I thought was perfect would have to be Xenosaga's opening with the movie and several frames of variation made to switch precisely on the beat in order to show live footage in between. Also, in Shadow Hearts II, the arrangement of Colonel Hyuga's piece, another previous composition that I had worked on, flowed “deliciously” well with the scene. Please definitely try and give my favorite compositions a listen.

(2003)

2003 Tetsuya Takahashi Xenosaga Interview[edit]

This is a long sought-after holy grail, where he states outright that Xenogears was originally supposed to be Chrono Trigger 2. See June 28, 2003 - Tetsuya Takahashi Xenosaga Interview.

2008 Kenichi Nishi NHK Interview[edit]

See October 7, 2008 NHK Interview with Kenichi Nishi.

2009 Keizo Kokubo Chrono Trigger Interview[edit]

See April 18, 2009 - Keizo Kokubo Interview.

2010 Miwa Ikuta's Memoirs on Radical Dreamers[edit]

• 2010 - Miwa Ikuta Memoirs on Radical Dreamers

2011 Yoshiyuki Miyagawa Chrono Cross Memoirs[edit]

See December 2, 2011 - Yoshiyuki Miyagawa Chrono Cross Memoirs. He talks about the game's visual effects and engine.

2014 Yasunori Mitsuda - Xenoblade Interview[edit]

See 2014_Xenoblade_Interviews,_with_Yasunori_Mitsuda.

2015 Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii[edit]

See May 3, 2015 - Shueshia Interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii.

2015 Yasunori Mitsuda Famitsu Interview (To Faraway Times)[edit]

See October 13, 2015 - Famitsu Interview with Yasunori Mitsuda, which covers the arrange album.

2015 Yasunori Mitsuda - 2083 Interview[edit]

See August 2015 - 2083 Interview with Yasunori Mitsuda.

2015 Yasunori Mitsuda and Masato Kato - The Brink of Time[edit]

See Yasunori Mitsuda - The Brink of Time.

• Download source files.

2016 Kazuhiko Torishima[edit]

See April 4, 2016 - Denfa Minico Kazuhiko Torishima Interview. Torishima was Akira Toriyama's editor.

2016 Hironobu Sakaguchi[edit]

See June 24, 2016 - Creative Village Interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi.

2019 Yasunori Mitsuda - CC 20th Interview[edit]

See September 12, 2019 - Yasunori Mitsuda CC 20th Interview.

Developer Tweets[edit]

Lots of fascinating tidbits. Find them at Developer Tweets.

Yasunori Mitsuda - Procyon Studio Question and Answer Forms[edit]

See Procyon Studio Question and Answer Forms.

From: Games