E308: Chrono Trigger's controls explained
While, for the most part, Chrono Trigger on the DS looks just like Chrono Trigger on the SNES, some liberties have been taken to make the use of the new, screenier hardware. I snapped this control scheme diagram from the Chrono Trigger demo station, figuring there may be someone out there interested in how it would play on the DS.
Oh, and I played it. The big revelation here is the touchscreen movement. The touchscreen (which displays an automap of the room you're in) basically acts as a big analog stick: hold the stylus toward the right of the screen and Crono moves right; hold it farther toward the edge and Crono moves faster. Tap, or run into something, to make Crono interact.
It's awesome if you want to have a really hard time performing basic movement operations in Chrono Trigger. But the traditional button controls remain more than adequate. It doesn't really mar the fact that it's OMG CHRONO TRIGGER. And battling on the touchscreen is perfectly fine -- you just touch buttons on a menu.
In other Chrono news, an SE rep told me that the translation (yes, it was the English version!) was new! And according to a statement given to Spencer Yip, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release.
Oh, and I played it. The big revelation here is the touchscreen movement. The touchscreen (which displays an automap of the room you're in) basically acts as a big analog stick: hold the stylus toward the right of the screen and Crono moves right; hold it farther toward the edge and Crono moves faster. Tap, or run into something, to make Crono interact.
It's awesome if you want to have a really hard time performing basic movement operations in Chrono Trigger. But the traditional button controls remain more than adequate. It doesn't really mar the fact that it's OMG CHRONO TRIGGER. And battling on the touchscreen is perfectly fine -- you just touch buttons on a menu.
In other Chrono news, an SE rep told me that the translation (yes, it was the English version!) was new! And according to a statement given to Spencer Yip, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BPM [MSN: BPMdotEXE @ hotmail.com] @ Jul 16th 2008 5:35PM
"And according to a statement given to Spencer Yip, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release."
So... I'm a bit confused by this statement. Does it mean:
A) You can play the game on a single-screen, just like the SNES/PS1 versions?
or
B) The game will contain both a new translation, and the original translation used in the SNES/PS1 versions?
Josh @ Jul 16th 2008 5:38PM
B
BPM [MSN: BPMdotEXE @ hotmail.com] @ Jul 16th 2008 5:46PM
Additionally, I hope the new translation keeps a lot of the changed names from the original.
Magus > Maou
Melchior, Gaspar, Belthasar > Gash, Hash, Bosh
Ozzie, Slash, Flea >>>>>>>>>> Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Mayonnaise
bm @ Jul 16th 2008 6:49PM
What are you saying? That Maou is a better name than Magus? I certainly hope you aren't.
Gash, Hash, Bosh? Oh christ.
BPM [MSN: BPMdotEXE @ hotmail.com] @ Jul 16th 2008 6:59PM
">" means "greater than"...
telee @ Jul 16th 2008 7:49PM
math fail!
bm @ Jul 16th 2008 9:53PM
Well we're not doing math, we're posting words. Never can know what people intend 100% of the time. Good thing I asked first. ;)
Nirotu @ Jul 16th 2008 5:37PM
Wow looks great. Gonna have to get this
Josh @ Jul 16th 2008 5:37PM
A new translation? Will it be accurate, like the Chrono Trigger retranslation project?
bm @ Jul 16th 2008 6:44PM
The Chrono Trigger retranslation project is retarded. "Magus-sama"? Weeaboo bullshit, if you're going to write English, write English.
Save for some VERY minor issues, the original translation was great. Ted Woolsey is a great translator. Anyone who thinks "Kaeru" is a better name for Frog needs a kick in the balls.
Joe H @ Jul 16th 2008 7:37PM
I'm not saying he did a bad job, but he himself was unhappy with the final product. If I remember right, he only had a month to translate it, and then about 50% had to be thrown out anyway due to limits of the cartridge and fonts etc.
Also, the version that ended up getting translated wasn't even the final Japanese build. Honestly, it's lucky it turned out to be as good as it did. There's a couple small features missing, like a picture at the end in one of the endings, item counts in the inventory, etc.
bm @ Jul 16th 2008 10:07PM
People always say that they're not happy with something or other. Shit happens. It was still a great translation, and the 50% number is complete bullshit. You know what that is? It's not any missing storyline. It's just less wordy ways of saying the same damn thing. You're not missing any information, you're just spared the "And hence you must go forth on this day with the purpose of claiming the key as your own" in favour of "You need to get the key". Or some shit like that.
And if they're worried about one or two items missing from the list, they could have had a much easier job just adding those back into the US game.
No, they just want literal translations and "original" names that make zero sense in English, and shit like Japanese suffixes, because the "fans" want to feel Japanese without actually bothering to learn the language.
Joe H @ Jul 17th 2008 3:01AM
I'm not the one saying that 50% of the script is missing. The ACTUAL translator of the game said he had to cut out 50% of his translation.
If you actually look at the page that shows the differences between the literal translation and the US translation, you'd see for example that a lot of humor from it has been removed, there's errors (like Schala saying something about her step-brother Janus, when its really her brother, or the "someone close to you needs help" line which had the entire meaning lost and confused many gamers at the time of release), etc.
Besides that, don't you think a new translation will make it feel just a little more fresh if it adds some of what had to be removed?
bm @ Jul 17th 2008 10:50AM
Are you serious? like I said before, those are all MINOR issues. Sure, a somewhat polished up translation for the DS version would be good, but we're talking about the CT fan-retranslation here. Which is a huge pile of shit.
Josh @ Jul 17th 2008 1:49PM
I was just using the retranslation project as an example of a translation that stayed closer to the source, and also was clearer and in some respects, like what Joe H mentioned.
Cesaria (cesariatic.wordpress.com) @ Jul 16th 2008 5:38PM
I want this game badly. Never finished the original :((.
Nirotu @ Jul 16th 2008 5:38PM
Might have to pick this up. Loved the first one.
Eh @ Jul 16th 2008 5:48PM
Doesnt the PSP already have this? You know, using the snes emulator...
Paul (PSN: heypaul) @ Jul 16th 2008 6:33PM
I'm also a bit disappointed. What's the point of getting this, when an SNES ROM looks exactly the same?
bm @ Jul 16th 2008 6:46PM
Ah, the ever prolific OH JEEZ WHY MUST I BUY THIS WHEN I CAN STEAL IT fallacy.
dan @ Jul 16th 2008 5:51PM
an SE rep told me that the translation was new!
Oh good, I was just thinking it's been five or six minutes since Square took something that needed no fixing whatsoever and then slathered it with weeaboo nonsense.
finaldarklord @ Jul 16th 2008 6:15PM
haaaa ha ha! My sentiments exactly.
However, I imagine that it will end up much like the GBA retranslations of FF4,5,6 which were pretty awesome and completely weeaboo-free.
I do recall that Woolsey only had like... 3 months was it? To translate CT? I liked the script very much, but with more time to devote to it we may get more dialogue and backstory, which I always welcome in remakes/re-releases.
Rob Accomando @ Jul 16th 2008 6:11PM
Why do they need a big chart to explain Chronotriggers controls? lol
Jezreel @ Jul 16th 2008 6:28PM
Game show kiosks always have control charts to facilitate the learning curve. It's a necessity when each person in line only has about 10 mins. Never underestimate a person's inability to figure out "what the hell this button does."
umm....hello??? @ Jul 16th 2008 6:19PM
awesome....can't wait for this to come out. loved the original...
Mr Khan @ Jul 16th 2008 6:20PM
Second day of E3 has been REALLY reassuring for Nintendo fans. Samba DLC, Dead Rising, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse media on Japanese Nintendo Channel, Mad World, Conduit, Miyamoto confirms storage solution on the way, Chrono Trigger and Wario Land deets
Kun Hitori @ Jul 16th 2008 8:54PM
Can anyone confirm or deny whether or not this version will have the cutscenes from the PS1 port?
*crosses fingers*