Kyle here, gaming aficionados. This time, our "distinguished panel of experts" reviews Square's re-released SNES classic, Chrono Trigger. Here's a little primer on Kyle's RPG Roundtable Reviews rating scale:
		0-1 is the lowest of the low. Basically, don't even touch the game's box. 1.5-4.5 is below average. You might still like it, though. 5 is absolutely average. Most games are a 5, so don't think this is bad. I mean it. 5.5-9.5 is above average. These are damn good scores, even a 5.5. Definitely pick it up. 10 is the ultimate. If you can't afford the game, consider selling body parts.
		Um... this one had me totally stumped. Sometimes I had no idea where (or when!) I was supposed to go, and all that time-travel stuff is just way too fancy for me. Also, the way it was really happy in parts and really dark in others just kinda took away from it, you know? It wasn't as complicated as some of the newer ones, but it was still pretty crazy! I like 'em all, but this one's a 3.5.
		I suppose that it is too much to ask that something be done about these re-released games. I fail to see why a game with such ridiculously overblown characterization is re-released, while true classics, where the characters have no speaking roles or even names, are left in the dust. Crono has the decency to keep quiet - if only his companions did the same! I suppose these fellows deserve a 2.0.
		Gau no like CT gameplay! There not enough wandering monster - and no random encounters, neither. Me no like see-before-you-fight battles. Combo system way too hard for me, 'specially in Active Time. It full-active, too, not ATB wait like Xenogears. Lot of boss battle way too hard for Gau - me no like! Oh - not 'bout gameplay, but me think Ayla cool! Gau give this 2.0.
		I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is so refreshing to see an SNES game again. When CT first came out, I thought the large sprites and colorful backgrounds were way too much, but after the likes of Vagrant Story and Skies of Arcadia, this is a welcome change. Of course, it's still a long way from the graphical flair of, say, Tetris or Breakout, much less Pong. If I had to judge, I'd give it a 5.0.
		Like, aside from the most bodacious SNES sound quality, there's totally not much good to say about Chrono Trigger's tuneage, dudes. Most of this OST was done by Yasunori Mitsuda - the same dude who did Xenogears and Chrono Cross. It totally shows, because except for some filler tracks, this is emotional stuff and character themes... aka major suckage! I'd crank the volume up to 3.0.
		Well... their opinions basically suck! Here's the catch: If you take their scores and reverse 'em, you'll get a pretty accurate picture. Like that little moron, Gau, gave the gameplay a 2.0? I'd say more like a 8.0, and that's real high. And as for loser-boy Nikki's 3.0... 7.0 would be closer to the mark, and held back only because of SNES sound quality. Now, for the real low-down on Chrono Trigger, I'm your man. Some games haven't aged all that well, but CT does an admirable job of living up to the memories people have of it. It hasn't lost the charm that made it a favorite of the SNES era. If FF6 is a classic by which all others are judged, the RPG equivalent of an academy award-winning drama, CT is more like a great old B movie: it may not be the best, but it's still the most fun. Compared to more recent fare, some of it seems a little cheesy, but it's all part of the charm. By not taking itself too seriously (a problem its sequel occasionally ran into), it makes the serious bits stand out, and it works. As a guy who didn't play all of CT when it first came out, I can safely say that its worth playing for more than just the nostalgia factor - it plays better than 99% of the newer RPGs, and the old style graphics don't intrude too much, once you get used to them. The music cries out for an arranged soundtrack, but the composition is so good, you really won't notice the sound quality after a while. 3B-wise, CT ranks pretty low. The drawing style of the concept art doesn't really lend itself to showing off the gals' assets, and the sprites don't do them a lot of justice, either. Blood? Don't bet on it. The red stuff didn't really flow back in the SNES days, and this is no exception. At least the beasts are looking good, though. There are some creative critters here, and quite a few of them are drawn big enough to look really cool. Put it all together and you get a game that's a lot of fun all around, and well worth paying full price for, much less getting in a bundled deal with FF4. Put together, it's about a 8.0!