My favourite video game of all time is Chrono Trigger. I literally cannot express enough how much I love this game, its music, and its story. I have had friends get me copies of this game when travelling and it is at this point I am now just short of one final copy: the EU DS release.

I figured I’d write about my thoughts about each type of release and then tell you the version I think you should play.

PlayStation

The release of Chrono Trigger for PlayStation is weird. SquareSoft decided to use the original SNES binary of the game to provide things like graphics and text, but then added FMV and audio separate–the audio part makes sense when you think about it anyway.

However, this decision to use the SNES ROM made the game run so freaking slow. Its disc read times are abysmal and really ruins the experience if you ignore the beautiful Akira Toriyama-derived animation cuts.

The North American release happened twice on that note. Sony really loves to do “greatest hits” releases and this version is no exception. However, they really messed with the artwork in the game case as evident here.

They just shifted the whole art to the right to put the hideous green label. I know that this is just a game case, but come on.

I don’t recommend making this your solo experience with this game.

Super Nintendo / Super Famicom

This is the original version and it plays as you expect it. Honestly, if this is to be your only experience with the game, it is actually great. If you decide to speedrun it, this is the only version you should bother with.

The catch with this release is the North American version is super expensive. I was lucky in that I was able to get a copy from a friend on the cheap without a game box. I ended up buying a replica box since I don’t really care about having the originals.

The Japanese version is dirt cheap however.

Nintendo DS

Okay. So hear me out: this version is probably the best to get especially if you want to buy it at an affordable price, have reasonable load times (it includes the FMV), and for the bonus extra ending that doesn’t exist in the other physical releases.

The downside of the DS release in my opinion is that it plays slightly differently due to the second screen. It doesn’t really change the gameplay, but I always felt like the experience was better on a solo display.

The bonus ending I will avoid elaborating too much on, but it does a good job intertwining the game with its sequel, Chrono Cross.

So what is the best version?

The Nintendo DS is the best version if you want a bonus ending and want a copy on the cheap.

The SNES version is the best if you want the original experience.

Choose your poison, but either way enjoy the ride!