In the world of Japanese role-playing games, there are few titles as beloved and timeless as Chrono Trigger. Responsible for pushing the JRPG genre forward in terms of narrative tropes, accessible gameplay, and thematic tone, its influence is undeniable in the modern landscape. It makes sense that this 1995 Super Nintendo title would become a true classic, as it was developed by a team of the very best minds in the genre. A combo the likes of which we never thought we’d see in the mid-90s, Chrono Trigger‘s team was composed of some true legends. The result of a once-in-a-lifetime partnership, there’s a reason why Chrono Trigger‘s quality has never been replicated. As this epic, genre-defining masterpiece celebrates its 30th anniversary, let’s take a look back at how this all-time great game came to fruition.

A Meeting of Masters

Chrono Trigger was destined for success from the very start, as it was conceived by three of the best JRPG developers in all of the industry. This included Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, and Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball franchise. During a trip to the United States, the three had a creative breakthrough and decided to develop a game unlike any other before it. Though employees at two competing companies, Squaresoft and Enix, these three masters of the genre decided to join forces to create this end-all be-all RPG. Drumming up hype for the project ahead, Square labeled them as “the Dream Team”, a moniker that has stuck since.

Despite the huge scope of the game, the many artists, writers, and programmers working under the “Dream Team” put in substantial work, resulting in a hectic yet short development time. The early phases of development started in early 1993, but some bumps along the way caused delay. Initially, Chrono Trigger was slated for the Super Famicon Disk Drive, but when that hardware was canceled, they settled for a standard SNES release. Still, everyone put their heads together and worked hard. While Yuji Horii worked with producer Masato Kato on the story, Toriyama went to work on characters and art, while Sakaguchi focused on overall game design. Another delay in 1994 pushed the release date back, but just a year later, Chrono Trigger was ready for the world to finally play.

Through Time and Back Again

When Chrono Trigger was released on March 11, 1995, the entire JRPG fandom was validated on their many months of anticipation. In almost every way, the game lived up to the hype. As players dived into the fantastical world, time-traveling from the Prehistoric Era to a post-apocalyptic world and every time between, they were enamored with the quality of the art, writing, and gameplay. Critics agreed too, with Chrono Trigger picking up high review scores from the likes of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Nintendo Power, and more. The Dream Team had created an extremely rich world that players could lose themselves in, and the most dedicated discovered a special ending, with the three legends immortalized in 16-bit form.

The praise for Chrono Trigger didn’t end in the 1990s, though. Though the sequel, Chrono Cross, failed to live up to expectations, the original game received several re-releases and remasters in the years to follow. Most recently, Square Enix released an official PC port in 2018, a full two decades after the SNES launch. The legacy left by Chrono Trigger is undeniable: inklings of its design can be found all over modern RPGs, while successful titles like Sea of Stars excel with direct inspiration. Still, the game remains timeless. As a way to celebrate 30 years of this JRPG masterpiece, I recommend hunting down any version and giving it a whirl. After just a few hours of play, it’s easy to see why this fusion of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest has gained a reputation as one of the best in its class.