Now the biggest bone of contention with the game remains its moderately revamped dialog and story, which will likely only be noticeable to those with multiple playthroughs under their belt. As a person who’s trekked through countless times, I have to say that many of the changes (aside from biggies like Frog’s accent and the opening dialog), are hardly perceptible. The rewritten script retains almost all of its initial quirk and charm, and, quite frankly, should not worry the purists who fear their classic has been compromised.

The DS-specific extras, most notably a handful of dungeons with fetch-quests and a monster trainer side game, are welcome additions but hardly deal-breakers. They’re fun, but not really where the fun is, and add roughly extra 5-10 hours onto the game depending on how much time you sink into them. Thankfully, they’re entirely optional (as I realized when I created my monster 20 hours into the game), but for those who just can’t get enough, you’ll likely love the added time with your crew.

Chrono Trigger has always been about replayability, as it was largely one of the pioneers of the “New Game +” option, and still begs to be countless times again. The few flaws I did find with the game, such as the lack of a confirmation “beep” when saving and the “classic” battle screen that occasionally starts off in the wrong place, all feel so minor in comparison to how beautifully well done and faithful the entirety of the game is. It doesn’t feel like a port – more like a reconstruction – and the sprites and music come through even clearer than the SNES original. Obviously the PSX anime scenes are not picture-perfect, but considering the DS’s meager video capabilities, they’re a welcome addition that helps to truly bring everything that’s great about Chrono into one tiny package.

In the end, is there really anything more that needs to be said aside from the three words "Chrono Trigger DS?" With no loading times, an improved script, hours and hours' worth of extras, and even more replayability, Chrono Trigger DS is the ultimate version of an undeniable classic.

Questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you .