Introduction to Chrono Trigger

This is an addendum to my intro to ZSNES, since I recommended this game. Fans of role-playing games shouldn't have too much trouble, but those who never played such of a game might, since it is heavy in story compared to most action games, much longer, and requires more commitment. But as RPGs go, Chrono Trigger serves as a reasonable introduction. It isn't as long, the fights not random, and the fights themselves are more animated and involved thanks to how magic and techniques are performed on the screen. I suggest you read this whole thing once before you use it within the game.

That said, start the game. Wait for the clock to stop and wait a short while on this screen to see shots from the game. Press the A button (that is, the key on your keyboard associated with the A button on the SNES controller!) to enter the game select screen. Note: if you don't have any saved games, it might jump you to Battle Mode screen automatically... not sure about this. Anyway, you should now see the Battle Mode screen. Choose 'Wait', since your new at this! You then get a chance to rename Crono, the main character of the game. If you don't want to change it, just press Start twice.

The game itself now officially begins, as you see a community with some sort of celebration going on. The screen blacks out with a bell ringing and someone saying Crono's name. Press the A button to continue the text. After Crono gets out of bed while the cat is leaving the room, you will gain control of Crono. As a RPG, you are Crono in the game. Before going downstairs, let me introduce you to the controls now that we have our first stopping point.

Control Pad: Moves Crono or a menu cursor up, down, left, or right.
A: action button used to do things on screen
B: cancel button in menu selections, dash button when moving Crono around
X: brings up the menu, which I'll explain shortly. Press B to exit.
Select: Shows the map of the world when your outside. Press B to exit
Start: pause and unpause game

The Y button is used when you reach The End of Time! It allows you to exchange characters with those outside of your party, like the Exchange menu screen does.

Okay, now for the menu. You will see 6 icons in a box in the center, each with their own purposes. Select the one you want and press A. When finished, press B to return to this selection window. Here is what they are, from left to right.

Character Screen: Select the character with the up/down buttons to see the character stats. Pressing A will allow you to change weapons and armor.

Item: View, use, and organize your inventory

Tech: Shows what techniques (sometimes called skills) and spells your character knows. After selecting the character and pressing A, you see what it can do. You earn more abilities by gaining Tech points in battle and some techniques can be combined with others to form combinations.

Options: I'll let you fiddle around with this; its mostly self-explanatory. Or just leave it alone.

Exchange: When you have multiple characters, this will allow you to move them around.

Save: Allow you to save at save points or when outside. You can't do it inside!

Side note: remember you can also use ZSNES save states! I suggest having slot 0 for your main one and 2 or 3 others at breaking points for backup.

Okay, move down the stairs. Mom will stop you and say a few words and allowing you to rename Lucca if you wish. Be sure to note what she says! Talk to her again (A button, remember) to get your allowance! Talk to your cat if you wish, and leave.

Your now outside. Press Select if you like to see the map. Don't head toward Leene Square up north yet. All the buildings with green roofs can be entered, and the name of the building is shown on screen. What you want is Mayor's Manor, southwest of your home. Press A to enter.

Talk to EVERYONE here! This is a place for beginners and you'll learn a lot in this place! Besides getting info, you'll also get a few items inside chests. A solder on the top floor will teach you about skills. Be sure to pay attention to him! The first thing he shows you is how Crono's Cyclone attack works, Crono's first technique. Another guy in here tells you that if you press the L and R buttons at the same time during a fight, you'll try to escape.

Exit and check out the other green roof houses if you like. Do not head to Guardia Forest (south of that giant castle) or the bridge south. After wasting time, go to Leene Square. Okay, here is where everyone is celebrating and you can play several mini-games here. There is three main areas. The first main area just skip for now and head north. In this second area, you see a woman in a long white dress. Run into her! Now, talk to her FIRST, and THEN pick up the pendant. Give it back to her. Allow her to walk around with you and she... Marle... will join you. One screen north, the third main area, is where Lucca is building her machine. Two people block the route, so let me take this time to show you how combat works. Exit Leene Square and head to Guardia Forest.

Pause the game and let me go ahead and say a few things. This is where the weakest monsters are, so it shouldn't be a problem. Don't bother taking the northern exit, toward the castle. Just learn how combat works. If a enemy hits you, you loose HP (hit points) and you are unconscious at 0 HP. If everyone has 0 HP, game over. If you fear this would happen (shouldn't... you should have Marle's Aura by then), head to Crono's home, press the A button while facing your bed, and you'll take a snooze. All of your HP and MP (magic points) will be maxed. Sleep does that in RPGs. Now unpause, head north, east, and then south east. You should see three mushroom-like creatures here. (You might want to save via ZSNES save state here!) Touch one and you'll enter a fight!

PAUSE THE GAME!!! Okay, here is how RPG fights work. First you have to wait till one of your characters is ready, like taking turns. That is what the bar next to the MP does... tells you how close the character is to being ready. When you unpause the game, choose 'Att', then one of those monsters. When you finish, you will see how much HP damage you do. Continue doing this till all three of them are gone. After that, the game awards you with experience (gain enough experience and you'll level up, making your stronger and tougher), tech points (which, again, grants you technique skills), and gold. You might also get an item.

Go to the Tech menu. What I want you to do is to get into enough fights till Crono earns his Cyclone technique and Marle earns Aura. Now leave this screen. On the northeast corner of this groove is a shiny spot... a power tab! Use this at any time via the item screen to increase your power stat by one. I tend to save these till I get into a spot I have trouble with and then use them accordingly.

Now find more monsters to fight. If you run out of monsters, leave and come back. When you earn Cyclone for Crono, use it to see how it works. It attacks all enemies near a single enemy you choose. Aura, Marle's first technique, heals HP. Both though uses MP, so if you run out, head to Crono's home. Choose Tech, the technique, and then the target.

When Aura is learned, you will also see you now know Aura Whirl. This is a Dual Tech and requires both Crono and Marle ready. After earning it, go to the Tech screen, press right, and your Dual Techs are listed. Press right again for Triple Techs... techniques requiring three people! What Aura Whirl does is combine Aura and Cyclone into one. Marle casts Aura on Crono and Crono uses Cyclone to 'whirl' it, so everyone in the party gets healed. Be sure to test it out! When both Crono and Marle are ready, 'Tech' becomes 'Comb'. Select Comb, Aura Whirl, and then press A again (to select everyone).

When you earned Cyclone and Aura, and feel comfortable with combat, leave and go to Crono's home to regain lost HP/MP. Now go back to Leene's Square. Despite being gone all that time, Lucca's machine still isn't ready! So waste time / have fun. But behave yourself! If Crono does something naughty (or nice), it well have an effect later in the game! In the first area there is a guy with a white mustache and samurai clothing, Melchoir. Talk to him so I can explain buying and selling. Click buy and you'll see who can use it by the character's animation. If its blue, it is better than what you got. Gray, worse. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING YET! I just want to introduce this screen to you. You'll get a chance to do this later (... in the past... !!!) and you'll get the lode sword for free later. If you move the cursor to a character, you can equip items. Handy to quickly equip and then sell. Oh, and you'll get a chance to be naughty or nice to Marle after shopping.

Okay, go talk to everyone till someone tells you Lucca has set up her machine. To continue the game, head to the third main area, or stay behind and play the games and perhaps perform some naughty or nice actions... one of which will happen right when you are about to enter the third area! Don't forget about save states! Use one for backup just in case!

Be sure to pay attention to what people are saying here. When you are able, talk to Lucca, follow her instructions, watch what happens. Talk to Marle and watch what happens to her instead! After all of that, go to the pendant, pick it up, watch what happens, and get warped from 1000 AD to 600 AD! I just love that music.

And this is where I'll leave you. Get out of the area your in, explore the community in this time, head to the castle via the forest, and continue the game there. Good luck!