Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger is a role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Its story begins with Crono attending the Millennial Fair, where an experiment involving his friend Lucca's telepod sends Marle through a time gate. The rescue expands into a journey across several eras, from prehistory and the Middle Ages to a ruined future, as the party learns that the alien creature Lavos will eventually destroy the world. Battles use Square's Active Time Battle system while placing enemies directly on the exploration screen instead of cutting away to a separate arena. Character techniques can combine into double and triple attacks, making party composition part of the strategy. The project brought together Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, and Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama, with direction shared by Takashi Tokita, Yoshinori Kitase, and Akihiko Matsui. Yasunori Mitsuda composed most of the celebrated score, with additional music by Nobuo Uematsu and Noriko Matsueda. Time travel allows choices in one era to affect another, while multiple endings and New Game Plus encourage replaying the adventure. The original North American cartridge arrived in August 1995, making it a major summer release even though the Top Loader list treats release timing separately from the games that actually feel like the season.