Final Fantasy Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Final Fantasy Chronicles is a compilation of Square
's console role-playing games Final Fantasy IV
and Chrono Trigger
, released for the North American Sony
PlayStation on June 29, 2001. TOSE
ported
both titles from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
; each had been previously released as individual Japanese PlayStation ports in 1997 (Final Fantasy IV) and 1999 (Chrono Trigger). Several bonus features were added to each game, such as art galleries, bestiaries, and cutscene
s—including computer-generated
full motion video
used at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV and anime
scenes used throughout Chrono Trigger.
Final Fantasy Chronicles was received well by players and critics, who praised the peripheral features and the fact that Square was offering RPG classics to a new generation of gamers. Conversely, reviewers sharply criticized "long and frequent loading" between areas and battles due to poor emulation. Enough copies of Chronicles were sold to warrant a second release as part of Sony
's Greatest Hits in June 2003.
and Chrono Trigger
, the player controls a set of characters, closely following the console role-playing game genre. The methods of viewing and controlling the characters are separated by three different "screens": the overworld
, where the characters traverse to different locations; the field map, where the characters explore locations such as towns and dungeons; and the battle screen, where the characters fight with monster
s or other enemies.
. It centers around the player inputting orders for the characters in "real time" during battles. Each character is balanced through certain strengths and weaknesses; for instance, a strong magic user may have low defense, while a physical fighter may have low agility.
s, most enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemies on a field map initiates a battle that occurs directly on the field map itself rather than on a separate battle screen. Chrono Trigger uses an updated form of the Active Time Battle introduced in Final Fantasy IV, with additions such as "Techs" that rely on enemy positioning and abilities of characters. Other features are the employment of time travel
and a "New Game Plus
" option.
by TOSE
; Final Fantasy IV
and Chrono Trigger
were released separately, and Final Fantasy IV was re-released as a part of Final Fantasy Collection, all published in Japan. Chronicles was designed and directed by Kazuhiko Aoki, supervised by Fumiaki Fukaya, and produced by Akihiro Imai. It was created as a follow-up to Final Fantasy Anthology, a compilation of Final Fantasy V
and Final Fantasy VI
.
The original Final Fantasy IV
was released in North America as Final Fantasy II in 1991, with various "Easytype" modifications. These were removed in the Final Fantasy Chronicles version, and the game was re-localized
, achieving a script closer to the Japanese script by Takashi Tokita
. Chrono Trigger
, released in 1995, was already localized by Ted Woolsey
, but the Final Fantasy Chronicles version has additional modifications.
A primary addition to both games is full-motion video. Final Fantasy IV features computer animated
cutscene
sequences, while Chrono Trigger features anime
-style sequences designed by Akira Toriyama
that "help further tell the story of Chrono Trigger." Final Fantasy IV was given gameplay features such as a two-player mode, a "Sprint Feature" to "enhance and quicken gameplay", and the "Memo File" system to "reduce saving time." Chrono Trigger, instead of added gameplay features, has an "Extras Mode". This features databases such as a bestiary
and a gallery of artwork created in development.
and Chrono Trigger
was in consideration in December 2000, with Final Fantasy Anthologys success a key decision factor. Final Fantasy Chronicles was announced by Square Electronic Arts on April 17, 2001. Jun Iwasaki, president, mentioned an "overwhelming number" of requests to re-release Chrono Trigger, and believed the compilation of it and Final Fantasy IV would "appeal to fans of the original games and introduce a new generation of gamers to some of our classic titles." An event was held on July 10 in San Francisco, primarily to celebrate the film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
and release of Final Fantasy Chronicles. It featured a cosplay
contest, a memorabilia raffle, and booths to play Final Fantasy Chronicles and Final Fantasy X
.
Music from Final Fantasy Chronicles is a set of two separately-released compact disc
s published by TokyoPop
. Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack and Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack were both released on August 21, 2001. Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack is nearly the same release as Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version, the soundtrack album for the original game, except that the songs were rerecorded by TOSE
, resulting in minor differences, some song titles were slightly changed, and a 45th track was added, "Theme of Love (Arranged)", which had previously only been released as a piano version on the second track of Piano Collections Final Fantasy IV. This release has the catalog number TPCD 0210-2, and its 45 tracks had a length of 62 minutes. Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack was the corresponding album for Chrono Trigger. The album was heavily based on Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack album for the PlayStation release of Chrono Trigger; the first 21 tracks of the album out of 25 were identical to Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, while the next three tracks corresponded to tracks 22, 23, and 29 of the Original Soundtrack and the final track was the same as the first track of Brink of Time, an arranged album of Chrono Trigger music. The album is 1:13:03 long, and has a catalog number of TPCD 0209-2. In addition to the albums, a strategy guide
for Final Fantasy Chronicles written by Dan Birlew and was published by BradyGames on July 2, 2001.
's aggregate, a review tallying website. Gaming website IGN
rated it 9.4 and awarded an "Editor's Choice Award", calling the game a "must buy" for RPG fans.
GameSpot
reviewer Brad Shoemaker gave the game an 8.5, but cited "muffled sound effects" in Final Fantasy IV, and was displeased with frequent loading in Chrono Trigger. He added that the visuals were "stupendous" when the games were originally released, but they now look dated and will "turn off those looking for a bigger thrill for their gaming dollar". Marcus Lai of Gaming Age was disappointed with a lack of additions, calling the ports "barebone games" and claiming that the full motion video
s are "nice touches to both games but don't add much".
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
's console role-playing games Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, released for the North American Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
PlayStation on June 29, 2001. TOSE
TOSE
is a video game development company based in Kyoto, Japan. It is most known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch Gallery series, various Dragon Ball games, as well as other Nintendo products...
ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
both titles from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
; each had been previously released as individual Japanese PlayStation ports in 1997 (Final Fantasy IV) and 1999 (Chrono Trigger). Several bonus features were added to each game, such as art galleries, bestiaries, and cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s—including computer-generated
Computer-generated
The term computer-generated most often refers to a sound or visual that has been created in whole or in part with the aid of computer software...
full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
used at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
scenes used throughout Chrono Trigger.
Final Fantasy Chronicles was received well by players and critics, who praised the peripheral features and the fact that Square was offering RPG classics to a new generation of gamers. Conversely, reviewers sharply criticized "long and frequent loading" between areas and battles due to poor emulation. Enough copies of Chronicles were sold to warrant a second release as part of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's Greatest Hits in June 2003.
Gameplay
In Final Fantasy IVFinal Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, the player controls a set of characters, closely following the console role-playing game genre. The methods of viewing and controlling the characters are separated by three different "screens": the overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
, where the characters traverse to different locations; the field map, where the characters explore locations such as towns and dungeons; and the battle screen, where the characters fight with monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s or other enemies.
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV introduced the Active Time Battle, a system designed by Hiroyuki ItoHiroyuki Ito
, also credited with the spelling Hiroyuki Itou, is a Japanese game producer, game director and game designer who has been working for Square Enix since 1987. He is famous for being the creator of Active Time Battle and Active Dimension Battle...
. It centers around the player inputting orders for the characters in "real time" during battles. Each character is balanced through certain strengths and weaknesses; for instance, a strong magic user may have low defense, while a physical fighter may have low agility.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Triggers gameplay deviates from traditional role-playing games in that, rather than random encounterRandom encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s, most enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemies on a field map initiates a battle that occurs directly on the field map itself rather than on a separate battle screen. Chrono Trigger uses an updated form of the Active Time Battle introduced in Final Fantasy IV, with additions such as "Techs" that rely on enemy positioning and abilities of characters. Other features are the employment of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
and a "New Game Plus
New Game Plus
A New Game Plus is an unlockable video game mode that allows the player to start a new game after they finish the game at least once, where certain aspects of the finished game, such as experience or items, affect the newly started game...
" option.
Development
Final Fantasy Chronicles features two previously-released portsPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
by TOSE
TOSE
is a video game development company based in Kyoto, Japan. It is most known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch Gallery series, various Dragon Ball games, as well as other Nintendo products...
; Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
were released separately, and Final Fantasy IV was re-released as a part of Final Fantasy Collection, all published in Japan. Chronicles was designed and directed by Kazuhiko Aoki, supervised by Fumiaki Fukaya, and produced by Akihiro Imai. It was created as a follow-up to Final Fantasy Anthology, a compilation of Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
and Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
.
The original Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
was released in North America as Final Fantasy II in 1991, with various "Easytype" modifications. These were removed in the Final Fantasy Chronicles version, and the game was re-localized
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
, achieving a script closer to the Japanese script by Takashi Tokita
Takashi Tokita
is a Japanese video game developer working for Square Enix. He has worked there since 1985, and has worked as the lead designer for Final Fantasy IV as well as the director of Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger.-Biography:...
. Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, released in 1995, was already localized by Ted Woolsey
Ted Woolsey
Ted Woolsey is an American video game translator and producer. He had the primary role in the North American production and localization of Square's role-playing games during the SNES era between 1991 and 1996.-Square:...
, but the Final Fantasy Chronicles version has additional modifications.
A primary addition to both games is full-motion video. Final Fantasy IV features computer animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
sequences, while Chrono Trigger features anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style sequences designed by Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
that "help further tell the story of Chrono Trigger." Final Fantasy IV was given gameplay features such as a two-player mode, a "Sprint Feature" to "enhance and quicken gameplay", and the "Memo File" system to "reduce saving time." Chrono Trigger, instead of added gameplay features, has an "Extras Mode". This features databases such as a bestiary
Bestiary
A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts. Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson...
and a gallery of artwork created in development.
Promotion and merchandising
A compilation of Final Fantasy IVFinal Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
was in consideration in December 2000, with Final Fantasy Anthologys success a key decision factor. Final Fantasy Chronicles was announced by Square Electronic Arts on April 17, 2001. Jun Iwasaki, president, mentioned an "overwhelming number" of requests to re-release Chrono Trigger, and believed the compilation of it and Final Fantasy IV would "appeal to fans of the original games and introduce a new generation of gamers to some of our classic titles." An event was held on July 10 in San Francisco, primarily to celebrate the film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 Japanese-American computer animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series of role-playing video games. It was the first photorealistic computer animated feature film and also holds the record for the most...
and release of Final Fantasy Chronicles. It featured a cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
contest, a memorabilia raffle, and booths to play Final Fantasy Chronicles and Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
.
Music from Final Fantasy Chronicles is a set of two separately-released compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s published by TokyoPop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack and Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack were both released on August 21, 2001. Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack is nearly the same release as Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version, the soundtrack album for the original game, except that the songs were rerecorded by TOSE
TOSE
is a video game development company based in Kyoto, Japan. It is most known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch Gallery series, various Dragon Ball games, as well as other Nintendo products...
, resulting in minor differences, some song titles were slightly changed, and a 45th track was added, "Theme of Love (Arranged)", which had previously only been released as a piano version on the second track of Piano Collections Final Fantasy IV. This release has the catalog number TPCD 0210-2, and its 45 tracks had a length of 62 minutes. Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack was the corresponding album for Chrono Trigger. The album was heavily based on Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack album for the PlayStation release of Chrono Trigger; the first 21 tracks of the album out of 25 were identical to Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack, while the next three tracks corresponded to tracks 22, 23, and 29 of the Original Soundtrack and the final track was the same as the first track of Brink of Time, an arranged album of Chrono Trigger music. The album is 1:13:03 long, and has a catalog number of TPCD 0209-2. In addition to the albums, a strategy guide
Strategy guide
Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in...
for Final Fantasy Chronicles written by Dan Birlew and was published by BradyGames on July 2, 2001.
Reception
Final Fantasy Chronicles was commercially and critically successful, becoming the top selling PlayStation title for two weeks, and scoring an average of 89% in MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
's aggregate, a review tallying website. Gaming website IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated it 9.4 and awarded an "Editor's Choice Award", calling the game a "must buy" for RPG fans.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
reviewer Brad Shoemaker gave the game an 8.5, but cited "muffled sound effects" in Final Fantasy IV, and was displeased with frequent loading in Chrono Trigger. He added that the visuals were "stupendous" when the games were originally released, but they now look dated and will "turn off those looking for a bigger thrill for their gaming dollar". Marcus Lai of Gaming Age was disappointed with a lack of additions, calling the ports "barebone games" and claiming that the full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
s are "nice touches to both games but don't add much".