Published: Wednesday, 29th April, 2009 3:15pm

Chrono Trigger

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Nintendo DS

Despite the fact that people insist that there are no new ideas on the market for television, film and games, these same critics will still head out and purchase a damn good re-release or conversion.

I should probably admit up front that I may just be a huge Square Enix fan-boy, that being said anyone who has played their RPGs will know that is not the hugest stretch to believe.

Back in 1995 a Japanese company known as Square released Chrono Trigger on the SNES. It was a massive success, and has been reborn on numerous platforms since – most notably the Playstation in 1999 and now this version for the Nintendo DS.

So what is this phenomenon and why am I like a kid in the proverbial candy store?

Chrono Trigger was a pioneer in roleplay gaming. It combines a fantastic storyline which will keep your interest peaked with a now tried and tested Active Time Battle system made famous on a more global scale by games such as Final Fantasy VII.

Utilising this system means that selecting characters, their attacks or magicks is as easy as navigating a drop down menu. By timing your attacks correctly you can use Dual techniques by combining your characters attacks for greater damage.

So what of the backdrop to this? Chrono Trigger is the story of, as always, a group of young heroes who find themselves sucked into becoming the only chance for their worlds survival. The discovery of their ability to travel through time giving them chance to – eventually – return to the day when Lavos would emerge and the world as they know it would end.

Navigating your way through multiple time periods, you will find that the old "level up" issue doesn"t apply as you can work out where most battles are going to take place as the enemy appear on screen, unlike in other titles with the "random encounter" system.

While the touch screen can be used to control Crono"s actions I found myself reverting to form and using the d-pad but the dual system means that whatever you find more comfortable will work just as effectively throughout.

Diverting from the main game, there is a multiplayer dungeon, where you can even adopt your very own monster to fight with, leveling it up and adding abilities to your own whim and tastes.

Finally, a quick mention for a feature which Square used on Final Fantasy X-2 and the earlier release of the game. New Game + is the chance to start the game over after completion with the levels, techniques and equipment that you have collected throughout your travels. What does this mean? It means a very different game the second time round as you can adjust your strategies to incorporate options you didn"t have the first time.

So who"ll race me to the End of Time?

4 stars out of 5