Name: Chrono Trigger
ISBN: 9781940535012

Michael P. Williams

A deep dive into the classic SNES game many consider the high point in the entire RPG genre.

Boss Fight Books #2

Chrono Trigger

Ken Gagne

This book isn't just better than its intolerably terrible predecessor, 
  EarthBound
, but is a satisfying read in its own right. The author dissects the Super NES and DS classic Chrono Trigger: the ethnic and religious identities of the game's characters, the synergy of their magics, the logic of the game's time travel, and the challenges of translation (as represented by original interviews with Ted Woolsey and Tom Slattery). Williams relates the game to his own life, but only when necessary and relevant, keeping this from being a dull memoir. Since the book is written first and foremost by a gamer, not an academic, the text is accessible, though it sometimes leads to superficial observations: counting the number of humans in Crono's world is an interesting mental exercise, but I don't know that it leads to any significant findings about the population. Still, I enjoyed reading about a game I haven't played in nearly twenty years; it left me wanting to dust off my original cartridge and become a time traveller once again.

Chrono Trigger Boss Fight Books #2

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