PC or DS version?

[Wingless]

With the improvements over the initial release, which version should I pick for my first playthrough; Nintendo DS or Steam?

[Wingless]

I already have the DS version. Getting the SNES and the game would be more problematic.

[Apoc]

Content wise they are pretty much the same, both use the newer english translation compared to the SNES. I think the DS does not have the anime cutscenes (But they are few and you can find them online anyway.) and this one is missing a bonus dungeon that people don't really recommend playing anyway.

The game was not really made for today's high resolution screen so it should look better on DS if you don't mind the smaller screen.

[Serafie1999AD]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Apoc:

I think the DS does not have the anime cutscenes (But they are few and you can find them online anyway.) and this one is missing a bonus dungeon that people don't really recommend playing anyway.

The DS version does contain the anime cutscenes, and it also contains more configuration options (such as window colors), and extra features, such as movie player, music box, bestiary and item encyclopedia.

[Oscar92player]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Serafie1999AD:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Apoc:

I think the DS does not have the anime cutscenes (But they are few and you can find them online anyway.) and this one is missing a bonus dungeon that people don't really recommend playing anyway.

The DS version does contain the anime cutscenes, and it also contains more configuration options (such as window colors), and extra features, such as movie player, music box, bestiary and item encyclopedia.

You forget to told about the coliseum mode the DS version has, where you can battle previous bosses and enemies from a saved game.

[destro]

the DS soundtrack is so bad

[Oscar92player]

Początkowo opublikowane przez destro:

the DS soundtrack is so bad

The DS soundtrack it's the same as the SNES soundtrack. And it sounds even better because of the changes between the sound chips of SNES and DS. It uses almost the same soundfonts, but with better quality.

The game from PC, of course, uses the SNES version of the soundtrack, but it is a "remastered" version, with better quality. Also, because this game does not need to use a sound chip or the soundfonts system, it plays better than the SNES version of the game, without pauses of parts of the music when a sound effect plays, and adapted to be played with headphones and actual sound systems.

[Wingless]

I have started on the DS version and enjoying it so far. Thanks for the answers!

[Mumu2k3]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Oscar92player:

Początkowo opublikowane przez destro:

the DS soundtrack is so bad

The DS soundtrack it's the same as the SNES soundtrack. And it sounds even better because of the changes between the sound chips of SNES and DS. It uses almost the same soundfonts, but with better quality.

The game from PC, of course, uses the SNES version of the soundtrack, but it is a "remastered" version, with better quality. Also, because this game does not need to use a sound chip or the soundfonts system, it plays better than the SNES version of the game, without pauses of parts of the music when a sound effect plays, and adapted to be played with headphones and actual sound systems.

inb4 Turbo Nozomix slaps an "I disagree" in this quote. 'Cause if he does, i'm gonna cut a fish.

[Sharticus:DestroyerOfToilets]

The DS Version is the DEFINITIVE version. Get the DS version.

[Wingless]

I did end up playing it on DS and finished it some time ago.

[Turbo Nozomix]

The SNES version is hands-down the definitive version of Chrono Trigger. The NDS version is a major downgrade from the SNES version:

- the NDS version has a much more clunky and sterile, much less emotionally-intelligent translation
- the NDS version has a lower resolution than the SNES version
- the NDS version has music cycling issues that aren't in the SNES version
- the NDS version has lower sound and music quality than the SNES version
- the NDS version has a worse font than the SNES version
- the NDS version has a worse UI than the SNES version
- the NDS version has worse colouring than the SNES version

And then there's the NDS version's "bonus" content, which is of sub-par quality and lowers the overall quality standard of the game. I also don't like that the NDS version cutscenes are jarring and disruptive, and what they show is contradictory to what actually happens in the game.

Unless the Steam version of CT receives some major updates to address a host of issues still present with it, the SNES version will remain the most polished and definitive version of CT.

[Turbo Nozomix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Oscar92player:

Początkowo opublikowane przez destro:

the DS soundtrack is so bad

The DS soundtrack it's the same as the SNES soundtrack. And it sounds even better because of the changes between the sound chips of SNES and DS. It uses almost the same soundfonts, but with better quality.

Uh, no. The SNES and NDS version are the same, except that the NDS version's sound and music are rendered at a much lower fidelity than the SNES version's due to RAM limitations on the NDS cartridge. As a result, the NDS version's sound and music are of significantly lower quality than the SNES version's sound and music.

Additionally, and again due to RAM limitations on the NDS cartridge, the NDS version has a music looping issue where the music will sometimes fade out and then restart, rather than playing all the way through and looping seamlessly like the music always does in the SNES version.

[manuth]

Sorry for reviving this thread but I'd just like to remark, that, of course, the RAM of a game isn't located on the Cartridge, it is located on the console itself.

With 4MB RAM, the Nintendo DS (or Nintendo DS Lite) has 32 times as much RAM as the SNES (which merely has 128 KB RAM).

What's located on the Cartridge is the so-called "ROM" (Read only memory, as games are only read but not written to) and (in most cases) a flash-memory for storing a buch of data such as saves and maybe statistics.

NDS Cartridges can hold up to 512 MB big ROMS (that's half a Gigabyte) while SNES ROMs merely are at most 4 MB big (or 6 MB with some enhancements present in a small number of games), which means that NDS-Games can be up to 128x as big as SNES games.

The NDS version of Chrono Trigger, for example, is 128 MB big while the SNES version is 4MB big (honestly I have no idea what Square Enix used the additional 124 MB for)

This is only logical if you compare NDS Games (such as Mario Kart DS) with SNES Games (such as Super Mario Kart).

So logically, the Nintendo DS has more RAM, can handle bigger ROMs, but it definitely has a lower screen resolution than the SNES.

However, which version suits the best for you is very individual and if having as much content as possible in your game, you might definitely want to go for the Nintendo DS version.

If you'd like to experience a remaster of Chrono Trigger for PS1/SNES you might want to go for the PC version and if you're into nostalgia you might want to get the SNES version (if you're a member of Nintendo Online you can even order a good old SNES controller with Bluetooth support)

[Yuzu]

Cartridges did use to have RAM, actually. Saves weren't stored on flash storage (which is non-volatile memory that keeps its state even without power) but rather on ♥♥♥♥ that was powered at all times by a small battery.
It was still like this up to the GBA, where it got replaced by saving to EEPROM (which is non-volatile) in most titles.

Of course Chrono Trigger on the DS would save to flash, so there's no battery or ♥♥♥♥.

Now to the actual topic of this thread I have played the DS version of CT and while it's got more content, its extra content is grindy/gimmicky and honestly just boring. I'd rather play this version any day, it's got all the good bits that came with the PS1 and DS versions but without the chaff.

[Noodle]

Someone else necro'd this thread so I might as well hop on. I was thinking of buying the PC version, and before you rip me apart, YES I am aware of emulators for SNES and DS to play CT, but being able to track playtime and having it in my steam library is somewhat important to me.
I get triggered really fast by bad PC ports, especially performance (DS1, FF13 to name a few) so my question is if the restoration project for PC makes it bearable. I can't seem to find a clear answer to it. Some people say it's still trash, some other people say it's fine.
I do want to spend money on the game if it's in a enjoyable state with the mod.