Actraiser Renaissance, a remake of the SNES original, was announced at Nintendo Direct today, and I’m ecstatic. Square Enix has done a great job bringing some of its previously overlooked older titles to modern platforms, and I’ve enjoyed revisiting SaGa Frontier and Legend of Mana this year.
Despite my enthusiasm, remaking and remastering these older games has left an elephant in the room. As much as I love Actraiser, SaGa, and Mana, I’m not alone in wondering why the Chrono series hasn’t received the same treatment. Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are two of the most beloved RPGs of all time, and while I don’t think they should be remastered or remade at the expense of the other games Square Enix has released, their absence is palpable.
Where are the Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross ports?
The Chrono series is Square Enix’s Earthbound. Despite immense critical acclaim and decades of fan requests, There’s been no new entry in the series since 2000’s Chrono Cross. Chrono Trigger continues to be widely available, as it has been ported to the original PlayStation (as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles), Nintendo DS, mobile, and PC. However, Chrono Cross has only ever been re-released on PSN and, with the revamp of the PlayStation Store, is now unavailable for purchase. Furthermore, Chrono Cross has never been available in PAL regions in any format.
Given that Chrono Cross is viewed as one of Square Enix’s best works, it’s a shame that no one can purchase and play it legally on modern platforms. I don’t expect every classic to get a port, but when one is in as high a demand as this, it seems odd when no effort is being made to fulfill it (that we know of). Who knows. Maybe Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross ports are in development right now. If not, they should be given priority.
