https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veD_Q9M79bM

Very few games have been so marking to me as Chrono Trigger. It featured one of the most original story line (travelling through time to restore history) and some of the best graphics (manga style) of the 16-bit era. Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, Square’s “other genius”, it still features some of the best theme-specific tracks (battles, mostly) but has, in my view, many shortcomings.

The main one is that Mitsuda, at least on the soundtrack (the in-game loops are usually shorter), seems to have put many “fillers” to prolong tracks and it completely spoils them. Chrono Trigger (the hero’s theme) starts as a very upbeat and triumphant track, as you would expect from the main hero’s theme. The background drums give it the perfect tempo, and the other arrangements are excellent, but the second part of the loop has violin arrangements that completely spoil the heroism of the first part.

Secret of the Forest has the same problem. The first part of the loop is mysterious with its dark arrangements that are a perfect fit for penetrating a dense forest. But in the second part of the (very long) loop, the violins get much too loud and spoil the mysterious ambiance. There are also piano arrangements that are much too quiet to fit with the first part.

Lavos’ Theme has that problem too. It starts with VERY dramatic organ arrangements, followed by equally (but quieter) violin arrangements. Unfortunately it gets spoiled by music box-like arrangements that are much too quiet to fit the ultimate evil in the game.

The other main problem is the major tracks that are simply not interesting. Green Memory (the overworld theme on 1000 A.D.) has annoying echoing piano in the background that lacks the epicness of most overworld themes were are used too. In fact, the second part boasts rather sad violin arrangements that just feel out of place. Frog’s Theme, a variation of the castle music, starts triumphantly for this hero of Guardia in the Middle Ages but gets completely spoiled with excessively high-pitch arrangements that want to make you pull out your ears. It’s especially true for the in-game track, which loops faster. Peaceful Days (village in 1000 A.D.) also has, to a lesser extent, problems with high-pitch instruments, be it violins or flutes. Fortunately it has a feeling of welcomeness typical of village, which makes the track more tolerable. Finally, the Final Battle was too heavily synthesized for my taste and sounded less epic than the preceding World Revolution. The tempo is good and it does sound dramatic, but Ooze in Phantasy Star IV did it MUCH better, and with an inferior sound chip.

But hey! Such a massive soundtrack (64 tracks on 3 disks) can’t be a total failure, especially for a Squaresoft game. First of all, this game features some of the best battles themes ever composed. Battle is very upbeat with its high-tempo bass and drums in the background and organ/ voice samples in the front and “lighter” organ in the front. The (unfortunately) unreleased Battle 2 is even more upbeat, and the trumpet even sounds a little dramatic. I reckon this would have been used in the Future; it does have a futuristic touch in the second part of the loop. Boss Battle 1, after a short organ intro, gets more dramatic than Uematsu’s boss battle themes with excellent, dramatic trumpet arrangements that take the main spot before ending the loop with good organ arrangements. Boss Battle 2 is one of the most epic “major boss” battle themes ever composed. It starts with a very loud and dramatic trumpet intro that you also hear mid-loop that is absolutely fabulous. The first part, also played by a trumpet, sounds more dramatic than the second one, as if Mistuda had been afraid to put too much drama. But it’s still excellent! And World Revolution (first part of the final battle) is what the second part should have gotten its inspiration from. It starts with an equally dramatic intro with low-tone brass and a dramatic flute in the background. The core of the loop has a mix of organ and synth that create the perfect ambiance for a final battle. The second part of the loop, unlike Boss Battle 2, was able to keep its dramatic tone by incorporating more low-tone brass.

Mitsuda also manage to have era-appropriate tracks, i.e. that fit the time period you visit. Rhythm of Earth, Wind, and Sky (the overworld theme during Prehistory), for example, features “primitive” arrangements of hand drums and wooden sticks that sound like what cavemen would have played during that time. That same feeling of “primitivity” is also present in Primeval Mountain with the hand drums in the background. The arrangements are also more elaborate than Secret of the Forest, showing how much (very dangerous) life there is in your surroundings. Even Burn! Bobonga! Burn! was still able to retain its “primitive” feel despite having, er, electric guitar. And Tyranno Lair, by contrast, is very highly dramatic and modern with its organ intro and dramatic arrangements that include electric guitar and trumpets. It shows how evolved the lizards were compared to human.

For the era of the future, music is more high-tech and dramatic. A Desolate World (which starts with the “time corridor” theme) does indeed sound desolate. It’s slow and heavy – it even has howling winds in the background – which reflects Lavos’ destruction to perfection. The synthetization is perfect for this futuristic world; “real” instruments would have probably missed the spot. Lab 16 also has that futuristic ambiance in the background, with upbeat bass and drums for the perfect dungeon theme. Those Without the Will to Live, without having the “futuristic touch” of the previous tracks, is still excellent. It’s also slow and heavy – the main arrangements in the first part of the loop have a little echo, adding to the drama. There is even a choir/organ in the background that shows the complete desolation people are faced with. By contrast, Johnny of the Robo Gang and Bike Chase are much more joyful and upbeat. They show that, even in a desolate world, you can still get some high-speed entertainment – the bike chase even sounds better than the one in Final Fantasy VII because it’s more upbeat, albeit has a much shorter loop. Finally, Derelict Factory is more elaborate than Lab 16 to reflect its much larger size. The constant bass gives the track a slow tempo that makes the place more mysterious, while the synth in the background adds even more mystery. I loved how the drums in the second part of the loop got quicker.

In addition, the soundtrack features some of the best tracks to relax to. Yearnings of the Wind (overworld theme of the past) has quiet arrangements that fit the foggy environment you walk into. Although the violins tend to get a little too high-pitch, they are still very relaxing. At the End of Time, however, doesn’t have that problem. A little like Infiltrating Shinra Tower Mistuda uses a three-stage loop. It starts with harp and then adds piano and staccato violins. The second part of the loop is a slow waltz with violins stretching their note to their fullest extent in the background. Short of Omen in Xenogears, this is probably the most relaxing video game track ever composed. And Corridors of Time (overworld theme for the Ice Age) has both a relaxing and a magical feel to it. Relaxing because the tempo is slower than normal overworld themes, and magical because the unnamed instruments used reflect the easy-going life people in the magical realm of Zeal are living.

Finally, here are some more excellent tracks you should pay attention to. Guardia's Millennial Fair is an excellent track for a Medieval fair. The tambourine and other arrangements in the background, along with the, er, medieval violin transport you back to the year 1000, when fairs were the most exciting thing happening to a village. Strange Occurrences and Critical Moment are both excellent dramatic moment tracks. The former appears when drama happens to one of your character (like Marle being absorbed in the corridor of time). It combines staccato and dramatic violin arrangements, followed by very heavy synth that seals the drama of the moment. The latter appears when you must escape people that are right behind you. While very upbeat and dramatic, I think that the equivalent track in FF VII was better; the high-pitch organ in CT gets annoying despite an excellent tempo. And kudos to Creeping through the Sewers, another relaxing track where you can actually hear the water in the background. The staccato violin give the track an excellent “infiltration” feel, since you have going underground.

In short, despite many shortcomings Chrono Trigger is an excellent soundtrack. Not only does it have era-appropriate tracks, but it features some of the best battle themes ever composed.