Chrono Trigger FAQ
Though we've tried our best to cover everything you need to know in the guides and data sections, there are a few things which didn't fit neatly into them, or aren't particularly easy to search for in their sections. Such information ends up here, in the FAQ. After a fashion.
Have we missed something important? Let us know by adding your FAQ suggestion (preferably along with an answer) to the pinned FAQ topic in the Chrono Trigger forum.
Contents
Gameplay Questions
I hate the names I gave my characters. Can I change them?
For those jokes that are no longer funny, or those names given for friends who are no longer friends! If you named a character something you now regret, have no fear! By simply traveling to 65,000,000 BC and speaking to the Nu in Laruba, you can change the name of any character!
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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How many cats can I have?
Well, provided you've won the second cat from the third Norstein Bekkler mini-game and regularly fill the cat food bowl at home by winning the first N.B. mini-game, you can have your kittens grow to a family of 11, the last of which will be purple.
Rumors that you will turn into a crazy old lady and throw them at people remain unsubstantiated.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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I've lost the Epoch, what do I do?
If ever you should lose the Epoch, or can't seem to remember where you parked, (Hey, it happens to the best of us!) the best thing to do is to simply find the nearest warp gate and head to the End of Time. It should now have returned to it's position, waiting for you at the eastern exit of the map.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Where can I find the Gold Rock?
Once you've powered up that trusty 
Masamune, head on over to the Denadoro Mountains. For this to work, you'll need Frog as the leader of your party. Head on over to where an enemy is throwing rocks at you, except now Frog will catch it! Lo and behold, you've gotten the Gold Rock.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Plot Questions
Why doesn't Crono speak?
You may have noticed that Crono has no mouth. It appears that this decision was made to allow the player to project his or her own personality onto Crono; Crono does speak in one rare ending, though.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Why can't I climb Death Peak?
Strong winds keep knocking you back down the mountain? Well, first you'll want to make sure you've spoken to Balthasar! If he doesn't offer you any help, then you simply aren't meant to climb the mountain just yet.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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How can I save Lucca's mother?
If you've gone the route of an eco-friendly hero and left Robo behind to restore the forest in 600 A.D., upon returning to the future you'll get the opportunity for a neat (and rather sadistic) flashback. Through the portal, a bit of Lucca's past will be revealed and ultimately it will fall to you to save her mother. You have a very, very short time to do this. To do so, simply walk up to the machine and, when prompted, press L-A-R-A. This is Lucca's mother's name and the password to Taban's machine. Hurray! Happy memories.
Note that if you're on the PSX, you don't have an A button. And you have two L buttons. What's a girl to do? Use L1 and ○ in this case; for other situations, check our button mapping page.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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What is with that strange, blue pyramid north of Medina?
This place is actually no different from one of the Sealed Chests you'll find scattered around the game in that it only can be accessed once you've obtained the powered up pendant. Once you've opened it, you are given the choice between the 
Swallow and the 
Safe Helm. Choose wisely!
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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What's up with all the clones? And the Poyozo Dolls?
Crono's clone can play a specific role in the story; specifically, it can be used with the CTrigger to bring him back to life. The others, which many players never even get, are merely decoration. The clones of any playable character can be won by simply switching the desired character to first in your party and playing the mini-game at Bekkler's. Upon winning, each clone will be sent to a place and time corresponding to that character.
Lucca's clone will be delivered to her house.
Marle's clone will be delivered to her room in the castle.
Frog's clone will appear in his home inside the Cursed Woods.
Robo's clone is sent to the Proto Dome.
Ayla's clone will appear inside her hut.
Magus' clone will stand alone at North Cape.
The Poyozo Dolls play music (Your own fluffy jukebox! Yay!) significant to the character who wins is. You can win them the same way as clones, just at a different mini-game, and they're stored in the same place as the Clone.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Version Differences
How many versions of this game are there, and how are they different?
There are three versions of Chrono Trigger as of 2009, released for the Super Nintendo, Playstation, and Nintendo DS. In terms of differences, well, they're not as robust as some other remakes.
Primarily, they follow a progression: when moving from SNES to PSX, you'll note mainly the addition of FMV scenes and additional data such as a bestiary and ending guide. Additionally, you'll note that the PSX version suffers from a couple porting issues, such as slowdown in-game and some instances where SNES-gamepad-specific commands were not ported, like the XABIE puzzle.
Moving to the NDS from PSX, the changes are an obvious progression. The control scheme reverts to be the same as SNES, given that the NDS has the same buttons available. The game information options are expanded, as well. A new localization, polarizing as most localizations are, is also present. Of course, as with all recent Square-Enix ports, more in-game activities, items and equipment are available; in this case, the activities take the form of two new time-spanning exploration areas (the Lost Sanctum and Dimensional Vortex) and one new metagame, a monster vs. monster battleground called Arena of the Ages.
Question submitted by Rangers51
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How do I access the Arena?
If you're playing the Nintendo DS release of this game, you should know that there is a nifty new feature wherein you can raise and train monsters to fight other monsters! If you've got friends with the game as well, your little beasts can battle locally. To enter the arena, however, you must wait until you have access to the End of Time. On the left side of the entrance to Spekkio's room, there should be a portal for you to enter. Once you've accessed the Arena for the first time, you can also return there at any time from the Start Menu of the game.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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I'm playing the Playstation version of the game, and in between loading times I have to push buttons! I don't know which ones to push, though.
The PSX controller maps pretty well to the SNES one, really (and by extension the NDS control scheme). If you picture an SNES controller next to your PSX one, all of the buttons line up and do the same thing. If you don't have an SNES controller handy, though, use our button mapping guide.
Question submitted by Rangers51
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Lost Sanctum?
The Lost Sanctum is a bonus dungeon for the Nintendo DS release of Chrono Trigger. It first reveals its entrance at the moment the Black Omen rises, and, unlike the following new dungeon, the Dimensional Vortex, you can enter immediately. The two entrances can be found in 65 000 000 B.C. and in 600 A.D. Check the walkthrough for a detailed look at how to make the most of your experience there.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Dimensional Vortex? Whaaaaa?
Once again, after you've beaten the game at least once, a new option presents itself within that curious bucket at the End of Time. This will lead you to Time's Eclipse. I don't recommend going there unless you're confident in your strength.
Question submitted by Dragon_Fire
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Version 6
©1997–2024 Josh Alvies (Rangers51)
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