You would think that Chrono Trigger on Steam should be a no-brainer. Take one of the most beloved video games in history, put it on the most accessible gaming platform in history, and the fans should droll in by the thousands to play their longtime favorite classic.Well, as it goes with Super Nintendo games and Square Enix, the exact opposite happened. When Chrono Trigger launched on Steam a few weeks back, it was bombarded with bad reviews thanks to the shoddy “graphical upgrades” that Square Enix implemented onto it. In addition, fans also took exception to the janky conversion from touch screen to mouse controls, lifeless UI and text font, and the general usage of an inferior port on Steam.When Chrono Trigger launches on Steam to “Mixed” or even “Negative” review, you done know you messed up.After a few weeks of complaints, Square Enix finally conceded and now promises to fix those issues. Use the DS port as a modelSquare Enix has struggled with Super Nintendo ports on Steam, and if it continues at this rate, I’ll have no problem looking at emulation as a legitimate alternative.

If a company is going to charge me for inferior ports, then I have no problem saving my money and downloading a better version for free.Sorry if that seems scummy, but having me pay $15 or $20 for something so shoddy is equally scummy.Ports like these also exclude a pretty huge percentage of the retro gaming audience they are aiming for. I’m a person who wants games to be as authentic to the original as possible, and I never even consider using HD graphics or shaders that smooth out the rough edges. Give me pixels or give me death!

Remakes are also fine but only when they are seen as a separate video gaming experience, not a replacement of the original.I realize this is not a universal opinion, and that is perfectly fine. What’s important though, especially in this day and age where gaming encompasses many generations and demographics, is that there are options to play the way you want. If you want filters, HD graphics, and don’t mind diluting gaming’s treasured history, you should have that choice. If you want the pristine original experience, that should be included also! It works for Monkey Island, it will work for Chrono Trigger when these patches roll out, and it should also work for Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI if Square Enix ever gets around to fixing those abominations.I would hope that Square Enix looks to the flawless Chrono Trigger Nintendo DS port for all future ports. Not only does that run as silky smooth as possible, it also takes into account how to make a user interface look authentic in the modern age and implement a font that matches the Super Nintendo roots.I’m hoping that this is the case if the game ever gets published on the Switch, as well.

That DS port man, that’s a great thing, Square Enix. Remember, Nintendo owners are also not as forgiving as Steam gamers either.

Square Enix gives 'Chrono Trigger' the PC graphics update it needs. The tweaks bring the game visually back in line with the SNES version. Square Enix came under fire back in February when it released the mobile version of Chrono Trigger onto Steam, and not the anticipated SNES version.