The 31st anniversary of “Chrono Trigger” (Chrono Trigger/Chrono Trigger) is here, and Square Enix finally has something to say – but don’t get excited. This time is not a remake, not a new work, nor is it the kind of response that “we hear the voices of the fans”, but 15 “One Mark Collection” series gashapon pendants, featuring two sets of keychains made of the character’s standing and attacking postures.
500 yen per draw, and a mysterious 15th
This set of keychains will be on the shelves of Japanese gashapon machines and will start spinning on March 27. Every draw is 500 yen. There are 15 types in total. 14 types are two types of operable characters (standby + attack). The characters include Ayla, Crono, Frog, Lucca, Marle, Magus, and Robo; the remaining 15th The official version is deliberately misleading, saying it is a “mysterious design”, but some people have already argued that it is Nuu, an “artificial life form” that will appear in every era.
The pendant body is also divided into two types: rubber strap version or metal clip version. Which one you choose depends on your luck. The problem is that as long as you want to collect characters in this gameplay, it will quickly change from a “cute little collection” to a “financial meltdown scene.”
Overseas players have to find parallel imports
The article also pointed out the most practical problem: Square Enix only confirmed the release of the Japanese gashapon machine, and did not mention any international sales plans. There does not even seem to be an option to buy online in Japan. In other words, if you are not in Japan, you can only wait for purchasing agents, wait for second-hand goods, or wait for the official to put the goods on the mall on a whim one day?
The anniversary atmosphere is here, where are the game remakes?
“Chrono Trigger” has gone all the way from SFC (Super Nintendo) to PS, NDS, PC, mobile phones, and has also been on Wii’s Virtual Console. Its popularity has not dropped, but the future of the series has always been embarrassing. “Chrono Cross” is still the last real new game; “Chrono Break”, which was rumored in the early years, was also said to be canceled before it was officially announced. What fans are shouting the most now is “please make the original work a remake”, preferably a remake with HD-2D or equivalent specifications.
Co-creator Yuji Horii has previously mentioned that he is considering the possibility of a remake, especially after the HD-2D remakes of previous Dragon Quest games. But now it seems that what Square Enix gives you first is not a remake, but a keychain – the meaning is obvious: spin the gacha first and then talk about it. The business signal is clear: nostalgia merchandise can monetize demand in the short term, but in regions like SEA where legacy JRPG fandom is still highly active, sustained goodwill usually depends on playable re-releases rather than anniversary collectibles alone.