The making of Chrono Trigger & Secret of Mana
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, two of Square's games from the 16-bit generation that showcased their experimentation with new takes on the RPG format.
//Support the channel
All your views, likes comments and shares are really appreciated! This video is part of a bigger series. I set up a patreon for those who would like to financially support it: / strafefox
//Narration by Steven Kelly
/ stevenmkelly
//Music and Sources
For the complete track-listing with time-codes skip to the end of the video. Sources used for this video are also listed there.
//Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:01 Secret of Mana
15:49 Chrono Trigger - Hry
Two of my favorite games ever. Loved this video, didn't want it to end.
Agreed, Vin. This 30 minutes went by so fast
FOR REAL. This channel is the epitome of quality over quantity.
Hell yeah Vinny Chrono trigger is amazing
knew i'd see you here lol. love both channels so much
Wanna replay CT ? or maybe Secret of mana with the patches that make the combat better ? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ maybe?
The production quality of these videos blows me away every time. Top-notch work!
Thanks so much! For this particular episode It was fun playing around with the different seasons and settings and tying them to specific chapters, adding a touch of the "spring-summer-autumn-winter" puzzle of Secret of Mana as subtext.
@@strafefox Yeah, that was pretty clear, Square would approve 😇
Good punctuation and grammar!
*Thanks so much! For this particular episode, It was fun playing around with the different seasons and settings and tying them to specific chapters, adding a touch of the "spring/summer/autumn/winter" puzzle of Secret of Mana as subtext.@@strafefox
Nothing to add, fabulos stuff.
How do I find meaning in my life? I can't go on, the burden of liv...NEW SPLASH WAVE? HELL YEAH!
Powerful
We can put down the knife for half an hour.
Thought the same 😍 what a surprise for this rainy November
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please
more Splashwave.
Better production than high end studios 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks so much! :)
Dude the graphical wizardry is off the chain in this one. So many unique renders...
Literal genius level problem solving
These games of that era hold a special place in my heart, not only for its nostalgia, but for the time, effort, and workmanship that developers put into these games. I thank the developers of the time for their work and dedication because they made many childhoods something very special with the limitations they had. Limitations breed creativity.
The unsung story of an underrated CZcams channel has blessed us with another banger video once again.
11:50 absolutely fascinating… had no idea the image was still being loaded and hidden this whole time. Unreal!
Me neither
Your production is UNBELIEVABLE… the effort is through the roof
Your videos are 100% the best of their kind. Nobody else is doing it like you, on a level of visual montage, detailed research, narration, and music selection.
A diamond documentary for two diamond games. Flawless as always. Great work as always.
Just when I think I've seen every video about Chrono Trigger's production possible I find a gem like this, had no idea about the ILM stuff. The amount of work done on even minor background assets is insanity. As is the work on this video!
I was scrolling through your channel yesterday wondering when a new vid would come out. I was scared you stopped which would of been a huge shame.
The quality and passion in these videos are amazing. You seriously should be signed by a major streaming service for this series
Yeah, it can go straight on TV or streaming services with at least 2 seasons - if not more - of backlog !
Same
It takes a lot of time to make these videos I reckon
@@harmhoeks5996 Yeah I assume so. Especially with the high level of production quality that goes in
This dude was tasked with "Squaresoft RPG video essay" and made an environment art portfolio. Simply amazing stuff.
Beautifully done. I appreciate you guys drawing attention to minor details that we often overlook, or just don't think much about. It never ceases to amaze me how these developers could put forth such masterpieces.
That bit around 11:20 is one of the coolest game development factoids I've ever heard, absolutely love and appreciate that so much! I shared this video a solid 2-3 times before I had finished it myself, I knew would be good, but damn I was not disappointed.
This channel really does need more subs to go along with how amazingly done these videos are.
Well, you gotta wonder how many serious enthusiasts like us there are, compared to casual people who want straight entertainment.
Absolutely marvelous work, thank you very much Jeroen!
Awesome to hear! Thanks so much!
when i was younger, i would watch G4, hoping for discovery-channel quality documentaries. now, i get to enjoy them whenever you release a video. please, keep up the tremendous work. I know we get antsy that you're not delivering as often as we want, but the quality and production is a tier setting of its own.
I've said it before and I'll say it again- it's criminal how this channel doesn't get more recognition!
The research and information is consistently high quality, the scripts are well thought out and don't feel rushed, and the graphics side of things just keep getting better and better!
I really wish that more and more people could enjoy these videos- no.. pieces of art~
your documentaries are the absolute best. The stories of the early game generations are often forgotten due to obscurity, time, and language barriers, but you manage to condense those information so well
Oh, wow. Two of my favorite games of all time. Due to in large part thanks to Yasunori Mitsuda being one of the best video game composers ever.
I would be remiss to not mention Hiroki Kikuta, as the Mana series wonderful soundtrack wouldn't exist without him.
As always, thank you all so much for these videos!
Fantastically put together. One of your strengths is production. Well fitting, not destracting, really adds to the video. I feel the passion in this.
I regularly watch the first "Making of Secret of Mana" video that you published 9 years ago. It's a testament to your craft that a video from 9 years ago is still as relevant, interesting, and captivating. It was the highlight of my day to see that you revisited and delved deeper into this topic in a new video. You deserve my support through a Patreon subscription.
As always Strafefox, extremely well done.
Both these games meant so much to me a kid and you seem to have created the ultimate historical log of them.
Watching this is like therapy!
The explanation of how Secret of Mana’s opening sequence was created by working around the system’s limitations was absolutely fascinating. I swear artists produce their best work when working around limitations.
Thanks so much for all your hard work creating these videos. You’re setting the bar.
Another masterpiece. Amazing work Strafefox.
RIP Akira Toriyama, thank you for bringing all the joy and inspiration!
Man, to be a dev at Square in the 90s! Watching videos like yours and reading articles like “An Oral History of Final Fantasy VII”, I’m just reminded of what an incredibly creative time that was for them. Obviously it wasn’t all hits, but their passion and willingness to experiment yielded so many incredible classics across multiple console generations.
Your videos are fantastic by the way. The production quality of this video was amazing.
It's seriously such a shame this channel hasn't blown up. Always top notch!
Your videos are top tier! how you don't have more of an audience astounds me, please don't change what you do
Its 11:30pm. My wife and two children are fast asleep in the other room. Took a small hit of some home grown and cracked open a cold one. Sitting in the darkness of our living room with the glow of my computer screen the only light provided. I cannot express how excited I am to watch this right now.
Never stop Strafefox.
I have watched ever one of your videos and have been watching for more than 3 years and it still took CZcams’s algorithm 8 days to recommend your newest video. I hope the algorithm starts treating you better your content is is the best of the best!
Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana are those games where I never played them, but love their music. Great video.
Ive been watching your stuff for a decade now it seems. Always super quality shit man. Keep it up!!
I played both of these games when they came out on SNES. I’m not gonna lie, I felt like I had discovered some kind of secret world of video games no one else was aware of. I remember trying to described Chrono Trigger and SoM to friends and they just could not follow what I was saying.
Both of my original carts sit on my shelf right in front. Have I used them anytime recently? No but I really don’t have that much left from my childhood. But one day I’ll be dead and while I’ll be gone, I do wonder what the fate of those carts will be. Likely, they’ll just be tossed or sold at some kind of estate sale (will people still want carts in 30-40 years?)
Damn, that got morbid. Anyways, these games rock and I’m so happy this channel is still producing.
It's so amazing to see the ingenuity of these classic devs. Taking a problem and finding a clever solution that not only solves it but makes it look great.
Necessity is truly the mother of invention.
These videos are absolute treasures. The passion and work that must go into them is outstanding. You haven't raised the bar, you _are_ the bar for quality on CZcams!
Easily the highest production quality of any Retrospective channel, 2 of my favorites right here!
That Secret of Mana opening scene with the flying birds, three characters, and the tree looked freakin amazing on my old CRT TV
Until this video, I never would have suspected that the title screen of Secret of Mana was secretly (heh heh) loading the image of the mana tree in the background due to the technical limitations of the SNES. This is a detail that makes me appreciate the game even more. Great job, Squaresoft.
And thank you for the informative video about a game that is a cherished memory of my youth.
The water effect in Secret of Mana is the most beautiful ever made in a 16 bit video game! I was so disappointed what they did with the water effect in the remake! Such a great video! Bravo!
The production quality accompanied by the historical knowledge and technical details of these videos are simply out of this world. If this isn’t the product of an entire team of specialised people, it’s borderline insane. Regardless, my hats off to you. If only 1% of YT was this good!
I've said it before, and I will continue to say it every time you upload. Your content is CRIMINALLY underrated. You deserve SO much more attention than you get, because every video you make manages to invoke such strong emotions and are incredibly informative to boot. Keep making content man, never stop.
Awesome video. At this point, there is very little I don't know about these stories, but a handful of storytellers like yourself still manage to make each of these videos entertaining. Great work!
2 of my fav. RPGS. That is so cool in the way Secret Of Mana hide their loading time by adding in sound effect, music and storyline. I never notice it since I enjoy watching that opening. With Chrono Trigger, I never realize that game use 3D pre rendered graphic but the court room looking so awesome would explain it. Honestly, that scene kinda look like a pre 2D HD graphic before Octopath, Live A Live remake, etc. Awesome video as always.
I obsessively played Secret of Mana growing up. This, FF6, and Chrono Trigger were the main reason I fell in love with this art style and later spent several years in Japan. As an embedded software engineer I have the perspective now of understanding the hardware limitations at a high level. But I had no idea the delayed intro scene for SoM was a technical mask for decompressing the intro artwork. The dovetailing with the intro music timing hits even harder now. I stand in awe.
There have been a lot of videos released about both games, but I've not yet watched something of this depth. This is a stellar presentation on the results of early SNES archaeology. Well done, sir, and thank you.
Splash Wave : never expected, always appreciated
Wow... just wow... Not only I felt nostalgic about old times, but the dedication and efforts in these documentaries is incredible.
And I totally remember how NEW it felt to see finally a Square game ported officially in Europe.
To play Chrono Trigger and FFVI we had to use adapters and pay SO MUCH to import the NTSC versions.
There’s no one else in this world that makes videos as perfectly as you guys!!
There's something really special about this channel. From the presentation, to the story telling... Every time it drops a video I'm amazed that this is a CZcams channel, yet it surpasses high-budget Netflix and Disney shows in so many ways. Would love to see more SEGA Genesis content, as always, but whatever it is, it's always interesting to watch.
The quality of this channel always amazes me.
thank you for keeping the history of 'ancient' video game history accessible
Incredible documentary. Might i add that Uematsu is such a great person.
Yasunori Mitsuda almost quit square soft because they won’t give him any composing work. Uematsu is the one who suggested to give it Mitsuda or else.
Mitsuda got hospitalized from exhaustion composing the game and that’s the reason why Uematsu added a few composition so Mitsuda can rest.
Brilliant video!
Ah Secret of Mana....
This game blew me away when it came out. The music still gives be goosebumps to this day ❤
I really appreciate you guys. These videos are so well made!
Lovely documentary! Very professionally done. I always adore Steven Kelly's voice and style of narration. He's one of the key features of your documentaries and I love it!
Also, thanks for helping me realize the importance of Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I had never played them and only knew of them via reputation alone, but I didn't know how important they were not only to the 16-bit era in particular but also to video gaming as a whole. Chrono Trigger was one of the games that laid the groundwork for 3D imagery in video gaming, which later on would drive most of game devs to pursue 3D designs and background works. Even though I'm not really a big fan of 3D elements in video games, there are instances of 3D works that made me stare in awe, such as Half-Life 2, the Portal series and Nier: Automata. So now I have new appreciation towards Chrono Trigger (and shamelessly fanboying for Toriyama's character designs haha). And after watching this video, I will have to listen to the OST of both Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger as I'm a big fan of video game soundtracks.
So see ya and I will patiently wait for the next video! Take care! :D
This was a beautiful presentation. The Moomin reference was spot on. Secret of Mana always had this immersive and tranquil atmosphere that inspired me greatly. The game was more of an experience in a fantasy setting than a story arch. The title opening sequence gives me chills even today. Pixel art really came alive with the amazing music.
This channel never ceases to amaze me about the amazing quality of these videos. This is, in my opinion, the channel with the best videos and with outstanding content.
You know you're the real MVP for making these "the making of" videos, right?
Thank you so much 😊
Makes you realize how impactful the work of these people had on the industry. A true renaissance in the RPG.
What a terrific behind-the-scenes documentary on these two beloved SNES RPGs from my early teens! Secret of Mana has all that gorgeous pixel-art and musical tracks that are surprisingly beautiful. Even if the characters are one-dimensional and the story gets pretty thin near the end, the game is so damn charming and immerses you in such a world that I have VERY fond memories of loosing myself in this one during the 90's. Chrono Trigger of course is an absolute MASTERPIECE, a 10/10 in every area. What a terrific buy it was for a kid with limited funds. I was able to loan it out repeatedly to friends to play other RPGs (Final Fantasy VI, Breath of Fire, Secret of Mana).
My day is genuinely better when my phone pings and I see this channel has a new video.
RIP Toriyama😢
I just put up a massive poster of the Secret of Mana cover art- and it's breathtaking to people who know nothing about the game. It had such an impact on me as a child, I'm glad to look at the mana tree every day with awe. Thanks for this incredible video! Very well researched and thorough. I love both of these games so much.
If Square Enix were at the top of their game with these games, the same applies for the Strafefox team! Congratulations on a so well made documentary
Thank you, Strafefox! This channel is the platinum standard for content on CZcams.
Two of the best of the best RPG's on the Snes bundled in one video (and that says something as the Snes had dozens of masterpiece RPG's), Square were at the top of their game in this Era, ahhh the nostalgia, it was a good time.... very very good... Just a few music notes and images of the games (especially the title screens) is enough to make your body and heart smile. Thanks you for this wonderful trip to the past as always top-notch production.
At that point in time, knowing that people from FF and Dragon Quest were working together in a project must have felt incredible. 😮
Square was going crazy with all the new projects back then wow
Thank you for covering the development stories of those games, this stuff sadly gets lost in time
I just recently re-watched your beautiful Secret of Mana video. You briefly touched on Chrono Trigger during it and I thought "wouldn't it be amazing if Strafefox dedicated an entire video to it. Thank you so much for your amazing, educational, and in-depth looks in the video game industry!
As always easily the most underrated content I've seen on CZcams. It blows my mind that this channel doesn't get better exposure when every video is a beautifully produced masterpiece.
Also I don't know if you're using a new mic or something but the narration here is like listening to hot chocolate 🥹
Damn bro I swear to god I will NEVER unsubscribe. Long absence between absolute gems is your signature, never change!!
Thank you for clarifying things. Until now, we've all been speculating that Secret of Mana began on CD and then had 40% of its content cut to fit on cartridge. While there's some truth about the CD, we were wrong for so long...
Also I really love that anecdote about SoM intro. I didn't know this masterpiece of an intro was made like this due to technical limits. It's one of the best example of limitations bringing creativity.
Also I had no Idea about CT using CGI pre-rendered stuff. This blowed me too.
Thank you, as always for your incredible work. Keep going like this. Now that we've seen Square's project dream games, maybe would it be interresting to talk about how Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean broke some SNES limitations and how they were related.
Babe wakeup, new strafefox video just dropped
The music from Secret of Mana is some of my favorite of all time. So glad to see it get its due
The 3D graphics in this video are beautiful.
6:18 I didn't see that anime as a kid, but I did watch The Enchanted Journey(Gurikku no Bouken) which also had chipmunks on a journey.
10:36 I'll never forget when EGM published the Mana Tree poster and 2-page ad in issue 52, along with a 2-page preview. That's when I fell head-over-heels for SoM.
Thank you! This video was an unexpected surprise.
Secret of Mana was my first RPG. Awesome video, guys! Hope to see another one soon.
When you showed the Epoch, I totally went "oh, this is the kind of madman who would make a 3D model of it" cause I've tried a couple of times to no avail.
Unfortunately I wasn't right but that just speaks to the quality of your channel, it's always so impressive that I have the expectation it will impress me even more.
Love your channel, great vid
An excellent video. What a retrospective! Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane. ❤❤❤❤
The music in these games and the sound of the SNES soundchip is still iconic.
Wow Secret of Mana’s title screen sounds really cool and unique. The technical explanation was interesting
Maaan the art direction on this game. Lots of cool details which look really nice
Fantastic video, as always!
11:20 An extra fact about this:
The Japanese version uses a more complex image of the same artwork. As there is more detail, the decompression takes much longer and ends just before the entire image is shown.
The American version actually ends right when the camera starts scrolling up, but to keep up with the music, they kept the same timming.
First time seeing anything on this channel. This editing... So much work into all these 3d models for the storytelling. It really has a nice nostalgic feel to it. Great job!
I was just thinking about replaying Chrono Trigger again. Thanks for the push!
It's so amazing to see the background work of some of the greatest games from the 90s-
THIS CHANNEL IS TOO GUD!!!
Never clicked on a video so fast. These are two of my favorite games of all time, and the quality of these videos are always excellent.
That is so cool to see someone explaining the birth of these two games... Their story are so intertwined, yet interesting! Thanks for the amazing quality video!
My God... The quality of your videos are absolutely stunning. Thank you so much for providing such great content.
I'm always baffled by how carefully crafted your videos are! You are absolutely amazing, strafefox! Congratulations, you always leave us viewers in awe.
He’s done it again! A whopping double feature! What an amazing, jawdropping video! I dropped everything when I saw this upload.
Secret of Mana, together with Link of the Past, were the first two defining titles of my youth and a definite inspiration of me pursuing a career as an illustrator.
Especially Secret of Mana, with its rich visuals, lovely and charming story but especially its enchanting, fairytale musical score. I got a reproduction poster of the box art hanging in my living room, I guess that says it all. It drew me in as a young boy. That enigmatic start screen with that ethereal score, it always gives me chills.
It’s still a stellar example of an cover art design that tickles the imagination and conveys a bit of mystery, instead of hitting you over the head with RPG clichés.
I played the sequel as well, Seiken Densetsu 3, and even though that game is better in every possible regard (SoM can be very grindy and repetitive at times, especially late stage) this game has a special place in my heart.
Quick sidenote; I got the Secret of Mana artbook, and this title is the shortest chapter in the book. Seems like a lot of the artwork for this game has been lost to time, unfortunately.
Lastly, I had chills during this whole video. Thank you so much, Strafefox! Keep it up! Huge fan!
A beautifully well scripted video with the games soundtracks to compliment it, I first played Chrono Trigger on the DS and Secret of Mana on the Wii as a Wii Shop Channel purchase back in 2010, I absolutely enjoyed these games and have my own nostalgia for when I first played them, these are one of those games where I wish I could erase my memory of them and re-experience them for the first time again🥺
Every single one of your videos are just... *chef's kiss*
Thanks so much! One thing I always aim for is to replicate the atmosphere of the games in the videos, so hopefully they feel as an extension and bring back some of the good memories :)
Absolutely fantastic. I always felt the Flammie ride had some "The Neverending Story" feel to it.
This video brought literal tears to my eyes. Thank you. Secret of Mana was one of my favorite games, and the music was amazing. Really impressed by how they pulled off the game's intro sequence too. True creativity and effort is indistinguishable from magic.
Beautifully made and told by your team strafefox! Thank you for the upload and I hope you have a great day!
I’ll never forget Xmas’94. Donkey Kong Country was my main present, and not sure what other game to get I took a chance on Secret of Mana which I knew nothing about and it had just released that year in the UK.
I completed DKC first, and played Secret of Mana almost as an afterthought. I was hooked the moment I heard and saw that opening sequence. The music always sticks out for me in this game. It was the first time I thought video game music sounded like real music, the compositions were amazing but so was the sound quality. It sounded like real instruments to me at the time.
Thank you for these love letters to our childhood
Thank you so much, I love your series. Secret of Mana is one of my favourite games of all time and I actually said "Oh my god" out loud when I saw you had created a video about it. Thank you for all the obscure artwork / details that I've never seen before.
Your videos always take me back down memory lane to a happier time when games didn't have to be so complex with graphics and seemed to be made with a real love and care!