The making of Chrono Trigger & Secret of Mana

[@vinesauce]

Two of my favorite games ever. Loved this video, didn't want it to end.

[@HyperDefective]

Agreed, Vin. This 30 minutes went by so fast

[@theSato]

FOR REAL. This channel is the epitome of quality over quantity.

[@maccamachine]

Hell yeah Vinny Chrono trigger is amazing

[@mariosbrother6845]

knew i'd see you here lol. love both channels so much

[@MsTatakai]

Wanna replay CT ? or maybe Secret of mana with the patches that make the combat better ? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ maybe?

[@Jingleboy14]

The production quality of these videos blows me away every time. Top-notch work!

[@strafefox]

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.

[@Dawwwg]

@@strafefox Yeah, that was pretty clear, Square would approve 😇

[@victoriagrayson5082]

Good punctuation and grammar!

[@victoriagrayson5082]

*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

[@Azuris190]

Nothing to add, fabulos stuff.

[@KTLam]

RIP Akira Toriyama, thank you for bringing all the joy and inspiration!

[@Epic_C]

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.

[@barryschalkwijk9388]

Dude the graphical wizardry is off the chain in this one. So many unique renders...

[@JohnDoe-pt7ru]

Literal genius level problem solving

[@bananachild1936]

The unsung story of an underrated KZbin channel has blessed us with another banger video once again.

[@MarMaxGaming]

11:50 absolutely fascinating… had no idea the image was still being loaded and hidden this whole time. Unreal!

[@wildwest1832]

Me neither

[@gunsunnuva8346]

You should see the Japanese version of the title screen. It's waaaay better. I'm guessing that something about the Western version of the game took up extra memory elsewhere, so they had to compress the intro to make up for it. (But that's just a guess.) When I bought the game on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console, I actually got mad that I had been robbed of the real thing back in my American childhood. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2WxqIOGoJd9pdk

[@rickstone5191]

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!

[@jeremycarrier7532]

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.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

How do I find meaning in my life? I can't go on, the burden of liv...NEW SPLASH WAVE? HELL YEAH!

[@SRC267]

Powerful

[@Vulpas]

We can put down the knife for half an hour.

[@Antwan86]

Thought the same 😍 what a surprise for this rainy November

[@Tucker11111111]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please more Splashwave.

[@MarMaxGaming]

Your production is UNBELIEVABLE… the effort is through the roof

[@MattQVSTheWorld]

This dude was tasked with "Squaresoft RPG video essay" and made an environment art portfolio. Simply amazing stuff.

[@gemfruitgames]

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.

[@SaviorGabriel]

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.

[@chrisgeorgiou]

A diamond documentary for two diamond games. Flawless as always. Great work as always.

[@wanamogilgamesh6582]

I don't know how i found your channel , but i'm glad i did .

[@Liquiddna89blaa]

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

[@Dawwwg]

Yeah, it can go straight on TV or streaming services with at least 2 seasons - if not more - of backlog !

[@abswithflabsttv]

Same

[@harmhoeks5996]

It takes a lot of time to make these videos I reckon

[@Liquiddna89blaa]

@@harmhoeks5996 Yeah I assume so. Especially with the high level of production quality that goes in

[@atmosdwagon4656]

For Secret of Mana, it's incredible that the game came out as well done as it had considering the large amount of content that had to be condensed, rewritten, and/or outright left on the cutting room floor; mainly thanks to Nintendo canceling the SNES CD project. Even primitive single tracked commercial CDs from the early 1990s had over 100 times the data capacity as non-volatile memory based cartridges did so the original amount of content was considerably larger as a result. Of any of Squaresoft's classic era games, Secret of Mana warrants a full rework; one that restores the lost content and fleshes out everything else, as there is so much left to fully explore here. There are several named characters who have less than a dozen lines of dialog each, and a lot of the regions feel rushed, empty or incomplete. The background lore for the world is also direly lacking in context, and has to be filled in by the player and/or supplementary material that was never released outside of Japan. Alas, while a Secret of Mana remake was released a few years ago, it appears that to be yet another cheap, minimal effort cash-in that ostensibly did none of those things. As a personal anecdote, it makes me sad that there will never be a game that does the original Secret of Mana (SD2) true justice, as it is probably the one game closest to my heart for the personal memories involved with it. (got to play it with my childhood sweetheart the last summer we ever saw each other) More broadly, there aren't many games that try and capture that pure storybook like essence without resorting to the kind of lazy, insulting pap that goes into most children's TV shows/movies. (infantile garbage like Barney the Dinosaur, Teletubbies etc. People think children need that because anything more complex would confuse them. They are very mistaken as human children are, by their very nature more prone to internal problem solving and exploration of the unknown than their older, world wary adult counterparts are. Don't treat them like idiots and you will be surprised at how insightful they can be.) And it's clear that while Squaresoft sees benefit in exploiting people's nostalgia, they evidently don't see any benefit in doing more than the bare minimum to reach it now that they're a large institutional international business conglomerate instead of the software boutique out to prove themselves and push technology forward like they had been in the 1990s and early oughts. Then again, outside of maybe Nintendo, virtually nobody really makes games to be enjoyed from age 7 and up without making them mindless these days. Games like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger were products of a time where taking those sorts of risks was merited in order to push for the air of legitimacy that video games enjoy defacto today.

[@rogerriggii6733]

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.

[@Musicedge88]

This channel really does need more subs to go along with how amazingly done these videos are.

[@OriginalMasters]

Well, you gotta wonder how many serious enthusiasts like us there are, compared to casual people who want straight entertainment.

[@FatehBenMerzoug]

Absolutely marvelous work, thank you very much Jeroen!

[@strafefox]

Awesome to hear! Thanks so much!

[@Absolutely_Nobody]

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!

[@FuzzballRenakitty]

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~

[@maxwelseven]

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.

[@tylerjones9197]

I have watched ever one of your videos and have been watching for more than 3 years and it still took KZbin’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!

[@diceLibrarian]

As always Strafefox, extremely well done.

[@TheInternetIsDeadToMe]

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.

[@FRAMEINTOFOCUS]

Fantastically put together. One of your strengths is production. Well fitting, not destracting, really adds to the video. I feel the passion in this.

[@GLEclipseGaming]

Another masterpiece. Amazing work Strafefox.

[@fluffy_tail4365]

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

[@Turbo_Waitress]

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.

[@Dare1C]

Ive been watching your stuff for a decade now it seems. Always super quality shit man. Keep it up!!

[@COIFISHGAMING]

Easily the highest production quality of any Retrospective channel, 2 of my favorites right here!

[@lucaslee8784]

It's seriously such a shame this channel hasn't blown up. Always top notch!

[@Carl-vj1sc]

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.

[@TheSektorz]

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 KZbin 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.

[@cgrooney9945]

Your videos are top tier! how you don't have more of an audience astounds me, please don't change what you do

[@afropowa1598]

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.

[@hieioni3354]

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

[@graymars1097]

You know you're the real MVP for making these "the making of" videos, right? Thank you so much 😊

[@RichardBlaziken]

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 KZbin!

[@xXBlueSheepXx]

Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana are those games where I never played them, but love their music. Great video.

[@JohnDoe-pt7ru]

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.

[@DuckAlertBeats]

Brilliant video! Ah Secret of Mana.... This game blew me away when it came out. The music still gives be goosebumps to this day ❤

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

I really appreciate you guys. These videos are so well made!

[@roboticskybeast]

There’s no one else in this world that makes videos as perfectly as you guys!!

[@leeartlee915]

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.

[@bloodblues85]

The 3D graphics in this video are beautiful.

[@parlancex]

Just to give an idea of how large a 32 megabit ROM would seem at the time, the Mario 64 ROM is only about 50% larger, at 48 megabits. In one of the secret endings in Chrono Trigger you can talk to various members of the development team and Yasuhiko Kamata says "Isn't 32 megs great? The graphics become incredible. It was painful at times, but it sure was fun!"

[@remakeyourself]

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!

[@thinicer]

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.

[@Joe_from_Rio]

Splash Wave : never expected, always appreciated

[@brentsanderson6566]

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.

[@th3cub350]

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.

[@jeffhiner]

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.

[@m128jg]

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.

[@SNESTestberichte]

Way better than expected making of - thx! I just wish Square hadn't jumped off the 2D train after the SNES...

[@MusaFinderi]

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.

[@lynaras.673]

Secret of Mana was my first RPG. Awesome video, guys! Hope to see another one soon.

[@tiagodantasr]

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.

[@baardbi]

When I saw this thumbnail in my suggestions I thought; "Sure. I'll re-watch the old Secret of Mana episode." After a few seconds I realized that this was a completely new episode, and I bursted out "Woo hoo!" Strafefox videos always make me happy.

[@Aeoncalcos91]

Yet another fantastic video. You did a wonderful job covering these two games.

[@dawnstar5294]

As always easily the most underrated content I've seen on KZbin. 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 🥹

[@andrek86]

The only videos that I upvote before even starting! Worth to stop everything and watch, really watch. Great stuff

[@brichan1851]

An excellent video. What a retrospective! Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane. ❤❤❤❤

[@SynthetiThespis]

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.

[@nostartia]

Beautiful work. I love both games so much. Secret of Mana's intro got me so much into the story it made me burst into tears the first time. Loved the video. THANK YOU for your stellar work.

[@CorneliousRR]

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.

[@flowdee1058]

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!

[@iandamaral]

I'm always baffled by how carefully crafted your videos are! You are absolutely amazing, strafefox! Congratulations, you always leave us viewers in awe.

[@myew]

Thank you for the effort you put into these. I never knew about the intro scroll loading in Mana, that's amazing. It's nice to hear someone pronounce the name properly too. 😸

[@DanielMoore3d]

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!

[@cravis123]

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!

[@Dirk1Steele]

The quality of these videos always amazes me. But having seen many now, I should t be surprised anymore.

[@budderk1305]

thank you for keeping the history of 'ancient' video game history accessible

[@iamreiver]

That Secret of Mana opening scene with the flying birds, three characters, and the tree looked freakin amazing on my old CRT TV

[@Hustmayorivick]

The quality of this channel always amazes me.

[@inkmage4084]

All 3 of my favorite games were shown in this video. Not only were they my favorite, but inspired greatly what I created with my friends way back in high school, which I am currently in the process of remaking (sci-fantasy).

[@inumari3703]

Beautifully made and told by your team strafefox! Thank you for the upload and I hope you have a great day!

[@MMaRsu]

You are a legend dude! The editing is always top notch and the amount of information is very much appreciated, lots to learn!

[@Sephex]

These videos are always amazing, but this one was on an entirely different plane of existence. I'm sure some of that feeling came from hearing stellar classic game music back to back the entire time, but the combination of straightforward tech explanations with smooth production made my morning.

[@davidt3563]

I was just thinking about replaying Chrono Trigger again. Thanks for the push!

[@Zogamer7]

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!

[@Craplatte]

Masterful, as always! Thank you for the great work. Especially SoM and it's soundtrack is always something I devour on sight XD

[@onetimeoccam]

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

[@nortonrory]

Greatly appreciate your professional take on this kind of video. KZbin is so overloaded with documentarians who try to make their videos funny or wacky with edits and voiceover. You always nail it man.

[@tats_sacs]

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.

[@BoundaryBreak]

great vid sir

[@huzi990]

Every single one of your videos are just... *chef's kiss*

[@strafefox]

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 :)

[@PXAbstraction]

Another incredible video. Your work continues to impress me more and more.

[@MrKanjidude]

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.

[@Klausterfull]

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!

[@kalythgaming]

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.

[@DuelScreen]

A wonderful production all around. Thank you.

[@sakarain]

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

[@MrCalverino]

It's so amazing to see the background work of some of the greatest games from the 90s- THIS CHANNEL IS TOO GUD!!!

[@adamdesanti6713]

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).

[@Gambit771]

Another excellent video. It made me interested in two games I know hardly anything about other than their names. Congratulations. I can see the hard work that has gone into your video as usual.

[@lexxcard]

It so good to see your new high quality videos. It been a very long time

[@mrnuage]

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.