Chrono Trigger Unused Music (1995 JP Demo) - version comparison

This video compares the changes in music between the pre-release and final release versions of Chrono Trigger. The pre-release version gives us a glimpse into what the soundtrack sounded like in production. All this music can be found in SPC format at www.snesmusic.org under "Chrono Trigger (Pre-Release)".

The tracks covered are:

[0:00] Wind Scene
[0:59] Ruined World
[1:36] A Strange Happening
[2:42] Rhythm of Wind, Sky, and Earth
[3:13] Brink of Time
[4:47] Corridors of Time

The soundtrack is, of course, great either way...I'm not partial to either version. But it is interesting to wonder why some of the changes were made.

I covered the tracks which have obvious differences. There are a few subtle differences in other tracks not in the video - for example, the timpani roll intros to "The Hidden Truth" and "Lavos' Theme" are higher in pitch, and in general there is much more of an echo effect in all the tracks in the pre-release (again, don't know why they took that out) - but on the whole, most of the tracks are the same.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Chrono
• Trigger
• クロノトリガー
• unreleased
• unused
• hidden
• demo
• beta
• pre-release
• prerelease
• vgm
• music
• mitsuda
• uematsu
• square
• squaresoft
• rpg

[KUR1SU]

I think many of these were intended to sound like they did in the final version, but just weren't completed yet. Like the Corridors of Time. I really don't think they intended to just do that single voice there.

[DarkgreenOrange]

Yeah, that's the impression I got from all this. That these were never "alternate" versions but unfinished ones.

[TheTKC]

I actually prefer the beta version of "Brink of Time" 0.0

[d0omsickle]

Wow, they went crazy on the reverb and echo during the beta stages.

And the beta version of 2300 a.d. sounds scary as F*CK!

[papigliano]

@DarkgreenOrange

Good job!

[YellowMagi]

@YellowMagi

The preversion sounds more fragile in a way.

[YellowMagi]

The Brink of Time pre-version sounds more like "the BRINK of time". The actual version is much more calming and serene.

[YellowMagi]

I don't think they even considered the "pre-versions". They simply got enhanced in the release, and they are MAGIC.

[CockapooIzAMutt]

interesting!!!!! thanks for uploading!

[TheAzureNightmare]

The Song at the end... Not the "Thanks for watching" thing, but the one before it. That should have been used in the final game.

[rainechoo]

"I gotta fever.. .And the only prescription is more reverb."

[TheAzureKnighthood]

Whoa. I actually like some of the pre-release tracks better than their final versions.

"At The End Of Time" "Strange Occurrences" and "Yearnings Of The Wind" most definitely.

(DS names used out of habit)

[amimizunofan22]

I did notice a fair amount of this while playing the pre-release demos. I'm glad that things turned out the way they did, though, especially with "Corridors of Time".

[BoonanzaMaster]

i agree 0.o!