Are those … Nu babies? Kind of a delightful sight for anyone impatiently awaiting Chrono Trigger‘s release on DS this year, whatever they are. For those of you feeling fearful that the Monster Arena added to the game is a tacked on version of Pokémon training, Siliconera has brought us some more info on it that looks as if it will offer more than capturing beasties.
The colored creatures above are actually called smidges, each of which is assigned to one of the four elements. You will be given one of the smidges for free by the Stable Master in the Arena of Ages, and you can train it by sending it into different time periods. For instance, sending it into the Middle Ages will boost its strength.
More from the source:
Once you feel ready your monster can be sent into the arena to fight computer controlled monsters or a friend through DS wireless play. Monsters automatically attack when their time gauge fills, but you can alter the attack they use. Items like the Hawk Talon, Seafang, and Duskeye which activates shadow-based attacks give players limited control of their monsters. It sounds like the monster arena opens early since Square Enix mentions you can “unlock eras” to further train your monster. One thing is clear, you will be able to enter the Arena of Ages before you reach the Kingdom of Zeal.
I didn’t think I’d be much into this feature as I consider Chrono Trigger very much a solo game, but this is actually sounding like fun to me. Are you looking forward to the Monster Arena content, or more focused on just replaying the original game?
