Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Hands down, CHRONO TRIGGER was one of the best Super Nintendo games of 1995, a memorable, dreamy standout even today. Perhaps that's why Square Enix decided to remake the lauded 2D role playing game for the handheld DS system. The engaging story revolves around Chrono, one of seven characters from different eons, who travels through time to save his friend. But he finds a silvery, two-fcaed monster called Lavos, who seeks to devastate the world. It's up to Chrono and his pals to stop this evildoer.

Truly a gamer's game, you can play as it was originally made (SNES mode where you use buttons and the D-pad) or with its upgrades in the DS mode (where you use the touchscreen). The action with your animated sprites happens on the top screen. On the bottom, you tap various rectangular buttons quickly to choose your attacks and magic spells. Here, too, you'll see your status, health, power, etc. You can also get a gang of up to four people together via local wireless play to enjoy a fighting game in which you raise and battle your own monster.

It's difficult to outline all of the features present that make the game as good as it was back in the day. But the highlights include a unique battle system: You can't fight monsters until you're all charged up. Spells include combos that border on being awesome to witness. And even though this is played on a tiny screen, the music, story, and graphics create moods of lightness and happiness, of tension and foreboding.

But wait; there's more. The Dimensional Vortex features an ever-changing series of dungeons that transport you through three time periods. Near the end, you'll enter The Lost Sanctum where you'll go on more missions through time to find and collect new treasures. Over a dozen endings, numerous sub-quests, quirky monsters, and the wireless play make Chrono Trigger a must buy, certainly for those who've never enjoyed it before. But be aware that it's $10 more than the average DS game.