I'll have to take a different opinion than most of the above posters. I first played Chrono Trigger about a year ago, and after a few hours, I found I had to force myself to play it. The battle system is basically the exact same "ATB" system used in the SNES and PS1 Final Fantasy games, which you may like or dislike. I, personally, can't stand it, because it actually manages to be slower than your usual "Press X to attack" battle system. Instead, you have to WAIT to press X to attack. Exciting. The story, while a cut above your average JRPG story (which isn't saying much), is nothing to write home about, and basically boils down to (without spoiling anything) your usual "Great Evil rising up to Destroy The World, and Only One Mute Spiky-Haired Hero Can Stop It." With time travel.
On the plus side, it IS one of the most attractive games on the SNES, and the various locales that you visit are pretty cool. It's interesting to see how the game world developed through the ages, and it's obvious that the developers put a lot of detail into that particular aspect. I just wish there were an intriguing game behind it all.
So, I'd really recommend that you nab a ROM somewhere first and play through the first hour or so to see if you like it before plunking down so much money.
"'Casual games' are something the 'Game Industry' invented to explain away the Wii success instead of actually listening or looking at what Nintendo did. There is no 'casual strategy' from Nintendo. 'Accessible strategy', yes, but ‘casual gamers’ is just the 'Game Industry''s polite way of saying what they feel: 'retarded gamers'."
-Sean Malstrom
