Released for the Super Nintendo in 1995, Chrono Trigger became one of the most enduring role-playing games of all time. It’s easy to see why, as the game was developed by the cream of the crop in the Japanese creative industry.
“This ‘Dream Team,’ as they’re referred to in the secret ending and by fans, consisted of Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), Yūji Horii (creator of Dragon Quest), Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragon Ball), Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy composer), and Kazuhiko Aoki (Final Fantasy IV designer),” writer Aidan Moher explains.
The storyline and artwork leave a lasting impression, but the music has stuck around in an even more meaningful way. Chrono Trigger marked the first game scored by Yasunori Mitsuda. As Rolling Stone reports, the composer had been working at Square, but was relegated to sound effects. He threatened to quit if he wasn’t given the chance to compose for a game. After Chrono Trigger, he would score games including “Shadow Hearts,” “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” and “Xenoblade Chronicles.”
“His work on Chrono Trigger has been widely praised as having some of the most emotionally affecting melodies of RPGs in the SNES era,” the magazine writes.
Today, we’re singling out one incredible piece from Chrono Trigger called “Corridors of Time.” The song appears throughout the game, but it’s mostly associated with the Kingdom of Zeal, a nation from the Antiquity era that was home to the magic-using Enlightened Ones. Mitsuda uses several compositional techniques to evoke the realm’s mystical feeling.
He explained his thought process in a YouTube livestream celebrating Chrono Trigger’s 30th anniversary on March 14, 2025.
“The key of ‘Corridors of Time’ is F#-minor, but the song progresses mainly in D Major, so it expresses an indescribable sense of floating and sadness,” he said, as transcribed by the Chrono Compendium. “The melodies of my songs are often created using a technique called modes.”
He also explained his use of instrumentation. Though limited to the SNES’s restricted sound bank, he created a World Music ambience using tabla and sitar sounds. The tabla sound also appears in the theme for Schala, the princess of the Kingdom of Zeal. “The use of tabla (an Indian percussion instrument) in both ‘Schala’s Theme’ and ‘Corridors of Time’ creates a sense of unity with the Kingdom of Zeal,” he explains.
“Corridors of Time” has been covered numerous times on YouTube, but this version performed by Luke Pickman, aka Instrument Maniac, may be the most impressive. Pickman got the perfect handle for his account. He brings the song’s atmosphere to life with fifteen different instruments.
They are (in order of appearance): Lever Harp, Vibraphone, Finger Cymbal, Cello, Double Bass, Djembe, Sitar, Udu Drum, Oud, 2 Tambourines, 2 Flutes, Alto Flute, Violin, Viola, and Shakers.
Opening the song’s dreamy arpeggios on harp and vibraphone immediately transports you into the fantasy realm of Chrono Trigger.
Mitsuda ended his livestream with a message of resilience for his fans. “Chrono Trigger has now left my hands, but I believe it resides deep in the hearts of all of its fans,” he shared. “I believe that it will become a memory that will never fade and will continue to be a great source of strength and support for you in every aspect of your life for the foreseeable future. When you get stuck on something, remember Chrono Trigger. Chrono is definitely moving forward into the future.”
