SNES Chrono Trigger: Refined Text Edition (Hack) SNES ROM

[CSmith327]

Game Description:​

Chrono Trigger: Refined Text Edition is an RPG video game published by SquareSoft and developed by Square released on August 22nd, 1995 for the SNES.

Hack Credits:​

Released by: Furo_19
Type: Improvement (Script/Text changes)
Status: Completed
Patch Version: v1.1
Date: 01 April 2026

Source and details: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/9538/

An authentic SNES Chrono Trigger experience — but refined, uncensored, updated, and bugfixed!

"Chrono Trigger: Refined Text Edition" is a purist-friendly vanilla-plus improvement hack that aims to create the best possible version of the game while still feeling authentic. Originally conceived as an addendum to the "Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch" by Chronosplit, it has since evolved—with Chronosplit’s blessing—into a fully standalone refinement project.

The guiding vision is to bring the text of the SNES version of Chrono Trigger up to the level of quality found in the Nintendo DS release—while preserving the charm and liveliness of Ted Woolsey’s original localization.

Building on the foundation of "Bugfix and Uncensoring", this hack corrects lingering script issues, aligns terminology with the DS version, refines Tech descriptions, and fixes flawed battle messages and item descriptions.

Note: check out the readme file for a list of alterations since it was a bit much to put into the description.

Download Links​

• Chrono Trigger: Refined Text Edition (Hack) SNES ROM

 

[StopTheCatastrophe]

When Woolsey made changes they were with the purpose of either presenting a concept to an audience that wouldn't register or because he was told to censor, and for the most part he is closer to the original script. Slattery made changes to the script for no reason after basing his work on Woolsey's, like making people say their lines twice for the only purpose of making them longer.

“When Woolsey made changes they were with the purpose of either presenting a concept to an audience that wouldn't register” is a meme virus. It’s not relevant whether he made changes with the intent of helping anyone. The problem is his writing is bad: he uses clunky words and amateurish phrasing (“robs her of all conscious thought”), no ear for dialog, while also injecting pop culture references. The reason some gamers revere his work is because they’re the kind of people who think that recognizing the existence of an intended “joke” is scream laughter hilarious regardless of whether it’s humorous or good or clever or appropriate.

The issue isn’t “changes” it’s bad writing, bad word choices, bad phrasing. His choices are artless and sound bad, it’s the opposite of good/effective writing.

 

[rodimusprimal]

This link is outdated. The current version is 1.7.

 

[Nyankin007]

this rom have support to retroachievements?

Post automatically merged: Apr 28, 2026

this rom have support to retroachievements?

 

[Butz]

There's so many variations of chrono trigger and FF6 that it's almost impossible to choose which one to start for the most 'authentic' and 'true to the Japanese' experience

CT: Honestly? Just play it without a patch first time, Chrono Trigger is best experienced blind and with the purpose of having fun. The edits aren't really as bad as some make it seem, even though my previous post mentioned that I wish we had a new one.

FFVI: The thing with FFVI isn't as much the script as the combo of that and the bugs, so either the Pixel Remaster with mods or SNES using Revised Old-Style Edition. ROSE just has all the bugfixes and best script pieces all in the same place, it's pretty clear cut IMO but not everyone realizes it exists.

 

[lordlad]

There's so many variations of chrono trigger and FF6 that it's almost impossible to choose which one to start for the most 'authentic' and 'true to the Japanese' experience

 

[Mopeybloke]

Best thing to do is to get the Steam version of the game and apply mods to it from NexusMods to make the game look and play better. I forgot exactly which mods I used, but once everything is set up it's the best way to play it imo. Better than the SNES version with shoddy romhacks. You don't have to buy it either, I pirated my copy of it

Romhacks are preferable to playing almost any of the current official versions from Squenix and I own most of them. FF V and VI with GBA scrip port are just better than Pixel Remasters for example. I dislike how non-smooth they are. I dislike their shit fonts.

I dislike how slowly the text scrolls in CT and how shit the menus look. I don't expect you to feel those ways, but romhacks have a care that a company that ships their fantasy games with default mobile fonts and releases a ton of 2D games where background scrolling is never smooth couldn't dream of.

 

[CSmith327]

The point would be having the smoothest version of the game paired with the best translation. Also playable on a single, big screen.

Best thing to do is to get the Steam version of the game and apply mods to it from NexusMods to make the game look and play better. I forgot exactly which mods I used, but once everything is set up it's the best way to play it imo. Better than the SNES version with shoddy romhacks. You don't have to buy it either, I pirated my copy of it

 

[Mopeybloke]

What would be the point? You can already play the DS release in SNES mode by selecting the relevant options, plus it has extra content and a new ending. Porting the script would just result in a lesser version of the DS game.

The point would be having the smoothest version of the game paired with the best translation. Also playable on a single, big screen.

 

[Clam Snail]

Ya know, why don't people just port the DS translation? That's all I want.
I was so hopeful for a second there.

What would be the point? You can already play the DS release in SNES mode by selecting the relevant options, plus it has extra content and a new ending. Porting the script would just result in a lesser version of the DS game.

 

[Bushieto]

@CSmith327 1.2.1 dropped https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/9538/

 

[Butz]

The damage Ted Woolsey did to localization reverberates to this day, what a shame it's not just the DS script ported over.

Slattery was even worse. When Woolsey made changes they were with the purpose of either presenting a concept to an audience that wouldn't register or because he was told to censor, and for the most part he is closer to the original script. Slattery made changes to the script for no reason after basing his work on Woolsey's, like making people say their lines twice for the only purpose of making them longer.

Chronosplit once mentioned that we need a whole new retranslation, as no source we have outside of learning Japanese is actually reliable. I agree with this, Chrono Compendium's script was found to have the odd mistake even.

 

[Bushieto]

@CSmith327 1.2 is out please add. https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/9538/

 

[yamatou]

The damage Ted Woolsey did to localization reverberates to this day, what a shame it's not just the DS script ported over.

 

[Mopeybloke]

Ya know, why don't people just port the DS translation? That's all I want.
I was so hopeful for a second there.

 

[Mujo]

In 2015, Square "pressed the button" of a FF VII Remake. Imagine when they will "pull the trigger", to remake this masterpiece... OMG. Tears in my eyes.

 

[rodimusprimal]

Honestly, I'd be down to play it, but anyone know how it holds up against some of the other mainstay hacks?

It's based on the Uncensoring and Bugfix hack, which was already great for a vanilla hack, which was already pretty good. This one seems to aim to fix up the inconsistencies left over.

 

[CSmith327]

Ted Woolsey’s writing is clunky, artless, intrusive, and immature and unfunny (“pop culture reference LOL!”). His word and phrase choices are terrible. His writing has “no ear” for dialog. The crown [control device] on her head robs her of all conscious thought. A non-tasteless person would circle that terrible rob/of construction with a red marker.

The cult-like behavior around his work seems made-up of people who are into bland unfunny dad jokes as an excuse for humor. The idea that if an attempted joke was attempted and is perceptible as a joke attempt, it’s scream-laughter hilarious. And the idea that if a name is connected to a beloved thing (FF6), surely the person is amazing. (Also see: bland bad-actor Steve Blum, who voiced Spike in English in the beloved Cowboy Bebop. His texture is radio-worthy but his acting work is terrible.)

(Meanwhile people barely know the names of excellent translators/writers like Marcus Lindblom or Jeremy Blaustein (who frankly more than Kojima is why the US MGS 1 script is good).

I’d also like to discuss Alexander O Smith and imitators. Far worse than Woolsey, they ruin the solid dramatic effectiveness of pretty much every line in a script. If this happened with a book or movie translation it would be a huge scandal that a translator thinks they’re a better writer than the original author(s) and rewrites everything (horribly), but in gamer land it’s “amazing!”

I expect some variation of the usual delusional rationalization, “LoCalIzaTiOn is SuPpOsEd to change and ruin every line, because the original is probably boring! I’m smart!” This is from people who claim to like the original authors/creators. Or maybe the delusional rationalization, “languages are different, so it’s impossible to accurately translate the meaning and style of anything!”, which a literate person knows is false as evidenced by many excellent literary translations of books (and movies for that matter).

Have a nice day, everyone.

Everything you said 100% I only added this to the repo just for something to add. Like I saw it on romhacking.net and thought what the hell, why not? It gave me an excuse to find and fix up a good quality USA cover of the game in Photoshop. I prefer the DS version translation much more than the SNES one by a long shot

 

[Erik Óptero]

Oh, my eyes! _x'D/

 

[throwaway790450]

you get the idea

 

[StopTheCatastrophe]

preserving the charm and liveliness of Ted Woolsey’s original localization.

Ted Woolsey’s writing is clunky, artless, intrusive, and immature and unfunny (“pop culture reference LOL!”). His word and phrase choices are terrible. His writing has “no ear” for dialog. The crown [control device] on her head robs her of all conscious thought. A non-tasteless person would circle that terrible rob/of construction with a red marker.

The cult-like behavior around his work seems made-up of people who are into bland unfunny dad jokes as an excuse for humor. The idea that if an attempted joke was attempted and is perceptible as a joke attempt, it’s scream-laughter hilarious. And the idea that if a name is connected to a beloved thing (FF6), surely the person is amazing. (Also see: bland bad-actor Steve Blum, who voiced Spike in English in the beloved Cowboy Bebop. His texture is radio-worthy but his acting work is terrible.)

(Meanwhile people barely know the names of excellent translators/writers like Marcus Lindblom or Jeremy Blaustein (who frankly more than Kojima is why the US MGS 1 script is good).

I’d also like to discuss Alexander O Smith and imitators. Far worse than Woolsey, they ruin the solid dramatic effectiveness of pretty much every line in a script. If this happened with a book or movie translation it would be a huge scandal that a translator thinks they’re a better writer than the original author(s) and rewrites everything (horribly), but in gamer land it’s “amazing!”

I expect some variation of the usual delusional rationalization, “LoCalIzaTiOn is SuPpOsEd to change and ruin every line, because the original is probably boring! I’m smart!” This is from people who claim to like the original authors/creators. Or maybe the delusional rationalization, “languages are different, so it’s impossible to accurately translate the meaning and style of anything!”, which a literate person knows is false as evidenced by many excellent literary translations of books (and movies for that matter).

Have a nice day, everyone.

 

[lordlad]

Refined?

As in, it's more bourgeoisie?

 

[STUPIDCIDAL]

Honestly, I'd be down to play it, but anyone know how it holds up against some of the other mainstay hacks?