Chrono Trigger: Chrono Trigger Soundtrack Expansion Super Nintendo

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Chrono Trigger's soundtrack is widely acclaimed as one of the best of all time. However, the songs you hear in the game are not the complete soundtrack. There are actually 12 more songs that are part of Chrono Trigger's larger identity.

Songs from the OST
* Frog's Theme (With Intro)
* Singing Mountain
* Battle 2

Songs from the PSX and DS re-releases
* A Meeting with Destiny
* One Sunny Day When We Met
* Scattering Blossoms
* A Time to Rest -After the Battle-

Songs from the Pre-Release cartridge
* Keeper's Dome
* Ascend to the Light
* Boss Battle 3
* Battle 1 Rough

And finally, songs that exist only as data chunks in the rom
* Alarming Crisis
* Rat-A-Tat-Tat It's... Mitsuda


This patch expands the soundtrack of the SNES game to include all 12 songs. For the 5 songs that were never on a Super Nintendo cartridge, small re-arrangements have been made to recreate the music on the SNES sound chip. There are no tricks going on here; all music that you hear is actually playing through the SNES sound engine, with no MSU-1 audio required.

There are 6 versions of the patch included. One is the standard patch which you can add to an unmodified rom. One is a data only patch for romhackers that adds the new music, but does not place it anywhere in the rom. The other 4 are addendum patches that allow you to add the Soundtrack Expansion to other popular romhacks, including Enhansa Edition, 2 versions of the Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch, and Chrono Trigger+.

Title: Chrono Trigger Music Expansion
Author: PowerPanda, Gi Nattak, Reld, Zeality, Redeemer665
Version: 3.2
Applies to: Chrono Trigger (US) (unheadered)
Chrono Trigger: Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch (romhack)
Chrono Trigger Plus (romhack)

Contents:
CTSE Standard.ips
>FOLDER: Optional Patches
Party Change Menu.ips
Battle Music By Chapter.ips
>FOLDER: Addendum Patches
CTSE 3.2 Bugfix Alone.ips
CTSE 3.2 Bugfix All-In.ips
CTSE CT Plus Edition.ips
>FOLDER: For Romhackers Only
CTSE Data.ips
Data Offsets.xlsx
>FOLDER: SPC Files
9 SPC files of the new music

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-=Intro and Description=-

Chrono Trigger's soundtrack is widely acclaimed as one of the best of all time. However, the songs you hear in the game are not the complete soundtrack. There are actually 12 more songs that are part of Chrono Trigger's larger identity.

Songs from the OST
* Frog's Theme (With Intro)
* Singing Mountain
* Battle 2
Songs from the PSX and DS re-releases
* A Meeting with Destiny
* One Sunny Day When We Met
* Scattering Blossoms
* A Time to Rest -After the Battle-
Songs from the Pre-Release cartridge
* Keeper's Dome
* Ascend to the Light
* Boss Battle 3
* Battle 1 Rough
And finally, songs that exist only as data chunks in the rom
* Alarming Crisis
* Rat-A-Tat-Tat It's... Mitsuda

This patch expands the soundtrack of the SNES game to include all 12 songs. For the 5 songs that were never on a Super Nintendo cartridge, small re-arrangements have been made to recreate the music on the SNES sound chip. There are no tricks going on here; all music that you hear is actually playing through the SNES sound engine, with no MSU-1 audio required.

While all emulators should be able to play this hack, it should be noted that not all flashcarts will be able to support it. Inclusion of so much new music required expanding the rom to the SNES's largest available cartridge size, 48 Mbits. This cartridge size was only ever used by 2 Tri-Ace games--Star Ocean and Tales of Phantasia--so some flashcarts, in order to save money, do not support it. That being said, if you have a flashcart that supports it, you will be able to play this on original hardware.

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Versions
==1.0==
*This version was for hackers only. It added song data and index numbers, allowing the music to be assigned within a hex editor. Songs included were:
*A Meeting With Destiny *One Sunny Day When We Met
*Scattering Blossoms (With Intro) *Scattering Blossoms (Without Intro)
*A Time To Rest ~After the Battle~ *Frog's Theme (With Intro)
*Keeper's Dome *Ascend to the Light
*Boss Battle 3

==2.0 and 2.01==
*Added "Alarming Crisis" and removes "Scattering Blossoms (Without Intro)"
*Changed instrumentation on A Meeting With Destiny and Scattering Blossoms to fix glitchy sound issues in SNES9X
*Non-hacker patch included to assigns music to appropriate places in the game
*Compatibility patch exists for the Enhansa Edition romhack
*Adds ASM that changes the random battle music permanently after the Ocean Palace
*2.01 fixed an issue with the "CTSE Standard" patch. The original version required the rom to already be expanded

==3.0 and 3.1==
*Added "Battle 1 Rough"
*Drum tables added for the new music
*Echo buffer and volume controls added for the new music, allowing additional instruments to be used
*"A Meeting With Destiny" & "A Time to Rest ~After the Battle~" re-arranged to make use of more instruments
*"One Sunny Day When We Met" & "Scattering Blossoms" edited to use drum tables
*Added ASM that allows the random battle music to be set per map
*Added optional patches for battle ASM and party change menu music
*Added more musical cues, notably to the Millenial Fair, Mt. Woe, Last Village, and the Blackbird
*Compatibility patch added for the Bugfix and Uncensoring romhack and the Chrono Trigger+ romhack
*3.01 fixed a minor issue with the "Enhansa Edition" addendum that was causing the Keeper's Dome location to not load.
*3.1 added an additional compatibility patch for the "Schala Edition" romhack.

==3.2==
*Fixed major bug where the Millenial Fair music played during the Trial
*Crono's Poyozo Doll now plays "A Time to Rest ~ After the Battle". This is the only place to hear it afer its defined cutscene.
*Lucca's Poyozo Doll now plays "Fanfare 1", her original theme.
*The music no longer resets after battles on Mt. Woe.
*Bug fixed in Chrono Trigger cutscene, allowing the song "Chrono Trigger" to play when the End of Time loads.
*Reverted Frog's Theme in Manoria Cathedral back to Fanfare 1 after feedback.
*Compatibility dropped for Enhansa Edition and Schala Edition. With all respect to the creators of those fantastic hacks, 7 versions of this patch was too many to maintain.

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-=Which Patch to Use=-

There are 5 versions of the patch included, and 2 optional patches.

==CTSE 3.2 Standard.ips
This is the standard patch. It adds all of the new music, and places each song within the game at least once. It is meant to be applied to an unmodified Chrono Trigger US Rom (unheadered)

==CTSE 3.2 Bugfix Alone.ips
This applies CTSE to the "Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch" by Chronosplit, "Rebuilt Fe" version. (https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3147/). Please patch your rom with the Bugfix and Uncensoring patch first, and then patch CTSE as an addendum. This IPS pairs with the version of the Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch that contains no changes to element names or item names.

==CTSE 3.2 Bugfix All-In.ips
This applies CTSE to the "Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch" by Chronosplit, "Rebuilt Fe" version. (https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3147/). Please patch your rom with the Bugfix and Uncensoring patch first, and then patch CTSE as an addendum. This IPS pairs with the version of the Bugfix and Uncensoring Patch that contains all changes to element names and item names.

==CTSE CT Plus Edition.ips
The romhack, Chrono Trigger+, by ThegreatBen, includes CTSE by default, as of version 2.6. However, the new music is only placed in the game's new content. This optional addendum patch adds the new music to the rest of the game. It is mostly-identical to the other editions, with the exception that it does not add character themes for Marle and Lucca. Those 2 songs are reserved for map music in 1999 AD.

==CTSE Data.ips (located in the folder "For Romhackers Only")
If you are working on your own romhack of Chrono Trigger, you can use this patch to add the new music to your rom, but not affect any of the location data or events that call music. See the "For Romhackers Only" section below for additional notes.

==OPTIONAL PATCH: Battle Music By Chapter.ips
Version 2.0 of CTSE did not change battle music by map. Instead, it permanently changed the battle music from Battle 1 to Battle 2 once you completed the Ocean Palace. Applying this patch will revert this change. I do not recommend applying it, but the option exists.

==OPTIONAL PATCH: Party Change Menu.ips
After you visit the End of Time, you can press "Y" to change out your party members, and this menu plays the song "The Brink of Time". This patch will remove the music change, allowing the music for the current area to continue to play.

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-=Where to Hear the New Music=-

=="A Meeting With Destiny" and "One Sunny Day When We Met"
In the original game, neither Lucca nor Marle have proper character themes. "Lucca's Theme" is simply listed on the soundtrack as "Fanfare 1", operating as a general fanfare for the whole party. Marle's theme, the music box "Far Off Promise", is shared with Crono. However, whereas Crono also has a 2nd character theme, Marle does not. The Soundtrack Expansion project was the perfect chance to correct this. "A Meeting With Destiny", as a peppy, futuristic song, has become Lucca's theme. "One Sunny Day When We Met", whose title is a direct reference to Marle and Crono meeting, has become Marle's theme. These songs play when the characters are introduced at the Millenial Fair, and will also play when you speak to them in the End of Time.

In the romhack Chrono Trigger+, Lucca's and Marle's themes remain unedited. Instead, these 2 pieces of music become the World Map and Town Themes for 1999 AD.

==Scattering Blossoms==
When the Dark Ages map is destroyed by Lavos, you find yourself on a new map called "Last Village", where the Earthbound and Zeal citizens mix to form a new society. In the original game, this World Map re-uses the song "Corridors of Time", the theme for the Kingdom of Zeal. The idea of flowers fallen from a tree was a great metaphor for the mixing of the Earthbound and Zeal citizens, so Scattering Blossoms has become the Last Village map theme.

==A Time to Rest ~After the Battle~==
Like "One Sunny Day When We Met", the name of this song gives a strong hint as to where it should be played. This song has been placed in the cutscene where the Chrono Trigger is used on Death Peak. The timing of the music and the visuals re-enforce that this is the intended place for the song.

==Frog's Theme (With Intro)==
When Frog gains the Masamune, he also gains the iconic intro to his character theme.

==Singing Mountain==
This song has a unique feature, which is that there is a wind sound effect built into the music. While the original Singing Mountain dungeon was cut from the game, there are two locations in the game that feature a windy mountain: Mt. Woe and on Death Peak. Singing Mountain has been added to both as the field theme.

==Keeper's Dome==
It should come as little surprise that the pre-release song titled "Keeper's Dome" plays in the Keeper's Dome. In the final game, this song was likely replaced with "Sealed Door". I have tried to balance these 2 songs together, making it so that Sealed Door only plays when you open the second door.

==Ascend to the Light==
This pre-release chorale is likely an early version of Manoria Cathedral. It has become the Sun Stone's theme, playing in the Sun Keep and Sun Palace in all ages.

==Alarming Crisis==
This short song, recovered from junk data on the Japanese rom, replaces "A Shot of Crisis" in 3 cutscenes. One is in Manoria Cathedral, one in the Factory Ruins, and one on the Blackbird.

==Battle Music==
CTSE adds in new code that allows the random battle music to be set on a map-by-map basis. This has allowed me to change out the battle music by time period, as well as set special battle music in certain dungeons. The battle themes are:
Prehistory: Burn! Bobonga!
Middle Ages and Present: Battle 1
Dark Ages and Future: Battle 2
Gato Battle and Ozzie's Fortress: Battle 1 Rough
Guardia Prison and Blackbird: A Shot of Crisis
Note that the Ocean Palace, Black Omen, Tyrano Lair, and Giant's Claw use their main themes as battle music.

==Boss Battle Music==
With the addition of Boss Battle 3 from the pre-release rom, there are also more options for boss battle music. The following bosses have different music than in the original game:
Masamune, Lavos Spawns, and Golems: Boss Battle 3
Giga Gaia and Mother Brain: Boss Battle 2
Dalton: Bike Race (just trust me on this one)

==Rat-A-Tat-Tat It's... Mitsuda!==
Finally, we have the odd song that has been included in all versions of the game, but never used within the game. It's more of an easter egg song than anything. Some might classify it as a sound effect rather than a song. To hear it, you need to get to the end of the game, and then talk to the Truce Inn piano player. You will have a 20% chance that she'll play this song instead of one of the map themes. Is it worth it? No. However, it is included for completeness's sake.

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-=Music Credits=-

=====Song #83
English Name: A Meeting With Destiny
Japanese Name: 運命へ
Featured In: Chrono Trigger PSX/DS
Composed By: Tsuyoshi Sekito
Arranged By: PowerPanda, Reld
Sequenced By: Gi Nattak, Reld
MIDI Reference: Blitz Lunar

=====Song #84
English Name: One Sunny Day When We Met
Japanese Name: ある晴れた日の出会い
Featured In: Chrono Trigger PSX/DS
Composed By: Tsuyoshi Sekito
Arranged and Sequenced By: Reld

=====Song #85
English Name: Scattering Blossoms
Japanese Name: 散りゆく華
Featured In: Chrono Trigger PSX/DS
Composed By: Tsuyoshi Sekito
Arranged By: PowerPanda
Sequenced By: Gi Nattak, Reld
MIDI Reference: Blitz Lunar

=====Song #86
English Name: A Time To Rest -After the Battle-
Japanese Name: やすらぎ ~想いを超えて~
Featured In: Chrono Trigger PSX/DS
Composed By: Tsuyoshi Sekito
Arranged By: PowerPanda
Sequenced By: Gi Nattak
MIDI Reference: Blitz Lunar

=====Song #87
English Name: Frog's Theme (With Intro)
Japanese Name: カエルのテーマ
Featured In: Chrono Trigger OST CD (differs from in-game music)
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda
Arranged and Sequenced By: Redeemer665

=====Song #88
English Name: Keeper's Dome
Japanese Name: 監視者のドーム
Featured In: Chrono Trigger Pre-Release Rom
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda (Presumed)
Extracted and Sequenced By: PowerPanda

=====Song #89
English Name: Ascend to the Light
Japanese Name: Unknown. This song has never been acknowledged, as was incomplete in the pre-release rom
Featured In: Chrono Trigger Pre-Release Rom
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda (Presumed)
Extracted, Corrected, and Sequenced By: PowerPanda
Corrections: Panning on sound channel 2, instruments on sound channel 5, added loop

=====Song #90
English Name: Boss Battle 3
Japanese Name: Unknown. This song occupies the same slot as Tyrano Lair in the final game, so it has often been referred to as "Tyrano Lair (Prerelease). As it is a remix of Boss Battle 1 though, it is unlikely that this was used as the field music for the Tyrano Lair.
Featured In: Chrono Trigger Pre-Release Rom
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda
Extracted and Sequenced By: PowerPanda

=====Song #91
English Name: Alarming Crisis
Japanese Name: Unknown. This song has never been acknowledged, as was incomplete in the Japanese rom
Featured In: Chrono Trigger Japanese Rom
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda
Discovered by: JLukas
Extracted and Arranged By: Zeality
Corrected and Sequenced by: Gi Nattak
Corrections: Added instrument table, added loop

=====Song #92
English Name: Battle 1 Rough
Japanese Name: Unknown. There has never been an official name given
Featured In: Chrono Trigger Pre-Release Rom
Composed By: Yasunori Mitsuda
Extracted and Sequenced By: PowerPanda

*Note: There is an additional version of Battle 1 in the Pre-Release Rom, but it is simply the normal Battle 1 theme with different instruments, and is not included in CTSE.

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-=For Romhackers Only=-

You are welcome to add the Chrono Trigger Soundtrack Expansion to your project. No prior approval is necessary, but please make sure to credit at least me (PowerPanda), Gi Nattak, and Reld for our work. If you use Alarming Crisis, please credit JLukas and ZeaLity. For Frog's Theme With Intro, credit Redeemer665.

You MUST expand your rom BEFORE applying the "CTSE Data.ips" patch. All of the new code is written between 46/0000 and 46/5960, as indicated by the version identifier at 46/0000. See the "Data Offsets" spreadsheet for a full list of offsets, data locations, and relocated data. The 82 original songs remain in their original locations; only their pointers have been relocated. There should be enough room in bank 46 for additional songs you may want to add. If you are looking for music that is already available, Gi Nattak has converted a handful of songs from Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross, which you can find here: https://www.ff6hacking.com/patches/ct_extra_songs.zip

The Data Offsets file also includes the hexidecimal index numbers of the new music. Use these numbers to place the music within the game. Reld is releasing a modified version of Temporal Flux that will allow you to place these songs via the editor. The number of menu options is determined by the "total song number" located at C7/0AE9.

There is ASM code included in the patch that will allow you to set the battle theme on a map-by-map basis. For the Data version of the hack, the entire table (46/1CE0-46/1DFF) has been set to "45", which is Battle 1. This effectively dummies out the ASM. You can use the modded version of Temporal Flux to set whatever battle music you want. Note that there are several sections of the game where battle music is set by event code, and not by the random battle music. Examples include Mt. Woe and the Blackbird. If your change isn't working, there's likely event code overriding it.

This patch also includes Gi Nattak's "Unsightly Pixel" hack. Gi was instrumental in making the Soundtrack Expansion happen, and the unsightly pixel is one of his pet peeves within the game. To honor his contributions, I have included his patch. This patch affects compressed graphics for the 600 AD and 1000 AD buildings, and the 12,000 BC trees. To my knowledge, no other major patch exists that edits these graphics. If you plan to make edits to those buildings, please make sure to apply this music patch BEFORE editing the tiles.

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-=Technical Credits=-

Hacking: PowerPanda
Sequencing: Gi Nattak and Reld
ROM Data Identification: Vehek and Reld
(https://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php?topic=13746.0)

Programs Used
HxD Hex Editor - Hex Editing and Data Insertion
Temporal Flux - Event Editing
Anvil Studios - Midi Arrangement
MFVITools Suite - Sequencing
SNES9x & SPCTool - SPC Extraction

Database match: Chrono Trigger (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20210222-050638)
File/ROM SHA-1: DE5822F4F2F7A55ACB8926D4C0EAA63D5D989312
File/ROM CRC32: 2D206BF7
Release Date
Jul 28, 2023
1 years ago
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