GAME VS GAME / SNES RPG SHOWDOWN
Final Fantasy VI vs Chrono Trigger: The Ultimate SNES RPG
Same console, same publisher, released within a couple of years of each other — and both still argued over as the platform's best RPG.
Ensemble Cast vs Focused Story
Final Fantasy VI is built around a large ensemble cast with numerous side stories and an unusually dark midpoint twist for its era, giving it a sprawling, novelistic structure. Chrono Trigger keeps a smaller cast and a tighter, time-travel-driven plot with multiple endings based on player choices, prioritizing pacing over scope.
Collector Pricing
Both cartridges are among the more expensive standard SNES games on the secondhand market precisely because of their enduring reputations, and neither has degraded in demand the way some less-discussed RPGs have. Cartridge condition and label wear affect price more than any functional concern, since neither game has meaningful hardware-related risk.
Which to Buy First
If you want scope, character variety, and a willingness to sit with a longer, denser story, start with Final Fantasy VI. If you want the tighter, more replayable design that's often held up as a technical achievement in RPG pacing, start with Chrono Trigger. Both are considered essential SNES ownership regardless of which comes first.
Where to Buy
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