Chrono Trigger (DS / PC) - KWhazit / Chrono Compedium Fan Translation Patch Port

[rsc-pl]

NOTE: THE PATCH IS STILL IN BETA. I'VE TESTED IT, BUT THERE MAY STILL BE SOME MINOR BUGS!
I would appreciate it if you could report any errors (but please only report actual errors—this patch is meant to be a 1:1 match with KWhazit's translation; this version will not include any corrections to the translation itself).

Chrono Trigger DS: Kajar Retranslation Port brings the KWhazit / Chrono Compendium English retranslation of Chrono Trigger to the Nintendo DS version.

For many years, this historically important retranslation existed mainly as a Super Nintendo ROM-hack project and as comparison scripts. This patch ports that work into the DS script structure, updates DS tables and extras where matching source terminology exists, and keeps DS-only material intact where there is no original SNES/Kajar counterpart.

This is not a new localization and not a rewrite for modern English flavor. The goal is to make the DS version playable with the Kajar / Chrono Compendium translation philosophy: closer to the Japanese script, closer to the original names and terminology, and less dependent on inherited English adaptation choices.

Current status

• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Base game: Chrono Trigger DS, US version
• Patch type: English text patch
• Primary release format: BPS

No ROM is included. You must provide your own legally obtained clean Chrono Trigger DS ROM.

Credits

• Original English retranslation: KWhazit
• Chrono Compendium retranslation project, script presentation, editing, and release work: Chrono Compendium / Kajar Laboratories contributors, including ZeaLitY
• DS porting, text mapping, ROM hacking, text extraction/repacking workflow, DS build tooling, and release patch preparation: rsc-pl

This project depends on the historical work done by KWhazit and the Chrono Compendium community. KWhazit's retranslation was one of the major early attempts to make Chrono Trigger's Japanese script readable in English with original terminology, tone, names, and script details exposed instead of hidden behind broad localization choices.

Why this patch exists

Chrono Trigger has several English scripts, each created under different constraints and with different goals.

The original SNES localization is famous and very readable, but it was produced under 1990s cartridge-space, deadline, and Nintendo of America content restrictions. It uses many renamed characters and locations, compresses or reshapes lines, changes some cultural or religious texture, and sometimes replaces the original wording with a stronger English adaptation.

The DS English script is more modern and often clearer, but it is still an official localization. It keeps many established localized names, smooths or rewrites lines, replaces some Japanese relationship/address nuance with ordinary English titles, and does not try to reproduce KWhazit's source-facing translation choices.

The KWhazit / Chrono Compendium retranslation had a different purpose. It was built for readers who wanted to see what the Japanese script was saying more directly: original names, original relationship terms, original item and location concepts, and many details that were compressed, renamed, or reinterpreted elsewhere.

Until now, that experience was tied mainly to the SNES version. This patch exists because the DS version has useful additions, a different script structure, extra menus, extras/library content, and broader availability, but it never had a direct port of the Kajar/Chrono Compendium retranslation.

Who this patch is for

This patch is for players who:

• want to play Chrono Trigger DS with KWhazit / Chrono Compendium terminology;
• prefer source-faithful translation over localization-heavy rewriting;
• want names such as Sara, Jyaki, Bosch, Gasch, Hasch, Vinnegar, Mayonnay, Soysaw, Grandleon, and Dinomen restored;
• want alcohol, item, monster, location, and lore terminology closer to the Kajar script;
• want relationship/address nuance such as -sama, -san, and Ane-ue preserved where the port uses it;
• are interested in the historical Chrono Compendium retranslation and want it playable on DS;
• want a DS base that can later also support a polished faithful variant and a PC port.

It is probably not for players who prefer the official English scripts as separate adaptations, or who want every line rewritten into idiomatic modern English regardless of the Japanese source.

What this patch changes

The patch ports the Kajar / Chrono Compendium text into Chrono Trigger DS by mapping the original retranslation against the DS script structure.

It changes:

• main story dialogue;
• location names;
• character and NPC names;
• enemy and monster names;
• item and equipment names;
• item descriptions where source-backed;
• tech names and descriptions where source-backed;
• chapter titles;
• Library / Extras / encyclopedia terminology where matching Kajar/original terminology exists;
• music, ending, source-list, quiz, and metadata labels where exposed to the player and source-backed.

It preserves:

• DS control codes and runtime structure;
• DS choice scaffolding;
• DS name tokens;
• DS-only content that has no clear SNES/Kajar counterpart;
• non-English DS language slots, which are outside the scope of this English patch;
• debug/developer labels, unless they intersect with visible player-facing terminology.

Why KWhazit's translation matters historically

KWhazit's work was not just a list of renamed terms. It was a large comparison and retranslation effort that treated the Japanese script as the authority and documented differences between the Japanese and English versions.

The Chrono Compendium / Kajar Laboratories project gave English-speaking Chrono Trigger fans a way to examine the game outside the inherited official-localization frame. That mattered especially for Zeal terminology, Magus/Jyaki/Sara relationship details, the Three Philosophers/Gurus, alcohol and item names, enemy and location names, chapter titles, and scenes where the official script added or removed implication.

This DS port is built as a preservation and accessibility project for that translation tradition. It does not replace KWhazit's work; it makes that work playable in another version of the game.

Examples

These examples are taken from the DS script mapped against the Kajar/Chrono Compendium transfer. They are not typo fixes. They show the kinds of changes this patch cares about: terminology, characterization, cultural/address nuance, alcohol wording, censorship/sanitization, and lines whose meaning or emphasis changes.

1. Schala / Janus restored to Sara / Jyaki

Official DS:
Elder: When the disaster struck, an eerie black portal
materialized before young Lord Janus. Melchior tried
to save the boy prince, but succeeded only in getting
himself dragged in as well.

Kajar DS Port:
Elder: At the time of the great disaster,
something like a black distortion appeared......
Bosch, trying to save Jyaki-sama, who was
about to be sucked in, was also.....

This restores the Kajar names and the respectful address form. It also changes the scene back toward the original phrasing: less polished narration, more direct report of what happened.

2. Sibling address: Schala becomes Ane-ue

Official DS:
Janus: Schala!

Kajar DS Port:
Jyaki: Ane-ue!

This preserves how Jyaki addresses his older sister. Plain-name replacement removes relationship texture that is explicit in the original address.

3. The Three Gurus become the Three Philosophers

Official DS:
Belthasar, the Guru of Reason
Gaspar, the Guru of Time
Melchior

Kajar DS Port:
Gasch, the Philosopher of Reason
Hasch, the Philosopher of Time
Bosch

The patch restores the Kajar/Chrono Compendium naming system across dialogue, profiles, item text, Library entries, and metadata.

4. Fiendlord terminology returns to Magus

Official DS:
The Fiendlord's army laid waste to Zenan Bridge.

Kajar DS Port:
The bridge across Zenan was destroyed by
Magus's army.

The patch avoids treating Magus as a localized title that must be replaced by Fiendlord.

5. Ozzie / Flea / Slash restored

Official DS:
Ozzie
Flea
Slash

Kajar DS Port:
Vinnegar
Mayonnay
Soysaw

These names are restored across enemy names, item names, battle labels, source lists, and dialogue. Examples include Vinnegar Underpants, Mayonnay's Bra, and Soysaw.

6. Masamune restored to Grandleon

Official DS:
The Masamune

Kajar DS Port:
Fight! Grandleon

The weapon and related metadata are synchronized to Grandleon, matching the Kajar terminology instead of the inherited official-localization name.

7. Reptites restored to Dinomen

Official DS:
Ayla: Ioka village fight reptite.
Leader name Azala. Azala very smart.

Kajar DS Port:
Ayla: Aylas fighting Dinomen.
Dinomen leader called Azarla.
Azarla very smart......

This restores both the race name and Azarla's name, while keeping Ayla's direct speech style.

8. Mammon Machine / Ocean Palace terminology

Official DS:
The Queen has installed the Mammon Machine in
the Ocean Palace in an attempt to absorb Lavos's
energy.

Kajar DS Port:
The Queen intends to set up the Demonic Vessel
in the Ocean Floor Palace and extract yet more
energy from Lavos.

Zeal terminology is one of the major areas where this patch restores the Kajar naming framework.

9. Black Omen restored to Black Dream

Official DS:
Mother: Ah, such beautiful weather!
The Black Omen is sparkling in the sun!
What a great day for doing laundry!

Kajar DS Port:
Jina: Nice weather again today.
The Black Dream is glittering, illuminated by
the sun.
Looks like it's going to be good laundry weather.

This example shows both terminology and character text. The port keeps Kajar's Jina and Black Dream.

10. End of Time restored to The Farthest Reaches of Time

Official DS:
Return to the End of Time?

Kajar DS Port:
Return to the Farthest Reaches
of Time?

The longer Kajar term required layout-aware line handling in DS menus and prompts.

11. Alcohol wording restored

Official DS:
Ayla: This, only special time drink!
Good drink! Name skull-smash!
Next day, skull feel like smash!

Kajar DS Port:
Ayla: Drinking? Crono!
This sake, drink at special time.
Cocktail called Rock Crash.
Delicious, intense!

Alcohol-related text is one of the areas where older English releases often softened, generalized, or renamed wording. This patch restores sake and the Kajar phrasing where applicable.

12. Toma's Spirits restored to Toma's Sake

Official DS:
Toma's Spirits

Kajar DS Port:
Toma's Sake

The change is small on screen, but it reflects the patch's approach: preserve the source-facing term instead of using a generalized English substitute.

13. Sanitized item wording restored

Official DS:
Alluring Top
Flea Bustier
Ozzie Pants

Kajar DS Port:
Captivating Bra
Mayonnay's Bra
Vinnegar Underpants

The point is not to make the script cruder. The point is to avoid softening or renaming item text when the Kajar/source-facing version is more specific.

14. Dream Team restored to Dream Project

Official DS:
Congratulations on finishing the game!
You're now a member of the Dream Team!

Kajar DS Port:
Well done! You've cleared the game.
You're one of the Dream Project members too.
Congratulations!!

The DS line is natural English. The Kajar line preserves the original development-room framing and terminology.

15. Zeal social terms restored

Official DS:
The Enlightened Ones
the Earthbound Ones

Kajar DS Port:
People of the Light
People of the Earth

This changes the texture of Zeal. The official terms read like formal fantasy categories; the Kajar terms preserve the source-facing social contrast more directly.

DS-specific handling

The DS version contains content that did not exist in the original SNES script, including extra areas, extra items, Wireless/Arena-related text, Library/Extras data, and other metadata.

The port handles this conservatively:

• if a DS line has a clear Kajar/original counterpart, it is mapped;
• if a DS-only line exposes a known Kajar term, that term is synchronized;
• if a DS-only line has no source counterpart, it remains DS text for now;
• later polish work may improve DS-only wording

Future plans

Optional polished faithful variant

The original Kajar/Chrono Compendium transfer intentionally preserves many literal or stiff lines. That is part of its historical identity.

A separate optional polished faithful version is planned. Its purpose is to smooth lines that read too stiffly in English while preserving the same names, lore, meaning, address nuance, and source-facing translation philosophy.

This will not replace the original-transfer branch. Both versions will remain available:

• original Kajar transfer;
• polished faithful variant.

PC port

The DS version is the first target. A PC port is planned later.

The project is structured so the same variant text table can feed both DS and PC outputs.

Installation

Exact release instructions may change depending on the public package format.

General process:

1. Obtain a clean US Chrono Trigger DS ROM from your own cartridge.
2. Verify the clean ROM checksum listed with the release.
3. Apply the provided BPS (unpack the zip file first) using a compatible patching tool, you can use this website.
4. Run the patched ROM in a DS emulator, flashcart, or compatible hardware setup.

Do not ask for ROMs. Do not distribute ROMs.

Known scope notes

• This is an English patch.
• Non-English DS slots are outside the current scope.
• DS-only text is retained unless there is a clear source-backed reason to change it.

Historical references

• KWhazit's Chrono Trigger translation pages: https://kwhazit.ucoz.net/trans/ct/index.html
• Chrono Compendium retranslation page: https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Retranslation.html
• Chrono Compendium translation overview: https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Chrono_Trigger_Translations.html
• Original SNES retranslation patch listing: https://www.romhacking.net/translations/1198/

Distribution note

This project distributes patch files and documentation only.

 

[Ohdeargods]

Hmm, the patched version crashes on twilightmenu++ upon hitting new game (unpatched version runs just fine), but works just fine on melonds. Using the patcher you provided, the checksum is correct. The crash specifies "Data Abort", if that helps.

 

[rsc-pl]

Hmm, the patched version crashes on twilightmenu++ upon hitting new game (unpatched version runs just fine), but works just fine on melonds. Using the patcher you provided, the checksum is correct. The crash specifies "Data Abort", if that helps.

It's strange, actually, because I tested it on both the Melonds and the DSi XL with Twilight Menu, and the game works fine on both. Except that my ROMs are generated directly. So I took a clean ROM and applied the patch. And it works, too. Are you sure you don’t have an old save file lying around that might be crahsing it (it shouldn't anyway)? Try renaming the rom to something else (simpler), too.

 

[Ohdeargods]

It's strange, actually, because I tested it on both the Melonds and the DSi XL with Twilight Menu, and the game works fine on both. Except that my ROMs are generated directly. So I took a clean ROM and applied the patch. And it works, too. Are you sure you don’t have an old save file lying around that might be crahsing it (it shouldn't anyway)? Try renaming the rom to something else (simpler), too.

that's what i did, too, i took a clean rom (off the repo), applied the patch, and ran it. I got the latest version of nds bootstrap, as well, just in case. The save file was brand new, too. The only problem i can think of, is that my version of twilightmenu might be outdated, as I downloaded it from universal updater. I might get a proper up to date twilightmenu and try again. i am using the ALBW 3ds XL, not new 3ds, if that means anything.

 

[Tama-chan]

that's what i did, too, i took a clean rom (off the repo), applied the patch, and ran it. I got the latest version of nds bootstrap, as well, just in case. The save file was brand new, too. The only problem i can think of, is that my version of twilightmenu might be outdated, as I downloaded it from universal updater. I might get a proper up to date twilightmenu and try again. i am using the ALBW 3ds XL, not new 3ds, if that means anything.

Try making a NDS forwarder home menu icon as that often fixes issues with certain DS games. If that doesn't work, it is likely an issue with nds bootstrap itself.

 

[Ohdeargods]

Try making a NDS forwarder home menu icon as that often fixes issues with certain DS games. If that doesn't work, it is likely an issue with nds bootstrap itself.

alright, i'll try that when I can. I've never actually tried that before, mostly because I wanted space for 3ds games (and I'm certain I'm close to the limit now), but one ds game won't hurt.

Edit: seems that it didn't work. same error. if nds bootstrap is the issue, I don't know how to fix that.

 

[Tama-chan]

How are you planning on translating Chrono/Crono's element 天(ten) for the polished variant? I noticed that people can't decide whether it should be literally 'Sky' or less literally 'Heaven.' Kwhazit started translating it as 'Aether' a few years ago.

 

[rsc-pl]

that's what i did, too, i took a clean rom (off the repo), applied the patch, and ran it. I got the latest version of nds bootstrap, as well, just in case. The save file was brand new, too. The only problem i can think of, is that my version of twilightmenu might be outdated, as I downloaded it from universal updater. I might get a proper up to date twilightmenu and try again. i am using the ALBW 3ds XL, not new 3ds, if that means anything.

Unfortunately, I don't use my 3DS to play DS games because DS games look terrible on the 3DS, so I don't know how this feature works on the 3DS.

There are two versions here in the attached archive, both with the UPS and BPS patches. One is the one from the main thread (with a few minor fixes, so it’s a different patch than the one in the main post), the other is a test version of the polished version. If you want, try using them and see if either one works.
The sign that it works in both is “!New Game!” (! added)

How are you planning on translating Chrono/Crono's element 天(ten) for the polished variant? I noticed that people can't decide whether it should be literally 'Sky' or less literally 'Heaven.' Kwhazit started translating it as 'Aether' a few years ago.

I won’t be touching the lore, names, or proper nouns. I’ll just focus on making sure the sentences, dialog, and descriptions aren’t as clunky and read better. I don’t intend to create another “I know better” patch - one already exists, and I don’t think it’s a good alternative to the original. A lot of strange decisions were made in that one. “天” can mean both “heaven” and “sky.”

 

[Ohdeargods]

Unfortunately, I don't use my 3DS to play DS games because DS games look terrible on the 3DS, so I don't know how this feature works on the 3DS.

There are two versions here in the attached archive, both with the UPS and BPS patches. One is the one from the main thread (with a few minor fixes, so it’s a different patch than the one in the main post), the other is a test version of the polished version. If you want, try using them and see if either one works.
The sign that it works in both is “!New Game!” (! added)

This is the first time I've ever heard anyone say "DS looks bad on 3DS". In that case, what do you use to play DS games?

 

[rsc-pl]

This is the first time I've ever heard anyone say "DS looks bad on 3DS". In that case, what do you use to play DS games?

Really? That's a common opinion. The 3DS stretches the pixels from the DS games, and the whole thing looks blurry and smeary. I have a DSi XL, and the difference in how the games look is like night and day. Btw, have you tried that patch I attached?

 

[Ohdeargods]

Really? That's a common opinion. The 3DS stretches the pixels from the DS games, and the whole thing looks blurry and smeary. I have a DSi XL, and the difference in how the games look is like night and day.

Yeah, I'd never heard that. Then again, I've never heard anyone say it's better on 3ds. Does it alter pixels on 3ds period, regardless of system size?
I may have to look into a DSi XL, then. It would certainly save me space on 3ds, at least.

Btw, have you tried that patch I attached?

Haven't yet, I've been busy. I'll try it in a moment.

Edit: alright, after applying all 4 patches and trying them all... none of them work. same error. So, the problem is definitely on my end. perhaps the 3ds just can't run it through twilightmenu or nds bootstrap (even though Chrono trigger is deemed compatible). So, perhaps it is dsi xl after all. I saw a nice one on ebay earlier, been thinking about getting it.

 

[rsc-pl]

Added v0.81.
UPS/BPS patches.
- Fixes a bug that caused the cursor to be positioned incorrectly in dialogue boxes with selection options.

 

[Ohdeargods]

Well, I got the DSi XL, but the seller neglected to mention the camera's ribbon cable was missing, meaning accessing it crashing the system (and the camera's kinda necessary to homebrew), so I'll have to replace that (I'd rather not send it back and wait longer).

Just my luck...

Edit: Well, I've installed the camera and it works... at the cost of blowing a fuse on the power board (which can be circumvented with tinfoil) and damaging the top screen, meaning I have to replace THAT now too. Reeeaally starting to regret not sending it back, but that's not an option anymore.