Chrono Trigger Cheat Codes & Secrets

New Game+

Chrono Trigger’s most significant “code” is New Game+, unlocked after the credits roll on any completed save file.

How to Start	Method	Effect
Load completed save	Select “New Game+” at title screen	Carries over levels, equipment, techs, and items
All gear transfers	Party stats persist	Start at endgame power level
Gold transfers	Full wallet carries over	Skip early grinding entirely
Techs transfer	All learned abilities	Full combo techs available immediately

On New Game+, the Gate Key is in your inventory from the start, and the Epoch is accessible earlier. This is what enables nearly every alternate ending and speedrun route listed below.

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Multiple Endings

Chrono Trigger has 13 endings on the SNES. Which ending triggers depends entirely on when you defeat Lavos. None require button codes — only choosing when to challenge the final boss.

Ending Name	How to Trigger	When Available
Beyond Time	Revive Crono, defeat Lavos normally	After obtaining Chrono Trigger item
Reunion	Defeat Lavos without reviving Crono	After Ocean Palace, before revival
The Dream Project	Use bucket at End of Time immediately on NG+	New Game+ only
The Successor of Guardia	Defeat Lavos via bucket, early NG+	New Game+ only
What the Prophet Seeks	Defeat Lavos during the Ocean Palace sequence	During Ocean Palace event
A Slide Show?	Defeat Lavos after Frog joins, before Masamune upgrade	Early-mid game
Good Night	Defeat Lavos very early (before certain flags)	Early NG+
Legendary Hero	Defeat Lavos after getting Hero’s Badge, before Masamune	Mid-game
The Unknown Past	Defeat Lavos after Masamune upgrade, before Fiona’s forest quest	Mid-game
People of the Times	Defeat Lavos after Fiona’s quest, before Magus recruitment	Mid-game
The Oath	Defeat Lavos after Magus joins (if recruited), before Cyrus is addressed	Mid-game
Dino Age	Defeat Lavos after Rainbow Shell, before final parade event	Late game
What Was the Epoch For?	Defeat Lavos in final sequence without riding Epoch	Final chapter

To fight Lavos early: Use the bucket portal at the End of Time (bottom-left pit). This sends you directly to Lavos at any point in the game, bypassing all story requirements.

Via Telepod (very early): During the Millennial Fair in 1000 AD, one of the Telepods in Leene Square sends Crono to 600 AD. On New Game+, activating the other Telepod instead warps directly to Lavos.

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End of Time Shortcuts and the Bucket

The bucket at the End of Time is the primary shortcut mechanism in the entire game.

Access Method	Destination	Notes
Jump into the bucket (bottom pit)	Lavos battle	Available after Spekkio is visited
Epoch (after obtaining)	Any era on world map	Full time travel without gates
Time Gates (pillars of light)	Predetermined eras	Fixed destinations

On a fresh file, you must have visited Spekkio at the End of Time at least once before the bucket functions as a Lavos warp.

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The Developer Room Easter Egg

One of the most famous Easter eggs in SNES history. In New Game+, use the bucket at the End of Time to fight Lavos immediately after starting. Win the fight and you trigger the “The Dream Project” ending.

During this ending’s credits sequence, the game places you inside a special area populated by the developers themselves — each Square employee appears as an NPC with unique dialogue addressing the player directly. Developers break the fourth wall, thank the player, and reference the creation of the game. This is distinct from the normal ending’s Leene Square festival.

In the standard “Beyond Time” ending, the Leene Square festival also contains tent areas where developers appear, but the Dream Project ending is the most explicit developer-address sequence.

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Spekkio’s Hidden Forms

Spekkio, the “Master of War” at the End of Time, changes his appearance and power based on your party’s levels when you first talk to him in a session.

Average Party Level	Spekkio’s Form	Element
1–9	Kilwala (blue fluffball)	Lightning
10–19	Omnicrone (frog creature)	Fire
20–29	Rockeater	Water
30–39	Spekkio Beast form	Shadow
40–98	Masa & Mune fusion form	All
99	Nu	All

If your levels are too low, walk around the outside of his room exactly 3 times (full laps, touching all four corners), then speak to Spekkio again. He will grant your party their magic even if they normally don’t qualify. This is required to get Crono, Lucca, and Marle their magic on the very first visit at level 1 in a low-level run.

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Glitches and Exploits

Epoch Sequence Break (New Game+)

In New Game+, the Epoch is available earlier than the story normally provides it. You can use it to skip several mandatory dungeon sequences by flying directly to later-game eras, bypassing story flags. This is the backbone of all SNES speedruns.

Johnny’s Race Exploit

When racing Johnny on the highway in 2300 AD, your speed is determined by held inputs. Hold Right and alternate pressing A rhythmically rather than holding it to maintain maximum velocity. Winning unlocks a Mid-Ether but more importantly skips waiting for the full race cutscene to complete.

Menu Softlock Prevention

Certain older SNES cartridge revisions have a known issue where saving in specific rooms of the Black Omen and then resetting can corrupt the save. Always save at an inn or save point before entering the Black Omen to avoid this.

Black Omen Skip (New Game+)

The Black Omen is entirely optional — it is never required to complete the game. On New Game+, fly the Epoch directly over its location in 12000 BC and descend into the Ocean Palace entrance instead. Lavos can be reached entirely without clearing the Black Omen, saving a lengthy dungeon sequence.

Soft Reset

Standard SNES soft reset applies:

Input	Effect
L + R + Start + Select	Soft reset to title screen

This is a hardware-level SNES function and works in all SNES cartridge games including Chrono Trigger.

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Hidden and Missable Items

These aren’t codes but are permanently missable without foreknowledge:

Item	Location	Condition
Taban’s Suit	Given by Taban in 1000 AD	After visiting future + speaking to him
Epoch Wings (flight upgrade)	Belthasar’s Nu, 2300 AD	Must answer “Yes” when asked about wings
Rainbow Shell	Giant’s Claw, 600 AD	Required for Ayla’s Rainbow equipment chain
Magus recruitment	After Ozzie’s Fort	Only available if Magus was not killed at North Cape
Frog’s Masamune upgrade	Melchior, 1000 AD	Only after getting Bent Sword + Bent Hilt in 600 AD

Nu in Kajar (12000 BC): Talk to the blue Nu creature standing near the bookshelf repeatedly. After several interactions it offers a Magic Tab in exchange for a specific response. Select the second dialogue option when prompted.

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Ozzie’s Trap Room

In Ozzie’s Fort (600 AD), the final room contains a series of switches. Rather than fighting Ozzie directly, hit the switches in the correct order to drop the floor out from under him, ending the encounter instantly without a battle. Hit all floor-panel switches except the one Ozzie stands near, then trigger his panel last. He falls into the pit, and the game proceeds without a boss fight.

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Sealed Chests: One-Time Upgrade Path

Sealed chests and sealed doors (found in 1000 AD and 600 AD) interact with each other. Opening a sealed chest in 1000 AD first gives you an upgraded item. Opening the corresponding chest in 600 AD afterward gives you a second copy of a lower-tier version. Opening 600 AD chests first eliminates the upgrade. Visit 1000 AD sealed locations before 600 AD equivalents in every dungeon pair.

Location Pair	1000 AD Item (open first)
Guardia Forest	Lode Sword / Lode Bow
Heckran Cave	Lode Sword variants
Magic Cave area	Barrier Sphere

This is the single most impactful permanent missable system in the game — the equipment differences affect the entire mid-game.