Radical Dreamers
A 1996 text-based side story to Chrono Trigger.
Radical Dreamers was made by Square Soft, now Square Enix. · via Wikipedia: Radical Dreamers · Fair use
Radical Dreamers is a text-based visual novel adventure game from 1996, developed and published by Square for the Satellaview, a satellite add-on for the Super Famicom. It belongs to the Chrono series and serves as a side story to Chrono Trigger, released the year before. The story follows a thief gang called Radical Dreamers, led by Kid, with Serge and Magil as her companions. Their goal is to steal the Frozen Flame and get revenge on its guardian, Lord Lynx.
Gameplay relies on word-based scenarios narrated by Serge. Players choose from a list of possible actions as the story unfolds, which can lead to new areas, situations, or characters. Incorrect choices may require a redo. In combat, options include "Fight," "Magic," "Run," or more specific commands like "Run my knife into the goblin's chest!" Some decisions must be made before an invisible timer expires; hesitation in battle can cause injury or death. Serge's health is tracked by a hidden point count, restored through events like finding a potion. The game also tracks Kid's affection for Serge, influenced by battles and scripted events, which determines whether Serge survives the final fight.
The game has minimal graphics and animation, with dim, static backgrounds and atmospheric music and sounds. It includes a New Game + mode. Only one scenario is available on the first playthrough; after finishing it and getting one of three endings, players can explore six others, which often feature comedic situations or references to Chrono Trigger.
The three protagonists are Serge, Kid, and Magil. Serge, a drifting musician, narrates the story and met Kid by chance three years earlier. Kid, a sixteen-year-old professional thief, sees herself as a kind of Robin Hood. Magil is a mysterious, handsome masked man skilled in magic who rarely speaks and can fade into shadow. They seek the Frozen Flame, a mythic artifact that grants any wish, hidden in Viper Manor, home of the powerful aristocrat Lynx. Lynx took control of the manor after killing the Acacia Dragoons, a family of warriors.
The group infiltrates Viper Manor on a full moon night, battling goblins and other creatures while learning the manor's history. Magil reveals the Frozen Flame is a fragment of the alien creature Lavos, broken off when it struck the planet in prehistory.
- Developer
- Square
- Publisher
- Square
- Platform
- Satellaview (Super Famicom peripheral)
- Release
- 1996 (Satellaview); April 7, 2022 (worldwide re-release as part of Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition)
- Genre
- Text-based visual novel adventure
- Director
- Masato Kato
- Composer
- Yasunori Mitsuda
Lore & Background
Radical Dreamers was developed by Square, the company which had previously developed Chrono Trigger. Masato Kato wrote the main scenario after Chrono Trigger's release, feeling that Trigger concluded with 'unfinished business'. He composed the main story and drafted concepts for sub-scenarios, leaving them to be completed by his peers. The music was scored by Yasunori Mitsuda, who had worked on Chrono Trigger. Production was completed in three months, and Kato was left unsatisfied with its quality.
Reader's Guide
Radical Dreamers is significant as a narrative bridge within the Chrono series, with Masato Kato later using plot elements from this game in his next game Chrono Cross. The game was exclusive to Japan and, like most Satellaview titles, did not receive a lasting commercial release at the time. Attempts to bundle the game with the PlayStation port of Chrono Trigger were stopped by Kato due to quality concerns. Despite its limited original release, the ROM was released onto the web, allowing for an English fan translation. Coverage in news and fan sites has praised its narrative and tone. The game features minimal graphics and animation, with dim static backgrounds, and uses atmospheric music and sounds. Gameplay consists of word-based scenarios presented through narration, with players making text choices that impact progression and endings. A version of the game was included with Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, released worldwide on April 7, 2022, for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Did You Know?
- Radical Dreamers was developed and published by Square for the Satellaview, a satellite peripheral for the Super Famicom.
- The game's plot and tone were considerably darker than Chrono Trigger due to Masato Kato's attitude at the time.
Elsewhere in Chrono Trigger
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced