Radical Dreamers (Super Nintendo) Review

For those that don't know yet, the Chrono series - if it can be called a series - is composed of two main entries: the SNES classic Chrono Trigger, since re-released on PlayStation, mobiles, and Nintendo DS - the DS game being the definitive version - and Chrono Cross, only for PlayStation so far. Other minor releases related to Chrono Trigger also made their way onto the Broadcast Satellaview system, but then there's the most significant, not entirely canon entry into the series, that is Radical Dreamers.

For all intents and purposes, Radical Dreamers is basically what served as the basis for the creation of Chrono Cross, mostly for the plot, its loose ties with Chrono Trigger, and - most immediately recognizable - its magnificent soundtrack. More precisely, Chrono Cross took the plot of Radical Dreamers, changed it somewhat and made it into a part of its main story, to a certain degree. However, according to Masato Kato - scenario and script writer for both - the plot threads in Radical Dreamers and the particular part of Chrono Cross that is reminiscent, happen in parallel universes, which means that the plot of one cannot be used to shed light on some events in the other. It was meant originally to tie up some loose ends in a subplot from Chrono Trigger, a loose end that has since then been tidied up further in the Nintendo DS re-release.

The plot here focuses on a trio of characters; the first being a young man named Serge (the hero from Chrono Cross), the second is Kid (another main character from Chrono Cross and adoptive daughter of Lucca from Chrono Trigger) and the third is Magil (Magus from Chrono Trigger, who in turn gave birth to the character of Guile in Chrono Cross). This trio is the so-called "Radical Dreamers."

Now, setting aside all these complicated plot intricacies, concentrating on the game at hand reveals something special. The trio has to sneak into Viper Manor, a dangerous and apparently deserted place, full of traps and mysteries. They have to search for an object they are trying to steal from its owner: the frozen flame. This is mostly a text adventure game, accompanied by moody music, with only minor graphic elements, so the whole game truly is about enjoying an incredibly good story with excellent writing within. The English translation patch available sports an impressive level of prose that could pass for that of something taken right out of a good novel. This comparison in writing style to aesthetics was mentioned in the recent review of Crimson Shroud for Nintendo 3DS eShop, and it can be made in reverse here for Radical Dreamers. The details that are not conveyed through graphics and the animations are exquisitely detailed in written form.

The interactive side of the game, without which it wouldn't be a game at all, is about choosing what direction to go in and what actions to do at key junctures. Depending on personal choices, the outcome of events may differ. The same thing occurs depending on the order of certain actions taken, too. There are some battles that happen every now and then, in which the player has a limited amount of time to choose what actions to take against the enemies. While no energy bars are directly visible, the game does indeed keep track of Serge's health, and his current state is reflected by what words he chooses to when talking about himself. This health level also influences the story to some extent.

Another level that the game keeps track of - which may affect the ending - is Kid's level of affection for Serge, which is in turn also affected by what Serge chooses to say in certain conversations or what he does in specific situations. The bottom line is that all of these directly influence the outcome of events, and that means it's possible to die in the game before reaching the end.

Optional scenarios, some of which are completely insane and make no sense with the main story, can also be unlocked, after completing the main story once. These will require multiple playthroughs to discover before they can all be experienced. Their requirements are most of the time quite obscure and require doing certain things in a certain order that is hard to figure out alone. Nowadays, thankfully, there's the Internet to help the player with such matters. This means that the most eager players will no doubt want to give the game several playthroughs in order to enjoy them all.

As was stated before, the game is accompanied by ambient music that was, for a good part, directly re-used in Chrono Cross, at the request of Kato-san. The text itself already makes up a good part of the mood of the game, but coupled to the minimalistic yet dark graphics, the music is an indispensable element to the overall atmosphere. Players who worked through Chrono Cross will immediately recognise certain themes, such as the battle music.