Radical Dreamers is finally available in English as part of Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition on modern platforms. The original version of Radical Dreamers was released in 1996 and is connected to Chrono Trigger, one of the most beloved video games of all time, so why did it take so long to bring the game overseas? Radical Dreamers was announced during a Nintendo Direct, where it was promoted as being a remaster, along with Chrono Cross.
While Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are lengthy JRPGs with turn-based battle systems, Radical Dreamers is a visual novel that only takes a few hours to complete. The story follows three thieves - Serge, Kid, and Magil - as they break into the Viper Manor in search of the mythical Frozen Flame. Radical Dreamers was directed by Masato Kato, who was one of the writers of Chrono Trigger, and he was given the chance to create a game for a Japan-exclusive peripheral for the Super Famicom, called the Satellaview. Kato used the opportunity to tie Radical Dreamers into Chrono Trigger, with Magil being Magus. The Satellaview used a satellite link to download games onto blank cartridges. The Satellaview had some rare games, including Legend of Zelda Japan-exclusive titles, yet none drew as much attention from international fans as Radical Dreamers, as many saw it as a continuation of the story from Chrono Trigger.
Radical Dreamers has been available in English via a fan translation, but it received its first official localization in 2022 in Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition. Many have questioned why it took so long to port the game, as Chrono Trigger has received multiple ports over the years, yet a game that's connected to it was left in Japan for the longest time.
Why It Took 25 Years To Port Radical Dreamers
Masato Kato actually addressed the issue in a question given to the chronogame Twitter page. According to Kato, the price for Radical Dreamer cartridges was so high that, once Square Enix asked about porting the game, he agreed. It's not surprising that Radical Dreamers is so expensive, as it was never officially released in the way that most games are. The only way to own the original game is to have a version that was saved from one of the Satellaview broadcasts back in 1996, which means there are likely few legitimate copies out in the wild. Some of Nintendo Satellaview's best games have been lost over time, and emulation is the only reason most people have access to them.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a great game for people who have never had the chance to play some of the entries in the series. The original Chrono Cross was never released in Europe and wasn't even ported to the PlayStation Store in that region, whereas people in the US and Japan could own it on PS3 and PSP. Radical Dreamers is an even bigger get, as most people in Japan couldn't even play it legally without forking out a lot of cash. Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a must-have for fans of the Chrono series, as it's the easiest way to explore the story told outside of Chrono Trigger.
Source: chronogame/Twitter