Chocobo Racing

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Chocobo Racing
Developer(s)	Square Co., Ltd.
Publisher(s)	Square Co., Ltd. Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. Square Europe, Ltd.
Designer(s)	Hironobu Sakaguchi (producer) Kenji Ito (music) Mitsuteru Fukushima (program) Hiroki Okajima (game design)
Release date(s)	March 19, 1999 August 10, 1999 October 11, 1999
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E (Everyone)
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Media	1 CD-ROM
Input	Game controller

Chocobo Racing (チョコボレーシング ～幻界へのロード～, Chokobo Rēshingu ~Genkai e no Rōdo~^?, lit. "Chocobo Racing ~Road to the Spirit World~") is a racing game for the PlayStation game console. The game was developed by Square, creators of the acclaimed Final Fantasy series of video games. The game was first released in Japan in March 1999. North American and European releases soon followed in the same year.

As a formulaic kart racer, Chocobo Racing is often compared to Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing.^[1] The game's star and namesake is the birdlike Chocobo, the popular mascot of the Final Fantasy series. Other time-honored figures from the game series, such as Mog the Moogle, the Black Mage, and Cid, fill out the cast of characters. The game's music is also drawn from past Final Fantasy games; nearly all of the game's soundtrack is composed of arranged tunes from previous Final Fantasy titles.

The original release of the game included a demo of Chocobo's Dungeon 2. The game was later released in Japan alongside Chocobo Stallion and Dice de Chocobo as part of the Chocobo Collection. Two years later, on December 20, 2001, the game was re-released individually under the PSone Books series.

[edit] Gameplay

In Chocobo Racing, the player controls Final Fantasy-inspired characters, most of whom race in go-karts. Other characters fly, drive scooters, ride magic carpets, or even run on their own. Players have five different racing modes to choose from: Story Mode, Versus Mode, Grand Prix, Relay Race, and Time Attack. In the Story Mode, players are guided through the story of Chocobo Racing, which is narrated by Cid, in the form of an onscreen version of a pop-up book. Players who complete the Story Mode are given the chance to customize their own racer; completing the Story Mode also unlocks secret character racers. In the Versus Mode, two players can race each other on a horizontally split screen, where one player races viewing the top half of the screen and the other player races viewing the bottom half. In Grand Prix (GP) Mode, the player races computer-controlled opponents in four selected tracks of his or her choice. In Relay Race Mode, the player chooses three racers to compete in a relay match. In Time Attack Mode, the player can select any stage and try to beat the fastest time record set there.

Executing a skid

[edit] Basic controls

While racing as any character, the player can accelerate, brake, reverse, activate Magic Stones, or use a "special ability" using the game controller's analog stick and buttons. An additional move is the skid, which is executed by simultaneously braking and accelerating into a turn; as the game's cornering technique, the skid is useful for taking sharp turns quickly. If the player skids too sharply, however, the player's character will spin out. Before the start of any race, the player's character receives a speed boost if the player accelerates at the correct time during the countdown.

[edit] Magic Stones

Magic stones are spread throughout each course. Here, Mog is shown with a Doom Stone

In the world of Chocobo Racing, Magic Stones are scattered throughout each course. While racing as any character, the player can pick up Magic Stones by driving through them; Magic Stones can also be stolen from opponent players by bumping into them. The player can then activate the Magic Stone for some special effect. Activating a Haste Stone, for example, gives the character a short speed boost. In some Magic Stones, the power of the stone increases if more than one of the same Stone is picked up by the player. If the player gathers three Haste Stones, for example, the duration of the Haste spell lasts longer than if the player had one or two Haste Stones. A total to three Magic Stones can be carried at a time. Each Stone is represented by a corresponding symbol on the racetrack, while stones marked with question marks represent random Magic Stones, which grant the player either a Haste Stone, Fire Stone, Ice Stone, Thunder Stone, Minimize Stone, Reflect Stone, Doom Stone, or Ultima Stone.

[edit] Special abilities

In this example screenshot, the White Mage activates the "Barrier" ability to defend against magical attacks. The "special ability" gauge in the upper left-hand corner of the screen will not recharge until the Barrier vanishes.

Special abilities are another important aspect of Chocobo Racing. Before each race, the player is prompted to assign a special ability to the selected character. During a race, the player can only activate the chosen special ability when the meter in the upper left-hand corner of the screen is full. After using the special ability, the player must wait for the meter to recharge to use it again. A list of special abilities and their respective effects are as follows:

• The Dash ability speeds the player's character up for a short period of time.
• The Flap allows the player's character to fly over bad terrain for a short period of time.
• When the Grip-Up ability is used, the character's vehicle handles better.
• The Mug ability steals an opponent's Magic Stone.
• The Magic Plus ability automatically activates when the special ability meter fills up, and it increases the power of the player's allocated Magic Stones (if the player has one Dash stone, for example, its power increases such that the player has two allocated Dash Stones when Magic Plus activates).
• The Barrier ability also automatically activates when the special ability meter fills up, and it protects the player's character from offensive magical attacks. The shield that Barrier provides lasts until the player's character is attacked.
• With the Receive ability, the player receives Magic Stones used on his or her character.
• The Charge ability enables the player's character to accelerate with a short burst of speed and wreck opponents by ramming into them.
• The Megaflare ability rains fireballs upon all of the player's opponents. Its effect is the same as Ultima3.
• The Gunblade ability speeds the player's character up until the character takes the lead. Each time the player's character passes opponents, a gunblade slashes out and causes them to crash.

[edit] Courses

The world of Chocobo Racing has ten courses as follows:

• Cid's Test Track: A simple racing course set up behind Cid's lab, without the sharp turns and obstacles of other tracks. This is the first track played in Story Mode.

• Moogle Forest: A racetrack set up around a forest, with grassy embankments and a path winding through trees. In Story mode, Mog designed the track to challenge Chocobo on, and it introduces the player to the Haste magic stones.

• The Ancient Gate: A track located in the ruins of the village gate and overseen by Golem. In Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Fire magic stones.

• Mythril Mines: A track based around an old, abandoned Mythril mining station. In Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Ice magic stones.

• The Black Manor: A track located inside a haunted manor deep in the Cursed Forest, and home to the Black Magician. During Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Thunder magic stones.

• Floating Gardens: An airborne track among hanging gardens, built by the ancestors of Mysidia. During Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Minimize magic stones.

• Gingerbread Land: A racetrack decorated by various candies and sweets. During Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Reflect magic stones.

• Vulcan-O Valley: A track amidst a desolate wasteland, with pits of lava and falling rocks, and home to Behemoth. During Story mode, this course introduces the player to the Doom magic stones.

• Fantasia: The realm of the Espers and their king Bahamut. This is the longest and final course in Story Mode, and introduces the player to the Ultima magic stones. After completing Story mode, this track becomes available for normal races.

• F.F.VIII Circuit: A long and winding course set on the streets of Deling City. The F.F.VIII Circuit is unlocked after completing Story Mode a second time.

[edit] Story

The story of Chocobo Racing, which borrows themes and elements from Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy VI, can be viewed through the Story Mode. Narrated by Cid, the story is nine chapters long and is presented in a classical pop-up book fashion with accompanying FMVs. To progress through the Story mode, the player only needs to defeat the chapter's respective challenger. Before each chapter begins, the player is given the option of viewing the story or skipping it in favor of racing immediately.

The story opens with chapter one, "Gadgets a go-go," where mechanical inventor Cid presents Chocobo with a pair of "Jet-Blades" and offers Chocobo a chance to take a test-run with them on the racetrack behind his lab.^[2] After the race, Mog drops in on the pair and asks Cid about the progress of the racing machine he'd commissioned.^[3] Cid promises to bring the machine by tomorrow, but later confides to Chocobo he'd forgotten about it.^[4] The next day, after presenting the doubtful Mog with his scooter,^[5] Chocobo and Mog race. After Chocobo wins, Mog confronts Cid over his vehicle's poor performance, but Cid replies that Chocobo won the race because of the differences in their abilities (i.e., Chocobo's "Dash").^[6] He explains that the secret of Chocobo's "Dash" ability is the Blue Crystal on his leg-ring.^[7] Mog mulls over his inferior "Flap" ability and decides he wants a Blue Crystal as well, so Cid recommends that the two go on an adventure to find out the secret of the Blue Crystal.^[8]

The two take Cid's advice and head out on a quest to discover the secret behind the so-called Blue Crystal, meeting (and racing) many along the way. When they reach Mysidia, the village of mages, a White Mage there notices that all the companions have Magicite, which the companions had previously referred to as "Blue Crystals." The companions want to know the legend behind the Magicite shards; the White Mage agrees to tell them on the condition that they race her in the Floating Gardens, with the story as the winner's prize. Upon winning, she tells them of the legend: "There are Magicite Shards scattered all over the world. It used to be one large Magicite Crystal...But people kept fighting each other over it. So the founder of Mysidia, the great magician Ming-Wu, broke the Crystal into eight pieces. He then scattered the shards to the four winds. He did so to assure later restoration of the Magicite Crystal...when all eight pieces are brought together again." ^[9]

The racers stand in awe as the gate to Fantasia opens

After learning of the legend behind Magicite, the companions continue to search for other racers in possession of the precious crystal. After defeating Behemoth in a race, the monster joins their ranks, bringing the party's number to eight. The companions then notice that their Magicite shards begin to glow,^[10] and Mog is surprised to discover that the Magicite he'd zealously pursued was in his possession the entire time.^[11] The convergence of all eight shards of the Magicite crystal fulfills Ming-Wu's prophecy, and the gate to Fantasia, the Land of the Espers, opens. When the companions arrive in Fantasia, they are greeted by Bahamut, King of the Espers. Bahamut decides to test their worth with a final trial,^[12] and welcomes their attempts to defeat him in a race. After the race, Bahamut acknowledges the powers of the group. He goes on to rhetorically ask if the companions knew why Ming-Wu broke up the Magicite, and explains that Magicite was cause for warfare among the different races of the world.^[13] In the end, Bahamut is pleased with all the companions, noting that humans, moogles, chocobos, and monsters all came together in goodwill. In celebration, he decides to leave the portal between the world and Fantasia open, declaring that "Fantasia shall exist in harmony with your world from this day on."^[14]

Upon completion of the Story Mode, players are assigned a number of points determined by their performance, with a maximum of one hundred points. Using those points, the player is given the option of creating a racer with customized color and performance. The point value is distributed among five parameters: Max Speed, Acceleration, Grip, Drift, and A.G.S., which determines how fast the racer's ability gauge charges. A maximum of twenty points can be assigned to each of the five racing parameters. Customized racers can be used in all of the game's modes except for the Story Mode, and only the main characters and Bahamut are open to customization.

[edit] Characters

The cast of Chocobo Racing is inspired by creatures and characters from the Chocobo's Dungeon and Final Fantasy series and other Square games. The main characters are accessible without accomplishing anything, but to unlock secret characters the player must complete the Story Mode a successive number of times. Characters unlocked after Squall are "hidden" on the character selection screen, and are selected using special button combinations.

[edit] Main characters

The character selection screen

• Chocobo rides on the "Jet-Blades CR," which are turbo-powered rollerblades that Cid invented. His default ability is "Dash."
• Mog drives a vehicle called the "Mog-Scooter R2." His default ability is "Flap."
• Golem drives a go-kart called the "Rockin Roller V8." His default ability is "Grip-Up."
• Goblin drives a go-kart called the "Gob-Cart H4." His default ability is "Mug."
• Black Magician flies on a magical cloud, called the "MagiCloud MK-1." His default ability is "Magic Plus."
• White Mage flies a magic carpet called the "Cosmic Carpet." Her default ability is "Barrier."
• Chubby Chocobo rides a bicycle called the "Phat-Burner Plus." His default ability is "Receive."
• Behemoth drives a go-kart called the "Behemoth-Buggy 99." His default ability is "Charge."

[edit] Special unlockable characters

Two additional characters become unlocked after completing the Story Mode:

• Bahamut flies with his "Dragon Wings." His default ability is "Megaflare." Completing the Story Mode once unlocks Bahamut.
• Squall, the protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII drives a car called "The Tempest." His default ability is "Gunblade." Completing the Story Mode twice unlocks Squall.

Completing Story Mode additional times will also unlock additional characters for racing, although they do not appear on the character select screen:

• Cid's Tank is a tank apparently built or driven by the character Cid. Completing the Story Mode three times unlocks Cid's Tank.
• Mumba is a small, leonine creature from Final Fantasy VIII (where the creature's name is spelled "Moomba"). Completing the Story Mode four times unlocks Mumba.
• Cloud is the main character of Final Fantasy VII; in Chocobo Racing, he rides a motorcycle. Completing the Story Mode five times unlocks Cloud.
• Cactaur is another common Final Fantasy creature, although the creature's name is conventionally spelled "Cactuar." Cactaur is the slowest racer in the game. Completing the Story Mode six times unlocks Cactaur.
• Aya from Square's Parasite Eve drives a small police car. Completing the Story Mode seven times unlocks Aya.
• Classic Chocobo is a running Chocobo sprite as seen in early Final Fantasy games. Completing the Story Mode eight times unlocks Classic Chocobo.
• SS Invincible is a sprite of the final airship from Final Fantasy III. The SS Invincible is the fastest racer in the game. Completing the Story Mode nine times unlocks SS Invincible.
• Jack is a sprite of a little running man who appeared in Square's 3-D WorldRunner. Completing the Story Mode ten times unlocks Jack.

[edit] Musical score

Main article: Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack

Almost all of the tracks in Chocobo Racing are remixes of music tracks Nobuo Uematsu originally composed for various Final Fantasy games, although Kenji Ito is credited as the game's composer.

[edit] Reception and criticism

Chocobo Racing is sometimes accused of merely being Square's attempt to cash in on the popular kart racer genre created by Nintendo's successful Mario Kart.^[1][15] The resulting game is criticized as being of low quality, with unpolished graphics, crude track designs, and poor controls^[1][15], scoring a 4.4 in GameSpot's review and a mediocre 5.6 in IGN's review. Reader reviews, however, are considerably more receptive; Chocobo Racing scores a 7.2 among readers at GameSpot and a 7.1 average among IGN subscribers. Commercially, the game wasn't particularly successful, selling 300,000 units in Japan.^[16]

[edit] Chocobo Racing Grand Prix Contest

On September 30, 1999, Square announced a "Chocobo Racing Grand Prix" contest.^[17] The contest was sponsored by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. (Square EA) and ran from September 30, 1999 to December 8, 1999.^[18] The contest's title was a misnomer, because participants entered by playing through the game's Story Mode (rather than Grand Prix Mode) and sending in their scores (either through taking a photograph of the score screen or saving the score to a memory card and sending the memory card).^[18]

Contest entries were divided into five age groups: seven years old and younger, eight to eleven years old, twelve to fifteen years old, sixteen to eighteen years old, and nineteen years old and older. Square EA (the sponsor) then determined the three highest scores per week in each age group.^[18] The three participants with the highest scores of the week in their respective age group each received a Chocobo Piggy Bank.^[18]

At the end of the Contest, Square EA determined the three highest scorers overall in each age group. Each participant with the highest score in the contest overall in his or her respective age group received one free copy of each Squaresoft title released in the calendar year 2000 for the PlayStation game console (SaGa Frontier 2, Front Mission 3, Vagrant Story, Legend of Mana, Threads of Fate, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve 2, and Final Fantasy IX)^[19] and a Chocobo Watch.^[18] Each participant with the second highest score in the contest overall in his or her respective age group received a free copy of Chocobo's Dungeon 2 and a Chocobo Watch.^[18] Each participant with the third highest score in the Contest overall in his or her respective age group received a Chocobo Watch.^[18]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Chocobo Racing website
• Chocobo Racing at GameFAQs
• Chocobo Racing at MobyGames