User:Teggles/Chocobo World
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| Chocobo World | |
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 A screenshot of the splash screen of the Windows version of Chocobo World. |
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| Developer(s) | Square Co., Ltd. |
| Platform(s) | PocketStation, Windows |
| Release date | Released with Final Fantasy VIII |
| Genre(s) | Simulation game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | Stored on the Final Fantasy VIII CD |
| System requirements | 7 memory card blocks (PocketStation)[1] Windows 95, Pentium-class CPU, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 6.1 (for Final Fantasy VIII on PC) |
| Input methods | PocketStation game unit or keyboard (PC) |
Chocobo World (おでかけチョコボRPG Odekake Chiyokobo RPG?) is a handheld electronic game developed by Square Co. (now Square Enix) for the PocketStation video game console. The game's data is stored on the compact discs of Final Fantasy VIII, which shares functionality with Chocobo World – with features such as transferring Gil (a currency) between the two fictional worlds.
It was present in all localizations of Final Fantasy VIII, but the PocketStation was only released in Japan (the game's original locale).[2] However, Chocobo World was later implemented into the personal computer port of Final Fantasy VIII, which was released in Japan, North America and the PAL region.
In Chocobo World, the game player controls a Chicobo (a baby Chocobo) named Boko on his quest to save his friend Mog from the clutches of an evil demon. The game's presentation closely follows the "virtual pet" concept conceived by Bandai's Tamagotchi. Players care for Boko with a focus on raising his experience through battling monsters; raising him in Chocobo World makes him a powerful ally to summon in Final Fantasy VIII.
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[edit] Gameplay
- See also: Final Fantasy VIII#Gameplay
Chocobo World is a console role playing game comprised of black and white pixel graphics. The game can be played exclusively, but is intended as a minigame to Final Fantasy VIII.[1] To play in conjunction with Final Fantasy VIII, the player must find character Boko in the world of Final Fantasy VIII. This accomplished, the player is permanently given a user interface for communicating between the two virtual worlds. Here the player may send Boko into Chocobo World to gain experience and collect items, which are transferred back to Final Fantasy VIII.
[edit] Exploration
In Chocobo World, Boko perpetually wanders around a nondescript landscape in search of "events" to interact with, such as enemy battles, friendly encounters with Moomba and Cactuar, and "special" events. Depending on how the player sets the "Move" option, Boko may break from his path to navigate to the nearest event perpendicular to his direction of travel. Players can also turn off the "Event Wait" option, eliminating the need for player input to advance, although choosing this option prevents Boko from encountering special events. At any time, players can intervene and halt Boko's computer-controlled movement in favor of manually controlling him.
Events are shown on the map as black dots, while Boko's location is represented by a flickering black dot. When an event is cleared, it vanishes on the map, only to be replaced by another in a random location. When Boko gains a level of experience through battling enemies, the map resets and randomly redistributes events across the world.
[edit] Battle system
Battles are the most common event the player encounters in Chocobo World. Upon confronting an enemy, the player is thrust into the battle screen. Once engaged in battle, the player's only option is to fight until either the enemy or Boko is defeated. Combatant health is represented by numerical "hit points" (HP) displayed on the far sides of the playing screen; whoever's count of hit points reaches zero first loses the battle. Combat relies on a variant of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system featured in Final Fantasy VIII. In battle, Boko and his opponent each have a time counter; the first combatant's counter to reach zero is allowed to attack, upon which both time counters reset and the process repeats itself. By alternately pressing the left and right buttons, players can speed up Boko's time counter, reducing the time required for him to attack. Upon winning a battle, Boko receives a magic stone which is randomly placed on a tic-tac-toe-style board. If three stones line up in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row, Boko gains a "level" of experience, which increases his hit point count in Chocobo World and his strength in Final Fantasy VIII. If the player finds Mog within Chocobo World, he will assist Boko in battle as a last resort, i.e., if Boko himself is defeated, Mog will attack the enemy (an attack analogous to the Limit Break in Final Fantasy games). If Mog's attack fails to defeat the enemy, he leaves his partner and Boko loses the battle. After losing any battle, Boko must rest to restore his hit points, but the player is allowed to continue the game without penalty for defeat.
In some events, Boko is approached by Moomba, who gives his friend a weapon. A weapon is simply a series of four numbers that determines Boko's attacking power. During battle, the computer randomly chooses one of the four digits on the weapon number to determine the damage Boko inflicts, or the number his attack subtracts from the enemy's hit point count. If, for example, the weapon is 8531, then Boko's damage dealt to the enemy will be randomly chosen from the digits "8," "5," "3," and "1."
Players can have their Chicobos battle each other using the PocketStation's optical communication function.[1]
[edit] Collecting items
Another event in Chocobo World involves Cactuar finding items for Boko. Cactuar appears on the event screen and gives Boko one of four items, labeled A, B, C, and D. Although these items are useless in Chocobo World, they can be "imported" to the world of Final Fantasy VIII to be accessed in the player's item inventory. Depending on the player's rank, the probability of Cactuar finding "D" rank items is greatest, but they are among the most common items in Final Fantasy VIII (e.g., basic status recovery items). Conversely, the probability of Cactuar finding "A" rank items is lowest, but they are very rare items.
[edit] Story
Mog, a moogle, wants to hunt for treasure on Scary Mountain with his friends Cactuar, Moomba, and Boko. The others are too frightened, so Mog ventures to the Mountain alone. Three days pass without Mog's return, worrying his friends, who embark on a quest to find him. Boko leads the group, while Cactuar volunteers to gather items and Moomba offers to find weapons.
[edit] Development
Chocobo World was conceptualized by Hiroyuki Itou, who had developed for Final Fantasy video games since Final Fantasy III, which was released in 1990. The game was programmed by newcomer Takashi Katano—who later held lead programmer roles in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII—and designed by Hiroyuki Yotsuji.
[edit] Windows version
In 2000, Chocobo World was ported to Windows. The game was grouped with the Windows port of Final Fantasy VIII as a stand-alone program, containing the same functionality-sharing as their predecessors. Square Co. also provided a download of Chocobo World on their website,[3] as did Electronic Arts Japan.[4]
[edit] Audio
The Windows port of Chocobo World consists of six compositions from Final Fantasy VII, arranged by . The tracks heard in the game include the Chocobo Theme "Odekake de Chocobo," the resting theme "Good Night, Until Tomorrow," a slightly altered battle theme, "Hurry, Faster!," and truncated versions of "Waltz de Chocobo," the victory theme, "Fanfare," and of "Dear to the Heart."
[edit] References
- ^ a b c (1999) in Square Electronic Arts: Final Fantasy VIII North American instruction manual (in English). Square Electronic Arts, 38-40. SLUS-00892GH.
- ^ IGN staff (July 15, 1999). FFVIII PocketStation Opens Up Chocobo World. www.ign.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ Dan Calderman (2000). Chocobo World Playable on PC. www.rpgamer.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
- ^ http://www.japan.ea.com/archive/ff8/download.html
[edit] External links
- Guide to Chocobo World at Final Fantasy Online Strategy Guides
- (Japanese) Download Chocobo World from EA Japan
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