Chocobo Racing is a racing game developed by Square Co. for the PlayStation. The game was released in Japan in March 1999, followed by North America and Europe in August and October, respectively. The game's star and namesake is the Chocobo, the mascot of the Final Fantasy series. Other figures from that series, such as Mog the Moogle, the Black Mage, and Cid, fill out the all-Final Fantasy cast. Most of the game's soundtrack is composed using songs from previous Final Fantasy titles. As a formulaic kart racer, Chocobo Racing is often compared to Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing.
Chocobo Racing received generally average reviews, with critics citing its low quality in several aspects of gameplay. The game was later released in Japan alongside Chocobo Stallion and Dice de Chocobo as part of the Chocobo Collection. The game was re-released individually as part of the PSone Books series in December 2001. It was released in Japan as a PSOne Classic on February 10, 2009.
Gameplay
In Chocobo Racing, the player controls Final Fantasy characters, most of whom race in go-karts. Other characters fly, drive scooters, ride magic carpets, or even run. 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 a pop-up book. Completing the Story Mode unlocks secret character racers and allows players to create a custom racer of their own. In the Versus Mode, two players can race each other on a horizontally split screen. In Grand Prix (GP) Mode, the player races computer-controlled opponents in four selected tracks of their choice. In Relay Race Mode, the player chooses three racers to compete in a relay race. In Time Attack Mode, the player can select any stage and try to beat the fastest time record set there. There are a total of ten tracks, two of which have to be unlocked by playing the story mode: Cid's Test Track, Moogle Forest, The Ancient Gate, Mythril Mines, The Black Manor, Floating Gardens, Gingerbread Land, Vulcan-O Valley, Fantasia, and F.F.VIII Circuit.
While racing, 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 can be used to take sharp turns quickly. If the player skids too sharply, however, a spin out will occur. Before the start of any race, the player's character can receive a speed boost by tapping the Accelerate button with precise timing during the countdown.
In the world of Chocobo Racing, Magic Stones are scattered throughout each course, and can be picked up by the player by driving through them. Magic Stones can also be stolen from opponents by bumping into them from behind. 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. Some Magic Stones stack, increasing in power if more than one of the same kind of stone is picked up by the player. Each stone is represented by a corresponding symbol on the racetrack, while stones marked with question marks grant the player a single kind of Magic Stone at random.
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.
Plot
Setting
Chocobo Racing borrows themes and elements from Final Fantasy I to VIII. The Story Mode is narrated by Cid and includes nine chapters in a pop-up book fashion with FMVs. To progress, the player needs to defeat the chapter's respective challenger. Before each chapter begins, the player is given the option of viewing the story or skipping to the race except when playing the Story Mode for the first time.
Characters
The cast of Chocobo Racing is drawn from recurring creatures and characters from the Chocobo's Dungeon and Final Fantasy series. Eight characters -- Chocobo, Mog, Golem, Goblin, Black Magician, White Mage, Chubby Chocobo, and Behemoth—are immediately available, and additional, secret characters such as Cactuar, Bahamut, Cloud, Aya, and Squall may be unlocked after completing Story Mode.