Chocobo Racing

Did You Know?

• A sequel for Nintendo 3DS, codenamed Chocobo Racing 3D, was announced in 2010 but cancelled in 2013.
• Chocobo GP, a new sequel, was released for Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022.
• The game was re-released in Japan as part of the PSone Books series in December 2001.

Gameplay

Players control Final Fantasy characters who race in go-karts, though some characters fly, drive scooters, ride magic carpets, or run. Five racing modes are available: Story Mode, Versus Mode, Grand Prix, Relay Race, and Time Attack. Story Mode is narrated by Cid in a pop-up book format; completing it unlocks secret racers and allows creation of a custom racer. Versus Mode offers two-player racing on a horizontally split screen. Relay Race Mode lets the player choose three racers for a relay. Time Attack Mode challenges the player to beat the fastest time on any stage. There are ten tracks total, two of which are unlocked through 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. The player can accelerate, brake, reverse, activate Magic Stones, or use a special ability via the controller. A skid move, executed by braking and accelerating into a turn, allows sharp turns but may cause a spin out if too sharp. A speed boost can be obtained by tapping the Accelerate button with precise timing during the countdown. Magic Stones are scattered on courses and can be picked up or stolen from opponents by bumping them from behind. Activating a Haste Stone grants a speed boost; some stones stack for increased power. Stones marked with question marks grant a random Magic Stone.

Plot

The Story Mode borrows themes from Final Fantasy I to VIII and is narrated by Cid, comprising nine chapters presented as a pop-up book with FMVs. The player must defeat each chapter's challenger to progress. Eight characters are initially available: Chocobo, Mog, Golem, Goblin, Black Magician, White Mage, Chubby Chocobo, and Behemoth. Secret characters such as Cactuar, Bahamut, Cloud, Aya, and Squall can be unlocked after completing Story Mode. Mog later asks about his racing machine; Cid forgets it but presents a scooter the next day. After Chocobo wins a race, Mog questions the scooter's performance, and Cid explains that Chocobo's Dash ability comes from a Blue Crystal on his leg-ring. Mog, wanting a Blue Crystal for himself, is advised by Cid to go on an adventure to discover the crystal's secret.

Development

Chocobo Racing was first demonstrated at the Fall Tokyo Game Show '98, where its similarities to Mario Kart were noted. A bonus CD in Chocobo's Dungeon 2 included a video clip of the game. Originally scheduled for late September or October, the release was moved to August 1999 because the game was completed early. Square collaborated with toy company Choro Qi to produce toy cars for the release. Almost all tracks are arrangements of Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy music, arranged by Kenji Ito, except the final vocal track, orchestrated by Shirō Hamaguchi and performed by Hiromi Ohta in Japanese and Vicki Bell in English.

Reception

The game received mixed reviews according to GameRankings. Douglass C. Perry of IGN described it as an attempt by Square to cash in on the kart racer genre popularized by Mario Kart. Other reviewers called it a tired rehash, citing unpolished graphics, crude track designs, and poor controls. Daniel Erickson of NextGen called it standard kart-racing fare lacking the deathmatch courses that made Mario Kart popular. Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40. 1Up.com's Final Fantasy Retro Roundup deemed it a decent game ruined by D-pad steering, rating it Not Worth It. Critics noted similarities to Mario Kart in course themes and power sliding, and found the game too easy, with a two-hour story mode and limited replay value aside from unlocking secrets. The music was considered average, though the final story mode song was described as strikingly beautiful.