These brief power-ups go a long way in differentiating each racer with a touch of personality. Chocobo GP’s handy shards operate in the same way, but there’s another important reason to hoard ‘em: they’ll fill up a gauge that lends special abilities that, when utilized properly, can swiftly turn the tide. For those not familiar, in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe you collect coins on the tracks to increase your max speed. (Putting it this way: sure, you can level up your handy Bahamut transformation spell to rampage through the opposition, but seeing as you’re likely already in last place, wouldn’t you want to use that right away?)Ĭhocobo GP also takes a page from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in its use of Magicite Shards. Truth be told, this isn’t always a guaranteed process – sometimes you’ll just obtain a new, individual spell, so your magic-use comes down to your best judgment. (In other words, a weak little Fire can turn into a big, homing Firaga). Each egg is divided into Bronze, Silver, and Gold variations, and “leveling” up your spells accordingly will provide stronger spells.
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Through clever use of Magic Eggs, you can even upgrade your spells. Akin to tripping on your own Banana Peel, do heed caution when the track gets crowded!) (And let’s not forget the Swap portals, which either teleport you front or back depending on, respectively, their shifting from blue to red hues. Developer ARIKA was wickedly clever in how they implemented Final Fantasy’s library of spells for instance, Doom will instantly begin a countdown upon its unlucky target, and even the most vigilant racer will find themselves frantically pressing the R button to rid themselves of the reaper. Featuring a veritable blend of offensive and defensive spells, everything from Fire projectiles to Shell shields to Haste speed boosts quickly induce anarchic chaos upon the pavement. Much of Chocobo GP boils down to Magicite: spells contained within color-coded Magic Eggs. An original cast of colorful characters from Clair the Moogle to Camilla’s Pa (yes, that’s his name!) burn rubber alongside iconic faces in Terra Branford ( Final Fantasy VI) and Vivi Ornitier ( Final Fantasy IX), lobbing spells every which way as they compete to achieve their one, true wish. You won’t be farming Gyashal Greens to raise those feathery Chocobos here, for even a passing familiarity with Mario Kart (or any other kart racer, really) will help you settle into the dusty dirt roads of Chocobo Farms. Everything from microtransactions to Season Passes are here, and while such purchases aren’t necessary to enjoy Chocobo GP as it currently stands, the way this game pushes players into opening their wallets does raise valid concerns over its long-term support and appeal.Ī shame, given how approachable and fun the actual racing is. Oh yes, Square-Enix wasn’t shy about getting greedy with this kid-friendly racer. While I’d like to think it’s more than an agreeable substitute, things get decidedly less “wholesome” when it comes to Chocobo GP’s blatant monetization model.
Now, whether it succeeds as an unabashed Mario Kart clone is another thing entirely. That’s all well and good, but it’s the predominantly self-contained cast and world that welcome us into a wholesome little kart racer that’s just fun to dive into, regardless if one is familiar with Square-Enix’s RPG franchise or not.
The roster cameos, along with a plethora of references and in-jokes elevate the tongue-in-cheek story mode, which certainly doesn’t dismiss the game’s prestigious Final Fantasy origins. That said, I find myself oddly charmed by it all – it’s one cog in how earnestly Chocobo GP engages in its off-beat identity. (“Ah, how well we get along~ But oh, when the race is on~ No one can stop me on my way! Straight! To vict-tory!”)Īlas, I’m unfamiliar with the original Chocobo Racing, so I can’t claim if such discordance was present within the 1999 PlayStation racer. Within a span of three minutes, we’re treated to an opening cinematic accompanied by a rock guitar, a gritty, cutthroat version of the Chocobo theme arranged with all the brutality of a monster truck rally, and then a peppy sing-along for the main menu that’d be right at home on Nick Jr. Yet, there’s something to be said about Chocobo GP’s own tonal dissonance. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that Chocobo GP bears little tonal resemblance to its Final Fantasy progenitors, what with the brooding sadsacks and multi-layered epics substituted by deformed, doe-eyed Behemoths and kiddie cartoon escapades.
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