This gets partly frustrating when paired with the luck factor I was referring to earlier, and hardly gives you a chance to work your way up the rankings when you take a stumble.Ĭhocobo GP also gives fans a bit of fan service with some okay visuals and familiar tunes making its way to the game, albeit in an arranged version that basically turns Melodies of Life into some sort of upbeat pop tune. From Zozo (FF VI) to Alexandria (FF IX), the tracks are varied and quite nicely designed, but personally, they feel a wee bit too short for my taste, ending just as the action is heating up. ![]() Thankfully, Chocobo GP has a nice selection of tracks where all of this craziness takes place. Because you’ll want to stack up more often than not, careful controls will be key to getting you that same item, making this racer a surprisingly tactical affair. (I’ve lost a LOT of races because of this item and I absolutely hate it because it almost always seems to work against me.)Īdmittedly, there’s an extra layer of strategy in Chocobo GP, especially since you can stack your Magicite up to 3 levels to power up your attacks. Hop into a red portal though, and you get transported back (to the other portal), which really messes things up. In particular, there’s a blue portal item which can boost you forward (to the other portal) but the other racers can hop in too. The penalties when getting hit feels a bit too long, and there are several instances where I would make a run to make my way up the rankings only to be blasted consecutively back to last place, sometimes making luck a bigger factor than actual skill.Ĭhocobo GP also has items that affect both you and your competitors, which complicates things a bit. In fact, Chocobo GP races can get a bit TOO hairy, and the balance of these items feels like they need a bit of tweaking. On top of these abilities, when Paired with the various Magicite that you can get on the track, you can just imagine that things can get a bit hairy. What makes them unique though are their abilities – some are defensive (shield), some offensive, and some even offer interesting effects that can turn the tide of the race. More than their popularity though, the characters shine thanks to their individual abilities, which is a good spin on the formula.Ĭhocobo GP’s characters have their usual ratings, which is divided into speed, grip, acceleration, and drift. Unlocking the characters will treat players to a number of Final Fantasy personalities like Ifrit, Vivi from FFIX, Terra from FFVI, and of course, the titular Chocobo. You’ll have to buckle up, because it acts as sort of a tutorial and will allow players to unlock more tracks and characters. Its main flagship mode, named Chocobo GP (a 64-player race) as well, is something we didn’t get to try out due to pre-launch circumstances, so we’re focusing mostly on the single-player experience.Ĭhocobo GP also has a story mode, which most racers do not have, but features a somewhat forgettable narrative that really sticks out like a sore thumb. Players will be treated to a number of modes like multiplayer, custom race, series race, and time attack. Chocobo GP mostly ticks all of the boxes, I’m glad to say. There’s so much source material to pull from here and Chocobo GP puts its own spin on the formula, employing an art style that’s clearly taken some liberties when it comes to character designs.Īs with kart racers, there are a few things that the game has to get right – amount of modes, charming characters, varied tracks, and precise controls. How does it stack up? Choco-Go!Ĭhocobo GP is, very simply put, a Final Fantasy kart racer that features a moderately healthy amount of modes, characters, and tracks to choose from. The game is a lighthearted take on the genre, featuring memorable characters and some surprising mechanics that make it quite easy to pick up and play. ![]() Apart from the obvious “home turf” advantage being the official face of the company, the Mario Kart titles have been very good games overall and have perfected a formula that many have tried to do over the years but have fallen short.Ī franchise that is almost as popular is Final Fantasy and if we’re talking about star power alone, competing with the iconic plumber is certainly within reach, especially when you’ve got the lovable Chocobo fronting the game.Įnter Chocobo GP, the sequel to the PS1 Chocobo Racing release from 1997 for the PS1. ![]() Releasing a kart racer on a Nintendo system is always going to be an uphill climb due to the inevitable comparisons with the Mario Kart franchise. Similar Games: Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing.
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