Chocobo Racing (PS1) Retro Review

Birds, Behemoths, Bahamut--oh my! It's time for a retro review of the racing variety with Chocobo Racing. This take on the Mario Kart-esque racer in the world of Final Fantasy from 1999 saw a successor on the Nintendo Switch with Chocobo GP. But, how does the original hold up after all of these years? Let's take to the track to find out!

"Kweh"-zy racing in the realm of Final Fantasy

I previously took a look at Chocobo GP, which I ended up enjoying even with its various issues, which you can read about in my review from a few years ago. However, despite playing Chocobo GP and liking it, I never played the original game in the series: Chocobo Racing. Back in the PlayStation 1/Nintendo 64 era, no doubt every major franchise wanted a piece of the Mario Kart pie--or at least wanted to expand outside of their typical genres. Final Fantasy was no different, and thus, a racing game starring the cute, cuddly, golden Chocobo sped onto the PlayStation 1 and into many owners of Sony's console's hearts.

Chocobo Racing features ten characters to race as. As you play through the story mode (recommended for first-time players), you unlock new characters, slowly get introduced to the Magicite system (more on that shortly), and learn the ins and outs of the game while experiencing cute and charming cutscenes in a children's pop-up book-like presentation. The story mode, effectively a tutorial, isn't a lengthy endeavor by any stretch of the imagination, taking about an hour or so to complete. Though playing through it multiple times (and no worries--you can thankfully skip cutscenes on repeated playthroughs) unlocks new characters to race as, including the then-most current Final Fantasy protagonist: Squall Leonhart. 

That's no chicken on wheels--it's Chocobo!

Each character introduces a different ability that can be utilized while racing: Chocobo has a turbo to grant a swift boost of speed, Moogle can fly over terrain that would otherwise slow any other racer down, White Mage's Shield will absorb most magic, and Goblin can pilfer another player's magic with his Mug ability, just to name a handful of abilities each character possesses. Understandably, different characters contain unique stats in numerous categories, as well, from acceleration, to handling, to top speed.

Rather than use basic items to cause chaos on the track, competitors within Chocobo Racing utilize magical crystals known as Magicite, which serve as the various items in the game and give an additional Final Fantasy touch to the game. These can either help you or hinder other opponents. If you've played Diddy Kong Racing, Chocobo Racing's Magicite uses a similar system of collecting up to three of the same colored Magicite to strengthen your magical moves to unleash all kinds of craziness onto your opponents. 

"Mini" thanks for this particular magic used on Black Mage,
as it causes him to shrink in size and slow down in the process.

For example, Fire simply shoots out a flame without any homing capabilities, while Fire2 ends up homing in on the character directly in front of you--red shell-style--while collecting three Fire Magicite in a row enables you to use Fire3, which takes on Mario Kart's blue shell and homes in on first place to cook their proverbial goose. 

While the abundance of Magicite and this upgrade system are both novel approaches to the kart racing genre and perfectly fits in with the Final Fantasy realm, it also causes maybe too much chaos on the track. When you have multiple magic that can affect everyone in and out of the running, you're constantly getting pelted and hit with something while racing. This can be greatly annoying, understandably, and makes for moments where you can be ahead by a large distance only to have magic be the deciding factor in losing your lead in a frustrating fashion. That said, the many methods to get back into races means that they stay exciting and anyone can win.

With so much Magicite and magic on the track, races can become quite chaotic in a hurry!

Unlike something like Mario Kart or even the aforementioned Diddy Kong Racing, the amount of tracks is nowhere near as large. You won't have sixteen unique circuits to race and blaze a trail on. Instead, about ten total tracks are on offer in Chocobo Racing. That said, the variety of the tracks and what is available is enjoyable. You have your tutorial track: Cid's Test Track, what is essentially a basic oval with some easy curves to learn the ropes (or the turns of, I guess, in this case). Things get more interesting with races through the serene Moogle Forest, the industrial, mountainous paths of Goblin Mines (and sadly one of the only tracks in the game with what I would call an actual shortcut), and the tight, right angles and tricky turns of the haunted rooms and corridors of Black Mage's Mansion. By the last tracks, you'll need to be a master of both cornering and turning, or else you'll find yourself repeatedly smashing into walls or worse yet, tumbling off the track.

Go, go, Golem! The fun has just begun at the Goblin Mines, so it's anyone's race!

A lot of kart racers don't really encourage the use of braking. Generally, you drift around corners to maintain your speed. Chocobo Racing isn't one of these types of racers. Instead, tapping (note: not holding) the brake button around tight turns and corners is absolutely mandatory for success. If you're skidding around turns while maintaining speed, you're doing it right. That notwithstanding, that's easier said than done, and it took a ton of forgetting muscle memory and how to play other kart racers to become somewhat skilled with Chocobo Racing. Be prepared to bash your head into a wall (and quite literally within the game) as you try to unlearn how you played other racers! 

Outside of the story mode, which players who wish to unlock all characters will want to spend the most time in (as repetitive and somewhat tedious as that can be), there is Grand Prix mode, which works differently than most games with such a feature in it. Instead of choosing a cup with preexisting selections of tracks, you choose your difficulty, and then you choose four tracks ahead of time for your own personally constructed cup. It's a novel approach, and makes sense for this game to use, as again, Chocobo Racing isn't exactly packed with tracks. There are also Time Trials to take on, the ability to customize characters after completing the story mode, and versus play for local (duh) multiplayer fun.

Squaresoft certainly took advantage of the PlayStation hardware, much like it did with practically every other release it developed and published on Sony's freshman system. Right from the starting line, the impressive prerendered cutscene opening that is as cool to watch as it is humorous, greets prospective players. From there, everything from the Magicite used to the Bombs that count down the start of races give a uniquely Final Fantasy touch to them. While draw distance is a major bummer, with clear signs of backgrounds and geometry popping in the closer you approach them, everything else about Chocobo Racing looks great for the hardware. 

Each character has their own mode of transportation, which adds to their personality and charm.

Of course, what would a Final Fantasy spin-off that gives a nod to the games that came before it be without incorporating Nobuo Uematsu's legendary themes? Fortunately we don't have to find out that answer with Chocobo Racing, as the arrangements from Kenji Ito do more than their fair share of making Final Fantasy fans feel at home. From the Mysidia track's ending theme from Final Fantasy V to Goblin Mines' Mt. Gulg theme from the OG Final Fantasy, the versions of Nobuo Uematsu's utilized compositions were given proper tender, loving care and the respect they deserve. 

Overall, Chocobo Racing does deliver competent arcade "kart" (for lack of a better term) racing action. The Magicite system, while novel and appropriate for the Final Fantasy franchise, does lean heavily on the spammy side, making for some truly frustrating races against the more fiendish CPU opponents. Really, I'd like to say that was improved in its Chocobo GP sequel, but... At any rate, if you're able to track down a copy of Chocobo Racing, or if the game ever arrives on PSN via a PS Classic release, it's worth checking out for either a Final Fantasy fan or enjoyers or cartoony racing games. Just make sure to tell your opponents to get out of your kweh! ...I mean, "way". Sorry. Ahem.

[SPC Says: C+]

Final Fantasy Adventure (GB) Retro Review

A new year means out with the old and in with the new, right? Well, that's not entirely the case with SuperPhillip Central, as together we're going to take a look at 2020's first retro review, part of the lead up to the remake of Trials of Mana, releasing in April. 

The subject of this first retro review of the year is Final Fantasy Adventure, as it's known in North America, and it's the first in the Mana series. This Game Boy classic mixes Legend of Zelda-style gameplay with RPG systems. Let's take a look at Final Fantasy Adventure with the SPC review!

Legend of a game name with a bit of an identity crisis

The Game Boy was a behemoth in sales and possessed as a strong library of terrific games and countless classics. One such game is known as Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden in Japan and Mystic Quest in Europe. Despite its name in North America, Final Fantasy Adventure is the first in the Mana series of games. Later ports and remakes would drop the Final Fantasy portion of the name and call the full title "Adventures of Mana". You can check out my thoughts on the mobile remake here.

As for Final Fantasy Adventure, it's a game that takes some patience to play, as it is firmly rooted in a bygone era of gaming. There's a lot of obtuse design present, perplexing puzzles, a devilish-at-times difficulty, and some quirks that make for a tedious experience. However, with enough patience and perseverance, you'll find a game with enough charm and entertaining qualities to make for a worthy game to spend some time with.

Final Fantasy Adventure plays like a cross between the original Legend of Zelda and an RPG. You move around single screen areas, facing off against enemies and avoiding their attacks, all the while gaining experience and levels to grow stronger and more resilient in battle. However, while The Legend of Zelda was more open in its exploration, Final Fantasy Adventure begins as a more linear romp that slowly opens more and more as you progress. Things open up considerably once you gain access to a Chocobo and are able to ride it across water.

When you're not exploring the overworld, you're inside towns, and these have an annoying quirk to them. Instead of pressing a button when next to a townsperson to talk to them, you automatically begin to read their dialogue if you so much as brush up against them. This results in a lot of mistaken moments where you're forced to sit through the same slow-scrolling dialogue again and again to a point of mild frustration. That notwithstanding, towns are an invaluable place for resources that are required for dungeons, such as keys that unlock doors, mattocks that break open certain walls, and ethers that restore your magic.

Part of the old school design of Final Fantasy Adventure is that you can easily run out of a required resource mid-dungeon, resulting in having to trek back to a town or overworld shop to buy more. There are sections of the game where you can be stuck without keys or mattocks to progress with no shops in sight or available to you. In this case, your only real recourse is to defeat enemies and hope for they drop the resource you need.

Final Fantasy Adventure's combat isn't too elegant either, as the hit detection is a bit off. However, the mechanic used in combat is clever and would be used in future installments. You have a power gauge that steadily fills up. The more filled the gauge is when you execute an attack, the stronger that attack will be. When you perform an attack, the gauge empties. This encourages you to play smartly and not just flail your weapon around with reckless abandon, as you won't do much damage this way.

Weapons comes in a variety of forms with more uses than just for offensive capabilities. They also are used for traversal and progression. Axes can cut down trees with ease, morningstars break through rocks as if they were nothing, and whips allow you to attach them to poles to pull yourself across chasms and rivers. Much like different weapons have different uses in the environment, different weapons have different effectiveness against enemies. Some enemies will practically laugh at you for trying to damage them with a sword, but will be no match for a sharpened ax.

While there is plenty of old school sensibilities and design within Final Fantasy Adventure--and that's to be expected considering the game is almost 30 years old now--the game does have a helpful feature that is great for portable play. That is the ability to save anywhere in the game. Though with the lack of identifiable, tangible save points in the game, I found myself forgetting to save quite often, resulting in dying and having to replay significant sections of the dungeons and areas over again. Even then, when I did remember to save often, I sometimes found myself in a sticky situation where I was on death's door without much in the way of healing items. Thus, I would need to tread extremely careful to get back to a safe spot, essentially save-scumming with each ounce of slow progress back I'd make.

For those who wish to seek out the humble yet impressive-for-the-time origins of the Mana series, Final Fantasy Adventure is that game, warts and all. It's obviously a product of its time in more ways than one in its design, but there's something to be said about how fun the game is to this day that shows, in some ways, how timeless it is. Then, you start running into townspeople, being forced to read through their slowly scrolling dialogue each time you do so, get caught in a dungeon without any keys or mattocks remaining, and then realize that perhaps Final Fantasy Adventure isn't completely timeless. Still, there's a good amount of enjoyment to be found with the Mana series' premiere title, and I think anyone fond of the series should seek the game out to play it, either through an original Game Boy cartridge, through Collection of Mana for the Nintendo Switch, or other [hopefully legal] means.

[SPC Says: B-]

Top Ten Most Underrated Final Fantasy Games

With a new demo of Final Fantasy XV fresh in gamers' minds, I felt the desire to take a look back at the series. While counting down my favorite Final Fantasy games would take us all down already traveled roads, I figured that talking about the lesser appreciated games in the series would be a more worthwhile prospect. That's exactly what I've done with this top ten, one that delves into the Final Fantasy franchise's most underrated entries, whether mainline or spinoff.

10) Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS)

We begin this Final Fantasy focused top ten list with the most recent Final Fantasy to be released, Final Fantasy Explorers. The game is a beginner-friendly Monster Hunter-like action RPG where you create a character and embark on various monster-slaying, Eidolon-defeating, and item-collecting quests. With the materials and loot you earn, you can craft new armor and weapons for your character, thus enabling you to take on higher ranked quests. The longevity of Final Fantasy Explorers isn't anywhere near as deep as the series it was inspired by, but online play with up to three other buddies makes for exciting times.

9) Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)

Probably my favorite rhythm game ever devised, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, also on the Nintendo 3DS, combines three of my loves: Final Fantasy music, RPG gameplay, and rhythm-based inputs. Through tapping, touching, and holding the touch screen in time with the on-screen prompts (or utilizing the new button-based input methods), you deal damage to monsters or make your way through various environments. Level up your characters, learn new moves, unlock new songs and characters, and endure the fun quests that Curtain Call contains.

8) Final Fantasy Legend III (GB)

Perhaps the precursor to the wildly popular Chrono Trigger due to the game's fantasy and time travel elements, Final Fantasy Legend III has the main characters entering into the past, collecting over a dozen upgrades for their airship, the Talon, in order to stop a great flood from covering the planet. Take on various classes with different strengths and weaknesses as you battle foes to gain experience, earn new levels, and learn new magic and spells. Final Fantasy Legend III is by no means a complex game, but it hearkens back to a simpler time in gaming, and this title is a perfect example of that.

7) Final Fantasy V (SFC)

Originally a Japanese exclusive for the Super Famicom, Final Fantasy V got its first official Western release as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology for the original PlayStation, a two-disc compilation of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI. The game is known for introducing a high level of customization for characters thanks to the extremely beneficial job system. It makes multiple play-throughs of Final Fantasy V give the player a plethora of options for how they want to do a run of the game. This deep character customization would be utilized in various degrees in multiple future Final Fantasy games, most famously Final Fantasy Tactics. Being a game that was initially Japan-only, Final Fantasy V is one of the lesser talked about mainline entries in the long-running franchise.

6) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS)

Let's get this out of the way first and foremost-- yes, Luso, the main character, looks ridiculous with his giant pizza cutter sword and wacky attire. However, if you can stand his out there fashion sense, what you get is a highly competent tactical RPG that, while nowhere near as serious as the original Final Fantasy Tactics, offers plenty of well designed maps, foreboding enemies, a high element of strategy, and numerous characters to grow attached to. What Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift doesn't have, though, is the mandatory law card judgment system that caused many a groan in the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

5) Chocobo Racing (PS1)

The Final Fantasy series has visited numerous genres throughout its enduring lifespan. One such genre that Chocobo Racing took players to was the mascot kart racer, similar to Mario Kart. With a vast assortment of characters both already unlocked and unlockable, from Chocobo to Mog the Moogle, a White Mage to Bahamut, Chocobo Racing delivers plenty of variety in its roster. The tracks are themed after various Final Fantasy locations, and the modes are numerous, with the main attraction being Story Mode. While it's not the best kart racer out there, Chocobo Racing is indeed far better than the average reviews at the time would lead you to believe.

4) Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)

Another game starring Chocobo, this time it's for a beginner roguelike in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. This game has the titular Chocobo entering the memories of the citizens of Lostime where labyrinthine dungeons filled with monsters and treasure lie. Chocobo can master various jobs that help him survive the challenges inside each dungeon. Chocobo's Dungeon features a gorgeous and pleasant-to-the-eye pastel style to its visuals, and many memorable themes from the Final Fantasy series made their way into the game. It all makes for a game that I really enjoy and wish more people had picked up.

3) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)

Moving from Wii game to Wii game, this next game features one of the coolest protagonists in a Final Fantasy game, the crystal bearer Layle. With his power, he can use his magic to "grab" enemies and objects and toss them into other foes to deal damage in the game's battles. That's not the main focus of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, however. Instead, a greater focus is put on exploring the varied areas of the game as well as partaking in story progressing mini-games, such as piloting an airship through a narrow canyon and sneaking through the passenger cars of a secured train. Not only is Layle one of the cooler Final Fantasy heroes around, but the soundtrack is also one of the better ones for a Final Fantasy spinoff. All this adds up to a game that really deserves more attention.

2) Final Fantasy II (FC)

What does a group of four youths do when their parents are all killed during a military invasion? Why, they team up together and embark on an adventure to get revenge, rescue leading members of the military resistance, and take down key powers within the army. Final Fantasy II, the actual Final Fantasy II and not the U.S. numbered Final Fantasy II for the SNES, introduced many concepts into the Final Fantasy universe which would become mainstays for the series, including chocobos and various recurring enemies. The game uses an atypical and easily exploitable experience system where party member actions determine experience points given instead of gaining them from won battles. While Final Fantasy II has gotten more attention with its Western releases on the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, and mobile devices, it's still nowhere near where it deserves to be.

1) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (GCN)

A game that signaled the first time Square worked on a Nintendo home console since the Super Nintendo's Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles sports a rustic soundtrack (one of the series' best, for sure), old school stylings, engaging dungeon crawling, and remarkable multiplayer. However, the last point is only available by having four friends link up their Game Boy Advance systems to a GameCube. This took the wind out of many prospective players' sails. Nonetheless, if you could find three other friends with GBAs and link cables, then you'd find yourselves having a massively marvelous time, trekking through Crystal Chronicles's dungeons, facing off against familiar Final Fantasy foes and bosses, and working together to solve simple environmental puzzles. Even alone the experience is worthwhile, and that's why I have ranked Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles as the most underrated Final Fantasy game currently released.