Chocobo Racing

"A decent Mario Kart type racer"

Before purchasing my copy of Chocobo Racing, i had to think long and hard. I was afraid i was buying a little kids game, but after playing, I'm very glad I decided to buy it. It reminded me of the good times I used to have with friends playing Mario Kart on the SNES. It combined that with my favorite characters from the Final Fantasy Series. It seems square got everything right with this one.

The graphics run smooth and are on the money. Theyre not a realistic type, like Gran Turismo, they are a cartoony type, like Motor Toon Grand Prix. The colors are all chosen wisely, and the characters look right on the money. All 12 tracks are beatifully displayed and have an exellent cartoon feel to them.

Sound in this game is nothing special. Its not really noticable, so its not bad sound. It all sounds, once again, cartoony. The music is well done. As always, square really knows how to add some good music. The music matches each track as well. The dark, gothic feel of the music in the Haunted Castle is a perfect fit, while the happy, dancing tune of the Candy City makes you relaxed and comfortable.

Control is not too hard to get adjusted to. There is an accelerator, a break, and some weapon shots. You get too choose one special weapon for your character, that charges up at the beggining and after each time you use it. Some weapons take longer then others, as some do more damage. You can also pick up special Materia along the way. You can hold up to 3 at a time, and when you have doubles or triples of a certain kind, you can create serious havoc. If you can pick up 3 fires, it will seek and destroy each opponent ahead of you. But be aware, materia can be stolen by close enemies.

In the game, you can choose from:
VS Mode: In this mode, you get to play a friend
Time Trial Mode: This is Where you get to race against your own times
Grand Prix mode: Here, you get to choose 4 courses and a character to play against 7 computer characters where you go through a series of races. Each race is worth a certain amount of points depending on what place you finish in. In the end, point totall are added up to find a supreme champion
Team Mode: In Team Mode, you get to race with multiple characters. Each time you finish a lap, you use a different character.
Story Mode: You go through a story with movies with races along the way. You start as the Chocobo, looking for a special jewel. Along the way, you meet friends who also have jewels. If you succeed in completing story mode, you win new characters, and get to create your very own character!

Overall, this is right up there with the best of the racers. If you enjoyed Mario Kart, you'll definitely enjoy this one. And even if you think its too cartoony, just remember, its from SquareSoft, and since when have they made a bad game?

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99