Included in the September 2021 Nintendo Direct was a welcome surprise for Square Enix fans: the reveal ofChocobo GP, a racing game and successor to the PS1 titleChocobo Racing. The game aspires to be a lighthearted kart-racing game using characters, race tracks, and magic from various parts of theFinal Fantasyfranchise. Of particular note is the item system, using three-tiered magic like that of the originalChocobo Racing. With manyFinal Fantasycrossovers occurring in mobile games these days, it’s nice to see a console game bring the whole franchise together for some friendly competition.
The fact that the game is aFinal Fantasycrossover may come as a surprise to some.Chocobo GPis chiefly based on theChocobogame series, which has used a wide variety of game genres but is best known for its dungeon-crawling entries. The series has adapted many iconicFinal Fantasycharacters and monsters into chibi form, making it a sort ofspiritual prequel toWorld of Final Fantasy. One might think that such a roster would be enough to fill a kart racer’s cast, butChocobo GPalso uses characters from other games in the series. This is a staple of theChocobo Racinggames, as the original featured Cloud, Squall, vehicles from various games, and Aya Brea’s cop car fromParasite Eve. The characters revealed by the new game’s reveal trailer have yet to reach such goofy heights, but there are plenty of exciting crossovers in there.
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Racers Hailing From the Chocobo Series
More than half of the revealed characters hail from theChocoboseries proper. The main Chocobo, simply called Chocobo, is an obvious representative from the series. As are the recurring White Mage Shiroma and the Moogles Mog and Dungeon Hero X (secretly the same person), who are usually around to help Chocobo in his adventures. Behemoth and Ramuh are present in their more cartoon-ishChocobogame designs, andCid has finally returnedto his classic red-haired look fromChocobotitles. Some of the most recentChocobogames featured a lot of drift from the deformed designs the series is known for, so it’s nice to see them back in full force here.
The remaining Chocobos are more odd. The onlyChocobo seen in a kartis probably series-regular Fat Chocobo, though it’s difficult to make out his face in existing footage and he seems to be sporting a significantly different design. The other Chocobo seen skating down the tracks is a dark orange female named Camilla. She’s been a recurring character in theChocobogames since the originalChocobo’s Mysterious Dungeonon PlayStation, but has never been given a major role despite essentially being the female equivalent to Chocobo. She was the strongest unlockable Buddy in the recentChocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy!, so it seems Square Enix is giving her more limelight.
Characters From Other Final Fantasy Games
There is one more Chocobo present in the revealed cast, though this one is different from the others. Despite looking like a Chocobo series regular, Mecha Chocobo has never been in aChocobogame. It could have if the cancelledBattle de Chocoboarcade game actually came out, but that didn’t have anything to do with the otherChocobogames. Instead, this mechanized bird is a boss fromWorld of Final Fantasy. Gilgamesh also looks like he could be fromWorld, but he is sporting an all-new design. This is the latest of many, consideringthisFinal Fantasy 5lackeyhas been dimension-hopping for a long time.
The final two known characters are Adelbert Steiner and Vivi, both main characters fromFinal Fantasy 9. This comes as a surprise considering Black Mages are a recurring element in theChocoboseries, and an important one named Croma already exists. Their appearance does fit the cute style ofChocobo GP, and they provide a good teaser for the otherFinal Fantasycharacters who could potentially appear later on. Their appearance also supports the theory that Square Enix is pushing for aresurrection ofFinal Fantasy 9in the near future. The roster is already shaping up to be strong, and more crossover appearances can only make it better.
