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Chocobo (series)

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This article is about the game series starring Chocobo. For the character itself, see Chocobo.
Chocobo
Chocobo game for the Nintendo DS
Genre(s)role-playing game
Developer(s)Enix, Square Enix
Publisher(s)Enix, Square Enix
Creator(s)Koichi Ishii
Platform(s)PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, IOS
First releaseChocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon
December 23, 1997
Latest releaseChocobo no Chocotto Nouen
December 19, 2012

The Chocobo series is a spin-off series of games first developed by Square Co., and later by Square Enix, featuring a chibi version of the Final Fantasy series mascot, the Chocobo, as the protagonist. These games include Mystery Dungeon installments and a variety of minigame collections, over a wide variety of video game consoles. The games were developed due to the Chocobos popularity and its role as the mascot of the Final Fantasy series.

Games

Title Year Platform Notes
Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon
Chokobo no Fushigi na Danjon (チョコボの不思議なダンジョン, lit. "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon") 		PlayStation, Wonderswan, PlayStation Network Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon is a dungeon crawler developed by Square for the PlayStation, ported to the WonderSwan by TOSE. It sold 1.14 million copies worldwide (PlayStation) as of March 2003.[1]
Chocobo's Dungeon 2
Chokobo no Fushigi na Danjon 2 (チョコボの不思議なダンジョン2, lit. "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2") 		PlayStation, PlayStation Network Chocobo's Dungeon 2 is a sequel to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon, for the PlayStation. It features second characters that can be controlled by AI or a second player. A WonderSwan Color version was planned but not released.[2] It sold 592,730 copies sold in Japan as of December 2004.[3]
Chocobo World
Odekake Chokobo RPG (おでかけチョコボRPG, lit. "Let's Go Out Chocobo RPG") 		Part of Final Fantasy VIII PocketStation, Windows PocketStation mini-game released as part of Final Fantasy VIII, later ported to the Windows version of the game.
Chocobo Racing
Chokobo Rēshingu: Genkai e no Rōdo ~ (チョコボレーシング 〜幻界へのロード〜, lit. "Chocobo Racing: Road to the Spirit World") 		PlayStation, PlayStation Network Racing game developed by Square for the PlayStation, also released as part of Chocobo Collection.
Chocobo Stallion
Chokobo Sutarion (チョコボスタリオン) 		PlayStation, PlayStation Network Chocobo raising and racing simulation developed by ParityBit. Released as part of Chocobo Collection and as a standalone game on the PlayStation Network.
Dice de Chocobo
Daisu de Chokobo (ダイスDEチョコボ) 		PlayStation, PlayStation Network Board game developed by Denyusha Co. for the PlayStation.[5] Released as part of Chocobo Collection and as a standalone game on the PlayStation Network.
Chocobo Collection
Chokobo Korekushon (チョコボコレクション) 		PlayStation Compilation of Chocobo Racing, Chocobo Stallion and Dice de Chocobo.
Hataraku Chocobo
Hataraku Chokobo (はたらくチョコボ, lit. "Working Chocobo") 		Wonderswan Life simulation game developed by Square for the WonderSwan. 8,930 copies sold as of September 24, 2000.[6]
Dokodemo Chocobo
Dokodemo Chokobo (どこでもチョコボ, lit. "Chocobo Anywhere") 		Mobile phones Dokodemo Chocobo is a two-part app which came pre-installed on the Docomo D504i mobile phone. The first part, Bōken Hen (冒険編, lit. "Adventure Hen"), is an adventure game. In the second part, named Tai Ju Hen (待受編, lit. "Standby Hen"), items obtained in the first part can be used to decorate the room of the Chocobo, which is viewable in the standby screen of the phone.[7]
Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice
Chokobo Rando: A Game of Dice (チョコボランド A Game of Dice) 		Game Boy Advance Remake of Dice de Chocobo for the Game Boy Advance. Rated 28 out of 40 by Famitsu magazine.[8]
Dokodemo Chocobo 2: Dasshutsu! Yūreisen
Dokodemo Chokobo 2: Dasshutsu! Yūreisen (どこでもチョコボ2 脱出! 幽霊船, lit. "Chocobo Anywhere 2: Escape! Ghost Ship") 		Mobile phones Adventure game divided in two parts. The first one was pre-installed on the Docomo D505i and D505iS mobile phones. The second one had to be downloaded separately.[9]
Choco-Mate
Choko Mēto (ちょこメ～と) 		Mobile phones Social networking service for mobile phones.[10][11]
Dokodemo Chocobo 2.5: Sennyū! Kodai Iseki
Dokodemo Chokobo 2.5: Sennyū! Kodai Iseki (どこでもチョコボ2・5 潜入! 古代遺跡, lit. "Chocobo Anywhere 2.5: Infiltrate! Ancient Ruins") 		Mobile phones Downloadable adventure game for mobile phones, sequel to Dokodemo Chocobo 2.
Dokodemo Chocobo 3: Taose! Niji Iro Daimaō
Dokodemo Chokobo 3: Taose! Niji Iro Daimaō (どこでもチョコボ3 倒せ! 虹色大魔王, lit. "Chocobo Anywhere 3: Defeat! The Great Rainbow-Colored Demon") 		Mobile phones Adventure game divided in two parts. The first one was pre-installed on the Docomo D506i mobile phone. The second one had to be downloaded separately.[12]
Chocobo de Mobile
Chokobo de Mobairu (チョコボdeモバイル) 		Mobile phones Mobile application featuring sports and other mini-games.[13][14]
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon (チョコボと魔法の絵本, lit. "Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book") 		Nintendo DS Adventure game developed by h.a.n.d. for the Nintendo DS. 170,000 copies sold in North America and Europe as of November 2007.[15]
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
Chokobo no Fushigi na Danjon: Toki Wasure no Meikyū (チョコボの不思議なダンジョン 時忘れの迷宮, lit. "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: The Labyrinth of Forgotten Time") 		Wii Role-playing game developed by h.a.n.d. for the Wii. 160,000 copies sold in Japan and North America as of September 2008.[20]
Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon Toki Wasure no Meikyū DS+
Sido to Chokobo no Fushigi na Danjon Toki Wasure no Meikyū DS+ (シドとチョコボの不思議なダンジョン 時忘れの迷宮 DS+, lit. "Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: the Labyrinth of Forgotten Time DS+") 		Nintendo DS Enhanced port of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon for the Nintendo DS, starring Cid. 46,000 copies sold as of November 16, 2008.[22]
Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon: Majo to Shōjo to Gonin no Yūsha
Chokobo to Mahō no Ehon: Majo to Shōjo to Gonin no Yūsha (チョコボと魔法の絵本 魔女と少女と5人の勇者, lit. "Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book: The Witch, the Girl, and the Five Heroes") 		Nintendo DS Sequel to Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, for the Nintendo DS.
Chocobo Panic
Chokobo Panikku (チョコボパニック) 		iPad First Chocobo game designed for the iPad.
Chocobo's Crystal Tower
Chokobo to Kurisutaru no Tō (チョコボとクリスタルの塔) 		Mobile phones, Facebook Chocobo raising simulation released for Japanese mobile phones and later ported worldwide as a Facebook app.[25]
Chocobo no Chocotto Nouen
Chokobo no Chokotto Nouen (チョコボのチョコッと農園, lit. "Chocobo’s Chocotto Farm") 		iOS, Android Chocobo no Chocotto Nouen is a social farming game released for iOS and Android devices and playable on the GREE platform.[26]
Chocobo Racing 3D
Chokobo Rēshingu 3D (チョコボレーシング3D) 		Cancelled Nintendo 3DS Chocobo Racing 3D was first announced as being part of the Nintendo 3DS lineup of games at E3 2010.[27] On October 10, 2013 Takashi Tokita, director of the original Chocobo Racing, confirmed that the game has ceased development.

Common elements

The types of games starring the Chocobo have varied greatly, from mini-games to role-playing games, as well as racing games and simulations.

Music

Main article: Music of the Chocobo series

The music of the Chocobo series includes soundtrack albums for the Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon sub-series—comprising Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon—and soundtrack albums of music from Chocobo Racing, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, and Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book: The Witch, The Maiden, and the Five Heroes, as well as an album of arranged music from Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon and a single entitled Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Toki Wasure No Meikyuu: Door Crawl for the theme song of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.

Masashi Hamauzu, the composer for Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon, was not expecting to be assigned the soundtrack to the game. In the liner notes for the original soundtrack album, he states that he was "still in high school when that lovable character first made his debut in Final Fantasy", but that the "Chocobo Theme" made a big impression on him, leading him to often think to himself that he would "love to try doing this kind of work".[28] The soundtrack was the first solo album that Hamauzu had produced.[29] When he wrote his own Chocobo themes for the Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Original Soundtrack, he decided to arrange the opening and ending of the album for a fifty-piece orchestra, which lead to the creation of the orchestrated Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli album. In the liner notes for that album, he explains that his motivation for creating the orchestral works was because "Demand for classical music in Japan is still low compared with other countries" and he wanted "to spread the word on this style of music by any means necessary". He ends the note by exhorting his listeners to "take your time" with classical music such as the album, so that one day they will appreciate it.[30]

Hamauzu has not been involved in the production of any other Chocobo soundtracks. Chocobo's Dungeon 2's soundtrack was composed by a group of five composers, and was the last Chocobo game soundtrack to not be mainly composed of remixes of previous Final Fantasy and Chocobo music.[31] Hamauzu was not involved in the creation of either the remixes or original tracks for these albums. His role was filled by Kumi Tanioka for Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, Kenji Ito for Chocobo Racing, and Yuzo Takahashi for Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book: The Witch, The Maiden, and the Five Heroes.[32][33][34]

Unlike the soundtracks to the numbered Final Fantasy games, no tracks from the Chocobo soundtracks have appeared in any compilation albums produced by Square Enix. Pieces from the series have also not appeared in any of the official Final Fantasy music concerts, although a piece based on the "Chocobo theme", "Swing de Chocobo", has been played at the 2005 More Friends concert in Los Angeles, the 2006 Voices concert in Japan, and in the worldwide Distant Worlds concert tour from 2007 to date.[35][36][37] On February 6, 2011 the Australian Eminence Symphony Orchestra played a concert in Tokyo as part of the Game Music Laboratory concert series as a tribute to the music of Kenji Ito and Hiroki Kikuta. The concert included "Treasure Chest of the Heart" from Chocobo Racing, sung by Jillian Aversa.[38]

Reception

Most reviewers have praised the games for their colorful and sometimes storybook style graphics, but faulted the games for being too simple or geared exclusively toward children.

References

  1. ^ "February 2, 2004 - February 4, 2004" (PDF). Square Enix. 2004-02-09. p. 27. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  2. ^ Yukiyoshi Ike Sato (December 1999). "Square WonderSwan games update". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  3. ^ "Sony PS1 Japanese Ranking". Japan-GameCharts.com. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  4. ^ "チョコボレーシング ～幻界へのロード". PlayStation.com(Japan). Sony. 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  5. ^ Denyusha staff (2005). "Denyusha Co.,Ltd". Denyusha Entertainment Software Company. Retrieved February 3, 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  6. ^ ソフトウェア/TOP30（0918〜0924）
  7. ^ Mobile：三菱、D504i向けの3Dコンテンツ作成仕様を公開
  8. ^ Freund, Josh (December 4, 2002). "GAF - News - New Famitsu scores". GamesAreFun.com. Retrieved 2009-01-11.[dead link]
  9. ^ ケータイ新製品SHOW CASE NTTドコモ D505iS
  10. ^ Square Enix staff (2003-08-04). "Square Enix IR Roadshow Document" (PDF). Square Enix Japan. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
  11. ^ スクウェア・エニックス、505i用「ちょこメ〜と」を7月7日に配信
  12. ^ ASCII.jp：NTTドコモ、“ムーバ506i”シリーズ3機種の開発を発表
  13. ^ Square Enix staff (2006-12-16). "ケータイで「チョコボ」のミニゲームもりだくさん♪" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  14. ^ Spencer (2007-01-08). "Chocobo de Mobile shows that chocobos can do anything". Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  15. ^ "FY 2007 First-Half Period Results Briefing Session" (PDF). Square Enix. 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  16. ^ IGN staff (2007-09-13). "Chocobo Hits Japan in December". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  17. ^ IGN Staff (2008-03-31). "Uncover Lost Memories with Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon". IGN. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  18. ^ Luke Van Leuveren (2008-04-06). "Updated Australian Release List - 7/4/08". PALGN. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  19. ^ GameSpy staff (2008-06-28). "FFF: Chocobo's Dungeon For PAL (Wii)". GameSpy.
  20. ^ "Results Briefing Session: The First-Half of the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2009" (PDF). Square-Enix.com. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  21. ^ Gamekyo.com (2008-07-26). "Square Enix Announces Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon Toki Wasure no Meikyū DS+ release date in Japan". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  22. ^ 【ゲームソフト販売本数ランキング TOP30】 集計期間：2008年11月10日〜11月16日 - ファミ通.com
  23. ^ John Tanaka (2008-07-08). "Square Enix Announces New Chocobo Titles". IGN. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  24. ^ iTunes Preview: Chocobo Panic, retrieved November 20, 2012
  25. ^ Ishaan (August 5, 2011). "Kweh! Square Enix Europe Take Over Another Game". Siliconera. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  26. ^ http://www.jp.square-enix.com/chocobo_nouen/
  27. ^ Anoop Gantayat (September 28, 2010). "3DS: The Current Japanese Release List". IGN. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  28. ^ Hamauzu, Masashi. Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Original Soundtrack Liner Notes. DigiCube. SSCX-10014. December 21, 1997
  29. ^ "Interview with Masashi Hamauzu (RocketBaby - September 2003)". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on 2013-02-07. Retrieved 2009-03-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ Hamauzu, Masashi. Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon Coi Vanni Gialli Liner Notes. DigiCube. SSCX-10016. December 21, 1997
  31. ^ Gann, Patrick (2000-10-15). "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2 OST". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2009-02-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ Jeriaska (2008-03-14). "Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Labyrinth of Forgotten Time~ OST". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2009-02-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ Kie. "Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack: Review by Kie". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2009-02-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ Chris. "Chocobo and the Magic Books Original Soundtrack: Review by Chris". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2009-02-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ Gann, Patrick (2006-04-05). "More Friends music from Final Fantasy ~Los Angeles Live 2005~". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2008-05-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "VOICES - Music from Final Fantasy". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2009-06-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "Concert Events- Music from Final Fantasy". Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-06-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  38. ^ Napolitano, Jayson (2011-03-24). "Game Music Laboratory Unplugged Concert Feat. Hiroki Kikuta and Kenji Ito". Original Sound Version. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2011-03-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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