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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales

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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
Packaging artwork, featuring cartoon depictions of a yellow cartoon bipedal bird holding a brown book with one wing while greeting with the other. The game's title appears above the character. Behind the bird is a large open pop-up book with a rocky volcano on the left page and green forest on the right page. Three human characters (a girl with pink pigtails, a girl in a white robe, and a boy in a blue cloak and yellow wizard hat) stand among various cartoon animal characters.
North American box art featuring the titular Chocobo (center) along with several characters including Irma (left), Shirma (right), and Croma (far right).
Developer(s)h.a.n.d.[2]
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Kouji Yamamoto
Producer(s)Yuki Yokoyama
Artist(s)Toshiyuki Itahana
Composer(s)Yuzo Takahashi
SeriesChocobo series
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: December 14, 2006
  • NA: April 3, 2007[1]
  • AU: May 24, 2007
  • EU: May 25, 2007
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, released in Japan as Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon[a][3] is a Nintendo DS adventure game developed by h.a.n.d. and published by Square Enix. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2006, in North America on April 3, 2007, and in the PAL region in May.

Final Fantasy Fables is a Final Fantasy spin-off starring a Chocobo in a setting which features common elements and creatures of the series.[4] Music from the rest of the series is also reused. The game is composed of a number of minigames woven into a main adventure. The game was received positively by critics, who appreciated the originality and light-hearted nature of the title.

The game was followed by Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon on the Wii in 2007 and a DS sequel in 2008.

Gameplay

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Chocobo Tales features a mix of three different types of gameplay; role-playing video game, exploration, and card battles.[5] Players explore a 3D environment to find picture books.[4] Upon finding them the player is transported into pop-up picture books to complete minigames and open the path to the next part of the story. The picture books take the form of Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy Tales with the player character often taking the main role. Other Final Fantasy characters take up roles within the stories. More simplistic minigames, known as microgames, are also scattered throughout the world.[6] Unlike minigames, these are not located within pop-up books, do not affect the game-world and are not required to progress in the game.

Battles take place as pop-up duels with the combat occurring on the top screen and the cards used in the exchange on the bottom screen. On the left, Chocobo uses his sword card, Ragnarok, against the antagonist Bebuzzu's Ifrit card on the right. The characters' life meters appear in opposite corners of the top screen.

Throughout the course of the story, the player will participate in combat that is referred to as "pop-up duels". Battles utilize a deck constructed from cards they have collected from story events, minigames, microgames, or other characters. These decks are used to battle game's bosses in card battle games. Chocobo Tales features online multiplayer capabilities as well. Players can compete against each other in either pop-up duels[4] or minigames. Both modes can connect either through local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi. Multiplayer includes playing the card battles in multi-card and online play by using Nintendo Wi-Fi, and the mini-games are multi-card and single-card download multiplayer as well. 2-4 players may team up for battles, or to participate in mini-games.

Story

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The cast of characters includes such recurring characters as Chocobo, a White Mage named Shirma, a Black Mage named Croma, and others including Irma, the leader of the villains whose plan is to free Darkmaster Bebuzzu, the primary antagonist sealed inside Croma's book, Greeble and Peekaboo, a pair consisting of a skinny blue Chocobo and fat pink Chocobo, Jail Birds, a group of black Chocobos acting and dressed as stereotypical crooks (black ski masks and black and white striped shirts), and Volg, a black Chocobo who works alongside Greeble and Peekaboo.[6]

The story is set in a fairly similar setting of Final Fantasy games such as Final Fantasy I and V; a medieval setting despite having things such as airships. Throughout the course of the game, Chocobo must enter magical picture books which are taken from popular existing fairy tales and folk stories, adapted to suit the Final Fantasy universe and often starring a Chocobo as the main character. There are eight storybooks to discover, each comprising two volumes, and the separate volumes often reference separate stories.

Development

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Close up photograph of a handheld electronic video game system. The blue device consists of two flat rectangular pieces connected by a hinge. Both pieces have a small rectangular screen and the bottom piece has a directional pad and input buttons.
Chocobo Tales was developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS to reach a younger audience and to take advantage of the system's touchscreen capabilities.

Chocobo Tales was developed by h.a.n.d. and published by Square Enix. Yuki Yokoyama served as the game's producer, his first time in the role.[7][8] A team of around 20 staff members completed Chocobo Tales in a year. After deciding to create a game about chocobos, the team examined Square Enix's market research, which showed that chocobos are most popular among younger players. As a result, the developers chose to design the game for the Nintendo DS handheld console, a popular system with that age group. Furthermore, the producer felt that the handheld console was a good choice because it was a leading system in the market that allowed them to be innovative. To that end, the team wanted to utilize the system's stylus in the gameplay. Because the Nintendo DS hardware had memory and graphical limitations compared to home consoles, Yokoyama was able to keep the team smaller. Additionally, development tasks did not need to be divided much among the team.[8]

In designing the visuals, Yokoyama aimed to make the graphics "warm and fuzzy" in order to match the chocobo's reputation. However, the developers presented some aspects of the visuals more realistically as a juxtaposition; for example, the background in the pop-up duels are realistic to inject tension during the battles.[8] Yuzo Takahashi arranged the title's music, which includes arrangements of various Chocobo themes and Final Fantasy tracks. Yasuhiro Yamanaka programmed the tracks to play on the Nintendo DS.[9]

Release

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Square Enix announced Chocobo Tales in the beginning of August 2006. Initial details revolved around the main chocobo character, the opening sequence of the story and the picture book worlds. Only a Japanese release in the winter was publicized at the time.[3] A week following the initial announcement, further details pertaining to the story and pop-up duels were released.[7] Ahead of the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix publicized its plan to have a playable demonstration of Chocobo Tales among its titles on display.[10] At the Japanese trade show in September, the company placed the Chocobo Tales demo in the Final Fantasy section of its exhibit.[11] The demo showcased three of the title's minigames. In addition, Square Enix made one of the minigames available for download onto Nintendo DS consoles and provided Chocobo-themed bags as prizes.[12][13] The company also announced that the game would use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and that some minigames were multiplayer.[13]

A few months after its Japanese release, Square Enix announced that it would publish Chocobo Tales in North America. In addition to the April release date, the company announced the game's English title and ESRB rating.[14] At a press conference at its headquarters on March 13, 2007, Square Enix announced its intent to release Chocobo Tales in Europe.[15] Later that month, it was revealed that Ubisoft would publish the game along with Final Fantasy III in Australia, New Zealand and select European regions in late May 2007;[16] Square Enix's European subsidiary published it in most European countries.[17] In mid-May, the subsidiary announced the May 24 release date.[17] Days after the European release, Square Enix attended the MCM London Expo to showcase several of its new games, including Chocobo Tales. The company's European marketing director, David Dyett, saw the expo as an opportunity to reach fans.[18] Because of the amount of language information inherit to the genre, role-playing games had historically taken a long time to localize to territories outside Japan. Realizing the issue, Square Enix aimed to reduce the localization time for handheld titles like Chocobo Tales.[19] Square Enix worked with Nintendo to provide special cards as downloadable content from DS Download Stations, a process that Yokoyama felt went smoothly. While he hoped to provide a variety of downloads to make players happy, the service limited the type and duration of content that was available.[8]

Reception

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Chocobo Tales received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[20] The game sold over 78,000 units in Japan by the end of 2006, just over two weeks after release.[36] It sold 100,000 units in Europe and 70,000 units in North America by November 2007.[37] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of three eights and one nine for a total of 33 out of 40.[38]

RPGamer commented that "Final Fantasy Fables is quite unique, offering a wide variety of gaming options. While building on the massive world of the Final Fantasy series, it takes a new spin in an attempt at something fresh".[34] Edge magazine staff referred to the game as a "decent effort". While they complimented the visuals, the publication considered the execution and appeal "limited".[39] In its review, the magazine staff praised the combination of 3D models and crayon-styled pop-up sprites. However, they questioned the need for a game staring by a superfluous character like a chocobo.[22] In praising the title's variety, Craig Harris of IGN called Chocobo Tales a "surprisingly fun and engaging experience".[2] GameSpot said that "it might look like just another kid's game, but there is a lot of quality gaming buried under the saccharine visuals".[27]

The gameplay of the minigames and pop-up duels were well received. Harris called the card battles "simple yet challenging" and the mini-games "well-designed" as well as "fun". He further praised the ability to replay the mini-games alone and with others via the DS Download Play[2] GameSpy praised the minigames and card battles.[28] RPGamer praised the amount of minigames and called the card battling system "impressive".[34] GameSpot also praised the minigames and card battles, but commented some minigames were frustrating.[27] The Edge reviewer was split on these elements. They considered the minigames the low point of the game, calling them "crippled forms of better games". However, they complimented the card battles, writing that while simple, the combat is "quite a bit fun".[22]

The story received mixed reviews. Some critics enjoyed it while others referred to it as childish. GameSpy commented the story was predictable and clichéd.[28] RPGamer referred to it as a "light-hearted story".[34] While noting that the story is neither "huge" nor "elaborate", Harris nonetheless commented that Chocobo Tales is surprisingly enjoyable for older players.[2] In 2008, IGN staff listed the game as the eighth greatest mini-game collection on the Nintendo Wii or DS, citing its style, variety, and connections to the story.[40]

GameZone gave the game 8.2 out of 10, calling it "one Nintendo DS game you should not miss."[41] GamePro concluded in their review: "Chocobo Tales is about quick and easy fun. The Crayola art style, pop-up book style graphics and fable stories may make it seem like a kiddie title and technically, it is. However, the game is fun enough that and packed with enough nods to diehard fans that Final Fantasy fans of all ages should give it a look. At the least, it'll be a nice bite-sized appetizer until Final Fantasy XIII lands."[42][c]

Legacy

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Yokoyama would go on to produce more Chocobo games. In creating Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon on the Wii, he aimed to include elements from Chocobo Tales that were well received.[43] Square Enix released the game in 2007.[44] A sequel titled Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon: Majō to Shōjo to Gonin no Yūsha[d] was released in Japan on December 11, 2008.[45] After the sequel's release, Square Enix published a two CD set of the Chocobo Tales games' soundtracks, which consists of 61 songs.[46]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: チョコボと魔法の絵本, lit. 'Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book'
  2. ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the game, one critic gave it 6/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 6.5 out of 10.
  3. ^ GamePro gave the game 4.5/5 for graphics, and three 4/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor.
  4. ^ 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"'

References

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  1. ^ Tim Surette (2007-02-20). "FF's Chocobo Tales to be told in US". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  2. ^ a b c d e Craig Harris (2007-04-03). "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  3. ^ a b Anoop Gantayat (2006-08-03). "Chocobo Set For DS". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  4. ^ a b c Craig Harris (2007-02-16). "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Hands-on". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  5. ^ "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Company Line". GameSpot. CNET. 2007-03-22. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  6. ^ a b Square Enix (2007). Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Instruction Booklet. Square Enix.
  7. ^ a b IGN staff (2006-08-10). "Chocobo Update". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
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