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The classic kart racer from 1999 gets a sequel on Nintendo Switch.
Final FantasyandDragon Questdeveloper and publisher Square Enix just announcedChocobo GP, a sequel to 1999 kart racerChocobo Racing. Square Enix revealed the game today via theNintendo Direct, dropping a 60-second gameplay trailer in the process.
Chocobo GPis a kart racer in the same vein as as its predecessor. Similar to titles likeMario KartandCrash Team Racing, it takes on traditional arcade racing gameplay. The game features characters from popular Square Enix IPs, with the main character being a Chocobo from theFinal Fantasyseries.
According to the trailer, the story ofChocobo GPis about granting one wish to the winner of the tournament. This makes it somewhat similar to that ofTwisted Metal, another classic PlayStation franchise from the 1990s.
Spells fromFinal Fantasyfeatured heavily in the teaser as well.Collecting Magicite (magical stones from variousFinal Fantasygames) allows players to upgrade their spells, such as when going from Fire to Fira and finally Firaga. Firaga in particular looks like this massive fireball that could take out multiple racers on track at once.
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The originalChocobo Racingreleased on the PlayStation all the way back in August of 1999. Riding the popularity of smash hits likeFinal Fantasy VIIandParasite Eve,Chocobo Racingproved to be quite successful among the Square Enix faithful at the time.
It wasn’tquite as well-received by the video gaming world at large, though, with reviewers calling it a mediocre attempt at cashing in on the success of their flagship games in the late 1990s. Critics primarily pointed to its unrefined graphics and clunky controls as the two main reasons. Despite its relatively low overall quality, however, it became a cult classic withFinal Fantasyfans in that particular era.
Despite the mixed reception, however,Chocobo Racingwas actually supposed to get a sequel on the Nintendo 3DS.Chocobo Racing 3Dwas reportedly the working title for the sequel, but Square Enix elected to cancel development in 2013.Chocobo GPon the other hand looks like it’s close to completion. The trailer also shows a huge improvement in graphical quality compared to the original, which we’ve come to expect out of Square Enix over the last decade or so.
