A is a fictional creature from the
Final Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless
galliformeGalliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
/
ratiteA ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
birdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during
gameplayGameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
. Chocobos first appeared in
Final Fantasy IIis a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
and have been featured in almost all subsequent Final Fantasy games, as well as making
cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in numerous other games. A
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series featuring chocobos has also been created.
While most chocobos that appear in the games are yellow, certain rare breeds are of different colors and have special abilities, including being able to fly or use
magicMagic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. Chocobos are also occasionally used as lightly armored war mounts, assisting their riders in battle with their beak and claws. A
comic reliefComic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
variant is the Fat Chocobo (or Chubby Chocobo) character; an extremely obese yellow or white chocobo that can eat the player's items for storage. The
onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is (sometimes replaced with "wark" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translations or more recently pronounced as "kway").
Creation and influence
The chocobo was created by
Koichi Ishii, sometimes credited as Kouichi Ishii, is a video game designer perhaps best known for creating the Mana series . He joined Square in 1987, where he has directed or produced every game released in the Mana series...
, a video game director who worked on various Final Fantasy titles. The idea for chocobos may have come from
Kyorochanis a Japanese cartoon bird/parrot that serves as a mascot for a brand of Morinaga chocolate known as ChocoBall. He had his own 1999–2000 anime series.The end titles of the anime series use a form of claymation...
, a character in television advertisements for
Morinaga & Companyis a confectionery company in Tokyo, Japan, in operation since August 15, 1899. Their products include candy and other confectioneries. Morinaga has Ayumi Hamasaki and Mao Asada appear in their commercials....
's chocolate candy, which is also a bird with the call of "kweh". Morinaga has also released a
tie-inA tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
product, . Another possible inspiration for the chocobo is said to be
Hayao Miyazakiis a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
's Horseclaws, which appear in the film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Final Fantasy series
Most chocobos dwell in forests (although those from Final Fantasy VII live in grasslands and snowfields). While timid in the wild and vicious if threatened, they tame rather easily and act as vehicles, as well as quick and effective cavalry. In this role they tend to be capable of crossing shallow water and are noted for their high speeds. Most often they can be caught in the wild and ridden without fear of
random encounterA random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s, escaping after the player dismounts. A common food for chocobos, usually used to help tame the bird, are Gysahl Greens, named after a town in
Final Fantasy IIIis a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
.
Final Fantasy IIis a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
was the first installment to have chocobos play a role in the plot. Boko (sometimes translated as Boco) went on to become a recurring chocobo name in later installments. In
Final Fantasy XIIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, the character Sazh Katzroy has a baby chocobo for a pet.
Within
Final Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, the raising and breeding of chocobos was a long-requested activity, and was enabled in the Summer 2006 update. Chocobo racing began in March 2007. Players were allowed to race player-raised chocobos against
non-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s. Winning racers earn "Chocobucks", which can be used to buy items that assist chocobo breeding.
Chocobos have appeared in all numbered installments except the first, in addition to the
Final Fantasy Tacticsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
series. Chocobos appear as a summon in Final Fantasy II, III, IV, V, VII, and VIII. Fat Chocobo appears in Final Fantasy II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, and IX. The chocobo Boko appears in Final Fantasy V and VIII, and Final Fantasy Tactics. Black Chocobos, which sometimes possess the ability to fly, are found in Final Fantasy II, IV, V, VII, XI, and XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.
Final Fantasy Mystic QuestFinal Fantasy Mystic Quest, released as Mystic Quest Legend in PAL regions and as in Japan, is a role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released as a spin-off to Square's popular Final Fantasy series of video games...
features several chocobo-shaped
weather vaneA weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
s in the town of Windia. In
Final Fantasy Crystal Chroniclesis a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
one can obtain the Chocobo Shield and the Chocobo Pocket items, and are included in
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearersis an action-adventure game for the Wii and was first announced to the public at E3 in May 2006. The game was released on November 12, 2009, in Japan and on December 26, 2009, in North America.-Gameplay:...
. In the animated sequel to Final Fantasy V,
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystalsis an anime OVA based on the Final Fantasy series of console role-playing games. It was released in Japan in 1994 and distributed by Urban Vision in 1998 in North America. Urban Vision does not have the license to this series now, and it has not been relicensed in North America.Legend of the...
, one of the main characters can summon pink, featherless chocobos. In addition. Final Fantasy Adventure featured a chocobo egg which hatched to aid the player. Chocobos are common in the
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series
Final Fantasy: Unlimitedwas an anime television series based on Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy role-playing game franchise.Final Fantasy: Unlimited incorporates both 2D animation and 3D graphics, and takes elements from the Final Fantasy games with quite a few easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure...
, and one named Chobi joins the cast in their adventure.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits WithinFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 Japanese-American computer animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series of role-playing video games. It was the first photorealistic computer animated feature film and also holds the record for the most...
and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children both have chocobo-related
easter eggsImage:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
.
Chocobo series
The Chocobo series is a spin-off series of games first developed by
Square Co.was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
, and later by
Square Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
, featuring a
super deformedSuper deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
version of the
Final Fantasy seriesis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, the Chocobo, as the
protagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. These games include Mystery Dungeon installments and a variety of
minigameA minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
collections, over a wide variety of
video game consoleA video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s.
Other appearances
Chocobos appear frequently in other
Squarewas a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and
Square Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
games, notably in the Mana series. A chocobo serves as a mount in
Seiken DensetsuFinal Fantasy Adventure, known as Mystic Quest in Europe and as in Japan, is a Final Fantasy spinoff and the first game in the Mana series. Published by Square in 1991 on the original Game Boy, it later saw a North American re-release by Sunsoft in April 1998...
(Final Fantasy Adventure), and is later changed into a 'Chocobot'. It was removed from the 2003 remake
Sword of Manais an enhanced remake of the original Game Boy game Seiken Densetsu, which was released as Final Fantasy Adventure in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe. This remake was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.-Gameplay:...
in favor of the 'Cannon Ball Travel' which originated in
Secret of ManaSecret of Mana is an action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Square in 1993. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008, and was ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009...
; however, a chocobo can be seen in Sword of Mana by waiting for a certain period of time after the completion of the game. Wild black chocobos appear as monsters in
Legend of ManaLegend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
, while tame yellow chocobos can be hatched by the player from eggs to assist in battle. Chocobos also appear in Seiken Densetsu: Friends of Mana.
In
Secret of EvermoreSecret of Evermore is a role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released by Square Soft in North America on October 1, 1995. In February 1996, it saw release in the PAL territories of Europe and Australia...
, a Chocobo Egg is a rare item. In
Kingdom Heartsis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
, there is a Keyblade/keychain ("Metal Chocobo") and a Gummi Ship design that are both named and modeled after a chocobo; there is also a drawing of a chocobo in the cave on the Destiny Islands. In
Parasite Eveis a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
, a banner depicting a chocobo hangs over the entrance to the
American Museum of Natural HistoryThe American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, while a chocobo skeleton can be found nearby. In
Tobal 2is a 3D fighting game developed by Dream Factory and released by Square in Japan in 1997. It is the sequel to Tobal No. 1. Unlike the latter, Tobal 2 was not released in North America or PAL territories...
, a chocobo is obtainable as a combatant. Web-based minigames starring Chocobos are also featured on Square Enix's member site.
Chocobs are found in the anime series
Dog Daysis a 2011 Japanese fantasy anime television series created by Masaki Tsuzuki and produced by Seven Arcs and Aniplex under the direction of Keizo Kusakawa. The series aired on Tokyo MX and other channels from April 2, 2011 to June 25, 2011...
as the main form of transportation in the fantasy world of Flonyard. these giant birds are called chocobos in the series though there appears to be no relation to the chocobos in
Final Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
or
Square Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
.
Music
The chocobo signature theme is an upbeat ditty that is present in one form or another in all Final Fantasy games since their introduction in Final Fantasy II, frequently as variants or
remixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es: for instance, the Final Fantasy VII chocobo races have a frantic version, while the futuristic Final Fantasy VIII has a more modern one. These songs are titled with the suffix "de Chocobo" and prefixed by the name of the style in which they are played. For example, "Techno de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy VIs PlayStation release features a dance remix, while "Cinco de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy VII features a
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
remix (in 5/4 time, cinco being Spanish and Portuguese for the number five). A newer version of the theme, titled "Swing de Chocobo", was created by
Nobuo Uematsuis a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
for the concerts VOICES and Play!. It has been performed by a number of different orchestras between 2005 and today.
At the 2010 Distant worlds concert in Houston, Texas; Nobuo Uematsu responded to a question from the audience about what color chocobo he would like to own with "Black Chocobo... from Hell!"
Reception and legacy
Boko the Chocobo from
Final Fantasy Vis a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
was voted by
JoystiqJoystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
as the twentieth most desired character to be placed in the Final Fantasy
fighting gameFighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
Dissidia: Final Fantasyis an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
. Music composed for chocobo appearances in the Final Fantasy games was used in the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert tour. Chocobo merchandise has been released, including a
rubber duckA rubber duck is a toy shaped like a stylised Yellow-billed Duck , and is generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic...
, a plush baby Chocobo, and coffee
mugA mug is a sturdily built type of cup often used for drinking hot beverages, such as coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Mugs, by definition, have handles and often hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Usually a mug holds approximately 12 fluid ounces of liquid; double a tea cup...
s. Square Enix designed a chocobo
character costumeThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the release of Chocobo Tales.
The Chocobo was listed by
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
as one the most likely Square Enix characters that could appear in the Super Smash Bros. series, comparing them to the
SlimeThe Slime is the mascot of the Dragon Quest console role-playing game franchise. Designed by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, the basic slime resembles a water drop with two large eyes and a big smile...
from
Dragon Quest, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
and saying that "the Chocobo could be an excellent enemy for Yoshi".
External links