Final Fantasy – Chocobo Breeding
As many people are aware the Chocobo has been a part of Final Fantasy since Final Fantasy II. But it was not until Final Fantasy VII that the Chocobo truly had a role in this game.
The first time I ever entered the Chocobo Ranch I knew immediately that I was going to be able to catch my own Chocobo. I didn’t buy a strategy guide or looked for help anywhere on my first play through, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but as soon as I talked to the kids in the ranch I was awe struck. I was finally going to be able to catch my own Chocobo! I was ecstatic and couldn’t contain myself, but I soon realized that I wasn’t going to be able to keep my Chocobo on the first disk so I finally went on with the story line. The whole Chocobo breeding portion of the game doesn’t open up till the second disk but when it did I probably spent more time on Chocobo’s than I did the entire game. Chocobo breeding was the highlight of the game, pending the depressing storyline and trying to get strong enough to down both the weapons, this, racing, and the snowboarding minigame in the gold saucer were the only refuge. I have to say that this is one of a few masterpieces created by Square and had hoped that they would do the same for the next Final Fantasy titles, but, to my dismay, I was let down.
It wasn’t until 2006 that Chocobo Breeding came back to the Final Fantasy franchise in Final Fantasy XI, but the only problem was that the game itself is pay to play and you have to have pre requisites even before you are able to mount a Chocobo, let alone own one. Not only that the mechanic’s behind the Chocobo breeding and raising were vexing and proved almost not worth the month needed to raise it. This is what I believe to be a major speed bump for that particular part of the game. It is however a step in the right direction.
I believe that if there was a Chocobo game, purely for Chocobo breeding and a little free roam/role playing but not a game based on leveling up your character, but rather of your Chocobo, then I can say that the game would be very successful, not only in the Japan, but in the entire world. The reason why Pokemon is so successful is because it plays on the fact that everyone, and I mean everyone, wants to be able to tame a creature, watch it grow, play with it, and ultimately breed it to have better off springs, then repeat the process so that they can all vie to become the best. Pokemon itself is a game that is able to target the hardcore gamers and the casual/non-gamers alike because it is not the player that you level up but rather watching your creatures grow to become stronger. So, in other words, if there was such a game that allowed us to take the ever famous Chocobo, renown throughout the world and forever a part of the Final Fantasy franchise, and let us raise it, battle with it, race with it, breed it, and repeat the process’ within the boundaries of yet another fantastically created, jaw dropping world, in which they are the primary form of transportation, manual labor, and, ultimately, man’s best friend, than it would be a masterpiece that would sweep the world with Chocobo fever.
But all in all it is merely a dream of a wondrous game and a hope that the big game company would stumble upon this little blog entry and be hit with such an idea that it would turn into a full blown massively played online world where millions of people come together to show off their Chocobo’s. So who knows it might already be in the planning stages and this is the first leak of it or maybe not, but I do have to say, Chocobo breeding is a really good idea, if not than a free roam, real time fighting, Pokemon online game. Either one would completely tilt the favor for one company. So kudos to you Square and Nintendo, you’ve created a chance to be on top of the gaming world, if one of these ideas were to take fruit. So sorry Microsoft, good luck to you for not being able to create a game aimed towards the general audience but more towards the shooter type of gamers, not saying a lot of your shooters are a disappointment. Also in my opinion Project Natal, in all its greatness, falls a little short of its competition, Sony’s Magic Wand, but in sad truth the Magic Wand itself falls short to Nintendo’s Wii Mote, since the Wii Mote is and will always be the primary controller for the system.
So there you go another idea of mine and another look into Chai’s boring life.
