Play Chocobo Racing Online

Summary

Chocobo Racing lets you hop behind the series’ iconic yellow bird and a roster of familiar faces – from Mog the Moogle to Cloud and Cid – as they zip around whimsical tracks in go‑kart style vehicles. The game blends familiar Final Fantasy motifs with a kart‑racing formula, letting you collect and steal Magic Stones that grant temporary boosts like a burst of speed or a defensive shield.

Racing isn’t just about pressing the accelerator; you can execute a skid by braking and accelerating together to carve tight corners, though a mistimed skid will spin you out. Before each race you assign a special ability that charges in a meter and can be unleashed once full, adding a layer of strategy to the high‑speed chaos.

Five modes cover everything from a storybook‑styled single‑player campaign narrated by Cid to split‑screen Versus, Grand Prix, Relay, and Time Attack. Ten tracks – including Moogle Forest, Floating Gardens, and the unlockable F.F.VIII Circuit – each hide Magic Stones and quirky shortcuts, while two courses only appear after you finish the story mode.

Completing the narrative awards up to a hundred points you can spend to fine‑tune a custom racer’s speed, acceleration, grip, drift and ability‑gauge charge, though only the main characters and Bahamut can be customized. Secret racers like Cactuar and Bahamut become available once you’ve cleared the story.

Critics noted the game’s obvious nods to Mario Kart, praising its charming soundtrack of rearranged Final Fantasy themes while lamenting the D‑pad steering and modest track design. Despite mixed reviews, the title sold well in Japan and later resurfaced in the Chocobo Collection and as a PSOne Classic, cementing its place as a nostalgic side‑step for fans of the series.

Storyline

Chocobo Racing's Story Mode is narrated by Cid and presented as a nine‑chapter pop‑up book with FMV cutscenes. Players can watch the story or skip straight to the race, except on the first play‑through.

Chapter one, “Gadgets a go‑go,” has inventor Cid fitting Chocobo with a pair of Jet‑Blades for a test run. After a brief race, Mog the Moogle asks about a racing machine, prompting Cid to hand Mog a scooter and explain that Chocobo’s speed comes from a Blue Crystal on his leg‑ring. Curious, Mog decides he also wants a Blue Crystal, and Cid suggests they set out to uncover its secret.

Their journey leads them to the mage village of Mysidia, where a White Mage notices the companions’ “Blue Crystals” are actually Magicite shards. She challenges them to a race in the Floating Gardens; winning earns them the legend that a single Magicite Crystal was shattered into eight pieces and scattered to the four winds, awaiting reunification.

After recruiting Behemoth and gathering all eight shards—Mog discovers he possessed one all along—the shards glow and open a portal to Fantasia. There, Bahamut tests the group with a final race, then declares the portal will remain open so Fantasia can coexist with the world.