The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we shine the spotlight on the Final Fantasy spin-off kart romp, Chocobo Racing.
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Developer: Square Enix
Region(s) available: Japan
Players: 1-2
Released at the height of 32-bit Final Fantasy hysteria back in 1999, Chocobo Racing represents one of Square’s shameless attempts to cash-in on the meteoric rise in popularity of its mammoth-selling RPG series. Not content with spin-offs Final Fantasy Tactics and Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon, the Japanese giant saw fit to make the transition to the racing genre with this cutesy kart romp, staring Final Fantasy’s loveable yellow, unofficial mascot.
Unsurprisingly, Chocobo Racing adheres to the rigid, tired and tested template nailed down by Mario Kart back in the early 1990s. Players take their pick from over eight iconic characters plucked from the FF universe, before setting out across numerous race tracks while hurling power-ups at each other in a bid for pole position. Five bread-and-butter game modes are up for grabs – including Story, Grand Prix and Versus – with over 10 tracks to cruise around. All modes are pretty self-explanatory, though Story puts a narrative spin on the proceedings and features a voiceover by ubiquitous FF hero Sid.
Racing is pretty rudimentary and comparable to most Kart games, though what makes Chocobo Racing unique is its power-ups. Prior to each race, gamers must pick a special ability from a host of powers including speed boosts, grip boosts and various attack-oriented boosts such as Mug or Magic Plus. Every driver has his or her own unique ability, which when combined with on-track power-ups, makes for quite a rewarding mix-up. It’s worth noting, however, that all special abilities boast varying regeneration times; the more powerful they are the longer you’ll have to wait in order to use them again.
Join us again tomorrow as we once again have a wonder around Inside PlayStation Network.