Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, released in Japan as Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon (チョコボと魔法の絵本, "Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book")[4] is a Nintendo DSadventure game developed by h.a.n.d. and published by Square Enix. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2006, in North America on April 3, 2007, and in the PAL region in May.
Final Fantasy Fables is a Final Fantasy spin-off starring a Chocobo in a setting which features common elements and creatures of the series.[5] Music from the rest of the series is also reused. The game is composed of a number of minigames woven into a main adventure. The game was received positively by critics, who appreciated the originality and light-hearted nature of the title.
A sequel, Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon: Majō to Shōjo to Gonin no Yūsha (チョコボと魔法の絵本 魔女と少女と5人の勇者, "Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book: The Witch, the Girl, and the Five Heroes") was released in Japan on December 11, 2008.[6]
Chocobo Tales features a mix of three different types of gameplay; role-playing video game, exploration, and card battles.[7] Players explore a 3D environment to find picture books.[5] Upon finding them the player is transported into pop-up picture books to complete minigames and open the path to the next part of the story. The picture books take the form of Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy Tales with the player character often taking the main role. Other Final Fantasy characters take up roles within the stories. More simplistic minigames, known as microgames, are also scattered throughout the world.[8] Unlike minigames, these are not located within pop-up books, do not affect the game-world and are not required to progress in the game.
A pop-up duel.
Throughout the course of the story, the player will participate in combat that is referred to as "pop-up duels". Battles utilize a deck constructed from cards they have collected from story events, minigames, microgames, or other characters. These decks are used to battle game's bosses in card battle games. Chocobo Tales features online multiplayer capabilities as well. Players can compete against each other in either pop-up duels[5] or minigames. Both modes can connect either through local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi. Multiplayer includes playing the card battles in multi-card and online play by using Nintendo Wi-Fi, and the mini-games are multi-card and single-card download multiplayer as well. 2-4 players may team up for battles, or to participate in mini-games.
Storyedit
The cast of characters includes such recurring characters as Chocobo, a White Mage named Shirma, a Black Mage named Croma, and others including Irma, the leader of the villains whose plan is to free Darkmaster Bebuzzu, the primary antagonist sealed inside Croma's book, Greeble and Peekaboo, a pair consisting of a skinny blue Chocobo and fat pink Chocobo, Jail Birds, a group of black Chocobos acting and dressed as stereotypical crooks (black ski masks and black and white striped shirts), and Volg, a black Chocobo who works alongside Greeble and Peekaboo.[8]
The story is set in a fairly similar setting of Final Fantasy games such as Final Fantasy I and V; a medieval setting despite having things such as airships. Throughout the course of the game, Chocobo must enter magical picture books which are taken from popular existing fairy tales and folk stories, adapted to suit the Final Fantasy universe and often starring a Chocobo as the main character. There are eight storybooks to discover, each comprising two volumes, and the separate volumes often reference separate stories.
Developmentedit
Chocobo Tales was announced in the Summer of 2006. Initial details revolved around the main character, Chocobo, the opening sequence of the story and the picture book worlds.[9] Further details included the pop-up duels and more information pertaining to the story.[10] The game was produced by Yuki Yokoyama and took 20 staff members a year to create. The first decision made was to create a game about chocobos, market research showed that the characters are most popular with younger players, thus the game was designed for the Nintendo DS system, a popular system with that age group.[11]
Much of the music in the game has been "borrowed" from other Final Fantasy games, newly rendered. The music played during card battles is the battle theme from Final Fantasy I, just as the theme played when traversing Mount Magma is the same as the theme of Gulug Volcano from the same game. The victory theme is the classic jingle, with the pre-VII aftertune. There are many other examples, such as the chocobo racing theme from FFVII, the Boss theme being borrowed from VI, Irma's house is a rendition of the IV sorrow music, and the end credits feature the airship theme from VIII. Music from Final Fantasy III has also been borrowed, such as the crystal room theme and Gysahl theme.
Chocobo Tales sold over 78,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2006, just over two weeks after release.[17] It sold 100,000 copies in Europe and 70,000 copies in North America by November 2007.[18]Chocobo Tales met with overall positive reviews.[13]RPGamer commented that "Final Fantasy Fables is quite unique, offering a wide variety of gaming options. While building on the massive world of the Final Fantasy series, it takes a new spin in an attempt at something fresh".[16]Edge referred to the game as a "decent effort". They complimented the visuals, but stated that "the execution and appeal is limited".[19]IGN called Chocobo Tales a "surprisingly fun and engaging experience".[1]GameSpot said that "it might look like just another kid's game, but there is a lot of quality gaming buried under the saccharine visuals".[14]
The gameplay of the minigames and pop-up duels were well received. IGN called the mini-games "clever and fun" and noted the card battle as simple yet challenging.[1]GameSpy praised the minigames and card battles.[15]RPGamer praised the amount of minigames and called the card battling system "impressive".[16]GameSpot also praised the minigames and card battles, but commented some minigames were frustrating.[14] The story received mixed reviews. Some critics enjoyed it while others referred to it as childish. GameSpy commented the story was predictable and clichéd.[15]RPGamer referred to it as a "light-hearted story".[16]IGN said that the story is not huge or elaborate, but the game is surprisingly enjoyable for the older crowd.[1]IGN also listed the game as the eighth greatest mini-game collection on the Nintendo Wii or DS.[20]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefHarris, Craig (2007-04-03). "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Review". IGN. from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
^"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Tech Info". GameSpot. from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
^"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales - Game Info". GameFAQs. from the original on 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^"Chocobos to star in Nintendo DS Final Fantasy spin-off". Galbadia X. 2007-01-11. from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
^ abcCraig Harris (2007-02-16). "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Hands-on". IGN. from the original on 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^John Tanaka (2008-07-08). "Square Enix Announces New Chocobo Titles". IGN. from the original on January 26, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
^"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Company Line". GameSpot. 2007-03-22. from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
^ abSquare Enix (2007). Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Instruction Booklet. Square Enix.
^Anoop Gantayat (2006-08-03). "Chocobo Set For DS". IGN. from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^IGN Staff (2006-08-10). "Chocobo Update". IGN. from the original on 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^Harris, Craig (2007-07-03). "Chocobo Tales Postmortem". IGN. from the original on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
^"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales - DS Reviews". GameRankings. from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
^ ab"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (ds:2007): Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 2007-06-29. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
^ abcKevin VanOrd (2007-04-09). "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales Review". GameSpot. from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
^ abc"Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS)". GameSpy. from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^ abcdCunningham, Michael. . RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
^"2006年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500" [2006 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2007 ファミ通ゲーム白書2007 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 2007] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2007. p. 387. ISBN978-4-7577-3577-4. JPNO 21240454. from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
^"FY 2007 First-Half Period Results Briefing Session" (PDF). Square Enix. 2007-11-19. (PDF) from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
^IGN Nintendo Team (2008-08-21). "Top 10 Mini-game Collections for Wii and DS". IGN. from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
External linksedit
Official website (Japanese)
Official website (North American)
November 11, 2023
final, fantasy, fables, chocobo, tales, released, japan, chocobo, mahō, ehon, チョコボと魔法の絵本, chocobo, magic, picture, book, nintendo, adventure, game, developed, published, square, enix, released, japan, december, 2006, north, america, april, 2007, region, north,. Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales released in Japan as Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon チョコボと魔法の絵本 Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book 4 is a Nintendo DS adventure game developed by h a n d and published by Square Enix It was released in Japan on December 14 2006 in North America on April 3 2007 and in the PAL region in May Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo TalesNorth American box artDeveloper s h a n d 1 Publisher s Square EnixDirector s Kouji YamamotoProducer s Yuki YokoyamaArtist s Toshiyuki ItahanaComposer s Nobuo Uematsu 2 3 SeriesChocobo seriesPlatform s Nintendo DSReleaseJP December 14 2006NA April 3 2007AU May 24 2007EU May 25 2007 1 Genre s Adventure game Collection of minigames Card battleMode s Single player multiplayerFinal Fantasy Fables is a Final Fantasy spin off starring a Chocobo in a setting which features common elements and creatures of the series 5 Music from the rest of the series is also reused The game is composed of a number of minigames woven into a main adventure The game was received positively by critics who appreciated the originality and light hearted nature of the title A sequel Chocobo to Mahō no Ehon Majō to Shōjo to Gonin no Yusha チョコボと魔法の絵本 魔女と少女と5人の勇者 Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book The Witch the Girl and the Five Heroes was released in Japan on December 11 2008 6 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Story 3 Development 3 1 Audio 4 Reception 5 References 6 External linksGameplay editChocobo Tales features a mix of three different types of gameplay role playing video game exploration and card battles 7 Players explore a 3D environment to find picture books 5 Upon finding them the player is transported into pop up picture books to complete minigames and open the path to the next part of the story The picture books take the form of Aesop s Fables and Grimm s Fairy Tales with the player character often taking the main role Other Final Fantasy characters take up roles within the stories More simplistic minigames known as microgames are also scattered throughout the world 8 Unlike minigames these are not located within pop up books do not affect the game world and are not required to progress in the game nbsp A pop up duel Throughout the course of the story the player will participate in combat that is referred to as pop up duels Battles utilize a deck constructed from cards they have collected from story events minigames microgames or other characters These decks are used to battle game s bosses in card battle games Chocobo Tales features online multiplayer capabilities as well Players can compete against each other in either pop up duels 5 or minigames Both modes can connect either through local wireless or Nintendo Wi Fi Multiplayer includes playing the card battles in multi card and online play by using Nintendo Wi Fi and the mini games are multi card and single card download multiplayer as well 2 4 players may team up for battles or to participate in mini games Story editThe cast of characters includes such recurring characters as Chocobo a White Mage named Shirma a Black Mage named Croma and others including Irma the leader of the villains whose plan is to free Darkmaster Bebuzzu the primary antagonist sealed inside Croma s book Greeble and Peekaboo a pair consisting of a skinny blue Chocobo and fat pink Chocobo Jail Birds a group of black Chocobos acting and dressed as stereotypical crooks black ski masks and black and white striped shirts and Volg a black Chocobo who works alongside Greeble and Peekaboo 8 The story is set in a fairly similar setting of Final Fantasy games such as Final Fantasy I and V a medieval setting despite having things such as airships Throughout the course of the game Chocobo must enter magical picture books which are taken from popular existing fairy tales and folk stories adapted to suit the Final Fantasy universe and often starring a Chocobo as the main character There are eight storybooks to discover each comprising two volumes and the separate volumes often reference separate stories Development editChocobo Tales was announced in the Summer of 2006 Initial details revolved around the main character Chocobo the opening sequence of the story and the picture book worlds 9 Further details included the pop up duels and more information pertaining to the story 10 The game was produced by Yuki Yokoyama and took 20 staff members a year to create The first decision made was to create a game about chocobos market research showed that the characters are most popular with younger players thus the game was designed for the Nintendo DS system a popular system with that age group 11 Audio edit Further information Music of the Chocobo series Much of the music in the game has been borrowed from other Final Fantasy games newly rendered The music played during card battles is the battle theme from Final Fantasy I just as the theme played when traversing Mount Magma is the same as the theme of Gulug Volcano from the same game The victory theme is the classic jingle with the pre VII aftertune There are many other examples such as the chocobo racing theme from FFVII the Boss theme being borrowed from VI Irma s house is a rendition of the IV sorrow music and the end credits feature the airship theme from VIII Music from Final Fantasy III has also been borrowed such as the crystal room theme and Gysahl theme Reception editReceptionAggregate scoresAggregatorScoreGameRankings76 12 Metacritic75 out of 100 13 Review scoresPublicationScoreGameSpot8 0 out of 10 14 GameSpy3 5 out of 5 15 IGN8 3 out of 10 1 RPGamer3 5 out of 5 16 Chocobo Tales sold over 78 000 copies in Japan by the end of 2006 just over two weeks after release 17 It sold 100 000 copies in Europe and 70 000 copies in North America by November 2007 18 Chocobo Tales met with overall positive reviews 13 RPGamer commented that Final Fantasy Fables is quite unique offering a wide variety of gaming options While building on the massive world of the Final Fantasy series it takes a new spin in an attempt at something fresh 16 Edge referred to the game as a decent effort They complimented the visuals but stated that the execution and appeal is limited 19 IGN called Chocobo Tales a surprisingly fun and engaging experience 1 GameSpot said that it might look like just another kid s game but there is a lot of quality gaming buried under the saccharine visuals 14 The gameplay of the minigames and pop up duels were well received IGN called the mini games clever and fun and noted the card battle as simple yet challenging 1 GameSpy praised the minigames and card battles 15 RPGamer praised the amount of minigames and called the card battling system impressive 16 GameSpot also praised the minigames and card battles but commented some minigames were frustrating 14 The story received mixed reviews Some critics enjoyed it while others referred to it as childish GameSpy commented the story was predictable and cliched 15 RPGamer referred to it as a light hearted story 16 IGN said that the story is not huge or elaborate but the game is surprisingly enjoyable for the older crowd 1 IGN also listed the game as the eighth greatest mini game collection on the Nintendo Wii or DS 20 References edit a b c d e f Harris Craig 2007 04 03 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Review IGN Archived from the original on 2007 07 05 Retrieved 2007 07 03 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Tech Info GameSpot Archived from the original on 2007 09 30 Retrieved 2007 08 28 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Game Info GameFAQs Archived from the original on 2007 09 11 Retrieved 2007 08 27 Chocobos to star in Nintendo DS Final Fantasy spin off Galbadia X 2007 01 11 Archived from the original on 2007 09 27 Retrieved 2007 07 04 a b c Craig Harris 2007 02 16 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Hands on IGN Archived from the original on 2007 05 25 Retrieved 2007 08 27 John Tanaka 2008 07 08 Square Enix Announces New Chocobo Titles IGN Archived from the original on January 26 2009 Retrieved July 8 2008 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Company Line GameSpot 2007 03 22 Archived from the original on 2007 09 30 Retrieved 2007 08 28 a b Square Enix 2007 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Instruction Booklet Square Enix Anoop Gantayat 2006 08 03 Chocobo Set For DS IGN Archived from the original on 2007 07 05 Retrieved 2007 08 27 IGN Staff 2006 08 10 Chocobo Update IGN Archived from the original on 2007 05 25 Retrieved 2007 08 27 Harris Craig 2007 07 03 Chocobo Tales Postmortem IGN Archived from the original on 2009 02 24 Retrieved 2007 07 04 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales DS Reviews GameRankings Archived from the original on 2007 08 23 Retrieved 2007 08 28 a b Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales ds 2007 Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on 2007 06 29 Retrieved 2007 07 04 a b c Kevin VanOrd 2007 04 09 Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Review GameSpot Archived from the original on 2007 09 30 Retrieved 2007 08 28 a b c Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales DS GameSpy Archived from the original on 2007 08 24 Retrieved 2007 08 27 a b c d Cunningham Michael Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales Staff Review RPGamer Archived from the original on 2007 09 30 Retrieved 2007 07 04 2006年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500 2006 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500 Famitsu Gemu Hakusho 2007 ファミ通ゲーム白書2007 Famitsu Game Whitebook 2007 in Japanese Tokyo Enterbrain 2007 p 387 ISBN 978 4 7577 3577 4 JPNO 21240454 Archived from the original on 2016 09 06 Retrieved 2015 05 01 FY 2007 First Half Period Results Briefing Session PDF Square Enix 2007 11 19 Archived PDF from the original on 2012 02 13 Retrieved 2008 04 26 Final Frontiers Edge No 177 Future Publishing July 2007 pp 72 79 IGN Nintendo Team 2008 08 21 Top 10 Mini game Collections for Wii and DS IGN Archived from the original on 2008 08 28 Retrieved 2008 10 24 External links editOfficial website Japanese Official website North American Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo Tales amp oldid 1176307451, 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