Chocobo GP is not the most complex kart racer on the market. The story involves Chocobo and his Mog partner, Atla, who come across a mysterious driver known as Racing Hero X. He challenges Chocobo and his village to a race which then blows out into a huge ordeal.
Chocobo and his friends travel around the land, visiting familiar territory from the Final Fantasy series to race others. The story is lighthearted and full of punny jokes. It might not be what most racing fans want out of their kart game, but it should bring a smile to their faces nonetheless. With the basic setup out of the way, here are some tips for Chocobo GP to become a racing god.
8 Play The Story To Unlock Stuff
The first thing players should do in Chocobo GP is to play through the story. It is not that complicated but it can be tricky. There are nine chapters with an episode or two in them apiece. This translates to a couple of races per chapter.
This is how players will unlock the majority of the game’s content, including stages, extra modes, and racers. If players are planning to game with friends, the faster these things are unlocked, the better. Some things will still be hidden behind the gacha mechanics like Squall and Cloud.
7 How Difficulty Works
There are no starting difficulties in the game even though it may seem like there are. There are no assists in the options either. When players boot up the story mode, they will see the Beginner and the Master icons, but these two options do not directly translate into challenge levels. They are speed levels.
Once players beat the game, they can then play Chocobo GP’s story on the Extra difficulty mode. The standard is then revealed as Normal. So, for example, players can start the game on Normal Beginner or Normal Master. It can be confusing which is why it’s being noted here.
6 Mastering The Boosts
There are a variety of ways to boost racers in Chocobo GP For example, players can hold down R on the controller and drift around corners; therefore, try to aim towards corners so that this boost can be activated.
There are disposable items players can get as powerups. Then there are the jumps. If players hit R while in the air, their character will boost once they hit the ground. Finally, there are speed strips. It should come as no surprise that the faster players are, the better chances they will have at winning. Boosts then are essential.
5 Memorize Courses
It should come as no shock that players are going to lose matches in the story mode. Like most kart racers, Chocobo GP has a rubber banding system. Also, luck is very heavily involved. Players can be experts in more realistic racing games but fail here because they might be hit with one too many powerups.
The important thing is not to give up. Keep that player experience and memorize courses. Being able to recall where speed strips are or where obstacles fall can mean everything in a race.
4 Pay Attention To Victory Conditions
The story mode is not always about coming in the first place. This is different from most racing games out there, kart or otherwise. Before the match starts, pay attention to that race’s rules. Winning conditions can range from beating a single character to placing in the top four ranks.
If players are just trying to beat one character then they can focus attacks on them. That’s why knowing the conditions are important for a glorious victory.
3 Stick With Chocobo
Unlocking characters in video games can be an overwhelming feeling of joy. It’s great in Chocobo GP just as much as it is in other kart racers, fighting games, or whatever. However, as tempting as it might be to check out Vivi from Final Fantasy 9, for example, don’t.
Play the story mode with Chocobo. It will be easier because his maneuverability cannot be matched. Also, his character special has a good speed boost. If players are struggling with other characters, switch back to this iconic bird.
2 Be Aware Of Exclamations
Chocobo GP does the noble thing and tells players when they are about to get trounced. This is different from most other kart racers. A red exclamation point will appear when opponents are using powerups and a yellow icon will show up when they are using a character-specific ability.
Players can hit X on the controller to look behind them to better dodge these attacks. It can be tricky to drive ahead and dodge at the same time, but it’s important to multitask during a race and to get good at this timing.
1 Hash Out Those Dailies
There are three currencies in this game. Players will earn tickets by competing in the story, which can unlock cosmetic items as well as characters. Then there are crystals and coins, both of which can be bought using real money. They will help unlock some cooler things like Squall and Cloud.
However, competing online and logging in regularly should grant players a few extra crystals and coins regularly. It might take a while to unlock, but hash out those dailies. Squall and Cloud are worth it.
Chocobo GP was released on March 10, 2022 and is available on Switch.