In a time where reboots, revivals, and sequels are all the rage, few are more surprising to see than Chocobo GP, the long requested sequel to Square Enix's cult classic 1999 Final Fantasy kart racing spin-off Chocobo Racing. Square Enix has announced today that Chocobo GP, which was first revealed during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct, will release in two forms in March 2022, one of which is free-to-play, a first for the publisher with one of its console offerings.
Chocobo GP is a racing spin-off of the Final Fantasy series based around the lovable little birds fans have surely familiarized themselves with by now. The kart racer blends traditional Mario Kart-like racing with magic items inspired by Final Fantasy's spells, and includes characters and creatures from all of the Final Fantasy series. So far, Chocobo GP has revealed that it will include Chocobos, Moogles, White Mages, Black Mages, and the beloved characters Vivi and Steiner from Final Fantasy 9, which is often thought to be one of the most under-represented games in the series.
Square Enix revealed today that Chocobo GP will release digitally on Nintendo eShop on March 10, 2022, and that the game will launch in two forms. There will be the premium version, simply titled Chocobo GP, and a free-to-play version called Chocobo GP Lite. This version will include the single-player story prologue for players to experience as well as local and online multiplayer races if they have a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Chocobo GP Lite players can also access the game's 64 player elimination mode if they are being hosted by an owner of the full version.
The publisher has also revealed a new trailer, which showcases new modes such as the Story Mode, Time Attack, Series Races, and Custom Races. Series Races are similar to Mario Kart's Grand Prix Mode, in which players can play solo or competitively against others in a series of four races. Custom Races allow players to play with custom rules, allowing for all sorts of mayhem to ensue. Chocobo GP Lite players will also be able to transfer their save data to the full game should they choose to upgrade. The price for the full version has not been released yet.
Fans of the original Chocobo Racing for the PS1 will be happy to know that the future looks bright for the Final Fantasy kart racer, but whether it can compete with the likes of Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing remains to be seen. Either way, Square Enix seems to have confidence in the game, a surprise change of heart considering it canceled the original sequel to the PS1 original in development for the 3DS back in 2013.
Chocobo GP will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022.