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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales DS - Review
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DS RRP: £29.99
Out 1 June
To fans of the massively successful Final Fantasy series there’s no need for an explanation as to what a Chocobo is. For those still trying to pronounce it - it’s a giant chicken-like creature you ride like a horse. Chocobo Tales is a mini-game spin-off from the FF series with a cute style and simple structure. It’s aimed at kids, but we defy anyone not to be sucked into its fun and diverse gameplay.
With a simple storyline, our Chocobo hero has to save his feathered friends who’ve been trapped inside books all over their island by the Darkmaster Bebuzzu. This basically means you’ll be exploring the island and the books strewn around it. The stories are all fairy tales and have mini-games attached - you’ll be putting jigsaws together, racing against other characters or trying to collect more items than an opponent. These fit in around well-known fables such as Little Red Riding Hood or The Tortoise and the Hare - but rewritten with famous Final Fantasy characters.
Completing mini games helps you to unlock new parts of the island or free one of your Chocobo friends, or provides you with cards you’ll need for boss battles. The boss battles play out as a card game which involves both strategy and speed. Picking your first card quickly at the beginning of battle will get in the first hit. There are over 100 cards to collect and use and although the rules are simple there’s great depth and strategy involved.
There’s also local Wi-Fi play so you can play multiplayer games (you only need one copy of the game) and you can play online with both randomly picked gamers and friends you select.
With beautiful graphics, a great variety and quality of play and well-known characters and music from the series, this is an excellent game for kids and adults alike.
8/10
Review by Kirsten Kearney
