Chocobo Racing has been far one of my favorite games in my 20+ years of gaming
and I've had a copy since 2001. So here's a FAQ of everything that I know so
you'll have little to no trouble on the tracks.
Table of Contents
1. Controls (while racing)
2. Characters & Abilities (including secret ones)
3. Tracks
4. Magic Stones
5. Modes (from left to right)
6. Unlocking the BGMs
7. Movies
8. Getting the 100 points in the Story Mode
9. Making Your Own Racer
10. Closure
Controls (while racing)
Square button - Accelerate
X button - Brake
Square + X - Skid (tap more to turn hard corners and less on easier ones)
Triangle button - Reverse
L1 button - Use ability when it's fully charged. Some are automatic.
R1 button - Use a magic stone. The order goes by the last one picked up.
Characters & Abilities (including secret ones)
Chocobo
Top Speed - 88 MPH
Cornering - Difficult
Default Ability - Dash (16 seconds to charge)
Manual description: The laid-back hero of this game. Everyone's favorite
feathered friend! Always faithful and fearless. Nothing ruffles this bird's
feathers!
As the main character, his cornering is pretty hard to handle when you have to
use him in the story at least twice, but he's still pretty tough. As a CPU
opponent, he's one of the elite six, so be on your guard. His ability speeds
him up for 5 seconds until it charges again. He holds every kind of magic
stone until he has 3 of them unless it's a Doom stone.
Mog
Top Speed - 88 MPH
Cornering - Difficult
Default Ability - Flap (11 seconds to charge)
Manual description: A greedy forest-dweller with attitude. This little guy is
always trying to take the spotlight away from Chocobo. Being the sly Moogle he
is, he always has some sneaky scheme up his sleeve.
If it wasn't for his default ability, he'd be able to match Chocobo and then
some as his cornering is slightly better than Chocobo's. He's one of the
easiest CPU opponents on the track. His ability lets him fly high in the air
and can be useful in avoiding fire attacks. He uses every stone he gets until
he gets one in 5th which is more than likely, in which case he holds one type
of stone except for Haste.
Golem
Top Speed - 86 MPH
Cornering - Good
Default Ability - Grip-Up (11 seconds to charge)
Manual description: A giant rock statue brought to life by the power of magic.
Golem stands as the gatekeeper of the ancient ruins that were once the village
walls.
The first opponent with good cornering you'll come across and actually one the
easier CPU opponents on the track. His default ability is better suited for
other characters as cornering is better and doesn't slow down on corners. He
keeps attack stones except for Doom until he has 3 stones or when he gets one
in 5th.
Goblin
Top Speed - 90 MPH
Cornering - Very Bad
Default Ability - Mug (18 seconds to charge)
Manual description: Steals from the rich and gives to the poor. A master thief
who hides out in the Mythril Mines. What is his true identity?
Despite having an above average top speed and acceleration, his cornering is
one of the worst in the game, but those who master his cornering will see he
is a force to contend with. His ability steals from the racer highest in rank
and has a stone. A random stone is given even if no one else has one. If the
racer has the Barrier active, he does not get a stone. His ability recharges
after the stone is received. He has the same stone-keeping strategy as Golem.
Black Magician
Top Speed - 88 MPH
Cornering - Good
Default Ability - Magic Plus (13 seconds to charge, triggers automatically)
Manual description: The silent master of Black Magic. The owner of the eerie
Black Manor hidden deep within the Cursed Forest.
The first flying character you encounter and one of the best as well as my
favorite. The only thing not going for him is his below average acceleration.
Other than that, he is very dangerous on the race track if left alone and
without anyone to get his stones as he's charging his attacks which makes him
one of the elite six! The stone that gets powered up by his ability is the
last one he picked up. He has the same stone-keeping strategy as Golem.
White Mage
Top Speed - 84 MPH
Cornering - Great
Default Ability - Barrier (16 seconds to charge, triggers automatically)
Manual descripition: A young girl from Mysidia - the village of magic users. A
kind-hearted user of White Magic, and one of the few people who knows the
legend of the crystals.
The second flying character with below average top speed with very good
cornering and her default ability make her a pain to deal with as an opponent
as every type of attack stone, even Ultima, can be blocked by the Barrier. The
way to deal with this is to use a type one attack that can take it out then
hit her where it hurts. The Megaflare and Gunblade abilities can make her hit
even with the Barrier on. Despite all this, she is one of the easiest racers
to handle. Use her well. Also an elite six racer. She has the same
stone-keeping strategy as Mog.
Chubby Chocobo
Top Speed - 84 MPH
Cornering - Best
Default Ability - Receive (18 seconds to charge, triggers when attacked)
Manual descripition - The great white Chocobo who eats anything! The
"heavy-weight" champion of this game. It sounds like he ate something he
shouldn't have...
Low top speed with unmatched cornering makes him one of the best racers to
use. He is not one of the elite six by any means, but they'll have to look out
for this powerhouse on the toughest tracks. His ability can be a godsend when
you get hit with a type 3 attack. Use what you have when airborne and when you
receive it, fire away. He has the same stone-keeping strategy as Chocobo.
Behemoth
Top Speed - 86 MPH
Cornering - Great
Default ability - Charge (10 seconds to charge)
Manual description - The most powerful beast known to man! Behemoth is an
enormous 'Esper', or magical monster of illusion, who hides out in the
Vulcan-O Valley. What could his mission be?
With his cornering second to Chubby Chocobo's, he is one of the toughest CPU
racers to deal with. His ability while in use has a shorter burst than the
Dash, but it charges the quickest and is even faster than the Dash and is a
must in Grand Prixs. It can make opponents spin out but if you hit a spun out
character, that racer will suffer a type 3 crash instead! Easily one of the
elite six. He keeps one type of attack stone no matter what rank he's in.
Bahamut
Top Speed - 90 MPH
Cornering - Good
Default Ability - Megaflare (45 seconds to charge)
The dragon king in this game is the last opponent in the story you encounter.
He uses his own dragon wings to fly, making him the third flying racer. His
ability is unblockable, but avoidable if you fall in the pit before the third
ball strikes. Of course, not all tracks will have this, so you'll have to
watch out. Being struck by a type 2 attack while in the air will negate his
attack, so you'll be able to keep going. The ability recharges after the
opponents go flying. Beating him in the story mode the first time unlocks him
for use. He is easily one of the elite six as well. He has the same
stone-keeping strategy as Behemoth.
Squall
Top Speed - 92 MPH
Cornering - Worst
Default Ability - Gunblade (1 minute and 18 seconds to charge!)
A secret character who comes from Final Fantasy VIII. Finishing the story mode
a second time and saving the customized racer afterwards will allow you to
race with that racer on a brand new track. Win it to unlock Squall and the
track itself. As for him, he is the fastest of the 10 main racers, but his
cornering is even worse than Goblin's, so I'd avoid using him. He is one of
the elite six though, so watch out. You also can't make a customized racer
with him as well, so that's also another bad thing. His ability speeds up to a
top speed lower than the Dash but is permanent until he is hit by a type 3
attack other than Minimize or he takes the lead. All racers that he passes all
take a type 2 attack while the Gunblade is active. He has the same
stone-keeping strategy as Behemoth.
Cid's Tank
Top Speed - 80 MPH
Cornering - Best
To Unlock - Beat story mode 3 times, highlight Squall and press L1 + X
Cid's Tank is from Chocobo's Dungeon 2. His top speed is one of the slowest,
but his cornering is on par with Chubby Chocobo's. He has the same
stone-keeping strategy as Mog.
Cloud
Top Speed - 90 MPH
Cornering - Very Bad
To Unlock - Beat story mode 4 times, highlight Squall and press R1 + X
Cloud is the main character from Final Fantasy VII. Like Squall, his cornering
is pretty bad, though. He has the same stone-keeping strategy as Behemoth.
Mumba
Top Speed - 88 MPH
Cornering - Difficult
To Unlock - Beat story mode 5 times, highlight Squall and press L2 + X
Mumba resembles a lion, which is known in Final Fantasy VIII. His cornering is
more or less decent. He has the same stone-keeping strategy as Golem.
Cactaur
Top Speed - 48 MPH
Cornering - Best
To Unlock - Beat story mode 6 times, highlight Squall and press R2 + X
A known monster in many Final Fantasy games, Cactaur is one of the absolute
slowest characters in the game with bad acceleration to boot. However, give
him Charge and watch him be more of a force. He has the same stone-keeping
strategy as Mog.
Aya
Top Speed - 90 MPH
Cornering - Difficult
To Unlock - Beat story mode 7 times, highlight Squall and press L1-L2 then X
The main character of Parasite Eve with good acceleration who drives a cop
car. She has the same stone-keeping strategy as Golem.
Classic Chocobo
Top Speed - 88 MPH
Cornering - Difficult
To Unlock - Beat story mode 8 times, highlight Squall and press R1-R2 then X
As a more 8-bit version of Chocobo, he has all the traits the original Chocobo
has and even has the same stone-keeping strategy as Chocobo.
SS Invincible
Top Speed - 177 MPH (!)
Cornering - Very Bad
To Unlock - Beat story mode 9 times, highlight Squall and press L1-R1 then X
As an airship, it is the fastest character in the game with the best
acceleration. Its cornering is one of the worst though and only pros should
use it when they're very confident in their racing skills. Put handicap on it
and watch its top speed rise above 200. It has the same stone-keeping strategy
as Chocobo, which makes it unfair as it can hold reflect stones.
Jack
Top Speed - 48 MPH
Cornering - Best
To Unlock - Beat story mode 10 times, highlight Squall and press L2-R2 then X
Jack is the one mugging the stones in the ability Goblin has. Higher
acceleration than Cactuar although that's not saying much. He has the same
stone-keeping strategy as Behemoth.
Tracks
Cid's Test Track
Difficulty: Super Easy
Designed as a test course, and also the track you race on with edited racers
after beating the story mode, this is the easiest course in the game. You may
need to skid on the lone right turn in this course, but other than that, it's
a piece of cake. Just stay off the grass for non-flyers.
Moogle Forest
Difficulty: Easy
Another easy course, just turn accordingly after you cross the bridge and you
should have no trouble. Just stay off the grass for non-flyers.
The Ancient Gate
Difficulty: Easy
Other than the three-point turn halfway on the track, this is another easy
course. Just stay off the grass for non-flyers.
Mythril Mines
Difficulty: Easy
The first course with a shortcut shortly after you enter the underground part
of the mine on the left side. No magic stone though so plan accordingly on
Grand Prix races.
The Black Manor
Difficulty: Medium
This course can be tricky, but as long as you stay on course, you'll be fine.
You'll be turning right as you go up shortly after the start of the track for
three cycles before you enter the library. Watch out for the cage above as it
can trap you for a few seconds. Past the ghosts is a pool of blood at the end.
Avoid falling in and you'll have no trouble. There is a random magic stone on
the right side of the track where the pool of blood is though and is worth
getting provided a rival racer doesn't pull the screws on you.
Floating Gardens
Difficulty: Medium
This course has many turns at the start and gets easier at the end. Skillful
cornering is a must here. It may be hard to spot a ice slick on some parts of
the track though.
Gingerbread Land
Difficulty: Easy
A longer course, but is actually quite easy. Also my favorite track to race
on. The shortcut here is identified by the slippery surface after the first
right turn that also has a random magic stone. When going up the ramp,
however, be wary that a hit at the top of the ramp can put the racer back down
to the start of the ramp, so be prepared. Slippery surface at the end of the
track too after the tunnel so do your best here.
Vulcan-O Valley
Difficulty: Hard
Another long course and the first really tough one, especially for flyers.
Careful not to fall into the lava at the start and end of the track. After
about halfway, you'll turn left for a bit, then right, then left and right
again. This is the difficult part for flyers because they can go flying on
either side if not on the road until they do a hard right after going
downhill. Mastery of this track will need careful practice. Lastly, watch out
for the large lava rocks at the end. Getting hit by one not only smushes them
but they lose 90% of their top speed.
Fantasia
Difficulty: Hard
The longest course, and only unlocked once you beat the main story the first
time for other modes. Many turns here can send you off the track and lose
time. The shortcut here is not on the map but identified by the right sign
after turning a hard left after the first turns at the start. It takes good
practice to master this shortcut. Also, watch out for the hills at the end of
the track.
F.F.VIII Circuit
Difficulty: Hard
Even more turns than Fantasia, this is possibly the hardest course even though
there are no pits. Unlocked after beating Squall on this track the second time
you play the story for other modes. The first turns are easy but get tougher
after that. Take care on this track!
Magic Stones
Haste 1 - Speeds you up for a couple seconds
Haste 2 - Speeds you up for a duration similar to the Dash.
Haste 3 - Speeds you up for 7 seconds. Very handy for story mode purposes.
Fire 1 - Shoots a fireball in front of you for a type 2 crash.
Fire 2 - Shoots a more powerful fireball that automatically hits the target in
front of you for a type 2 crash.
Fire 3 - The most powerful fireball that hits all racers in front of you for a
type 3 crash. If you are in the lead, it will keep going until it
hits all racers behind you.
Ice 1 - Leaves an ice slick on the track for a spinout when hit.
Ice 2 - Leaves six ice slicks on the track for a spinout when hit.
Ice 3 - An unavoidable attack that spins you out then takes a type 3 crash.
The impact will also hit when struck by a wall.
Thunderbolt 1 - Hits the opponent in front of you for a spinout. If in the
lead, it will hit the first opponent behind you. Avoidable.
Thunderbolt 2 - Hits the opponent in front of you for a type 2 crash. If in
the lead, it will hit the first opponent behind you.
Avoidable.
Thunderbolt 3 - Hits all opponents for a type 3 crash. Hardest to avoid.
Minimize 1 - Shrinks all racers for a slight speed decrease. Can stack.
Minimize 2 - Shrinks all racers two times for a higher speed decrease.
Can also spin out opponents if struck. Can stack.
Minimize 3 - Shrinks all racers three times for the highest speed decrease.
Can flatten opponents for a few seconds if struck. Longer
duration if more get used.
Reflect - Reflects some attacks back to the attacker. Type 3 attacks just get
blocked as well as all Ice and Ultima attacks. Megaflare and
Gunblade are unaffected by Reflect. Can hold the stone and still
work.
Doom - Curses the opponent in front of you for a 10 second duration for a type
2 attack. Can pass the curse to another opponent before it expires. It
doesn't always work though. All CPU racers use it as soon as they get
one unless there's a rare case of one in front of another stone.
Ultima 1 - Makes all opponents spin out.
Ultima 2 - Makes all opponents take a type 2 attack.
Ultima 3 - Makes all opponents take a type 3 attack.
Modes (from left to right)
Options - Changes various options. Can look at time trial standings, change
the controls for the game, listen to the BGM music, watch videos,
change the sound from Stereo to Mono and vice verse and change the
handicap for Player 1 and 2. Getting all crowns in the Bahamut Class
Grand Prix unlocks Mirror Mode in the options, which reverses the
tracks, but is not used in the story. Also, ghost racers are not
allowed as the game will say.
Story Mode - The story that follows Chocobo on an adventure. Not skippable the
first playthrough, but will have the option to skip all stories
on all future playthroughs. You basically race against a new
opponent each time on a different race track and they join your
quest for the rest of the story. No story spoilers, though. For
info on how to get 100 points for a customized racer, see the
"Getting 100 points in Story Mode" section that's further down.
Time Trial - Go for the fastest time on all tracks. Only a select few
abilities can be used for the Time Trials. Gunblade becomes
available for this mode but is not recommended.
Grand Prix - It's you and five other racers chosen at random with their
default abilities competing for the most points. Winning each
track nets a crown and collecting all crowns unlocks a new class
called Behemoth Class. Chocobo Class is the first class that you
start on. Winning all tracks on Behemoth Class unlocks the
Bahamut Class, the hardest class in the game! Top speeds easily
break 110 MPH on that class, so use the handicap for an easier
challenge. Winning the grand prix using all main characters
except for Squall and all secret characters unlocks a special
movie for each character. Edited racers do not count as well. You
can also do Spectator Mode, which has you watching all racers,
even customized ones that you made in Story Mode. You can set
abilities for each racer and using the same ability on more than
one racer is ok. Doing random picks will randomize the racers AND
the abilities they will use, so Golem could have Megaflare, Mog
could have Dash and so on. Track selection is the same and they
will always race on Chocobo Class. Picking the other two does
nothing. You can, however, have the handicap on for Player 1 and
they will all go faster. It will be in between the Behemoth and
Bahamut Classes, in a nutshell.
VS Mode - It's you and one other racer on the track. When using random select
for a CPU racer, that racer will have their default ability. Select
your course and either 1, 3, 5 or 10 laps and away you go. Having
the handicap on for Player 2 will increase the top speed for that
racer, so be warned. You can have both racers be used by the CPU if
you want.
Relay Race - You pick 3 racers for a relay race! The CPU picks 3 of their own
with their default abilities if it's a random selection. Again,
the handicap for Player 2 will increase the top speed for that
racer, so be warned. You can pick the same abilities for more
than one racer. When you tag a racer on the track indicated by
P1, they will get a Dash burst. Same applies for Player 2. You
can set the number of laps for each racer, either 1, 2 or 3 for
3, 6 or 9 laps. You can have the racers be used by the CPU if you
want.
Memory Card - Save or load data here.
Unlocking the BGMs
First, go to any Vs. Mode race, set the number of laps to one and let the CPU
win. This unlocks the Loser's Requiem track. Play through the story the first
time to unlock every other BGM except for track 10. Play through the story the
second time, beat Squall and unlock the last track, F.F.VIII Circuit. The BGM
list in the game as follows:
1. Cid's Test Track
2. Moogle Forest
3. The Ancient Gate
4. Mythril Mines
5. The Black Manor
6. Floating Gardens
7. Gingerbread Land
8. Vulcan-O Valley
9. Fantasia
10. F.F.VIII Circuit
11. Loser's Requiem
12. Winner's Jig
13. Chocobo's Tune
14. Mog's Muzik
15. Cid's Sonata
16. Goblin's Gambol
17. Road Rollick
18. Mage's Melody
19. Magician's March
20. Golem's Groove
21. Chubby's Bop-pop
22. Behemoth's Theme
23. The Esper King
24. Spooky-Wooky!!!
25. La-La-Legend
26. Chocobo Choosin'
27. Chocobo Creatin'
28. Happily Ever Chocobo
Movies
Opening - Automatically unlocked.
GP Bahamut - Win a Grand Prix using Bahamut. Edited Racers do not
count. Must unlock him first through the story.
GP Golem - Win a Grand Prix using Golem. Edited Racers do not count.
GP Behemoth - Win a Grand Prix using Behemoth. Edited Racers do not
count.
GP Chubby Chocobo - Win a Grand Prix using Chubby Chocobo. Edited Racers do
not count.
GP Black Magician - Win a Grand Prix using Black Magician. Edited Racers do
not count.
GP White Mage - Win a Grand Prix using White Mage. Edited Racers do not
count.
GP Goblin - Win a Grand Prix using Goblin. Edited Racers do not count.
GP Mog - Win a Grand Prix using Mog. Edited Racers do not count.
GP Chocobo - Win a Grand Prix using Chocobo. Edited Racers do not
count.
To Fantasia - Beat the story the first time to unlock this.
Ending - Beat the story the first time to unlock this.
Getting the 100 points in the Story Mode
This is for those looking to get the best customized racers possible. To do
so, here's a guideline for each track. Recommended for those with mastery on
each course.
Always have the handicap on before doing this. Now then...
The first 2 races should be easy since you don't have to worry about any
attack stones. Also, use the Dash ability every race except the last one. Get
every Dash start as well by pressing square right when the bombs goes off. For
Moogle Forest, however, use Haste 3 on the first 2 laps, then use Haste 2
after getting the second stone and use a haste stone at the end. It is very
possible to overlap Mog before he finishes his second lap if you take the
middle stone at the start of the race.
The Ancient Gate - Always go for Haste stones, but always take the far-right ?
stone so Golem doesn't get a stone. It is possible to get 2 stones right at
the end of the track. Use Chocobo so Mog doesn't get in the way as he
immediately uses both stones when he gets one.
Mythril Mines - I perfer Mog for this one since there is a chance that Chocobo
will get and hold a Haste stone if he gets one. Another option is to use
Chocobo and use the stones right when Goblin mugs so he gets a random stone
instead of what you had. Goblin will Mug every 20 seconds after the first one
at 18 seconds so keep an eye on the time. Take the far-left stone at the start
of the race so Goblin doesn't get a stone right away. As long as Goblin isn't
too lucky with the level 3 attacks, it shouldn't be a problem. Oh, and take
the shortcut every time too.
The Black Manor - Use Goblin for this one so your stones don't get stolen.
Always go for the stone in the middle so the Black Magician doesn't get one,
and he is very dangerous by himself if left alone. As long as he doesn't go
nuts with the magic stones, you'll be just fine.
Floating Gardens - This track is easier than the Black Manor with the Black
Magician's slower top speed. Just focus on getting those Haste stones using
Goblin again and it'll be over in a heartbeat. Another option is to use the
Black Magician and deal with Goblin's mugging. It can certainly be a time
savor from any level 3's that Black Magician might pull off as he's often
below 4th place as a CPU opponent.
Gingerbread Land - Super easy with the Black Magician. The icy terrain at the
end is the main reason to use him. Take full advantage of the shortcut as
well. Also, save up on Reflect stones, as they can be a godsend from this
point forward. Another thing to note is the random placement of racers from
this race onwards as well. If Goblin's not there, all the better.
Vulcan-O Valley - Beginners should probably use White Mage as her cornering is
second best to Chubby Chocobo. Plus you won't have to worry about ice slicks.
Pros should use the Black Magician again even though part of the race can send
him flying once you get to that part of the race about 20-25 seconds in. His
cornering is still good enough to get through the race in record time. Reflect
stones are a must as you start seeing Doom stones on this track and Fantasia.
Fantasia - Same strategy from the Vulcan-O Valley. Substitute Dash for Charge.
Use the shortcut as mentioned in the tracks section. Keep a very close eye on
the time as Bahamut will unleash Megaflare at 45 seconds in and every 50
seconds after that. Go in the pit as he uses it, or you'll lose some time. It
is very possible, however, to finish the race before the third Megaflare
depending on who else is there.
Making Your Own Racer
Every time you finish the story mode, you get the opportunity to customize one
racer of your choice except for Squall and all secret racers. The higher you
score, the more points you can use. 20 points is the max for any stat. I will
break down each stat below:
SP - Represents how fast you go. A stat of 13 is the normal top speed for most
characters at 88 MPH. Each stat grants 4 MPH, so you can have a max top speed
of 116 MPH.
AC - Represents how quick your racer can reach their top speed. Again, 13 is
the normal stat for most racers. The highest is not so great for speed-up
abilities though because you slow back down quicker.
GR - Represents how well the racer turns each corner. The higher the stat, the
better. 13 is the average once again for most characters.
DR - Represents how long you can skid before you spin out. Having it at 0 makes
the racer spin out immediately if you attempt to skid. I'd keep it at average
at best.
AG - Represents how fast the ability guage will charge. 13 is again the
average for all abilities.
Lastly, when you pick the edited racer, you may notice two different colored
E's. The red E is the one you finished the story with handicap one while the
blue E is the one you finished the story without the handicap on.
Closure
That's all of it. Special thanks for Square-Enix for making one of the
greatest games on the planet that really needs a remake in terms of graphics.
A BIG special thanks to my younger sister as well for getting me involved with
this game after renting it from a Hollywood Video one night since 2001. Her
boyfriend had a helping hand in the making of Uncharted 4, even though I don't
particularly play those games. Thanks to the reader as well for reading my
FAQ. Have fun!!!!!
