Chocobo's Dungeon 2

Pros • Righteously cute • Solid RPG structure • Heavy Square themes	Cons • Righteously cute • Blatant exploitation of a not-so-cool mascot
Bottom Line A solid, classic exposition of RPG conventions (not to mention Square themes) graciously dipped in cute-batter. Thinking of getting your little niece or nephew an entry-level RPG to goad them into the lifestyle? Well, if you get them Chocobo’s Dungeon 2, they might just kick you in the shin for calling them babies. Seriously: while the game does boast some kind of depth, the trappings are way cute. Nauseatingly so. Is Square so daft as to think that its birdie has enough draw power ‘round these parts to summon an audience for this sort of fluff? Mickey Mouse RPG, anyone? Okay, seriously: the game’s got guts. It just dresses like a sissy.

It’s yellllar.

But not quite different. In effect, Chocobo’s Dungeon 2 is the skeleton of an RPG; while basically all of the game’s action occurs in one play-mode (exploration, combat, depluming)--an odd, turn-based reality where everything remains static until Chocobo and company decide to hustle--all of RPGdom’s conventions are represented, albeit a bit more stilted and turn-based. Attack a foe, and it’ll strike back. Pick up the deader’s loot, and a goblin will shove a spear through your tail. Step on a trapped tile, activate said poison dart, and every step, poke, peck, and sip ‘o the cure potion will make your birdie self weaker. Not to mention traps, spell stones, and healing/hurting ponds scattered throughout. No bird is safe.

Heavy petting

A whole bunch of darned cute critters have got Chocobo’s back, as he travels through those dank dungeons. Many Square archetypes are present, including, among others, old Mog the Moogle (in various incarnations), Shiroma, a lovable little White Mage, and Cid, the ever so classic engineer-slash-hammer-smash-warrior. Enemies are also of a familiar breed: nasty, naughty little goblins, adorably devious Black Mages (complete with Chinese peasant’s hats) and chubby-wubby ogre types. Even spells and items harken back to some Final Fantasy or other: Softs, Cure potions and spells, not to mention the FF elemental/burn classics (Fire/Ice/Earth/Lit/Bio). In truth, the Square themes are graciously ladled on, as shamelessly as they would on a cart-racing title. If not more so.

But is this a winning Chocobo?

Well, it depends on 1) what type of experience you’re after, and 2) what your cute tolerance is. If you want to check out an approach to RPGing that’s fresh because it’s so bare-boned and oldschool, then this just might be your bird. It’s got replayability up the ying, as the dungeons are randomized upon every descent, not to mention the staggering amount of items that can be combined to form all manner of insanity… truth is, this game has enough depth to level-up with the best of them. The quirky, quasi-real-time combat/everything system is sure to seem fresh to the most jaded mana-miser, and the ultra cute aesthetic will either make you coo or puke, depending on how cool you think you are. The feel’s quite oldschool, the premise modest (kill, take, repeat), and presentation sugary. If that’s not a formula for an unassuming success, what is?

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