The game graphics in Chocobo Racing are cartoony, to fit in with the childrens' game theme. That's perfectly excusable, and actually endearing in its own right. The problems come when you see the seams of every single block of track that you're running over, more noticeably in the sky levels such as the Mysidian Floating Garden and the candy-filled land of the Fat Chocobo (I don't care what they call it in this game, it's from FFIV and it's the Fat Chocobo! =), but seen elsewhere. This is inexcusable. The characters are sprites based off of 3D renders, it seems, and are cute enough. But overall, graphics are definitely not Chocobo Racing's strong point -- except, that is, for the full motion video. The mid-game video of... erm, well, I can't tell you, but when you see it, you'll know what I mean. It's absolutely breathtaking. The music in the game is actually really good, considering that it's reduxes of various other songs from the Final Fantasy saga -- takes on the Chocobo's theme song, a great take on the FFVI start song, and more. It's like a trip down memory lane, listening to the various songs in this game. Definitely one of the delights. The sound effects are passable, if a bit obnoxious at times (must my car constantly make farting noises as I drive? Really?).

Of course, this is a kart racer, and a kart racer is all about gameplay. And Chocobo's Racing, while no Crash Team Racing, is a great little game that brought me quite a bit of enjoyment. There are plenty of play modes -- a story mode presented in a pop-up book style that is immediately endearing, a Grand Prix mode where you race on four tracks in an attempt to win the most points, a Time Trial mode where you race to get the best time, and the obligatory Versus mode. The best features of all of these modes, however, are the customizations you can do with your characters. Before a race begins, you choose who you want to race as. Then you pick what power you want them to have. They range from the mundane -- Chocobo's Dash, which speeds him up considerably, to the insane -- Bahamut's MegaFlare, which instantly wipes out everyone on the field. They all have charging times, which depend on their power. And then, on the track, there are magic stones that you can pick up with varying abilities, such as ice, fire, and another wipeout spell, Ultima. Pick up more of the same type and it gets stronger. Like Crash Team Racing, sometimes this makes the game a bit too unbalanced in the case of someone with strong magic, but nonetheless, it's fun as hell. Trying different combinations of racers and powers can present an entirely different racing experience. Unfortunately, each race only consists of three laps, and many of the beginning tracks are way too short to really get a good feel for the game in those three laps.

Of course, this is a Square game, and there are tons of hidden features. Beat the Story Mode and you get to design your own racer and get a hidden character. Beat it again and get another. Beat Grand Prix and open up more difficult leagues to race in. Very typical Square, and nonetheless, they definitely extend the playablity of this game considerably.

Unfortunately, because of control issues (there's three ways to go -- left, forward, and right, (kiss your analog steering goodbye), this cannot be the best kart racer ever made. Some of the tracks are obscenely annoying, simply because of the abundance of right and left turns. Learning how to brake-tap can fix this problem, but nonetheless, you feel like something's missing. Sure, the game's for kids, but it doesn't have to be so dumbed down as to be annoying. Kids are plenty bright -- just watch your younger sister or brother play Final Fantasy 8 to prove it.

This game isn't very hard, as long as you find a racer and power that's right for you. I found the adorable White Mage and either Dash or Barrier, depending on the race, to be my best bet. Your results may vary. Overall, though, this is a game that can be beaten in a few hours, easily. The value lies in the replay value, of course.

Driving in Chocobo Racing could be better. The steering can be a serious hassle when you're using a character with poor grip, and still is a pain in the butt with better-handling characters. Don't bother using the analog sticks -- you'll have more precise control with the digital pad anyway. The menu system is really cute, though, and the characters are terribly endearing. Chocobo Racing could have been much more, with tighter controls. As it is, it's just a rather fun little kart racer. If you're a fan of the genre, check it out. Otherwise, it's probably not a necessary addition to your collection.