.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Mario Kart started it all, of course, in 1992 on the SNES, the racing game with power-ups and bouncey courses seemed to come out fully formed, and the almost 30-year-old game still holds up well today. Sony got into the kart action with Crash Team Racing (which was very good!) and Sega too with Team Sonic Racing (not as good). Now, Nintendo Switch owners have a date to look forward to as a JRPG-tinged kart racer has received a launch date.
Chocobo GP is a follow up to 1999's Chocobo Racing, which launched on PS1, and features a returning cast of Final Fantasy and Chocobo characters. Playable characters include the titular Chocobos, as well as Steiner and Vivi (FF9), Gilgamesh (FF5), Cid, Mog, Behemoth, and Camilla, among others.
A free-to-play version known as Chocobo GP Lite will be made available, which will include a Story Mode prologue in the single player Chocobo GP mode. Local multiplayer is offered in the free version, while online multiplayer is available if someone with the full game hosts it.
Chocobo GP features multiple characters and courses which can be unlocked in the single player story mode. There is also an online 64-character knock-out tournament in the Chocobo GP mode, as well as Time Attack against either your own times or others; a four course Series Race, and a Custom Race with players setting their own rules.
In place of the shells and bananas of Mario Kart, Chocobo GP sees players picking up items containing magicite, which can be used to cast spells with magic making a big part of the game. In the trailer, characters can be seen teleporting and casting spells on other kart racers and on themselves in a bid to boost their positions. The story mode looks fairly well developed too, although in a cutesy style as can be expected from a kart racer.
The title is developed by Square Enix and those looking forward to the Final Fantasy-themed kart racer have a few more months to wait. Chocobo GP arrives exclusively on Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022.