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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales

EMAIL PRINT ds

8.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 42 critic reviews
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Based on 8 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

Genre(s): Adventure, Role-Playing Game

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: April 3, 2007

Summary

(Also known as "Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book") Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales begins with the Final Fantasy black magician bringing a picture book onto the Chocobo farm. This book is home to the great devil Bebuzu, and it sucks the entire farm into its pages. Chocobo embarks on an adventure with the white and black magicians in order to stop Bebezu from reviving himself to full form. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales combines the field exploration of an RPG, with card-based battles. You are free to move about through the game's picture book influenced world. Encounter an enemy, and you find yourself in a card battle, referred to officially as a "Pop-Up Duel." You and your enemies take turns sending out cards to perform attacks.

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Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cheat Code Central

This game is absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Its premise is simple, as well as the gameplay, but it's all brought together in a way that's surprisingly complex.

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Deeko

Though some of the mini-games will have you ready to tear out your hair, the overall adventure is amazingly fun and worth playing - regardless of your age. The musical score is amazing and the graphics and presentation are top notch. Seriously, this is a great game.

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AceGamez

First "Rocket Slime" and now this - my eyes are in a frozen stare at your bag of tricks Square-Enix, waiting for you to amaze me again!

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netjak

All things considered - the cheesiness of the story, the somewhat dim-witted AI in minigames, and the fact that there's only two or three original musical pieces in the whole game - this is one of the better ways to do a minigame collection on the DS.

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GamingTrend

Some of the games will frustrate you with their complexity, but once you think about it, success will be at hand.

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GameBrink

A beautiful game to look at with some fun replayable mini games. Don’t expect an epic story, though – just lots and lots of Chocobos! [JPN Import]

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Console Gameworld

Buy it for the minigames.

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Worth Playing

Truly an enjoyable game. Yes, it is mostly mini-games and simple card battling, and a lot of the game may seem childish, but it proves to be a fun time, especially for Final Fantasy fanatics who will appreciate all the of character references and song throwbacks.

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IGN

Even though the idea might skew young, the product is surprisingly enjoyable for the older crowd.

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GameShark

Final Fantasy fans that can live without actual RPG elements and can enjoy a myriad of mini-games and light card battles should also giving this game a look.

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GameZone

Fun, endearing and wonderfully creative.

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Gaming Horizon

A surprisingly pleasant game if you’re into fast pick-up-and-play gameplay and are enticed by cute visuals, card collecting, and card battling. It’s a fairly quick adventure, though, and a bit too easy to maintain an adult’s interest when more complex, similar titles are available.

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GameTrailers

Chocobo Tales couples a mini-game challenge with clever writing and simple card battling to create a game that is borderline brilliant. But no amount of Final Fantasy allusions, sharp graphics, or WiFi support can mask the fact that stylus and mic mini-games are starting to grow long in the tooth.

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Games Master UK

Can feel like well-trodden ground. [July 2007, p.76]

Zentendo

A wonderful spin off in the well-known franchise. It serves its namesake well, but in a completely new way not seen before.

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GamePro

Chocobo Tales is about quick and easy fun. The Crayola art style, pop-up book style graphics and fable stories may make it seem like a kiddie title and technically, it is. However, the game is fun enough that and packed with enough nods to diehard fans that Final Fantasy fans of all ages should give it a look.

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Pocket Gamer UK

Don't let its cutesy role-playing-lite stylings fool you; Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is a quality game that's a blast to play. [JPN Import]

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GameDaily

The game does grate on the nerves, simply because its characters have plenty of corny lines. However, those willing to look past and embrace its presentation will discover a wonderful adventure.

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Game Almighty

Appallingly cute and definitely skews young in terms of style, but if you're man enough to look past the bright colors and cute characters, or at least confident in your masculinity (or femininity, as the case may be,) you'll find yet one more great game from Square Enix, a nice addition to the Endless Fan----Final Fantasy universe, and most importantly, a game that uses the unique capabilities of the DS.

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GameSpot

It might be squarely aimed at the younger crowd, but Chocobo Tales is highly charming and a great choice for players of all ages.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

A great looking title with highly addictive mini-games. [July 2007, p.70]

Gamer 2.0

The single player component in Chocobo Tales is roughly 10 hours long, so while it won't keep you busy for a month, the game's pure fun factor is just enough to make it worth a purchase.

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NintendoWorldReport

The game design for each mini-game is very solid, and the card game is also strategic without the need for an encyclopedic knowledge of the rules.

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Play Magazine

With its weird mishmash of genres, art styles and difficulty levels, Chocobo and the Magical Picturebook is sort of a mess. But it's the good kind of mess, born of a passionate development team that was determined to pack a ton of ideas into a DS cartridge. [JPN Import; Feb 2007, p.79]

The New York Times

Tales has a ridiculously cumbersome system in which you can’t easily swap one card for another or compare two cards; even finding a particular card in your collection requires a tedious search. The designers would find it challenging to come up with a worse system. This flaw is surprising in a game that is otherwise beautifully designed.

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Gaming Nexus

For a title that contains one of the things I absolutely loathe thanks to the flooding of the market, I have to say I’ve come away from this title enjoying a lot more than I thought.

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Digital Entertainment News

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is a great “starter” title for younger gamers, to introduce them to the Final Fantasy universe. One of the sharper-looking titles on the DS to date!

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NTSC-uk

On the face of it Chocobo Tales appears to be aimed at a younger audience; however the game has a delightful charm that will appeal to anyone who’s a fan of the Final Fantasy series.

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Thunderbolt

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is a mash-up of a variety of different ideas, and although none of them are executed perfectly, the game still manages to be quite entertaining.

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PALGN

Chocobo Tales is more than just a bunch of mini-games, but sadly this feather powered adventure lacks staying power.

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Nintendo Power

Chocobo Tales serves as an endearing diversion for FINAL FANTASY fanatics, and provides an affable introduction to the franchise for newcomers. [June 2007, p.104]

Eurogamer

A simple videogame built from a slew of diverse but relentlessly derivative building blocks.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

You just have to be willing to put up with a really boring card game to get to all the good stuff, and there's something depressing about that. [June 2007, p.59]

GameSpy

A pleasant surprise. While its story elements are predictably clichéd and patronizing, the varied minigames and fun card battles make up for the annoying but easily ignored connective sequences.

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Games Radar (in-house)

The gaming equivalent of cotton candy: it’s not very substantial or filling, but it is sweet, fluffy, and enjoyable.

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Game Revolution

Even as Chocobo Tales devours your children's attention, it successfully delivers at least 10 hours of safe and shareable gameplay for gamers of every feather.

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NGamer UK

Irritating and irrational, Magic Picture Book treats you badly. Yet one flash of those choco-puppy eyes and your heart will flutter. The DS equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome. [JPN Import; Mar 2007, p.76]

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Game Informer

I definitely prefer Chocobos when they are being ridden into war, not when they are forced to climb beanstalks and play rhythm games. [May 2007, p.96]

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

But here, the stop-and-go progression between books and battles presents an identity crisis: Is this an RPG or another DS "minigame"? Either way, it didn't keep my attention long. [May 2007, p.86]

1UP

Its parts are largely equal, which only leads to confusion. What becomes most important: building card decks, or mastering the minigames? Or, in the big picture, do you buy this game to play minigames or go on a chocobo adventure? There are simply too many things vying for your attention, and more than likely, none of them will get much of it.

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Edge Magazine

The pretty basic minigames are bland, and the worst, such as Pot Luck, are based on blind, dumb chance. So are the best, sadly. They’re fun with four people, but what isn’t? [June 2007, p.92]

G4 TV

It takes a little effort, maybe, but you can make a game for kids that doesn’t bore a more experienced player.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

parrappa dog gave it a4:
This game is garbage. the mini games mostly take luck and although the game is supposed to be based on card game battles, youll be spending 90% of the game playing mini games for the cards themselves. the battle system is pretty much absolute luck and played almost in a rock-paper-scissors fashion. music is your typical chocobo theme and final fantasy victory themes in about every situation you get in. the only thing that i enjoy about this game really is that the graphics for DS is well done. i suggest you all avoid this piece of crap.

Kelvin T. gave it an8:
It's a Squeenix production so the exceptional graphics and sound are no surprise. But while I find that their RPGs rarely hit a spot with me, Chocobo Tales really had me all the way with its immense variety on offer. Obtaining a complete card collection may prove to be one of the toughest challenges ever, but these cards are super important when dueliing via WiFi or wireless. Good or bad thing, it's up to you. Plenty of flaws to pick at, but hey it's something different to the usual ATB so I'm not complaining. Best DSqueenix game yet.

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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales

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