Chocobo Forest (Final Fantasy VIII)

Chocobo Forests are optional locations in Final Fantasy VIII. There are seven forests in the game and in each forest the player can catch a chocobo by solving a series of puzzles involving chicobo. If the player doesn't want to go through the process of catching the birds, they can simply ask the resident Chocoboy to catch one for 1,200 Gil.

The puzzles involve spots where the player can make chicobos appear and disappear by whistling the ChocoZiner. The player can find these spots by using a ChocoSonar. When only one chicobo is out in the open a mother chocobo will appear and the player can either ride her or have her assist in digging up hidden items within the forest. The items are found by using the ChocoSonar. When all the treasures are found the player can keep returning to the forest and a chocobo will be waiting for them to ride, without having to entice them out first.

The forests are completely optional and the player can do the puzzles in any order they want. After the first time of completing a forest puzzle the player can talk to Chocoboy after the mother chocobo has appeared and the player acquired the treasure; Chocoboy will give Squall the Guardian Force Boko. Boko is playable in the Chocobo World game on the Pocketstation (Japan exclusive) or in the PC-version and can be summoned in battle by the use of Gysahl Greens.

Forest of Solitude
It is notoriously difficult to catch a chocobo in the Forest of Solitude near Centra Ruins, because there is only one chicobo. After having found the mother, the player must challenge Chocoboy to a game of cards and ask him to move: Chocoboy is standing on top of the buried treasure.

The Chocobo Sanctuary
After having befriended all of the chocobos in the forests the player must return to The Roaming Forest and take the chocobo for a ride, then head east through the Bika Snowfield, cross the shallow water and enter the Grandidi Forest to reach the Chocobo Sanctuary. This secluded forest can only be reached by a chocobo. In the Sanctuary the player will witness the Dance of the Chocobos and the chicobo will offer the Chicobo Card. After that the player can buy Gysahl Greens from the chicobo.

Trivia

 * Dance of the Chocobos is a nod to Final Fantasy VII, where dancing chocobos give the player the Choco/Mog Materia.