Chocobo (Final Fantasy VIII)



Chocobos in Final Fantasy VIII are obtained through Chocobo Forests where, with the help of Chocoboy, Squall can capture a mother chocobo to ride around the country. Chocobos are generally shy until one earns their trust.

If the player chooses to disembark a chocobo, it will depart, and they will have to reenter a Chocobo Forest if they wish to ride another. Therefore, it is imperative for the player to only disembark if it is possible for Squall to reach a Chocobo Forest or a vehicle by foot, otherwise, the party will have become effectively stranded, rendering it impossible to continue with the plotline.

Final Fantasy VIII is the first game to feature a different name for baby chocobos; known as a chicobo. The very first instance of a baby chocobo is in Final Fantasy V.

Profile
A full sized chocobo stands at about 275 cm (9 foot) in height while a chicobo, depending on age, can be seen to be about 17 cm (6.7 inch) in height on up.

Only the yellow breed of chocobo have been shown to exist in Final Fantasy VIII, but they possess a few abilities not normally associated with their kind. Most notably, they possess the ability to cross small rivers and shallow water, a trait usually associated with blue chocobos. This ability comes in useful on the game's fourth and final disc; upon entering to the Chocobo Holy Forest the player can gain access to a chocobo and use it to travel all the way back to the Kashkabald Desert to gain access to the game's airship, Ragnarok.

Final Fantasy VIII also sheds some light upon the chocobo's 'family life', revealing that the chicobo (baby chocobo) is raised by the female chocobo and is also protected by her in the Chocobo Forests. Chicobos are attracted to the ChocoZiner and will appear when called by it, but usually they will stay with their mother throughout infancy, following along behind if the mother goes wandering. One notable exception to this rule is Boko, although it is not known whether his mother is alive, lost, or whether he was abandoned upon hatching.

The chocobos also have a sacred dance they offer to perform for those they deem worthy.

Boko
The minigame Chocobo World, which can be played on a Pocket Station, a device sold exclusively in Japan, unlocks certain items in the game. The protagonist is a chicobo called Boko. The game is also included in the PC-version of Final Fantasy VIII.

Boko, along with friends Cactuar and Moomba, must rescue their friend MiniMog (a Moogle) from the evil Demon King in Scary Mountain. During his adventures Boko must fight other monsters and overcome many perils, as well as fighting the urge to watch his television set and go fishing.

From when he reaches level 20 Boko meets a female chicobo named Koko who kisses him each time they meet. After each kiss his powers will increase allowing for much stronger attacks when summoned by the player party. When Boko reaches level 100 Demon King will capture Koko and Boko must fight him for her freedom.

Battle

 * See the Summon sequence here

Squall and his friends can summon Boko into battle using Gysahl Greens. Boko has four different attacks; ChocoFire, ChocoFlare, ChocoMeteor and ChocoBocle, each attack more powerful then the previous. However, to get the different attacks Boko must reach a certain level and trigger an event in Chocobo World, or the player must use a cheat device.

Boko, when summoned, can call Chubby Chocobo to attack enemies as his ultimate attack ChocoBocle. ChocoBocle is one of the few attacks in Final Fantasy VIII that can break damage limit.


 * $$Damage = LevelMod * Level / 10 + Power$$
 * $$Damage = Damage * (265 - TargetSpr) / 8$$
 * $$Damage = Damage * Power / 256$$

Music
There are two chocobo themes in Final Fantasy VIII. The first is featured when riding a chocobo on the field, called "Mods de Chocobo". The second is featured in the town of Winhill next to a chocobo crossing, it is called "ODEKA ke Chocobo". "ODEKA ke Chocobo" is also the featured theme in Chocobo World. "Mod" is a type of subculture that originated in London in 1950s, associated with African American soul, Jamaican ska, British beat music and R&B.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
The Chicobo has a card in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.

Trivia

 * The image of the chocobo appears as hood ornaments of some of the cars seen in the game's FMVs. One such car is the Tempest while another car is crushed by the X-ATM092 in Dollet.
 * Two chocobos can be briefly seen on the background during the Timber train mission. This can be considered odd, as the Galbadian continent has no Chocobo Forests.
 * There exists an item called Chocobo Tag, but it is only obtained from the Chocobo World, as item rank B or C. It changes Boko's name.

Chocobo (Final Fantasy VIII)