Square Enix’s organizes stay-home salute to the lovable fantasy steed.
For as many Final Fantasy games as there are (15 numbered titles in the mainline series and counting), the franchise doesn’t have many direct sequels. Instead, Final Fantasy has recurring themes, lore, and even music.
Some of Final Fantasy’s most famous musical calling cards include the mysterious “Prelude” and triumphant “Victory Fanfare,” but if you’re looking for an upbeat number to put a spring in your step, there’s nothing quite like “Chocobo Theme,” the music that plays when riding on Final Fantasy’s adorable avian steeds. And if the Chocobo song can brighten your day, it can brighten your week too, which brings us to the Ouchi de Chocobo (“Home de Chocobo”) challenge.
「おうちdeチョコボ」企画🎉ミュージックスタッフがさっそく演奏してみた編をどうぞ🐥🐥🐥リコーダーバージョンです🎵#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo #GWの過ごし方https://t.co/80TKVNA7nh pic.twitter.com/Ao4Jo4IYKQ
— SQUARE ENIX MUSIC (@sem_sep) May 1, 2020
Held during the string of Japanese holidays called Golden Week, Final Fantasy developer Square Enix released the “Chocobo Theme” sheet music, as well as an adorable illustrated background, for fans to use in creating their own versions of the song to share on social media while staying home and staying safe. The Square Enix team themselves got the ball rolling with the above example, and from there it was off to the chocobo races for fans to make their own! With “Chocobo Theme” showing up in just about every modern Finial Fantasy game, the tune has already proven it can work with a variety of instruments and musical genres, and that flexibility is on full display in the varied versions here, starting with this elegant piano piece.
弾いてみましたよ〜!!(^^)#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/9NKOmH4MjK
— 伊藤賢治 (@itoken0705) May 1, 2020
Way on the other end of the spectrum, here’s a high-BPM dance version that, according to its creator, a chocobo might play in its car as it zips around the mountain passes of Japan in late-night street racing battles.
チョコボでコーナーを攻める時のBGMです#おうちdeチョコボ#HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/6BOVkzXDbh
— Ajitama Chazuke (@ff14_chazuke) May 2, 2020
Given the song’s roots as a part of a fantasy role-playing series, it goes particularly well with Renaissance-era instruments like the mandolin…
#おうちdeチョコボ
— 小林透&林真衣 ToruKobayashi MaiHayashi (@DuoFutaba) May 1, 2020
マンドリンとクラシックギターで弾いてみました。 pic.twitter.com/KIjgqEjE9I
…and the mandocello.
さっそくマンドロンチェロで弾いてみました~!#おうちdeチョコボ#mandoloncello https://t.co/QXQ0OFSsqF pic.twitter.com/8ST11by5iL
— ふく太郎 (@Goo18ily) May 1, 2020
Others added a traditionally Japanese flair by using a koto, shamisen lute, and shakuhachi, a flute associated with Buddhist monks.
ちょっこぼちょこぼちょっこぼ~の
— Sachi🜸光の琴弾き (@Sachi_Kotohiki) May 4, 2020
きょっくができった~ぜ♪
ちょっこぼちょこぼ~~~♪
おっこと しゃくはち しゃっみ~せぇ~んを
たいこ のりずむ~にのっせて弾くよぉ~♪
という事で
お琴・尺八・三味線・和太鼓の『和楽器 de チョコボ!!』です!!#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/8wxEC1JWgt
Square Enix made a point of telling people that they didn’t have to use instruments to make music, and encouraged them to get creative with whatever they had around the house. Here, for example, is a guy performing “Chocobo Theme” with chopsticks, an empty soy sauce bottle, and a couple other things in his kitchen/dining room.
https://twitter.com/mameko_BLM/status/1258231905603907585Non-human participants were also welcome.
おうちにあるものならオッケーということなのでおうちにいるもので #おうちdeチョコボ
— ちった@ピーちゃん (@chitta_321) May 2, 2020
飼い主の口笛の方がカスカス😂 pic.twitter.com/ZaY7v1cTZb
While the music has no official lyrics, the music lends itself extremely well to singing “cho-choco-choco-choco-chocobo,” and in a clever twist, this version adds in some cheerful “kupos” from the Moogle who’s also in the illustration.
途中から自分の歌へ変えていくモーグリ#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/gg2RIfRbyx
— seer (@seer38) May 1, 2020
Or, in a display of chocobos’ worldwide appeal, here’s an English rendition that will also teach you quite a bit of chocobo trivia/critically important knowledge.
https://twitter.com/annatheloon/status/1256578596111409154Other genres explored included rock…
おうちdeチョコボ
— 牧野忠義(スピンソルファ) (@TadayoshiMakino) May 4, 2020
「チョコボのテーマ」を「FFメインテーマ」のコード進行でリアレンジしたら思いのほか壮大になったので聴いて。
Stay Home みんなで頑張ろうぜっ…!#おうちdeチョコボ #Homedechocobo #FF7R pic.twitter.com/ZLZug9EnPg
…drum and bass…
珍しくプロジェクト動画を公開🎶#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo #FLStudio pic.twitter.com/Oi97DT4eV4
— 水田直志 (@Naoshi_MIZUTA) May 4, 2020
…jazz…
おうちdeチョコボ
— 倉持望 (@NozomuKuramochi) May 1, 2020
自由に演奏してみよう!
なので変拍子にしてみました🐤#おうちdeチョコボ#HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/BfrdNeZeuL
…a synthesizer quartet with a bit of a city pop vibe going on…
よーし!!wwww
— Framingo Devil🎺ノスカー✨ (@koniy0805) May 4, 2020
暇だから合奏するぞおおおお!!!……一人で()
スクエニGW企画『#おうちdeチョコボ』に便乗して一人アレンジ4重奏をやってみました!
重ね撮りです!
右下に若干一名、不審者が映り込みますが気にしなで是非最後まで見てください♪#FF14 #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/B0FgNKxx7T
…and an especially epic symphonic arrangement.
相変わらず真面目に壮大にしたがる自分。サクっと短めに冒険の始まりのようなワクワク感をイメージ。#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/8pxaGoUNkk
— パポス / 古川亮(音ノ和) (@papospapos) May 2, 2020
One dual-passion gamer even had Animal Crossing’s Isabelle get in on the fun!
うちの島メロがチョコボのテーマです!しずえさんに歌ってもらったときの動画です!#いとととととう#おうちdeチョコボ#HomedeChocobo#どうぶつの森#AnimalCrossing#ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/BqhwCYRvhw
— 糸兎いと🧵🐰 (@itoto_ito_) May 1, 2020
And finally, if all this chocobo excitement has you tired out and ready for a nap, here’s a relaxing clarinet/piano duo to carry you softly into slumber.
おひるねチョコボ#おうちdeチョコボ #HomedeChocobo pic.twitter.com/D9X7oRjsVJ
— ユウキ@もふもふのすがた (@miyacla) May 1, 2020
While Square Enix initiated the whole idea as a fun at-home Golden Week activity, there’s nothing stopping you from getting in on the fun now by making your own “Chocobo Theme” video and sending it out into the world with the #おうちdeチョコボ or #HomedeChocobo hashtags.
Featured image: Twitter/@sem_sep
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s extremely angry at Chocobo Sam for not giving you a chocobo to ride in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
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