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.
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.
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.
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…
…and the mandocello.
Others added a traditionally Japanese flair by using a koto, shamisen lute, and shakuhachi, a flute associated with Buddhist monks.
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.
Non-human participants were also welcome.
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.
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.
Other genres explored included rock…
…drum and bass…
…jazz…
…a synthesizer quartet with a bit of a city pop vibe going on…
…and an especially epic symphonic arrangement.
One dual-passion gamer even had Animal Crossing’s Isabelle get in on the fun!
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.
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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