Editing Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon

{{Short description|1997 role-playing video game}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}{{Infobox video game
| title = Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon
| developer = [[Square (video game company)|Square]]
| publisher = Square
| released = '''PlayStation'''{{vgrelease|JP|December 23, 1997}}'''WonderSwan'''{{vgrelease|JP|March 4, 1999}}
| genre = [[Role-playing video game]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
| platforms = [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[WonderSwan]]
| series = ''[[Final Fantasy]]''<br>''[[Chocobo (series)|Chocobo]]''<br />''[[Mystery Dungeon]]''
| producer = [[Koichi Nakamura]]
| image = Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon cover.png
| caption = PlayStation box art
| composer = [[Masashi Hamauzu]]
}}
{{nihongo foot|'''''Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon'''''|チョコボの不思議なダンジョン|Chokobo no Fushigi na Danjon|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a [[roguelike]] [[dungeon crawl]]er [[video game]] developed and published by [[Square (video game company)|Square]]. A [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series of role-playing video games, it was also the first entry in what would become the ''[[Chocobo (series)|Chocobo]]'' series. It saw a Japan-only release on December 23, 1997, for [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=IGN Staff |date=1997-12-13 |title=Square Obsessives Rejoice |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/12/13/square-obsessives-rejoice |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref> and a version was released on March 4, 1999, for [[WonderSwan]]. The game was re-released in 2010 on [[PlayStation Network]] in Japan as a [[PSone Classics|PSOne Classic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McElroy |first=Griffin |date=2010-08-07 |title=Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon coming to PSOne Classics in Japan |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-08-07-chocobos-mysterious-dungeon-coming-to-psone-classics-in-japan.html |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref>

The game's protagonist is a yellow [[chocobo]], a fictional species of bird in the ''Final Fantasy'' universe, named {{nihongo|Poulet|プーレ|Pūre}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Chocobo |url=https://archive.org/details/games-tm-videogames-hall-of-fame-icons-gaming-history/page/106/mode/2up?q=%22Chocobo%27s+Mysterious+Dungeon%22 |journal=GamesTM Videogames Hall of Fame: The Icons of Gaming History |pages=106 |access-date=2024-01-07 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> The player must fight through [[procedurally generated]] dungeons, picking up items and battling enemies.

== Gameplay ==
''Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon'' combines real-time combat with an [[Active Time Battle]] (ATB) system reminiscent of a ''Final Fantasy'' game.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=The Elf |date=1998 |title=Chocobo's M.D. |url=https://archive.org/details/Superjuegos_071/page/n23/mode/2up |journal=Superjuegos |language=es |access-date=2024-01-07 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Attacks have reduced power and accuracy if made before the ATB gauge fills up.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Moss |first=Richard C. |date=2020-03-19 |title=ASCII art + permadeath: The history of roguelike games |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/ascii-art-permadeath-the-history-of-roguelike-games/ |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |language=en-us}}</ref> The game consists of three dungeons: a 30-level dungeon, a 60-level dungeon, and an infinite dungeon which recycles enemy types every 100 levels.

== Development ==
The game was produced by [[Koichi Nakamura]], the founder of [[Chunsoft]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ricciardi |first=John |date=November 1997 |title=New Square RPGs |url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-100-november-1997_202106/page/n31/mode/2up |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=100 |pages=28 |access-date=2024-01-07 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> It also marks the solo composing debut of [[Masashi Hamauzu]], who prepared both the soundtrack and an arrangement album named ''Coi Vanni Gialli''.

The game appeared in a booth at [[Tokyo Game Show]] 1997, but did not appear in playable form, only having a complete video presentation of the game on the company's video wall along with ''[[Front Mission 2]]'' and ''[[Front Mission Alternative]]''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=IGN Staff |date=1997-09-06 |title=TGS: Chocobo's Mysterious Absence |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/09/06/tgs-chocobos-mysterious-absence |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref> Upon its release, it was bundled with the "Mysterious Data Disc", a bonus containing a number of movies from unreleased games and a playable [[Game demo|demo]] of ''[[Xenogears]]''.<ref name=":0" /> In early 1998, it was still the 10th best-selling game in Japan according to [[Famitsu]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=IGN Staff |date=1998-02-06 |title=N64 Takes a Bashing in Japanese Sales |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/02/06/n64-takes-a-bashing-in-japanese-sales |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Reception ==
In pre-release coverage of the game, ''[[IGN]]'' stated that the decision to not show a playable version of the game was "somewhat bizarre", but that the title was "shaping up quite nicely", saying that while the game was not as flashy as ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', and lacked any polygonal graphics, it was "obvious" that much effort went into designing the game's artwork. They also said that, while there was no word of a US release, they hoped the game would receive one due to the success of ''Final Fantasy VII''.<ref name=":3" />

In a post-release review, "The Elf" of ''Superjuegos'' magazine stated that, while the game's setting was "not very attractive", the gameplay was highly addictive and engaging, with "beautiful" magic, funny characters, and attractive [[cutscene]]s. He also called the game's music memorable, citing its remixes of classic themes from ''Final Fantasy''.<ref name=":1" /> However, ECM of ''[[GameFan]]'' had a more negative take, characterizing ''Xenogears'' as "infinitely better",<ref>{{Cite journal |last=ECM |date=May 1998 |title=Viewpoint |url=https://archive.org/details/GameFan9700/GameFan%20Vol.%206%20-%2005%20(May%201998)%20Mortal%20Kombat%204/page/n11/mode/2up |journal=[[GameFan]] |volume=6 |issue=5 |pages=11 |access-date=2024-01-07 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> while Stephen Frost of ''[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PSM]]'' also stated that the game felt "rushed and [not] very fun", appending an image of a dead chocobo with the caption "Ugh. What was Square thinking?"<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Frost |first=Stephen |date=June 1998 |title=Is it a Square World, After All? |url=https://archive.org/details/psm-10-june-1998/page/n99/mode/2up |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PSM]] |volume=6 |issue=10 |pages=101 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
''Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon'' was the first in the ''[[Mystery Dungeon]]'' series to surpass one million units sold due to its connection to ''Final Fantasy'' and chocobo protagonist.<ref name=":2" /> It was followed by a 1998 sequel, ''[[Chocobo's Dungeon 2]]''. The characters of the game went on to star in the ''[[Chocobo (series)|Chocobo]]'' series, containing numerous different genres.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Chocobo series}}
{{Mysterious Dungeon series}}

[[Category:Chocobo (series)]]
[[Category:1997 video games]]
[[Category:Japan-exclusive video games]]
[[Category:Mystery Dungeon]]
[[Category:PlayStation (console) games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Network games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Masashi Hamauzu]]
[[Category:WonderSwan games]]