Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales to IPO on March 15

Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales for the DS will debut on the simExchange on Thursday, March 15, 2007. It will be categorized under the Adventure genre. Shares will open for purchase at 35 DKP (forecasts 350,000 copies sold worldwide over lifetime).

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is a new game carrying the Final Fantasy brand designed for the younger audience. You take the role of a chocobo (for those new to the series, chocobos are giant birds used as mounts in the Final Fantasy universe). You and your fellow chocobo buddies enjoy kicking back at the farm and listening to stories read by Shirma, a white mage. However, Croma, a black mage, brings a new storybook one day. Reading this storybook summons all sorts of baddies that kidnap your chocobo friends. You, Shirma, and Croma must rescue your friends and stop the baddies before it’s too late.

The main game has you exploring the land finding different storybooks. Each storybook tells a Final Fantasy version of an Aesop Fable. After reading a storybook, you will be presented with a 2D, touch-screen minigame that will determine the ending of the storybook, which actually affects the real world. Doing well in these minigames will also reward you with new cards you use in combat.

Combat in Chocobo Tales is based on card-battles called “Pop-Up Duels.” You attack your opponents using different offense cards and deflect attacks using defense cards that match the offense card. There are about 120 cards you can collect.

The game features 4-player multiplayer over WiFi in which you card-battle or play minigames.

The game will be released in North America on April 3, 2007 and in Europe in May of 2007. The game was released in Japan on December 14, 2006 and has sold over 100,000 copies. The game listing was submitted by Joe80.