Although it benefited from Japan's huge RPG fan base, it may find difficulty receiving the same praise from US gamers. Chocobo's Dungeon is not a bad game by any means. It's a great little action-RPG starring Chocobo, Square's popular character from the Final Fantasy series. However, there are some elements present that may make veteran gamers indifferent towards the game.

Chocobo's Dungeon 2 opens with beautiful Square-quality (would you expect any less?) CG, and shows Chocobo and his encounter with Mog, everyone's favorite Moogle. Chocobo's clumsiness and Mog's mischievous nature cause a behemoth to be awakened, and they both flee in comic terror. After they are saved thanks to an accidental summoning of Bahamut, Chocobo examines a discovered treasure, looks up into the sky and begins his adventure.

Square's RPGs are usually known for their grand story and deep character development. CD2, unfortunately, doesn't meet these two standards. As you play through the game, you will be introduced to new characters like Chubby Chocobo, Shiroma the White Mage and of course, the gruff but lovable Cid. The characters are stereotypical; their introductions are rushed and their development is brief. The progression of the game is slow and the story, for the most part, is predictable.

The game plays out as follows: You guide Chocobo (and his companions) into the Mysterious Dungeon, going from one randomly-generated floor to another, collecting various treasures and fighting numerous monsters until you have traveled deep enough to reach plot points or boss battles (or both). You cannot save the game in the dungeons, unless you have a special Tag. One of the various treasures to be found in dungeons, Tags allow Chocobo to do things such as view a map of the entire floor, carry more items in the inventory and most importantly, save the game.

As beneficial as the Tags may sound, they become more of a hindrance as the game progresses. Once you go down a flight of stairs, they disappear, and you can not go back. You are given a chance to save when you reach stairs if you have a Memory Tag. If you reach 0 HP while exploring the dungeon, you'll be transported outside the dungeon and lose everything in your inventory. A Teleport Tag will allow you to escape the dungeon with all of your inventory intact. When you start the game, you'll think you won't need to save or teleport, but an hour into the game you'll be hoarding as many Tags as you can. This is probably one of CD2's biggest drawbacks, as all items are spawned randomly in the dungeon. You'll always be running low on them. While this may add a little more difficulty and planning to the game, it shouldn't be a frustrating detriment to the game, which is what it ends up being.

Besides Tags, there are also Cards, Tonics, Nuts, Books, Feathers, Claws and Saddles. Cards are useful for refilling pools(where you can get Tonics), identifying items, etc. Tonics and Nuts can give Chocobo healing, dispel status conditions, or restore energy (his energy level determines how much energy he can gain back by walking around). Books contain the various magical spells and summons, and Feathers (similar to FF VI's Relics) enhance magical spells or bestow beneficial status conditions. Finally, Claws and Saddles are Chocobo's weapons and armor.

There are also Traps and Boxes scattered about each dungeon, impeding or enhancing Chocobo's progress. Traps may hold you in place, drop you down a floor (sometimes this is a blessing), or transform you into a frog, among other things. Boxes can hold treasure, of course. But they also can be either Recycle Boxes or Stoves. A Recycle Box offers you the chance to trade two unwanted items in exchange for a randomly generated item. You'll find yourself far too often tossing in almost your entire inventory trying to get that needed Memory or Teleport Tag. A Stove allows you to combine two Claws or Saddles, toss in a magical book, and come out with a new Claw or Saddle that combines the powers and magic of each.

While certain gameplay elements (the Stove and Feathers being the most notable) are unique and fun, the rest of CD2's presentation hampers that fun slightly. The difficulty level (despite the Tag situation) is very easy, and even the most novice gamer will beat the game within a week or so. As mentioned before, the plot and character development is uncharacteristically mediocre for a Square game.

Character graphics are of the cartoonish, super-deformed variety. While that look fits Chocobo and his companions well, the uninspired design of the dungeons combined with a slight lack of locales (explore the dungeon, rest at the village, go back to the dungeon, etc.) sadly offset it. It's also unfortunate that the CG scenes shown throughout the game do more to explain the story than the in-game dialogue does. Aurally, however, CD2 does not disappoint. Cheery music greets you in the overworld, and somber, spooky tunes are played while in the dungeons. Chocobo's trademark chirping and other sound effects are clear and crisp, and are used effectively during dialogue.