Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon for WonderSwan

Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon for WonderSwan brought to the Bandai console the beloved Final Fantasy spin-off in which a chocobo becomes an adventurer making its way through ever-changing dungeons. The foundation follows the tradition of mystery dungeon games: every descent generates a new layout of corridors, enemies, and chests, time passes turn by turn so every step the player takes is also a step for the enemies, and death usually means losing everything collected and returning to the start. It sounds harsh, but that's exactly where the tension this genre relies on comes from.

Playing revolves around managing resources. The chocobo gets hungry as it walks, and hunger depletes with every step, so wandering aimlessly is punished; items can be used in various ways, and some start out unidentified, so the player takes a risk trying an unknown potion. On top of that, classic Final Fantasy elements appear in the form of familiar enemies and spells, giving the whole thing a more playful, friendlier tone than tougher representatives of the genre usually have. The WonderSwan version works with a monochrome display but relies on clearly readable sprites and a legible map, so you won't get lost in the dungeon because of the graphics, only because of your own carelessness.

At the time, it was one of the titles that lent the new console credibility, since Square was putting brands Japanese players already knew onto it. This chocobo roguelike is also a great example of how well the genre suits handheld play: one dungeon run doesn't take long, can be ended at any time, and the urge to try just once more works regardless of how many times the player has died. Today it feels a bit more modest than later entries on other platforms, but its addictive loop still holds up, and it remains one of the more pleasant ways to play a classic mystery dungeon. It also helps that, thanks to familiar creatures and musical motifs from Final Fantasy, it feels welcoming from the very first minute, even though hidden beneath that friendly surface is a game that can be merciless.