Chocobot

A cyborg Chocobo (large flightless birds commonly used as transportation in the Final Fantasy series) that first appeared in the 1991 Squaresoft Final Fantasy Adventure Gameboy video game (original Japanese title: Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden; European moniker: Mystic Quest). A full, modern remake of said game was also released in 2003, on the Gameboy Advance, sporting the name Sword of Mana.

After a confrontation with the last survivor of the evil Vandole Empire--the warlock Julius--goes badly, the protagonist of the game is blasted over the precipice of a great cliff by a bolt of the villain's magic. Despite all odds, he survives the plummet down the towering waterfall, although not without injuries. Lying dazed and broken on the sands of the scorching Crystal Desert, the young man despairs. Squinting his eyes against the merciless sun for what he feels must surely be the last time, the hero suddenly spies a familiar silhouette limping across the shard-covered dunes--his Chocobo! Even with the bloody, tattered columns of bone and tendon that the bird once called legs barely functioning, the loyal Chocobo somehow manages to drag its master to the gates of the nearby town of Ish before collapsing. While the young man recuperates under the watchful eyes of the remote village's inhabitants, Dr. Bowow--the resident eccentric genius--takes pity on the creature, replacing the mangled legs of the bird with new, mechanical constructs. Christening his latest creation "Chocobot", Dr. Bowow presents the avian cyborg to the hero. Rested and restored, the two resume their quest to protect the all-giving Tree of Mana from the mad designs of Julius . . .

Chocobot retains all the capabilities of a normal Chocobo, but its new legs grant it the amazing power to run across water--no river, lake, or even ocean, can impede its progress. Simply use the 'ASK' command (when Chocobot is on the same screen as you) to get on/off. While riding a Chocobo, the hero is completely immune to all enemy attacks, but cannot enter a town or dungeon until he dismounts (if you use the bird to avoid battles, be aware that you're also passing up opportunities to obtain experience points, gold, and possibly item drops). Also, in this game, Chocobos can't stand freezing temperatures, so you'll have to explore the Snow Field area of the world map on foot.

One final comment: Robotic legs are apparently attractive, because Chocobot manages to find a mate during the game's ending.

Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, paper toweling, white glue, hot glue, super glue, wire twist ties, gloss nail polish, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:
(* The numbers given assume a neutral standing pose,
the values will vary depending on how the joints are positioned.)

6.2 cm/2.4 in. x 6.9 cm/2.7 in. (widest point x highest point)

Articulation:
Seventeen points total: Beak, neck (2), wings (2), hips (2), knees (2), ankles (2), and toes (6).

Time:
Four days; June 25-29, 2009 (no work was performed on 27).

For comparison/informational purposes, below are numerous Chocobo/Chocobot related screen shots from the Final Fantasy Adventure video game (more information on mouse-over).

•   Final Fantasy Adventure Gameboy video game and instruction manual/map.


•   Various GameFAQs Final Fantasy Adventure game guides.


•   Wikipedia Mana (Series) article.


•   The Shyguy Kingdom Final Fantasy Adventure sprite web page.


•   Video Game Museum Final Fantasy Adventure ending web page.

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The background graphic is composed of fir tree sprites, from the game, that I colored with an art program.