Square Enix Shared FFVII Remake Chocobo Facts

From Shinra Tower’s sanitary facilities to the price of admission for the hottest ticket in town, Square Enix has gotten into the habit of dropping factoids and trivia about the world of Final Fantasy VII, particularly as imagined in FFVII Remake. The latest additions concern Chocobos, the iconic mascot of the Final Fantasy franchise. The official FFVII Remake account shared some concept art of Midgar’s favorite giant yellow riding bird and facts about them.

今日はチョコボのアートをご紹介！
ミッドガルではひなたぼっこしたチョコボの香りの洗濯用洗剤やチョコボ豆のポップコーンなど…チョコボ商品が充実！
なかでもチョコボ豆は、はじけてもチョコボの形になる事から世界七不思議のひとつなんだとか…？#FF7R #FF7R_inter pic.twitter.com/xtDxvT7AbY

— FFVII REMAKE (@FFVIIR_CLOUD) April 4, 2022

The tweet shared three pieces of Chocobo artwork from FFVII, as well as trivia about the many Chocobo-themed products to be found in Midgar, such as Chocobo-scented laundry-soap. In the original PS1 game, players could breed Chocobos for racing at the Gold Saucer. Breeding a special Black Chocobo was also the only way to obtain the game’s most powerful summoning Materia.

The first FFVII Remake Chocobo art piece is concept art showing Chocobos from the side and rear. Compared to other depictions of Chocobos from elsewhere in the franchise, Final Fantasy VII Remake‘s versions had somewhat thicker necks and chests. They also have a brighter yellow color, a smoother coat of feathers, more upturned tail, and smaller head plumes.

The second art piece showed a Chocobo-drawn cart.

The third piece of artwork was a concept for the “Chocobo Pop Beans” food stall found in the Wall Market section of the game. The snack is called “Chocobo Bean Popcorn” in the FFVII  Remake English localization. According to the tweet, and a 2020 interview with Co-director Motomu Toriyama, Chocobo Pop Beans are made by frying the special “Chocobo Bean,” named so for their resemblance to the animal’s clawed foot. The beans retain their shape even when popped, and taste similar to “average movie-theater popcorn.” Consuming them quickly causes the eater to emit burps that sound like the Chocobo’s “Kweh!”

Final Fantasy VII Remake is available on the PS4, PS5, and PC. The versions on PS5 and PC are known as Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and contain extra content. The next installment of the FFVII Remake series is in development.