Chocobo GP’s Gold Saucer track has major Rainbow Road energy
Intentional inspiration or a funny coincidence?
Michael Beckwith 
Image via Square Enix
Nintendo’s Twitter account has shared a brief overview of some of the racetracks featured in the upcoming Chocobo GP, and one of them looks awfully similar to a certain Mario Kart track.
The Gold Saucer, an iconic locale from Final Fantasy VII, has been remodeled as a racetrack for Chocobo GP and has taken plenty of visual cues from Mario Kart’s own Rainbow Road. While Rainbow Road has always been different from game to game, the Gold Saucer track seems to be going for the same overall style, with the track running through the air, plenty of twists and turns, and only some guardrails to prevent you from falling off. Part of the track is even rainbow-colored.
Whether this means Gold Saucer will be as challenging and devious as Rainbow Road remains to be seen. It’s possible this is merely a coincidence; after all, the Gold Saucer is essentially a fairground, serving as a location for minigames in Final Fantasy VII. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Chocobo GP is taking deliberate inspiration.
The other three tracks featured are Big Bridge, an important location from Final Fantasy V (although it won’t just be a straight line), Zozo, a town of thieves and constant rainfall from Final Fantasy VI, and Alexandria, the capital city of the Alexandrian Empire from Final Fantasy IX.
It’s not just the racetracks; Chocobo GP is already packed with classic characters for you to race as, including series regular Gilgamesh and summons like Ifrit and Shiva, with more to follow as post-launch content like protagonists Cloud and Squall.
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