Chocobo racing ( minigame ) Chocobo racing is a recurring minigame in the " Final Fantasy " series introduced in " Final Fantasy VII " , where the series ' mascot animals , chocobo s , race for victory . Different versions of the minigame have appeared in different games , but the minigame is an optional feature apart from the one instance in " Final Fantasy VII " . Appearances . " Final Fantasy VII " . Chocobo racing is played in Gold Saucer on a phantasmagorical race track that has two versions : a short and a long course . The player can bet on the other chocobos racing , but the highest classes are only accessed by entering the race with the player ' s own chocobo , obtained by capturing in the wild and raising them in the Chocobo Farm . Different colored chocobos have different attributes that can help them during the race . Feeding the chocobos special greens on the farm and breeding high - ranking racing chocobos together raises the player ' s chocobos ' stats : speed , stamina and intelligence . Chocobo racing is an optional part of the game apart from the one instance where Cloud Strife is forced to enter a race to win a pardon from Corel Prison for himself and his friends , but some equipment and Materia can only be obtained as prizes from the races , and racing makes it much easier to raise the ultimate chocobo , as chocobos that have reached higher ranks in the races have better chances of producing colored offspring . " Final Fantasy X " . The player can race chocobos in the Calm Lands and Remiem Temple . The player can play four types of chocobo races on the Calm Lands , used as a method of taming and training wild chocobos . The player can find an NPC on the plains that lets Tidus race chocobos and after having tamed a chocobo , the player can take the chocobo for a ride around the Calm Lands . In the hardest race the racer must catch as many balloons on the track as possible while avoiding incoming birds . The racer with the better final time wins ( a bird adds three seconds while a balloon removes three seconds from the racing time ) . To win the Sun Sigil for Tidus ' s Celestial Weapon a time of 00 : 00 is required . In Remiem Temple the player rides a chocobo though the maze of platforms below the temple and has to reach the finish mark at the bottom before the opponent chocobo . The first time the player wins the challenge they will get the Cloudy Mirror , an item needed in making the Celestial Weapons . The chocobo race can be run numerous times for additional prizes , but each prize can only be won once for a total of five prizes . " Final Fantasy XI " . Players may watch chocobo races , bet on chocobo races , and enter chocobos that they have raised themselves in the chocobo races . Chocobo racing takes place in the Chocobo Circuit , a special zone accessible from most of the major cities . Unlike other chocobo racing minigames , chocobo racing in " Final Fantasy XI " is non - interactive . Instead of being ridden by the player the player ' s chocobo is ridden by an NPC chocobo jockey . Before the race , the player may look at the condition of the other chocobos in the race , select one of three pacings for the chocobo , and equip the bird with an item to be used during the race , such as a Speed Apple or Gysahl Bomb . The item will be used at a point in the race determined by the chocobo ' s discretion ( the jockey is not a factor at all and cannot be customized in any way ) . For certain races the player may choose a saddle , which will modify the chocobo ' s attributes . Players whose chocobo wins in the races receive Chocobucks , which are exchangeable for various prizes , nearly all of which are useful only in chocobo racing itself . Because of this " reward cul - de - sac " and the non - interactive races , chocobo racing is unpopular with the players in general . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . The inspiration for the chocobo racing in " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " may derive from " Final Fantasy VII " , as it has been confirmed that Serendipity is inspired by Gold Saucer . The racing is similar , with the player racing with chocobos they have captured from the wild and then raised , chocobos running on a track and there being a choice of short or long course . The player can bet on the race ' s outcome , and race with their own chocobo . Similar to " Final Fantasy VII " chocobos have a boost gauge that slowly refills and is drained when the chocobo dashes . The chocobos ' basic stats ( speed and stamina ) are shown before the race so the player can predict the outcome , but as in real world sports betting , chocobos with lower odds net more prize money if they happen to win , whereas in " Final Fantasy VII " the placement of prizes is just random . There are five race tiers of varying difficulty and each yield different items upon succeeding , and the player must move up ranks by winning races . Secret races also exist , which can be entered after clearing specific conditions . The player can give their chocobo different skills that can be activated during race , and with the " Race Point " system a single chocobo can only enter a limited amount of races before forced to retire . Chocobo racing is an entirely optional part of the game . " Final Fantasy XIV " . Chocobo racing is one of the minigames which appears in the Manderville Gold Saucer . It functions similarly to the minigame in " Final Fantasy VII " , which it mostly alludes to — the theme is also a remix of the one used in the " Final Fantasy VII " racing . " Final Fantasy XV " . There is a chocobo racing track near Wiz Chocobo Post where the player can race after the mark Deadeye has been felled . Straying off course leads to being disqualified . The course is marked by the blue quest markers while the player is riding . Placing first wins medals the player can use to adorn their chocobo . " Final Fantasy Dimensions " . The player cannot race chocobos , but they can bet on them . Four chocobos will compete in a race and the player can bet 100 coins and try to predict which one will win . The chocobo ' s speed and chocobo combinations determine if the player ' s chocobo wins .