Which version of the Chocobo Theme is your favorite?

[Cadenza]

I come here to ask Talking Time a simple, possibly difficult-to-answer question: which of the many arrangements of the Chocobo Theme that have appeared over the years do you like best? The one that comes to your head instantly when you read the word "Chocobo"? The tune you might find yourself humming for no particular reason on a good day?

I had to do some consolidating to fit all the mainline FF entries in the poll - that's why FFII and III are in the same spot (since their arrangements of the theme are the simplest), and FFXI/XIV are also grouped together (since they're the two MMO's). If I left off a particular arrangement that you really enjoy, that's what the "Other" option is for (and feel free to elaborate on that choice in the replies).

My personal favorite arrangements come from Lightning Returns, which gets three separate tunes depending on how strong your chocobo pal is - the smooth jazz of Bluesy Chocobo when you first get your mount, the bossa nova-styled Chocobo Returns when it's a little stronger, and the percussion ensemble arrangement of Marimba de Chocobo for a fully-powered chocobo, and my favorite arrangement in the whole series to date.

No wrong answers here! Trust your heart.

Edit: I realized after the fact that it would probably be a good idea to have all the options in the poll as links you can click to listen to, if you haven't heard a specific arrangement before. Check under the spoilerpop for a whole bunch of links!

Spoiler: Links de Chocobo

FFII: Chocobo Theme
FFIII: Chocobos!
FFIV: Chocobo Forest / Chocobo Chocobo / Samba de Chocobo
FFV: Boko's Theme / Mambo de Chocobo
FFVI: Techno de Chocobo
FFVII: Waltz de Chocobo / Electric de Chocobo / Cinco de Chocobo / Fiddle de Chocobo
FFVIII: ODEKA de Chocobo / Mods de Chocobo
FFIX: Aloha de Chocobo / Ukulele de Chocobo
FFX: Brass de Chocobo
FFXI: Dash de Chocobo / Circuit de Chocobo
FFXII: Chocobo Theme ~FFXII Version~
FFXIII: Chocobos of Cocoon / Pulse de Chocobo
FFXIV: Bo-down / Eorzea de Chocobo / Sport of Kings / Gateway to Paradise
FFXV: Blues de Chocobo / Rodeo de Chocobo (running) (walking/swimming)
FFXIII-2: Groovy Chocobo / Chocobo Rodeo / Crazy Chocobo
Lightning Returns: Bluesy Chocobo / Chocobo Returns / Marimba de Chocobo

 

[FelixSH]

Mambo de Chocobo from FF V comes immediately to mind. But I don't think I ever heard a bad version of the Chocobo theme, because these songs are inherently upbeat and joyful. That said, Mambo de Chocobo is the only one I actually know, I have no idea how the others even sound.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Chocobo Returns when it's a little stronger

When the song starts I feel the impulse to assure people that it's not unusual to fall in love with anyone.

 

[Issun]

Mods de Chocobo forever!

 

[Regulus]

Hm... at first thought I was expecting to say Samba de Chocobo or maybe Ukelele de Chocobo. But I went ahead and listened all of them and I think Pulse de Chocobo, which I had not heard before, is the clear winner.

 

[Torzelbaum]

You never forget your first so it's IV for me.

But there is also this:

 

[JBear]

Crazy Chocobo is life:

 

[Daikaiju]

 

[Mogri]

I thought long and hard about it, and I concluded that the grunt at the start of Mambo makes it for me.

 

[Bongo]

Hard choice, but I love surf rock.

 

[Zef]

 

[Peklo]

Yeah, Lightning Returns has the strongest collective line-up for me--one of the few times I'm excited and engaged by remixes of the leitmotif as compositions outside of the obligatory referentiality. Following that, "Pulse de Chocobo" is a standout on an individual track basis, and I'm fond of the VII assortment too--diverse and does good work with the game's distinctive instrumentation.

"Prismelody: Chocobo / Wishes" from World of Final Fantasy is also really good. It incorporates Serah's leitmotif into the melody really organically.

 

[gorha]

I voted for Techno de Chocobo since that is the version that comes to mind when I think of the chocobo theme, but Crazy Chocobo deserves a mention for making me go "wow, this rules" the first time I heard it.