I am going to make an official declaration, so listen up: Square Enix has lost the right to use the word 'Final' in front of 'Fantasy'. From now on, the only acceptable word is 'Endless'. A final fantasy that continues to spawn endless sequels strikes me a contradiction, so consider this a grammatical favor. Besides, Endless Fantasy has a certain marketability. I'll waive the consultation fee.

This brings me to, ahem, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, yet one more inevitable cash-cow from Square Enix that abandons traditional RPG aspects and focuses on card-battles and mini-games, all centered around everyone's favorite avian-based mode of transportation, the irrepressible and precocious Chocobo. Ahh, just looking at a picture of one makes me all warm and fuzzy inside...or is that bile climbing up my esophagus?

Acerbic witticisms aside, I'm forced to confess that I actually enjoy this game, but please don't let that get around as I have my image to protect. You see, Chocobo Tales is so cute it hurts. If you're over the age of 12 then it's one of those games you'd never, ever admit to playing, only inserting the game card when you are absolutely sure no one is looking. Once you're safely hidden away from curious eyes, you'll find a game that has a typically bizarre plot involving the abductions of your friends who have been sucked into an evil book and, naturally, turned into two-dimensional playing cards. It's based on a true story, don't question it.

In usual Square Enix style, Chocobo Tales squeezes just about everything out of the DS possible, delivering great 3D graphics and a unique style all its own. There is an attention to artistic detail that is a cut above the norm and it really helps makes the overwhelming cuteness of the game just a little more palatable. One you've cleared the hurdle of cuteness and willingly accept your fate, you'll find an enjoyable game that is connected by a linear plot, involving tons of mini-games that run the gamut from stylus-controlled racing interludes to puzzle-based brain teasers.

As you explore your surroundings you'll find playing cards here and there, each of which reveals a new game or instigates a card battle, which plays like Yu-Gi-Oh, though significantly more streamlined and friendly to new players. This isn't to imply that card battles are easy, as they are still quite challenging, allowing you to custom design a deck of fifteen cards. It's just easier to understand than Yu-Gi-Oh and represents a great entry point for players who have little experience with the genre.

Ultimately, Chocobo Tales is a surprisingly excellent game that is well polished, save for an rather annoying inventory structure that doesn't make compiling your deck as easy as it should. I'm pretty sure you'll admire the depth of content the game offers and you'll definitely get your money's worth, especially considering that you can play card battles with gamers across the globe via the Nintendo WiFi Network.

To wrap this up, Chocobo Tales is appallingly cute and definitely skews young in terms of style, but if you're man enough to look past the bright colors and cute characters, or at least confident in your masculinity (or femininity, as the case may be,) you'll find yet one more great game from Square Enix, a nice addition to the Endless Fan----Final Fantasy universe, and most importantly, a game that uses the unique capabilities of the DS.