If Fisher-Price ever made a Dungeons and Dragons game, it would probably look a lot like Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. The bright-primary-colors-and-no-sharp-corners game design ensures that there is little which will offend or frighten younger gamers, but the real question is whether or not there is enough here to enthrall them.

Chocobo is an ostrich-like bird from the Final Fanstasy series. In this incarnation, he is rendered as a squat, fluffy, yellow chick accompanying the treasure-hunter on a quest to find a power source for an airship. This setup is quickly dispensed with as Cid and Chocobo are transported to the mysterious town of Lostime on the island of Memoria. The town is a charming European-inspired village with quaint stone buildings (including a bank, a restaurant, a church, a smithy, and an ominous clock-tower) and an amnesiac populace. Every time the clock-tower bell rings, they lose their memories. With the help of Rafaello (a cherubic child who literally drops into the story) Chocobo can enter the black void left after the bell rings and retrieve those memories.

This is the real heart of the game. When you take Chocobo into the void, you're entering a randomly-generated, multi-level dungeon. The dungeons are composed of tiles arranged as hallways and rooms. You move Chocobo with the D-Pad and the Wii remote trying to find stairs which will lead to the lower levels. Along the way Chocobo will have to defend himself as he's attacked by a variety of monsters and beset by a multitude of traps.

Combat (in fact all dungeon movement) is turn-based. Press the D-Pad and Chocobo will move in the indicated direction. At the same time the various creatures in the dungeon will move as well. When Chocobo is close enough to strike an enemy, press the 'A' button and Chocobo will lash out. Then his opponent will get to take a shot in return.

To keep things interesting, Chocobo has special abilities which can be accessed via the inventory screen. Special abilities can devastate enemies, but a point system keeps you from using them too often. Expend all of the available 'Special Points' and you'll have to recharge before you can use Chocobo's special abilities again.

Recharging is simply a matter of surviving and moving. With each step, Chocobo regains hit points and special points. Stay away from the monsters long enough and you'll be fully healed. However, moving expends energy which can only be restored by eating. A little forethought goes a long way in Chocobo's Dungeon.

If Chocobo runs out of energy or hit points, he'll collapse and be transported out of the dungeon minus any items he was carrying. (Anything Chocobo has 'equipped' -- i.e. is wearing -- will be spared.) This means another trip through the same dungeon, but without the benefit of the potions, spells, and unequipped items that turned up during the previous trip.

The items scattered throughout the dungeon -- or dropped by defeated enemies -- can be a real boon in Chocobo's quest. Potions restore hit points; elixirs restore special points, poison drains hit points slowly, and a spell books have a variety of powers. To succeed, Chocobo will have to use the spell books to cast spells to restore his own health and to drain the health of his enemies. Parents who are uncomfortable with the use of magic may wish to steer clear of this game.

The game includes a 'job' system which is a sort of primitive class system. Chocobo can take on various jobs -- Knight, Black Mage, White Mage, Dragoon, etc. -- which have their own strengths, weaknesses and special abilities. Many of these classes include the use of magical abilities and spell casting.

Surprisingly, the many items found in the dungeons, the variety of opponents, and the job system combine to give this game unexpected depth. While it's frustrating having to reply a dungeon two or three or four times to clear it, the promise of new and interesting content in the next dungeon is enough to keep players coming back for more. When a dungeon is cleared, a cut scene reveals a little bit more of the town's interesting back-story. Again, these nuggets, doled-out at regular intervals, give the game a magnetic pull which will encourage you to see it through.

Learning to survive the dungeons is mostly a matter of paying attention. The game itself doles out a steady stream of clues and tutorials. This player-friendly approach will be a real boon for younger dungeon crawlers.

When he's not exploring Dungeons, Chocobo can play minigames in town including a fishing game, a gardening game, darts, a version of tailgunner, and a pop-up card game. These provide a pleasant diversion from the main game.

Similarly, interacting with various people in town gives the game depth and variety. Objects can cash can be safely stored in the bank, people at various places will give useful tips and hints, and Chocobo can visit the church to have curses lifted from the items he finds in the dungeons.

The church deserves a special mention as some players (and their parents) might find it confusing. The architecture is clearly based on a typical European church; a cross-shaped layout with an altar and stained-glass windows. However, the usual iconography is missing, replaced by rounded shapes. The preacher talks about the 'gods of the crystals'. Although this has little to do with the game play, some parents might find the content objectionable for their children.

On the plus side, the game is generous with save points. Players can save the game any time they like when they are in town and have the option of saving at every staircase they encounter in a dungeon. Oddly, though, the only way to restore from a save is to exit to the Wii menu and restart. In fact, the exit-restart is forced if the game is saved in a dungeon. This seems an odd design choice and can lead to frustratingly long breaks in game play.

Young gamers who wish to indulge in a tame dungeon-crawl will be well-served by Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. The battles are bloodless and the frequent in-game hints and tips gently encourage players towards ultimate success. The repetition will play well with the younger set while the variety of monsters, traps, and items will keep all players coming back for more.