Cloud Strife on the Hardy-Daytona in Final Fantasy VII.
Motorcycles and Hoverbikes are a mode of transportation that appear primarily in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, but also make appearances in several other games. Functionality wise, they operate roughly the same as real-world motorcycles. However, their design is radically different, and in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, they are also capable of maneuvering in ways no real motorcycle possibly could.
Appearances
Final Fantasy VII
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Cloud Strife rides a display motorcycle of Shinra make out of the Shinra Headquarters leading into a minigame in which Cloud must ride behind a pick-up truck carrying the other party members while using his sword to attack pursuing Shinra Electric Power Company troops on their motorcycles. The motorcycle minigame when escaping Midgar was the first idea for a minigame for Final Fantasy VII.[1]
There is a simple trick to avoid being hit; only the orange enemy motorcyclist seems to attack always, as the red enemy motorcyclist stops attacking if Cloud is continually slashing with his sword, even if he is only slashing air. Thus the easy strategy is to kill the orange motorcyclists and leave the red ones, and then continually press the attack button and the enemy motorcyclists will stop attacking the car.
The minigame can later be replayed at the Gold Saucer Wonder Square, where GP and a Speed Source are awarded for a high enough score.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
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The Remnants of Sephiroth on their motorcycles.
Cloud's motorcycle is the Fenrir whose wheels are much wider than a normal motorcycle's, allowing it to remain upright even without a rider. It has a series of retractable compartments in the front that Cloud stores the Fusion Swords in. Cloud's acquisition of the bike is covered in On the Way to a Smile, in which he trades for it to help with his deliveries, agreeing to the unspecified original owner to give them free food and drink for a lifetime at Tifa's bar.
The remnants of Sephiroth ride unnamed motorcycles that have three large pipes emerge over the rear wheel and a series of other pipes that cover the vehicle otherwise; they are not exhaust pipes and are merely aesthetics. Designer Takayuki Takeya has said he designed their motorcycles "without a face", which gave them character, and admitted he "never really thought about what made [it] move. If I did, I'd be stuck thinking about it all day." In a scene in Advent Children Complete, it is shown that some type of rapid-fire guns are mounted on the sides of the wheel on the motorcycles' front.
Cloud's motorcycle, like the others in the film, can maneuver in an unrealistic fashion; in one scene, Cloud, Loz, and Yazoo loop and turn around each other effortlessly, sliding and even riding backwards at times, in ways no real motorcycle possibly could without sustaining severe damage. Cloud destroys one of the remnants' motorcycles and a second is blown up by the Turks. The motorcycle belonging to Kadaj is unaccounted for, as he abandons it before fighting Cloud one last time.
Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
Template:Sideicon Cloud rides the Fenrir during the Battle of Midgar, and other motorcycles are used by the World Regenesis Organization. Hover bikes are ridden by enemies called Pegasus Riders.
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Template:Sideicon There are two motorcycles: the Hardy-Daytona seen in Final Fantasy VII that is in the Shinra Building, and an unnamed model with a sidecar, the latter of which Zack uses to transport a catatonic Cloud.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike
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Cloud rides a motorcycle.
In G-Bike, the motorcycle was at the forefront of the game. The player could chose which motorcycles to use, and customize them with Materia.
Final Fantasy VIII
Template:Sideicon Galbadian soldiers ride motorcycles in the Battle of the Gardens, driving them off ramps to launch onto Balamb Garden. The Galbadian motorcycles have rockets strapped to their rear wheels to help propel them. The ramps which they drive off likely have some method of launching system as well.
Final Fantasy XII
Template:Sideicon Not a motorcycle, but a similar vehicle called a hoverbike is used by Balthier, Fran, and Vaan to make their getaway from the Royal Palace of Rabanastre. As it is disabled by the Goddess's Magicite, the engine gives out and the party becomes stranded in the Garamsythe Waterway.
A hoverbike is also featured in a promotional artwork
of Balthier, Ashe, and Fran.
Final Fantasy XIII
Template:Sideicon The Shiva Sisters, Stiria and Nix, in addition to being summoned into battle, can combine into a motorcycle which Snow rides. The motorcycle can perform various attacks, including Shiva's trademark attack, Diamond Dust.
Hoverbikes also feature as a common means of transportation throughout Cocoon. In Eden, the party lands on a hoverbike racetrack, disrupting the ongoing race.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Template:Sideicon The Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega reveals scrapped plans for an extension to Snow's downloadable scenario episode titled "Perpetual Battlefield". Alongside the existing part of the episode in the Coliseum, there would have been a separate minigame in which players would play as Snow as he rode through the Archylte Steppe and the player's objective would have been to try and kill 30 monsters using Snow's skillset—which included being able to spin, drift, jump and use a water-based spell. Once this part of the DLC was scrapped, it was used as a base for the Chocobo Racing minigame in Serendipity.[2]
Snow still rides the Shiva Sisters motorcycle in one of the paradox endings.
Final Fantasy XIV
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Fenrir motorcycle as a mount.
According to director Naoki Yoshida, Cloud's Fenrir motorcycle from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children exists in the game as an unused mount. Since it is a grounded mount it will be too slow to make sense. If they increased its speed, it would make the other grounded mounts useless.[3][4]
The Final Fantasy Legend
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The hoverbike is only usable and available while on the World of Ruins. It is acquired in Southwest Town when So-Cho lends the party his hoverbike since it'll help them avoid Su-Zaku's attack.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Weekly Famitsu Issue no. 1224 Yoshinori Kitase Interview translated by TheLifestream.net
- ↑ http://squareportal.net/2012/07/06/new-final-fantasy-xiii-2-ultimania-omega-scenario-details/
- ↑ http://lalafell.xxxblog.jp/archives/46010972.html
- ↑ http://www.siliconera.com/2015/12/23/final-fantasy-xiv-live-stream-details-on-patch-3-2-and-more/