There are three minigames for you to play in Fun City - three major ones, anyway - and the one that's most likely to aggravate you is the Bunny Race. The Star Ocean equivalent of horse racing, the Bunny Race will give you a chance to bet on four speedy rabbits to see which two can win.
This guide will teach you the ins and outs of the Bunny Race in Star Ocean The Second Story R. With a few exceptions the items you can win via Bunny Racing are not worth the effort - but the items that are worth the effort are worthy of the attention.
Basics
You'll find Bunny Racing in the huge, inflatable bunny in the north end of Fun City. When you enter you'll find several NPCs hanging around the lobby, but the only one important to a plain 'ol race is the hefty rabbit on the left. Speak to this bunny and you can purchase tickets, which you can then use on the Bunny Races. Tickets are 1,000 FOL apiece, and you can carry eight at a time.
Go through the door near the bunny and you'll be looking at the race track. After a moment the betting window will pop up, with a list of prizes on the left and the bunnies in the race on the right. Your goal here is to choose which bunnies you think will place first and second in the race. Each of the items on the left corresponds to one of the possible combinations of bunnies.
Let's look at a quick example. Say that you see a Cinderella Glass is available as a prize. In order to win the Cinderella Glass, according to the window, the first bunny and the third bunny on the right need to place first and second, respectively. To place your bet you would choose Cinderella Glass in the betting menu, then watch the race and see if your wager was correct. If it was, you'll earn your prize; if not, well... you won't. Either way, you spend a ticket.
There is no way to control the outcome of the race. There are, however, two ways to make a more educated guess as to the outcome.
The Bunnies
Each race features four bunnies, and you'll see different bunnies in different races. Each bunny has three stats:
- Speed, which determines how fast they are overall
- Stamina, which determines how long it takes for the bunny to recover from a collision
- Trait, which determines the bunny's overall personality - and how they will act while on the track
In some cases it is pretty obvious who is going to get first place. If you wind up with Star Ethereal in the race, for example, you would most likely bet on it to place first, as its stats are through the roof. Choosing second place is often the trickier bit, as the lesser bunnies tend to be statistically closer to one another. The races aren't bound by stats, either, and it isn't uncommon to see an upset.
Speed and Stamina are fairly self-explanatory. Traits, on the other hand, deserve a bit more detail. There are four different possible Traits, each of which dictates when the bunny will use Super Bunny, a dashing, high-speed move that can knock out other bunnies for a few seconds:
- Cool-Headed - The bunny will use Super Bunny when passing other bunnies
- Hot-Blooded - The bunny will use Super Bunny in response to other bunnies, usually to knock them aside
- Relaxed - The bunny will only use Super Bunny if they have a lot of remaining Stamina
- Fickle - The bunny will use Super Bunny at random
For the most part you should only pay close attention to Traits when two bunnies are very close statistically. Hot-Blooded bunnies have a tendency to knock other bunnies out when it's close to a tie, but Cool-Headed bunnies with more of a speed advantage will leap into the lead without much trouble, and won't waste their Stamina on dumb stunts.
In short: Look at the stats. The bunny with the most stars is most likely to come out on top, and the bunny with the next most stars is a safe bet for second. If there's a toss-up between two competitiors, look at their Traits and try to make a prediction that way. You won't always be correct, but
Shige, the Tipster
If making predictions based on stats and Traits isn't your forte, there's a handy helper nearby: Shige, the Tipster. Standing on the right side of the lobby, Shige will offer you a breakdown of the bunnies participating in the next race, and predict who will come in first and second place... assuming you give him 220 FOL. Shige's prediction is highlighted in the betting list, in case you forget.
As Shige himself reminds you, his prediction is not perfect. You'll still lose about half the time if you stick with Shige. Still, that's a much better possible outcome than just betting blindly, and it doesn't cost you a whole lot.
Prizes
The prizes for the Bunny Race are chosen randomly from a pool whenever you step into the arena. Most of them are of middling importance, and not really worth the time. That said, there are several prizes which you should aim for if you get the chance:
- Aphrodisiac - Sets the character's Friendship Level with all other characters in the party to 28 (three-and-a-half hearts)
- Bunny Shoes - Footwear that greatly increases the character's movement speed in combat - more or less a necessity for some of the post-game combat
- Colorless Scarf - Accessory that cuts all elemental damage in half
- Santa's Boots - Receive a free, random, high-quality item after staying at an Inn for the night
In addition to prizes, you'll receive the Outstanding Insight Achievement for successfully choosing the winners five times.
The odds of a favorable outcome when trying to claim these prizes are generally not in your favor. You may need to place a bunch of bets to land some of these items, as the Bunny Race ultimately comes down to fortune landing on your side. Even a match that seems like a sure bet may turn out a disaster if the bunnies do something unpredictable.
There is, fortunately, one way you can rig things in your favor: If you want a particular item but don't see a favorable bet towards getting it, leave the Bunny Race and reenter. This will reset the prizes and bunnies for the next race. Doing so will also negate any predictions made by Shige, so if you plan to use this method you'll have to do it without his help. Good luck!