Chao (; ) are fictional life-forms in the ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' video game series published by
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
. They are small, childlike creatures that go through a complex life cycle and exist in several visual forms depending on how they are raised. Developer
Sonic Team
is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights ...
incorporated Chao into the games to encourage players to explore levels and support the good–evil
dichotomy
A dichotomy is a partition of a whole (or a set) into two parts (subsets). In other words, this couple of parts must be
* jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and
* mutually exclusive: nothing can belong simulta ...
of ''
Sonic Adventure 2
is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega. It was the final ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game for the Dreamcast after Sega left the home console market. It features two Conflict between good and evil, good-vs-evil stor ...
''.
Chao have appeared in many games in the series, beginning with ''
Sonic Adventure
is a 1998 platform game for Sega's Dreamcast and the first main '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their ...
'' in 1998. They usually take the form of
digital pet
A virtual pet (also known as a digital pet, artificial pet, or pet-raising simulation) is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet.
Digital ...
s, but have also played parts in the story and figured into other gameplay elements. Most notably, the character
Cream the Rabbit
The '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or ...
has a Chao named
Cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
, whom she uses to attack enemies. They have also appeared in games outside the series, the ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' comics, and the ''
Sonic X
is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series. Produced by TMS Entertainment under partnership with Sega and Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, ''Sonic X'' initially ran for 52 epis ...
'' anime, as well as being featured in promotions and merchandise. Critics have given overall positive opinions on Chao and their integration into ''Sonic'' gameplay, generally praising their worth as a diversion.
Conception and characteristics
Chao are based on a special technology called A-Life, originally created for
Sonic Team
is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights ...
's ''
NiGHTS into Dreams'' where it was used for similar virtual pets called Nightopians.
Sonic Team's
Takashi Iizuka
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his 33-year career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He has also worked for Pro Wrestling Noah ...
stated in an interview with video game publication
1UP.com that Chao were incorporated into ''
Sonic Adventure
is a 1998 platform game for Sega's Dreamcast and the first main '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their ...
'' "so that new players would be forced to go out, explore the action sections, and find
Flickies and things." Chao were designed as a "relative neutral entity" in this game. However, to remain consistent with the good–evil dichotomy of ''
Sonic Adventure 2
is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega. It was the final ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game for the Dreamcast after Sega left the home console market. It features two Conflict between good and evil, good-vs-evil stor ...
'', they were designed so that the player could raise them as "Hero Chao" or "Dark Chao". Chao were given the ability to socialize and interact in ''Sonic Adventure 2'' in order to make the game unique,
and to more resemble "a real artificial life form."
Chao are small creatures with a
pudding
Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal.
In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...
-like body and behave much like
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
infant
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
s,
with pleasant and relaxing personalities.
Professor Chao, a minor character in ''Sonic Adventure 2'', states that Chao are cute, and enjoy toys and being held or petted. However, they dislike being held while the player jumps, spins around, or throws them.
Chao's diets consist of
tree fruit
A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, ...
and
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s.
Chao hatch from
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
s found in Chao Gardens. When the player spends enough time with a Chao in the Chao Garden, the Chao develops a
cocoon; it hatches from this as an adult. Eventually it develops another cocoon. If the Chao has been treated well, the cocoon is pink and the Chao is
reincarnated as an egg; the cycle then restarts and the Chao remembers the player. If, however, the Chao has been treated poorly, the cocoon is gray and the Chao dies, removing every trace of itself from the game.
Chao can
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
to produce fertile eggs.
In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', the player can give Chao Chaos Drives to increase their stats, thus allowing them to perform better in minigames like Chao Racing.
Appearances
In video games
Chao have appeared in numerous ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' video games as
digital pet
A virtual pet (also known as a digital pet, artificial pet, or pet-raising simulation) is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet.
Digital ...
s. They made their first appearance in the 1998(JP) / 1999(NTSC/PAL)
Dreamcast
The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
game ''Sonic Adventure''. The player can raise them, enter them in races,
and export them to ''Chao Adventure'', a game for the Dreamcast's
VMU peripheral. The player can also trade Chao or post their high scores online using the Dreamcast's Internet capabilities.
The Chao raising feature was expanded in ''Sonic Adventure 2''; Chao may become "Hero Chao", "Dark Chao" or "Neutral Chao" depending on whether the game's "hero" characters (
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
,
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a fictional character in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. Tails also appears in his own spin-off series, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the second character to consistently appear by Sonic's side ...
, and
Knuckles the Echidna
is a fictional character in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he has the ability to punch enemies w ...
) or "dark" characters (
Shadow the Hedgehog
is a fictional character appearing in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, and first made his debut in ''Sonic Adventure 2'' (2001). Although this was intended to be his only appearan ...
,
Doctor Eggman
Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Oh ...
, and
Rouge the Bat
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or Doctor ...
) are nicer to them. Chao can enter
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
competitions in this game, as well as racing.
The
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
(GBA) games ''
Sonic Advance
is a 2001 platform game developed by Dimps for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It was the first ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game released on a Nintendo console with '' Sonic Adventure 2: Battle'' on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of ...
'', ''
Sonic Advance 2
is a 2002 Side-scrolling video game, side-scrolling platform game, platform video game developed by Dimps for the Game Boy Advance. It is an installment in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and the sequel to 2001's ''Sonic Advance''. The story ...
'', and ''
Sonic Pinball Party
is a video game released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. It is a celebration of sorts for Sonic Team featuring many references to its previous games, mostly prominently '' Sonic the Hedgehog'', '' Nights into Dreams'', and ''Samba De Amigo''. ...
'' feature a "Tiny Chao Garden", similar to the Chao Gardens of ''Sonic Adventure'' and ''Sonic Adventure 2'' but with
minigame
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...
s in place of racing and karate competitions.
Chao can be transferred between ''
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle'' and ''
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut''—
Nintendo GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
ports of ''Sonic Adventure 2'' and ''Sonic Adventure''—and the GBA games featuring a Tiny Chao Garden.
Unusually, a generic Chao is an unlockable character in the
party game
Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillian; ...
''
Sonic Shuffle
is a ''Sonic the Hedgehog''-themed party game developed and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 2000. The game plays like a board game much in the same vein as Nintendo's ''Mario Party'' series, with up to four players moving their character ...
''.
Chao have also appeared in the series as minor characters and gameplay elements. Two Chao—one Neutral and one Dark—who drive Chao-styled
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
s are playable characters in the two-player battle mode of ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle''. On the ''Sonic the Hedgehog''-styled
pinball
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
board in ''Sonic Pinball Party'', one of the player's objectives is to hatch several Chao eggs.
Each world in the 2004 GBA game ''
Sonic Advance 3
is a platform video game developed by Dimps and Sonic Team for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. It is part of the '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, and the sequel to ''Sonic Advance 2''. The game stars the characters Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, ...
'' features Chao-inspired minigames to earn
extra lives for the player, and a sidequest that involves finding Chao to obtain
Chaos Emeralds
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
. 2007's
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
installment ''
Sonic Rivals 2'' hides Chao throughout levels to be found in a free play mode.
In the 2008
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
''
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood'', Chao eggs are hidden throughout the in-game universe for the player to find and hatch.
The resulting infant Chao can be equipped to characters. This affects the characters' performance in battle; for example, one kind will increase the character's
hit point
Health is an attribute in a video game or tabletop game that determines the maximum amount of damage or loss of stamina that a character or object can take before dying or losing consciousness. In role-playing games, this typically takes the for ...
s. The game features a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode in which Chao can be traded between players who each have a copy of the game.
Chao take the form of an
item
Item may refer to:
Organizations
* ''Instituto del Tercer Mundo'' (ITeM), the Third World Institute
* ITEM club, an economic forecasting group based in the United Kingdom
Newspapers
* ''The Item'', an American independent, morning newspaper ...
in the "Panel Flip" party game of the 2009
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
and DS game ''
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
is a 2009 and 2011 sports and party game developed by Sega. Like its predecessor, it was published by Nintendo for Japan and Korea and by Sega in the Western world. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) th ...
''. Each player's object is to claim as many panels as possible in a six-by-six grid; finding a Chao upon flipping a panel claims all panels in a given row or column for the player. One mission in ''
Sonic Generations
''Sonic Generations'' is a 2011 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and Nintendo 3DS. Produced in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, the ...
'' (2011) involves racing against
Cream the Rabbit
The '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or ...
to collect lost Chao in a city location.
Cream, a prominent character in the series, has a Chao named
Cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
as a partner, who wears a red bowtie to distinguish himself from other Chao. In a move to keep her image safe, she often uses him to attack enemies instead of doing so herself. Other notable Chao include
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
, guardian of the Chao, who serves as an antagonist in ''Sonic Adventure'';
Omochao
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic the Hedgeh ...
, a robotic Chao who appears in several games as a means of player tutorial; and
Chocola, Cheese's twin whom Cream,
Amy Rose
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or Doctor ...
, and
Big the Cat
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...
search for over the course of ''
Sonic Heroes
is a 2003 3D platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega as part of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos ...
''.
['']Sonic Heroes
is a 2003 3D platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega as part of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos ...
'' (GameCube) instruction manual, p. 10.
Chao have also made appearances in video games outside the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. In the 2004
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
game ''
Sega Superstars
''Sega Superstars'' is a party video game developed by Sonic Team for the PlayStation 2. It was published by Sega and released in Europe on October 22, 2004; in North America in November 3, 2004; and in Japan in November 11, 2004. The game featur ...
''; the player uses points earned during the game to please a pet Chao.
Marking the introduction of the character
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
to the 2008 Wii game ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 List of crossovers in video games, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the Super Smash Bros., ''Super Smash ...
'', Chao and
other characters from the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series appear as collectible trophies
and stickers. Chao also make a cameo appearance in the 2001
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
port of ''
Phantasy Star Online
''Phantasy Star Online'' is an online role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was the first online RPG for game consoles; players adventure with up to three others over the internet to ...
'' within a questline called "The Fake in Yellow". Through the completion of the quest and a few other steps involved, it can allow the player to gain access to a Game Boy Advance Machine which gives you an option to download the otherwise unobtainable
Tails Chao.
They also appear as trophies in ''
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U'' and as spirits in ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
''.
In other media
Chao were recurring characters in the ''
Sonic X
is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series. Produced by TMS Entertainment under partnership with Sega and Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, ''Sonic X'' initially ran for 52 epis ...
'' anime that ran from 2003 to 2006. In the episode "Little Chao Lost", Cheese becomes lost while swimming in a stream. The main characters find him at the stream's end, in a Chao colony, where
Doctor Eggman
Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Oh ...
shows up to steal a supposed
Chaos Emerald
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mos ...
from them until he is defeated. Later on, in "Flood Fight", a colony of Chao appears after a battle with Chaos; they turn out to be Chaos' old friends and embrace it as it leaves with
Tikal the Echidna
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic the Hedgeh ...
to return to the past.
Chao have also made occasional appearances in
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.[Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...]
'' comic book series. They debuted in an ''Sonic Adventure''-based story arc, where they work together with Tikal to defeat Chaos. At one point, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles find a Chao garden and one Chao followed Sonic home, and after spending time around his Roboticized father came to resemble Omochao. However, Eggman destroys the garden, and the Chao migrate to a lake. Much later, Cream and her mother Vanilla protect a frightened but incompetent group of Chao from Eggman's assistant, Snively. Cream's friend
Amy Rose
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or Doctor ...
realizes they are the same group from the lake and, to Cream's delight, suggests that the lake can be converted to a Chao garden. Following the comic reboot, Cheese continued to accompany Cream while Chocola was revealed to live with her mother Vanilla and Gemerl (from ''
Sonic Advance 3
is a platform video game developed by Dimps and Sonic Team for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. It is part of the '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, and the sequel to ''Sonic Advance 2''. The game stars the characters Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, ...
''). The heroes would also discover a Chao Garden hidden in an undersea cavern whose inhabitants included an ancient Chao named Aquarius and a guard dog-like Chao named Crusher.
Chao were prominently featured in the official web short "Chao in Space". The premise references billboard props in the ''Sonic Adventure'' series, which appeared to advertise a fictional movie of the same name. The short alternates between a Chao's dream in which it is piloting a space ship, and between Sonic trying to keep the aforementioned Chao under control as it sleepwalks. The short was accompanied by the release of some related merchandise through the official Sega Shop website.
In
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
's ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' comic book series, Chao have a prominent role in the "Chao Races & Badnik Bases" arc, in which Rouge competes in Chao races with Cream's Chao, Cheese, to defeat champion Chao racer Clutch and obtain parts for a nearly-destroyed E-123 Omega from him. However, Clutch demands Rouge surrender Cheese to him if he loses. Shadow reveals Clutch to be abusive to his Chao, locking up his losing ones in a cage. The group eventually frees and rescues Clutch's losing Chao with help from their new friend Belle and her built-in lockpicker.
Reception and impact
Chao and the Chao-raising
system have received generally positive reviews. In a review of ''Sonic Adventure'',
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's Peter Bartholow stated that "with the Chao-breeding simulation and the minigames, ''Sonic'' offers much more beyond the completion of its story."
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
stated that "''SA'' more than has the extras department covered."
This enthusiasm was extended to IGN's reviews of ''Sonic Adventure 2'', ''Sonic Advance'',
and ''Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut''.
GameSpot's Shane Satterfield was critical of the Chao raising feature in ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle'', stating that "there's little in the way of interactivity" and that "the Chao training aspect using the Game Boy Advance is little more than a novelty."
However,
GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
's Shane Bettenhausen praised the feature in the game, comparing Chao to
Tamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet that was created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was released by Bandai on November 23, 1996 in Japan and in the USA on May 1, 1997, quickly becoming one of the biggest toy fads o ...
digital pets. GameSpot's Frank Provo noted the appeal to "those people who might only enjoy pinball in passing" that Chao brought to ''Sonic Pinball Party''.
1UP.com's Chris Baker called the Chao feature in ''Sega Superstars'' "ultimately worthless... but some might find it amusing."
In a review of ''Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood'', GameSpot's Shiva Stella praised the level of strategy that the game's Chao system added.
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
' ...
's Jim Sterling voiced a similar opinion, though they said that Chao had been "rubbish" in previous games.
A Chao
keychain
A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or bo ...
was released as part of a ''Sonic X'' character keychain series. Between July 27 and September 8, 2002, Sega hosted events at
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
-based department stores to promote upcoming Sega video games. Attendees could download "Chao Mini Garden"s and exclusive Chao to their copies of ''Sonic Advance''. Chao clothing clips, along with accessories based on other Sega characters, were available.
Mary Jane Irwin of IGN used "Chao program" to describe ''
Pokémon Channel
''Pokémon Channel'', released in Japan as , is a 2003 video game in the ''Pokémon'' series for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella, published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo. The player's goal is to help Professor Oak refi ...
'' in her review of the game.
See also
*
Wisps
*
Slime (''Dragon Quest'')
*
Toad (''Mario'')
References
External links
Chao Laboratory(archived)
(archived)
{{Sonic the Hedgehog characters
Child characters in video games
Fictional karateka
Sonic the Hedgehog characters
Video game characters introduced in 1998
Video game mascots
Nobility characters in video games
Video game species and races
Virtual pets