By Thomas Hernandez / July 29, 2023
If you know them, you love them. If you don’t know them, you still love them. Yes, I am talking about the small beings from Sonic – Chaos.
Since my first time playing with Chaos, I knew I would never forget about them. There was something about their ability to bring joy to a game series that constantly dealt with a range of semi-serious to severe situations that fascinated me.
Outside of my time playing Digimon and Pokémon, the Chaos were my first time taking care of a being other than myself. Now that I look back, it is clear that their existence played a serious impact on my life.
It is for this exact reason that we need to bring back more Chao-related gameplay in the new Sonic installments. Chao gameplay is vital to keeping the Sonic series fresh and lively as it develops further into the modern day.
History of the Chaos in Games
While the Chaos have historically been in many variants of Sonic games, it was primarily between the Sonic Adventure and Sonic Advance games that players could actually interact with them. These two games series were monumental in introducing Chao lifestyles and actually taking care of them. As opposed to just giving an overview of the Chaos, these two series give deep insight that has rarely been provided in any Sonic games.
Since these games, there hasn’t been a solid iteration with actual interactive Chao gameplay. It is sad to say, but since the days of these games, the Chaos have been put off to the side, largely leading to a lack of attention towards them.
They are important, and Sonic games would greatly benefit from bringing back more gameplay related to Chaos. Whether it was playable characters being able to hold and feed Chaos, or simply letting them race, the unique aspect of Chao gameplay always added a stronger vibe to the overarching game.
Chaos in Sonic Adventure
The Chaos in the Sonic Adventure series are the best. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are great pals to help grow throughout the game.
I never had too much time to play with the Chaos in the first iteration of the series, but I did have a decent amount of time playing with them in the second installment. That said, I will orient my focus on the Chao experience as related to Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
Chao Garden
First, I want to highlight the impact of the Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. The gardens, which came in the form of the neutral one, the Hero one, and the Dark one, are great places for raising and training Chaos. Chaos are able to be fed, carried, and even tossed in these habitats. I found each of them to have unique layers to them, and very creative in nature as well.
Chao Race
The Chao Race is a terrific aspect of the interactive Chao play. The Chao Race is a great way for players to explore their capabilities by raising Chaos. It is also a great way to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the Chaos that are competing. The more care and training given to the Chaos, as with anything, the better they would be at competing against other Chaos in the foot race.
Chao Karate
Chao Karate, while not having any race components, offers an experience much like the race. It really comes down to the fight, but if the Chao is to outperform the other Chaos, it needs to be trained and taken care of prior. Having witnessed some serious Chao Karate matches, I definitely recommend any and all players do their best to level up their Chaos when it comes to fighting, particularly through feeding them and spending quality time with them. A player can only sit back and watch when the Chao goes out to fight so the better the training, the happier the player will be with the results.
Tiny Chao Garden
The Tiny Chao Garden is very reminiscent of gameplay that occurs in some Digimon and Pokémon games. Appearing in the Sonic Advance series, the Tiny Chao Garden allows for interactive Chao gameplay from a 2D perspective. There aren’t any Chao Karate or Chao Race components, but players can continuously level up their Chaos by simply taking care of them.
This offers a different approach when compared to the Sonic Adventure series, but it is one that is still great. Competition isn’t always needed in raising great little beings. Sometimes, it is just the love of being able to help them grow and evolve that keeps the spirits high.
I personally believe in a 3D future for Chaos, like that of the Sonic Adventure series. Nevertheless, any version of Chao interaction would be great to see in the near future.
The Need for New Chao Gameplay
The need for new Chao gameplay has been an ongoing conversation since the days of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Advance. With the current climate in gaming, it is that much more apparent.
People are still fascinated by Sonic games, films, and tv shows. However, including Chao gameplay would significantly increase the likelihood that more people would play and follow Sonic games. It is a lane that needs further exploration by the creative developers as more Sonic stories are pushed to the forefront of gaming.
When the day comes that the interactive Chao gameplay finally returns, I will be one of the first in line to play the game. Until that day, I will be following the developing Sonic storylines with the hope of a future where Chaos play a more prominent role within the games.
What do you love about Chaos? Join the conversation in the comments section!
