Ode to the Chao Garden
from Squeaks
With the surprise success of Sonic Colors, I am hit with a bout of nostalgia. In particular, I think back to the first 3D Sonic game that I played, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for the Nintendo GameCube. Truth be told, it was an average game. It suffered from many of the same flaws that the Sonic series has had for years. However, this isn't a review of that game or a review at all. The point of this tangent is that I still have very fond memories of the experience. The focal point of these memories? The Chao Garden.
What is the Chao Garden, and better yet, what is a Chao? A Chao can be best described as the cuteness of a Neopet quadrupled. It's a little blue creature with a raindrop shaped head, a ball on the top of its head like a Moogle, and dark blue eyes that are about half the size of its head. Next, what is the Chao Garden? It is a pet-raising simulation that was first introduced in Sonic Adventure. It was surprisingly complex . There were three separate tiers of evolution with over three dozen different types of Chao possible depending on how it was raised. You could teach your Chao little tricks by taking it to kindergarten, check its health at the doctors, purchase and collect items that would affect its growth, put it through challenges and mini-games, and even change its evolution based on which character raised it. There have been several sites dedicated to raising Chaos in the Chao Garden, and it still holds onto a cult following to this day.
That's all fine, but why did I enjoy it? On the one hand, it was a pleasant respite from the frantic action of the main game. Though, if I am to be honest, the Chao Garden became the game and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle became nothing more than a glorified harvesting simulation for my little adorable Chao. The obvious physical alterations caused by the various animals and Chao drives that you could collect played a major part in its appeal. The depths of experimentation would leave me going back and fourth between levels for hours trying to create the cutest little Chao. The mini-games and kindergarten, however, are what turned it from a pleasant respite into a truly great experience. They themselves weren't very innovative, but they equated to a complete experience that I'd gladly go back to even today.
However, it doesn't look like the Chao Garden will be making a return any time soon. The last appearance of the Chao Garden was in Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood, which was released in 2008 for the Nintendo DS. Even then, it was a shell of its former depth and complexity. I count this as a mixed blessing though. While I'd love to see the Chao Garden make a return, the Sonic series has had a problem with experimentation and I wouldn't wish a such load onto them just yet. However, if it is at all possible, I'd love to see a return of the little Chaos. Though I hope that my future employers don't fire me for the inevitable sick days dedicated to the almighty Chaos.
Further Reading:
Chao Island
Sonic Wiki
What is the Chao Garden, and better yet, what is a Chao? A Chao can be best described as the cuteness of a Neopet quadrupled. It's a little blue creature with a raindrop shaped head, a ball on the top of its head like a Moogle, and dark blue eyes that are about half the size of its head. Next, what is the Chao Garden? It is a pet-raising simulation that was first introduced in Sonic Adventure. It was surprisingly complex . There were three separate tiers of evolution with over three dozen different types of Chao possible depending on how it was raised. You could teach your Chao little tricks by taking it to kindergarten, check its health at the doctors, purchase and collect items that would affect its growth, put it through challenges and mini-games, and even change its evolution based on which character raised it. There have been several sites dedicated to raising Chaos in the Chao Garden, and it still holds onto a cult following to this day.
That's all fine, but why did I enjoy it? On the one hand, it was a pleasant respite from the frantic action of the main game. Though, if I am to be honest, the Chao Garden became the game and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle became nothing more than a glorified harvesting simulation for my little adorable Chao. The obvious physical alterations caused by the various animals and Chao drives that you could collect played a major part in its appeal. The depths of experimentation would leave me going back and fourth between levels for hours trying to create the cutest little Chao. The mini-games and kindergarten, however, are what turned it from a pleasant respite into a truly great experience. They themselves weren't very innovative, but they equated to a complete experience that I'd gladly go back to even today.
However, it doesn't look like the Chao Garden will be making a return any time soon. The last appearance of the Chao Garden was in Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood, which was released in 2008 for the Nintendo DS. Even then, it was a shell of its former depth and complexity. I count this as a mixed blessing though. While I'd love to see the Chao Garden make a return, the Sonic series has had a problem with experimentation and I wouldn't wish a such load onto them just yet. However, if it is at all possible, I'd love to see a return of the little Chaos. Though I hope that my future employers don't fire me for the inevitable sick days dedicated to the almighty Chaos.
Further Reading:
Chao Island
Sonic Wiki
