In a franchise with as lengthy a historical past as Sonic the Hedgehog it’s no shock nostalgia performs an enormous half in what sure segments of the fanbase wish to see in new entries. Some lengthy for extra 2D Sonic within the fashion of his earliest video games. Others cling to the hope that characters from the varied ‘90s animated collection will flip up once more considered one of lately.
The loudest and most persistent request although hails from followers of the Sonic Journey video games. Initially debuting on the Sega Dreamcast in 1998, with a sequel following in 2001, these two video games are the bedrock for a lot of Sonic followers. Whereas many nonetheless hope for a Sonic Journey 3, it isn’t the story or Sonic himself that many followers need. No, it’s a a lot smaller a part of the sport however one which’s buried itself within the brains of players for over 20 years now.
The Chao Backyard—a mini-game the place Sonic and associates can hatch and lift cute little creatures and affect their personalities.
Whereas supposed as a enjoyable little diversion to incentivize exploring the principle recreation for Chao stat-increasing objects, the Chao Backyard has taken on a lifetime of its personal with followers. To some, this mini-game is the MAIN function of Sonic Journey, not a aspect exercise. As YouTuber JelloApocalypse joked in So That is Mainly Sonic the Hedgehog, “(Shadow the Hedgehog) is fairly fashionable. Which is spectacular contemplating the truth that his first look was in a comparatively unknown side-game that got here prepackaged with a pet simulator.”
Whereas the Chao have all the time lingered on the edges of the Sonic franchise, they’re about to make an enormous return in essentially the most sudden place. A brand new live-action Sonic film.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s trailer offers followers a tantalizing glimpse of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sitting in what seems to be a sort of high-end efficiency cafe. The primary attraction? Three Chao on stage. The context for that is unclear, although it needs to be famous that there’s a “Chao Backyard” neon signal above them. Is that this the film universe’s model of this beloved location?
Or are the Chao some sort of animatronic band a la Chuck E. Cheese within the live-action film universe? If you happen to look carefully, you may see a number of different Chao standing off stage, so perhaps they’re simply walk-around costumed characters. That, or Sonic’s highly effective quills have actually carried out a quantity on the evolutionary trajectory of animal life on Earth.
