The Sonic the Hedgehog series seems to be coming to a climactic, speedy finish at the end of this year with not only Sonic X Shadow Generations on the way and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in theaters in December, but also a few new fun things that were announced in the latest Sonic Central. While many of the announcements shown were things Sonic the Hedgehog fans already knew about in advance, a new animated shorts series was announced. It's titled Chao Tales, and is made specifically for those who still adore the little critters after they've been sidelined in many recent Sonic adventures.
Not too much is known about Chao Tales beyond the quick teaser, but fans do have a synopsis to go by; the series aims to follow Sonic as he visits a Chao Garden a number of times over the course of a year. Alongside Sonic, a small Chao that fans should recognize as the special Shadow the Hedgehog character Chao is the only other known character so far, which gives the impression that it will play a small part to either annoy the blue blur or be his companion. Chao Tales will follow the same structure as the other Sonic animated short series thus far, featuring eight episodes that should be roughly three-to-six minutes in length. As all of these likely adorable episodes will be made freely available on the official social media channels for the series, it's a perfect opportunity for fans to let their voices be heard.
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Chao Tales' View Counts Could Let Sonic Team Know How Badly Fans Want Chao Gardens Back
The Chao aren't strangers to the animated shorts that the Sonic franchise has put out for the last while, with the creatures appearing in the Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive short as a team of racers, and as natural residents of Angel Island in Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence. However, the short Chao in Space may be the reason why Chao Tales is becoming a multi-short series. Since it was posted for the holiday season in 2019, the short has gained 2.5 million views on YouTube alone, to say nothing of the other social media channels. It's a regular re-watch for plenty of fans due to the delightful antics Sonic gets up to trying to help a Chao who's sleepwalking while dreaming of being in a Star Wars parody battle.
Sonic Team and the Search for Support of the Chao
A big reason as to why Chao in Space is such a fan-favorite is because the Chao themselves are a fan-favorite among series loyalists. The original Chao Garden mechanic from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 has been routinely requested by fans in every avenue possible since they were no longer a mainstay in mainline games. Despite the frequent question, Sonic Team's answer has most always been that the feature may be brought back if there's enough support.
After multiple attempts to show Sonic Team how badly this feature has been desired, Chao Tales' view counts on each individual short, if large enough, could finally be the way fans can let Sonic Team see the message more directly. If the short series does almost as well as Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings is doing with its upwards of 734,000 views within the first 24 hours, then the evidence of the Chao Garden's population can be seen clear as day by all parties involved.
With frequently asked questions comes frequently given answers, however, and the support for the Chao Gardens isn't something that hasn't been stated by fans before. Despite the constant outcry for the feature's return, Sonic Team has yet to revisit the Chao Garden concept in a way that feels like any of the support the studio's asked for has fallen on deaf ears. Still, if fans want to truly let the developers know just how much the critters and their hideaway are desired, then making Chao Tales a popular series of Sonic shorts by a fair margin will be a great way to do so.
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Sonic X Shadow Generations
THE RETURN OF SHADOW
In this new standalone campaign, Shadow's nemesis, Black Doom, has reemerged and threatens to take over the world once again. Shadow must journey into his past, confront his painful memories, and unlock new dark powers to save the world.
SHADOW EVOLVED
Harness Shadow's new Doom Powers to battle hordes of enemies and tackle platforming challenges like never before. Surf on water, fly over obstacles, and stop time with the return of Chaos Control!
A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND DIMENSIONS
Experience the ultimate showdown between Shadow and Black Doom in a new boss battle that will test your skills and reflexes. Use all of Shadow's abilities to defeat Black Doom and save the world!
EXPLORE THE NEW WHITE SPACE
Stretch your legs in an all-new hub world inspired by the open-zone gameplay of Sonic Frontiers. As Shadow gains new powers, he can explore further and uncover the secrets hidden throughout!
Platformer
Systems
- Franchise
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , PS5 , Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Hedgehog Engine 2
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
