I. What are Chao?
II. Pronunciations
III. Chao World
a. Chao Garden
b. Kindergarten
i. Forune Teller
ii. Health Center
iii. Principle's Office
iv. Classroom
v. Black Market
c. Hero Garden
d. Dark Garden
IV. Chao Games
a. Chao Race
i. Ability Info
ii. Race Info
b. Chao Karate
I. What Are Chao?
Chao are small life forms that live in another world apart from Sonic's world. You can raise chao from their birth when they hatch from their eggs. Feed them, play with them, and care for them and they grow to like you. You can also visit the Chao Kindergarten to further raise your chao. When they think they've been cared for enough, they can transform into a special type of chao. You can still take care of them after that. Sometimes they will perform tricks for you. If you give chao special items such as animals and chaos drives, your chao can learn abilities and compete in chao games! Chao are over all just fun.
II. Pronunciations
Chao - (Chow)
Chaos - (Kay - oss)
They are 2 seperate words.
Chaos Drives - (chaos, not like chows)
Chaos Zero - (also just chaos)
And so on...
There you go! A little lesson fer ya.
III. Chao World
To get to Chao World, you must either have gotten the key to it during a stage and complete the stage, or access it from the Stage Select. There are four main places in Chao world that are accessible, but only two when you start off. The other places will become accessible when you complete certain tasks. The first two places are the Chao Garden and the Kindergarten, and the places you must unlock are the Hero and Dark Gardens.
HINT: If you got into Chao World with a Chao Key, remember that when you enter a chao garden, and then leave, you will automatically go back into the main story, so to do more work with Chao or take them to the Kindergarten, access Chao Garden from Stage Select.
a. Chao Garden
The chao garden is the first ever garden you will own. When you first enter it, there will be two regular chao eggs you can hatch to become chao. As a little hint, the Dark and Hero Gardens open when a chao transforms into a Dark or Hero Chao, so you may want the hero story characters to raise one chao and the dark story characters to raise the other so that you get the 2 other chao gardens faster. There are 3 regular nut trees here, a small pond, some cliffs, wide open grass, a Chao transporter (VMU symbol in Dreamcast version, GBA symbol in Gamecube version), and a cave entrance to the Chao Race and Chao Karate Tournaments.
b. Kindergarten
There are many great things you can do here! If you got here in Chao World, you will not have the chance to take your chao to the garden, but you can do that if you go to Chao World from Stage Select. There are 5 places in the Kindergarten: a Fortune Teller, a Health Center, the Principle's office, the Classroom, and the Black Market.
i. Fortune Teller
At the fortune teller's room, you can give your chao a name. Access Chao World from Stage Select, the go to a chao garden and pick up the chao you want to name. Carry it out of the Chao Garden and take it to the Kindergarten. The purple door is to the fortune teller. You can either allow the fortune teller to pick a name at random for your chao and let you confirm if you want that name, or you can name the chao yourself. To name the chao yourself, allow the fortune teller to randomly pick a name for your chao. Choose that you don't want this name. When she asks if you want her to try again, choose no. Then she will ask you if you want to name your chao yourself, and choose yes. There are many symbols here along with the letters that you can choose from.
ii. Health Center
The Health Center is a place where you can evaluate your chao and check its health status. To bring your chao here, access Chao World from Stage Select and go to a chao garden. Pick up the chao you want to evaluate and carry it out of the garden and into the kindergarten. Bring it through the bright blue door. Here you will find a chao dressed up as a doctor that looks like you would suffer a horrible death if given surgery by it. Anyway, you can either check out your chao's status, or if it has a sickness. Checking its status allows you to see it's stat levels, what type of chao it is, its favorite food, its personality, and even its award ribbon from the chao races and karate tournaments.
iii. Principle's Office
All of the principles office is completely tips, so if you can't find it on here or anywhere else, you'll probably find it there. There are tips about raising chao and all kinds of things.
iv. Classroom
The classroom is the one place where your chao can learn tricks or other things. The lesson changes every once in a while, so there are different things your chao can learn from singing to dancing to drawing and even playing the tambourine. To take a chao there, pick the one you want up from a chao garden and take it to the Kindergarten. take it through the dark blue door. In the background you'll see many different chao playing and stuff. If you listen carefully, they're actually singing in very high pitched japanese voices. The lesson being taught at that moment will be at the top right. You can leave up to 4 chao here at once. You cannot take your caho back until it has finished the lesson, so in the meantime you can play a level or something and it should be done after that. The symbol next to your chao's name will be different than it was when you left it there - if your chao is done.
v. Black Market
The final place in the kindergarten is the black market. Here you can buy and sell items. The more emblems you have gained, the more and better items there will be in stock. You can only hold 5 bought items, so if you are planning on getting more, drop the already bought items off in a chao garden. The Black Market sells different kinds of fruit you can't get from a garden. It also sells fruit tree seeds, masks and helmets, and special chao eggs of different colors. The money you use to buy these items are actually your rings. The amount of rings you have when you complete a level add up and save to your total amount, so try not to bump into enemies too much so that you don't lose rings. Items that you can sell come from your chao garden. Some of these items consist of hatched chao eggs, pumpkins and skulls, and nuts from trees. You can only carry one item to the Black Market at a time, which is a bit of a bummer.
c. Hero Garden
To unlock the hero garden, you must raise a chao until it transforms into a hero type chao. When the transformation is complete, you will see a stairway going up to the hero chao garden in the Chao Lobby, much like the stairway to heaven. The chao garden is much like the depicted heaven as well. There are a lot of column pillars here and 3 lighter nut trees. There is also a larger pond here with a fountain. Since it has a marble rim to it, I think it's like a pool of holy water. On top of that, there is part of an arch connected by a stairway where chao sometimes like to sleep atop. Beyond the garden when you hit the clip (invisible wall you cannot penetrate), you will notice that there are pink clouds clouds around and two small floating islands on either side of the garden. One of them has no value to it and the other has a bell that rings every so often. It also has a Chao transporter.
d. Dark Garden
To unlock the dark garden, you must raise a chao until it transforms into a dark type chao. When the transformation is complete, you will see a stairway going downwards to the dark chao garden in the Chao Lobby. The dark chao garden, is much like the depicted hell, or a very halloween oriented garden. The land is like white stone and the whole garden is surrounded by mountains. The sky is a night sky. Every so often you will hear witch laughter in the background, like the bell to the hero garden. There are gravestones all around the garden too. The pond here resembles blood mixed with water. The island at the end has a large gravestone where chao sometimes like to sleep next to. There are also 3 dark red nut trees and a Chao Transporter.
IV. Chao Games
One of the most satisfying parts of the Chao World. There are two different games - Chao Race and Chao Karate. To access these games, first go to the Chao Garden and then find the cave behind the waterfall. There you will find the two games. I will explain them both.
a. Chao Race
In Chao Racing, you will pit your chao against others to race to the finish line. In 1 player chao racing, you can have your chao race to beat computer players, and in multiplayer player, you will pit your chao against your friends' chao. There are 5 different 1P chao races - Beginner, Jewel, Challenge, Hero, and Dark. Each have different scenarios and special ways you must beat them. Now chao races don't JUST consist of running. It also includes, climbing, shaking, swimming, flying, stamina, and intellect. Following is a list of ways to attain levels to increase these abilities.
i. Ability Information
For faster running: Give your chao green chaos drives or running type animals
For longer flying: Give your chao purple chaos drives or flying type animals
For faster swimming: Give your chao yellow chaos drives or swimming type animals
For more power: Give your chao red chaos drives or power type animals.
For more stamina: Give your chao nuts to eat from a garden.
For better intellect: The older your chao, the better, especially if an adult.
If a certain race's scenario is running, it's best to upgrade your chao's running ability. Since most Jewel Races and races after that are comprised of a lot of land to cover, it's good to have this level high anyway. The flying ability is actually more like gliding. It tends to be faster than all the other attributes, so if your chao jumps of a cliff and into the water, it will try to glide as far as it can until it reaches the water. So the higher the flying ability, the longer you will be able to glide across surfaces...the chao that is. As for swimming, that's pretty self explanitory. At the beginning swimming levels your chao will have of swimming, it will only be able to walk along the surface below the water, but raising it's level will allow it to swim, and swim faster as well. Power is used for climbing and shaking. The better the power rate, the faster it can climb. In some races, your chao will also need to shake a tree until the nut falls from it, eat, and then continue on. Better power levels will make this process faster. Stamina is the amount of energy your chao has. During the race, you will see a little bar on the side. This is the amount of stamina you chao has left. This will be depleted as your chao moves in the race. If the bar goes completely down, your chao will start to go very slow. During the race, you can press A to cheer your chao on. Though it gives your chao a 2 second boost, it costs some of its stamina. So you should only use it if your chao falls behind. Also, if your chao falls down, wait to use cheer until it gets back up, or it will waste because it will still need time to get up. The better your chao's intellect, the more common sense it will have. @_@. The older your chao is, such as an adult, the more intellect it will have, which will especially help it in the parts of some races where the chao have to pick up a certain item and throw it through the virtual green hole.
Completing levels in chao races allow your chao to get toys and other items, award medals, and emblems. The following is a list of all the races, descriptions, and prizes.
ii. Race Info
In Beginner and Jewel Races, there will be multiple scenarios to beat like Crab Pool and Mushroom Valley, but take note that there will be levels inside these too. For example, Crab Pool has 3 levels in it. It's in the same area, it's just that each level gets harder and more demanding of an ability. To obtain the item, you must beat all 3 levels in the scenario. Challenge, Hero, and Dark Races are set up differently.
Beginner Races
Crab Pool - This is a race comprised of totally swimming, so your chao should have a good swimming level when entering this. Beat all 3 levels in it to get a shovel, one of the two items used for growing trees.
Stump Valley - This is a race comprised of totally flying, so your chao should have a good flying level when entering this. Beat all 3 levels in it to get a watering can, one of the two items used for growing trees.
Mushroom Forest - This is a race comprised of totally running, so your chao should have a good running level when entering this. Beat all 3 levels in it to get a bell for your chao to play with.
Block Canyon - This is a race comprised of totally climbing, so your chao should have a good power level when entering this. Beat all 3 levels in it to get a toy car for your chao to play with.
Once you beat all the beginner races, Your chao will get an awarded metal or ribbon, and you will unlock the Jewel and Challenge Races!
Info on other races still to come.
b. Chao Karate
Just like in Chao Races, there are 1 player and multiplayer modes, but the multiplayer mode is actually more of a 2 player mode only (There are no tag teams, but because of the scenarios, it wouldn't make sense to have tag teams, as you will see). Now your chao will be doing the fighting itself, while you sit behind the controller, just like in the chao races. A battle ends once a chao is knocked unconcious (health meter) or it falls out of the ring. The way in which a chao fights depends on its abilities. Concerning abilities is much like that of the chao races.
i. Ability Info
For more strength/power: Give your chao red chaos drives or power type animals
For better defense: Give your chao yellow chaos drives or swimming type animals
For better stealth: Give your chao purple chaos drives or flying type animals
For faster speed: Give your chao green chaos drives or running type animals
For more stamina: Feed your chao nuts from trees in a garden.
The more strength your chao has, the more power-packed its punch. Chao do different attacks like punches and kicks. If you notice, during a battle, the health of each chao will be displayed on the top of the screen. You will be able to see how your chao's power is doing when it attacks, and how much the enemy's health decreases. Defense is also good to have, because it toughens your chao against enemy attacks so they do less damage to your chao. Stealth is the ability to dodge. With good dodging, your chao can fool the enemy and counter-attack as a great maneuvor. Speed is the time intervals in between when your chao attacks the enemy. The better this is, the more your chao attacks. Finally, stamina is your chao's energy, just like in the races. The stamina will be shown at the bottom of the screen as little hearts. These deplete while you chao is in battle. Though you can't cheer your chao on like you can in the races, you can help it regain its stamina, unlike in the races. Watch your chao's stamina. When your chao starts to get tired (you'll notice it will because it will start to sleep), your job will be to rapidly press A to help it regain stamina. Once your chao has been fully restored, or is attacked while asleep, you will not have to do this again until it falls asleep again.