This blog is a "sequal blog" of sorts to my older blog "What makes a Sonic Adventure game". A blog that covers my thoughts and oppinions on what Sega could do to reintroduce the games Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle as a remastered compilation as well as what they could do for Sonic Adventure 3 if they ever decide to make it.
This blog is on the same subject of the idea of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 being remastered as a compilation (for short, let's call it SA1&2) but given I would keep such remastery faithful to the original games this blog covers more on the subject of chao and the chao gardens in both games which would be the only features in both games I would rehaul.
I figured that if it was the year 1999 or 2000, if Sega wanted to they could of probably pushed for chao to compete with the Pokémon franchise. In Japan they had games like Mushiking, Love and Berry and Dinosaur King so if Sega wanted to, they could of made a spin-off franchise with chao that could still work like their japanese arcade card games.
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In Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut it was possible to transfer chao to Sonic Adventure 2: Battle but vice-versa not so much on account of the sequal having a more revised chao program. If SA1&2 were remastered as a compilation the first thing I would do is have all 6 chao gardens from both games share the same chao raising program. While SA1&2 would consist of two seperate Adventure games of seperate chronicological events in Sonic's life, the chao gardens in both games could be used interchangably by the player to allow new growth and unique changes for their chao.
If they ever make Sonic Adventure 3 (which I believe if they did would mostly be recycled and direct sequal to SA1&2 remake) SA3 chao gardens will also be interchangable and all three games will have brand new Chao Transporters for "Chao Adventure 3".
To summerize, while two (maybe three) seperate games, the player can use Chao Transpoters to efficiently use all the chao gardens as the one thing for chao raising.
SS, MR and EC Chao Gardens[]
Chao raised in these gardens by anyone will not be able to grow or change into hero or dark forms. However chao transfered from Sonic Adventure 2 will retain their hero or dark states but will not be able to further change no matter the care or abuse they endure.
Instead, through evolution, the shape of a chao body may change to more exotic forms depending on the chao garden they are raised in as well as the animals and attributes they have. For example chao raised in Mystic Ruins gardens may take forms more suitable for surviving in the jungle, such as rabbit-like forms for speed-types, mermaid-like forms for swimming types, gorilla-like forms for power types and feathery-forms for fly types. And the shape and traits of these specific forms may vary depending if they're hero or dark chao.
(Honestly, I admit it would be rather complex for Sonic Team to program and they will probably not bother with it. But I still think it would be useful for players to be able to relocate their SA2 chao to gardens that can be more easy to raise as neutral chao.)
Neutral, Hero and Dark Chao Gardens[]
These chao gardens can function like how they were in the original games and allow chao to grow with hero or dark outcomes. The only difference being that given SA1 chao gardens can grant environmental traits of urban/coastal, jungle and island/industrial means brand new forms and outcome for chao that will make them appear more unique.
Sonic Adventure 3 Chao Gardens[]
Honestly, I would not know what these chao gardens can bring to the table to allow the growth and change of chao, but I think that it should still have shared programming with SA1&2.
To sum it up, while Sonic Adventure 1, 2 and possibly 3 take place as a seperate series of events, I think all chao gardens should be treated as one whole interchangable program to allow chao enthusiast to raise chao as a singular method between the three games.
Chao Battles[]
Unlike pokémon, combat was not in mind for chao when Sonic Team made them. In Chao Adventure combat was more of an ATE-thing where you had to wait for the right moment to attack on a roulette of sorts. Sonic adventure 2 expanded on combat with "Chao Karate" which is more of encouraging your chao to perform more powerful attacks by it's zeal.
If I were to revise the combat system, I would have Chao Battles be a lot like Mushiking and Dinosaur King. Both those games allow you to play as a beetle or a dinosaur with three basic attacks, each attack based on the rock-paper-scissors formula. In japan however Sega marketed these collectible cards with barcodes that allow you to assign unique and powerful moves to the rock-paper-scissors set up. This is what I mean by how Sonic Team could of marketed chao to be more than just a minigame in Sonic Adventure. Due to the metamorphic nature of chao and the popularity of monster-raising at the time, Sonic Team could of made chao a big thing.
Imagine chao enfusiasts who are willing to collect chao trading cards and can battle their chao just like pokémon but in a classic Sega way established from their card-scanning arcade games.
(Again, probably unlikely for Sonic Team to go that far for chao. While 4Kids did dub Dinosaur King for a western audience it was only in Japan where Sega had these arcade games with built-in card scanners. Mushiking and Dinosaur King had very different stories but pretty much the same gameplay where players can collect trading cards with barcodes so that they can play these games. My suggestion for "Chao Battle" be they recycle the gameplay again for both cost efficiency and that they could market cards to be sold in stores or on the SEGA Shop.)
Chao Adventure 3, an app for phones[]
If you played Pokémon Go or Harry Potter: Wizards Unite then you already have a rough idea what I have in mind for Chao Adventure 3.
Sonic Team could make Chao Adventure 3 as a free augmented reality game for phones. However SA1&2 remastered would be required to properly play it. Chao Transporters could return in SA1&2 and 3 chao gardens only this time perhaps allow you to transfer up to three chao to play on Chao Adventure 3. Once your chao have been transfered you can take your chao on walks around your hometown. The map may point out a "Chao Stash" which may hold fruits and seeds to discover or you may encounted badniks or feral chao that your chao must fight in Chao Battles. Special encounters will be Sonic and his friends who may give you advice on raising chao or activities or objectives for you to do. (Just as Pokémon Go simulates encountering pokémon in real life locations, so will Chao Adventure 3 simulate meeting Sonic and his friends in actual locations.)
That pretty much sums up how I would rehaul Chao Gardens if Sega ever decides to remaster the Sonic Adventure games.