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Chao & Goku
| Chao & Goku | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of Chao & Goku, as seen in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
| Details | |
| First appearance | Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995, Japanese version, Chao only) |
| Latest appearance | Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) |
Chao & Goku are characters that first appear in the Japan-only game Yūyūki, itself based on the 1592 Chinese novel Journey to the West. Chao is a Chinese human girl original to Yūyūki, replacing Yu Long from the source book; she makes a guest appearance in the Kirby series by debuting in the Japanese version of Kirby's Dream Land 2 and all versions of Kirby's Dream Land 3. She is seen in the latter game with Goku, an anthropomorphic monkey based on the Journey to the West character Sun Wukong (known as Son Goku in Japanese translations).
Chao's hair is black and held in pigtails. She wears a red Changshan with white linings and black shoes as Goku does after being befriended. In Chao's Zenpen artwork for Yūyūki, she wears white ku and socks; in Kouhen artwork, she appears to be older, slimmer, and wears no pants or socks. Chao's sprites in the Kirby series are modeled after her appearance in Zenpen, and Goku appears as he does at the beginning of the game after being found by Chao. In the Kirby's Dream Land 3 manga, Chao's pants are red.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Dream Land 2[edit]
Chao only appears in the Japanese version of Kirby's Dream Land 2, where she is trapped in a bag, and Kirby can free her by popping the bag if he has the same Animal Friend by his side already, though usually Gooey appears instead. Collecting Chao grants Kirby an extra life and is required for 100% completion of the game.
100% completion of the game unlocks the Sound Test, where Chao appears in the background playing the piano. This entire easter egg is an elaborate reference to the plot of the first half (i.e., Zenpen) of Yūyūki, in which Chao and Goku become separated shortly after their meeting in the first chapter, and Goku seeks to reunite with Chao with the help of his nominal spiritual teacher Sanzō as well as Sanzō's other disciples Hakkai and Gojō. Thus, rescuing Chao and completing the game allows Kirby and the Animal Friends to find her in the lounge pictured in the Sound Test, just as Sanzō and the animal disciples (Gojō, Gokū, and Hakkai) find her in the exact same lounge in Yūyūki after completing most of Zenpen.
In addition to the aforementioned image, Chao is seen in the illustrations of Boss Endurance and the Bonus Chance mode.
The Girl blob takes Chao's role in the western versions of the game.
Kirby's Dream Land 3[edit]
Chao returns in all versions of Kirby's Dream Land 3, retaining her design from Kirby's Dream Land 2. She appears in Grass Land - Stage 4, where she and Goku get separated. After their reunion, Chao gives Kirby a Heart Star as thanks. Like Donbe & Hikari, she and Goku retain their Famicom design.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Chao and Goku appear as a spirit.
Trivia[edit]
- According to a transcript of a Q&A session during a 2021 shareholder meeting, Yūyūki is Shinya Takahashi's favorite game, as it was the first title he "was involved with".[1] Takahashi has served as a General Producer on Kirby games since Kirby's Epic Yarn as the Nintendo executive (currently senior managing executive officer) in charge of first-party software.
Gallery[edit]
-
Chao playing the piano in the Japanese version of the Sound Test in Kirby's Dream Land 2 -
Chao looking amazed by Kirby's victory on the Japanese version of the Boss Endurance in Kirby's Dream Land 2 -
Chao looking at the player after collecting all 84 Small Stars in the Japanese version of the BONUS mode in Kirby's Dream Land 2 -
Sprite of Chao from Grass Land's stage select -
Chao as she appears in Yūyūki (Zenpen). -
Chao as she appears in Yūyūki (Kouhen) -
Chao playing the piano in Chapter 5 of Yūyūki, in a lounge identical to that pictured in the Sound Test in Kirby's Dream Land 2
Names in other languages[edit]
Chao[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ちゃお chao |
Chao |
| German | Chao | - |
Goku[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ごくう gokū |
Goku |
| German | Goku | - |
References
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