Koco[1][2] (ココ[3] Koko?) are creatures that appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are a mysterious stone-like species and the ancient inhabitants of the Starfall Islands.[4] They used to be "lucky charms" for the Ancients, which ended up holding the souls and part of the memories of their creators[5][6] and currently roam the landscape of the Starfall Islands.
Description[]
Anatomy[]
Koco are small, stone-like creatures with holes for their eyes and mouth that resemble haniwa statues. Koco cannot evolve like Chao do. However, they do express polymorphism, as the tops of their heads seem to vary depending upon which of the Starfall Islands they hail from. Additionally, the Elder and Hermit Koco differ dramatically in appearance, having beady eyes, stone protrusions from their heads, and moss-like beards. The Elder Koco are stout and wide, with their facial hair coating their body from their mouth downwards, whereas the Hermit Koco are relatively tall and have their drooping beard growth thin down to a single point.
Characteristics and culture[]
Koco used to be "lucky charms" for the Ancients.[5] However, after the latter were wiped out, their souls and memories began inhabiting the Koco. They believe these memories to be what is currently happening instead of realizing that they are from the past, and will recreate the events from them as such. It is because of this that they can experience emotions like love and fear[7][8], and why Koco with professions[9][10][11] and families[9] exist.
Most Koco are driven by a faint dream or a fleeting emotion, but they can also be driven by deep regret. Once a Koco is brought peace by having their issues resolved (Usually due to the help of Sonic and his friends), its body will fall to the ground lifeless[12][13], presumably due to the soul and memories it housed being freed. When this happens, a symbol that represents the Ancients' god will appear in the sky.
Elder Koco serve as the leader of the Koco, wishing to protect them and bring them peace. They are unique compared to other Koco in the sense that they are aware of their current situation instead of being stuck reliving the past, and lack any memories, the only trace of their past being a feeling of regret for previously failing the Koco. They are also able to communicate with Sonic, and increase the speed and ring count of him and his friends through unknown means.
Like Elder Koco, Hermit Koco can perceive the reality around them, but they spend most of their time sleeping while they visit the Digital Dream, which seems to be recordings of the past inside of Cyberspace. Another similarity between the two is their ability to enhance Sonic and his friends' abilities, with the Hermit Koco being able to unlock and grant the power inside of Red Seeds Of Power and Blue Seeds Of Defense to them. They are also able to exchange levels for speed and ring count for each other, which does not require any items.
In Another Story, the Koco of the four Titan's pilots can be interacted with, as well as the Koco of the Master King. They are aware that they are preserved snapshots of who they once were, but they retain all of their memories, unlike the Elder Koco. They also seemingly have the power to transport Sonic into Cyberspace and summon enemies to attack him, although this could be a result of the towers that they are located on top of instead. Master King Koco, in addition to these powers, also has the ability to turn Cyber Corruption into an extremely strong form of energy by synchronizing it to the recipient's form.
Overview[]
In Sonic Frontiers, Sonic can locate a number of Koco and deliver them to the Elder Koco, who can increase his speed or maximum Ring count. (12 Koco are need for one level in a stat, 2386 are need to reach maximum level). They may also be used in gameplay to quickly transport the player to their location on the island after being initially discovered. To provide audio hints for the player of finding one of them in wide Open Zone areas, Koco will make bell noises when Sonic is close to them.[14] Some Koco can also be found in capsules scattered across the islands, excluding Rhea Island.
In the second update of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic's Birthday Bash, a new type of Koco were added.[15] These type of Koco are bigger than their regular counterpart and can be found across all Open-Zone areas except Rhea Island, though less frequent than regular Koco. They can be delivered to the Elder Koco, increasing Sonic's Boost Gauge.[15]
In Another Story, many new types of Koco are present, serving several different gameplay purposes. Skill Piece Koco are Koco wearing large backpacks that can be colored pink, red, or yellow, and grant varying amounts of experience when interacted with by Amy, Knuckles, or Tails respectively. Map Koco function similarly, revealing large parts of the map when approached by the character that corresponds to their color. Impact Tech and Koco Devices function the same, serving as objectives for Knuckles and Tails that they need to interact with in order to progress, similar to the decorated versions of the Elder and Hermit Koco that Amy must interact with. Lookout Koco are used to unseal the Trial Towers, and can be collected by completing objectives in Cyberspace stages or Cylooping treasure spots. Finally, the Koco located at the top of these towers transport Sonic into their respective trials, with the Master King Koco also allowing the player to switch characters and begin the finale of the game.
List of Koco[]
- Elder Koco
- Hermit Koco
- New Koco
- Lookout Koco
- Skill Piece Koco
- Map Koco
- Impact Form
- Koco Device
- Master Koco
Merchandise[]
A statue of Sonic and two Koco.
A 5.5" statue of Sonic defending two Koco will be available to be won from Sega Prize! amusement facilities in Japan from November 2022.[16] The Limited Edition of the game also comes along with Koco omamori, while a separate DX Pack (DXパック?) contains goods including a stuffed toy pouch of a Koco.[17] A 2" bag clip will be included in limited numbers in a blind bag series by Monogram in July 2023.
Trivia[]
- According to Takashi Iizuka, the Koco are different from Chao.[18] Key differences include Koco coming in different shapes as well being able to affect the player's progression and power up Sonic's abilities (kind of like the Wisps) in comparison to Chao, who the player has to nurture and play around with outside the main game.[19]
- In Japan, pre-ordering the game from Rakuten Books will give an exclusive skin for the Koco that will change their appearance to resemble Listener-san (リスナーさん?), the overly easy-going mascots representing fans of the Vtuber and Sonic series ambassador, Inugami Korone.[17][20]
- The sound effects when they step around is taken from the NiGHTS series, specifically when NiGHTS flies through a ring.
- The design of the Koco are based on Japanese Haniwa,[citation needed] which literally translates to "tubes of clay".
- Although Koco are different from Chao, the two are actually connected in a way, as Egg Memo 11 heavily implies that exposure to the Master Emerald's energy over an extremely long period of time transformed the surviving Ancients into Chao.
- The Elder Koco and Hermit Koco are siblings, as stated by the latter. However, this statement might not be literal, as it could be referring to the fact that they both are aware of their current reality unlike the other Koco.
- There are no evil Koco.[18]
References[]
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. Xbox Series X/S. Sega. Area/level: Kronos Island. "Gather Koco to strengthen Sonic - These creatures are called the "Koco." They seem to be lost. Locate their Elder and return them to him. The Elder will surely offer a reward for their return, whether increasing Sonic's speed or Ring capacity."
- ↑ ROB (@rob_chp) on Twitter. Twitter (25 August 2022). Retrieved on 26 August 2022.
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PC. Sega. Area/level: Kronos Island. "「ココ」とパワーアップ - 今手に入れたのは、この島に住む 「ココ」 という生き物です。 ココたちは迷子のようなので、島のどこかにいる「長老ココ」 を探して連れて行ってあげましょう。 お礼としてソ ニックの「スピード」や「リング上限数」のパワーアップをしてくれるでしょう。"
- ↑ 「ソニックフロンティア」の最新情報公開。スターフォール諸島の2つめの島“アレス島”や，新キャラクターが明らかに (Japanese). 4Gamer.net (31 August 2022). Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved on 31 August 2022. "スターフォール諸島に住む不思議な生き物。コロコロ転がりソニックについてくる。迷子になっているココがたくさんいるようだ。"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Ouranos Island. Cutscene: Side Story. "Sonic: If I understood those visions correctly, the Ancients came from space, right? And they wearing things that looked like the Koco, but they didn't seem... I dunno, "alive?" Do you know what the Koco really are? / Sage: They originated as lucky charms for the Ancients. They were never designed to contain their data... their will."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Ouranos Island. Cutscene: Side Story. "Sonic: Yeah, but the Koco I've found do hold the memories of their creators. Maybe the Ancients changed them, or maybe the Koco wanted to keep their memories alive after they were gone."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Kronos Island. Cutscene: Main Story #8. "Amy: This Koco says they need to find their one true love before it's too late. They've been too shy to express their feelings, but if they don't do it now, they may never get the chance."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Ares Island. Cutscene: Main Story. "Knuckles: I don't care if you're afraid! Those are your people out there!"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Ares Island. Cutscene: Main Story. "Sonic: What's up? / Knuckles: These Koco are supposed to link up with another unit, but an enemy has them pinned down here. / Sonic: Aren't you supposed to be helping find the Emeralds? / Knuckles: I can do both! Hurry up if you want it on the fight!"
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Chaos Island. Cutscene: Main Story. "Tails: Hey! This Koco is an apprentice to their top pilot. They need to find the parts to complete their final weapons."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Chaos Island. Cutscene: Main Story. "Sonic: We're not fixing the problem they think they have, but we are bringing them peace."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Kronos Island. Cutscene: "Family Gathering" quest epilogue. "Amy: Okay! Okay! We'll keep on looking. Sonic, they act like none of that happened / Sonic: Do we even know what "that" was? / Amy: No, but I got a sense of... completion? Comfort? / Sonic: Weird. Let's keep moving. I want to wrap up our time here A.S.A.P. / Amy: Sounds good to me."
- ↑ Sonic Frontiers: Knuckles corre perigo em gameplay inédito (Portuguese). Por Carol Costa. The Enemy (30 August 2022). Retrieved on 31 August 2022.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sonic Frontiers: Fast Facts - Sonic's Birthday Bash Content Update. YouTube (27 June 2023). Retrieved on 27 June 2023.
- ↑ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ プレミアムフィギュア～ソニックフロンティア～ (Japanese). Sonic Channel (8 July 2022). Archived from the original on 8 July 2022.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 ソニック フロンティア | PRODUCTS (Japanese). Sega. Retrieved on 24 August 2022.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sonic Frontiers: 123 Rapid-Fire Questions With Takashi Iizuka. YouTube. Game Informer (12 July 2022). Retrieved on 13 July 2022.
- ↑ Takashi Iizuka Wants to 'Connect' the Sonic Universes and Create a 'Unified Sonic Experience' – Sonic Stadium Interview. The Sonic Stadium (30 August 2022). Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved on 30 August 2022. "Takashi Iizuka: [Laughs] Well, the Chao and Koco are of course separate beings, really... in Sonic Frontiers you're going to find a lot of these Koco all around the different islands. And as you're picking them up, there's going to be ways you can power up Sonic's abilities [depending on how many you collect]. So I guess if we were to really compare them... it's not like Chao, which are creatures you grow and nurture and play around with. The Koco's unique feature is that they are tied to your actual progression and the fun things you can do on the islands."
- ↑ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ【公式】 (@SonicOfficialJP) on Twitter (Japanese). Twitter (24 August 2021). Retrieved on 24 August 2022.
