It was 2005. The GameCube had already seen its fair share of unique IPs and interesting reinterpretations of Nintendo's classic series. The DS had arrived to succeed the Game Boy Advance, and it was only a matter of time before the Nintendo Revolution (later renamed the Wii) was released to replace the GameCube. It seemed as though the "good old purple 'Cube" had seen the last of its unique and creative titles.
Rewind a year or two: Skip Ltd. was working on a brand-new game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was a game about a tiny robot moving through large human environments; the goal was to help him grow and eventually return home without being stolen by burglars. It appeared to be a point-and-click style game where the robot could collect spare batteries to increase its own power supply. Based on early screenshots, it seemed the robot lived in the house of a scientist or professor—possibly his creator—and would recharge by plugging into an orange, GameCube-like device.
(Interestingly, in the early videos that have surfaced, the character models actually appeared to be of higher quality than in the final release.)
However, the project eventually fell through. Whether Skip couldn't find a way to make the gameplay engaging enough or simply lacked the necessary support, the production of this new IP was canceled. But all hope was not lost. The project caught the eye of Shigeru Miyamoto, who recognized its great potential. Miyamoto offered to collaborate with Skip to bring the concept to life. After another year or two of development, they managed to vastly improve the game and guide it toward a full worldwide release.
Enter Chibi-Robo! This underrated little gem was one of the GameCube's last original IPs. In this game, you play as the titular six-inch robot, cleaning house for a dysfunctional family while helping them navigate their personal struggles. You also solve the problems of the various toys in the house, which mysteriously come to life whenever humans aren't around.
The game begins during a birthday party in the Sanderson family's living room; it is young Jenny Sanderson’s eighth birthday. Her mother gives her a hat as a gift, but Jenny refuses it. Convinced that she is a frog, she constantly wears a hat that resembles a frog's head and speaks only in "ribbits." Meanwhile, her cheery father brings out a much more expensive present. Against his wife's wishes and without regard for the family budget, Jenny’s father has purchased a Chibi-Robo—claiming his daughter asked for it, though he really just wanted it for himself. He flips the switch on the metal container...
And out comes Chibi-Robo and his manager, Telly Vision. The duo is designed to make families happy—it's as simple as that. To achieve this, the gameplay primarily focuses on cleaning. You begin in the Sanderson living room the night after the birthday party, where you'll find yourself picking up the trash left behind.
But before long, you encounter a living toy—one writing in a diary, no less! She explains that all the toys in the house are alive and that she simply thought it was normal. After that brief conversation, she returns to her diary, leaving you to your own devices. Soon after, you meet an eccentric fellow named Drake Redcrest—or rather, a toy based on him. An action figure of the lead hero from the popular show Space Hunter: Drake Redcrest, Drake patrols the living room for signs of villainy. While he claims to fight for justice, he is also in constant turmoil, wondering: "Just what is justice? And what is evil?" Despite his existential crisis, he persists in his efforts to protect the Sanderson household. He is also quite the "large ham."
Returning to the cleaning, you will eventually come across a toothbrush belonging to Jenny's father. Since he is asleep, he doesn't notice when you take it and proceed to use it to scrub stains and footprints off the floor. The main rewards for performing these tasks are money (called "Moolah") and Happy Points. Happy Points improve your standing among other Chibi-Robos, as one of your ultimate goals is to become the number-one ranked robot in the world.
Moolah can be used in the Chibi-House to purchase items and upgrades from the Chibi-PC. You earn Happy Points every time you scrub a stain, and you occasionally receive cleaning bonuses for finishing a large area, which rewards you with a significant amount of both Happy Points and Moolah. Similarly, disposing of refuse in a garbage can grants you both rewards for every piece of trash thrown away.
Another way to earn Moolah is by plugging into the various Chibi-Doors placed around the house. these lead to strange, warped alternate dimensions where massive amounts of eyes stare at you. These areas contain large quantities of Moolah, which is very helpful if you need to farm currency quickly.
Chibi-Robo runs on battery power. During the first night, his battery capacity is quite small, so you must find outlets scattered around the rooms to plug in and recharge regularly. If you run out of power, Chibi-Robo will collapse, and Telly Vision will carry you back to the Chibi-House. There isn't much of a penalty for this—in fact, you have to do it once to obtain a specific item—but you will lose a small amount of Moolah. You can obtain larger batteries by reaching Chibi-ranking milestones.
Since there isn't much to do during the first night other than meeting a few toys and cleaning, time will eventually run out, and you will return to the Chibi-House for a shift change (from night to day, or vice versa). Your Happy Points are then tallied toward your ranking, and you receive bonus batteries if you have reached a new milestone.
For the next day or two, you will continue cleaning, encountering a few more toys and gathering items to help with various tasks, before you eventually reach the basement. There, you find the hulking, inactive shell of the massive Giga-Robo, an "ancestor" to Chibi-Robo. The poor robot’s battery is empty and he is missing his left leg, but for some reason, Chibi feels the urge to plug himself into an outlet on the giant's hip. He receives a surge of electricity, and after a brief conversation with a concerned Telly Vision, Chibi collapses, having apparently fried his circuits. While unconscious, Chibi has a dream where he sees Giga-Robo’s memories—presumably downloaded during the connection. He discovers that the robot was once a beloved member of the family before his upkeep and electricity costs became too high, forcing them to store him away in the basement.
Chibi-Robo wakes up from this dream much to the relief of Telly Vision, and they are soon approached by a wooden pirate toy named Captain Plankbeard. Plankbeard requests that Chibi-Robo attempt to reactivate Giga-Robo, and this is where the "real" game begins.
While the cleaning elements of the gameplay remain, they eventually become a secondary focus. More trash and floor stains generally appear at the start of every day and night cycle, so you will likely begin each shift by tidying up. This remains your primary source of Happy Points and Moolah, but the true heart of the game lies in character interaction and—true to Chibi’s purpose—making people happy directly. This generally involves completing sidequests that delve into a character’s story. Since most of the characters are uniquely designed toys, this becomes incredibly interesting; their personalities are extremely varied, and their sidequests play out as engaging (and sometimes surprisingly dark, though presented in a child-friendly manner) stories.
Then there is the combat. Before you can reach the second floor, you encounter the main enemies of the game: the Spydorz. They travel in packs and are introduced with a loud, engaging heavy-metal battle theme. They will attempt to latch onto you and drain your battery, though you can shake them off. To destroy them, you need to purchase the Chibi-Blaster from the Chibi-PC. Once defeated, you can collect scrap metal from their remains to build Utilibots—tools like ladders and teleporters specifically designed for Chibi’s use. Ultimately, the combat is somewhat underutilized; the Spydorz spawn randomly and die in a single shot, making them less of a threat and more of a resource for scrap metal.
The combat itself is also rather awkward and uninspiring. Your controls remain exactly the same with the Chibi-Blaster equipped, so you usually end up wandering around while mashing the A button to shoot. While you can enter a first-person mode to aim, it feels static. It certainly isn't Metroid Prime, and a more refined system would have been a welcome addition.
One of the game's most charming touches is its use of sound: almost everything you do produces music. Each step you take plays an instrument note that changes depending on the surface you’re walking on. Most tasks also trigger specific musical cues or short melodies. This music-oriented approach is a pleasant quirk that keeps the experience feeling lively. This creativity extends to the soundtrack, which is equally brilliant.
The graphics, however, do not shine quite as brightly. Some of the environmental models would look subpar even on a Sega Dreamcast, and many of the animations—particularly for the Sanderson family—feel a bit lazy. Fortunately, the toys and everything directly related to Chibi-Robo look fantastic, sporting unique designs that give the game a wonderful personality.
The general style of the game is also very appealing. Set in 1960s–70s suburban America, the aesthetic is clearly defined by vintage decor and a matching soundtrack. The house itself serves as an interesting world to romp through as a six-inch robot. If you’ve ever played Toy Story 2 on the N64 or PS1, it feels quite similar. Playing as such a small character in a massive world is a fascinating experience; using everyday objects as necessary stepping stones to make progress remains a fun and engaging concept.
One minor detail I particularly enjoyed is that, after a certain point, Chibi-Robo can read his own instruction manual. While it provides basic gameplay tips, it primarily offers character exposition and explains what Chibi-Robo is thinking. It’s a creative and charming way to express his personality to the player.
However, the game does have a few negatives. As good as it is, it is very short—a common trait among many great GameCube titles. Because the game is so sidequest-oriented, nearly all of the characters who aren't members of the Sanderson family don't progress the plot at all. This makes it easy to rush through the story in less than 12 hours. Although the sidequests provide great character development, they are mostly optional. Additionally, while the battery mechanic starts as a creative gimmick, it eventually becomes a bit of a hassle. Navigating the environments can be tiring, and certain actions drain a significant amount of power. Recharging repeatedly can feel slightly tedious, though it’s never a deal-breaker. Finally, the early game is quite heavy on dialogue and tutorials, but fortunately, this phase doesn't last long.
Despite these flaws, they don't truly affect my opinion of the game. It is such a unique and fresh experience that I enjoy playing through it every time. Chibi-Robo! was one of those games that didn't receive enough attention at release simply for being different. It received a DS sequel a few years later that wasn't quite as good as the original and was unfortunately sold exclusively at Walmart. Consequently, the third game was never released in America, and the Wii port of the original was denied a domestic release by Nintendo of America. Please, if you ever have the chance, pick up this wonderful game before it becomes too obscure to find. I’m certain it will be worth your time.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo GameCube
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