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Meet the newest member of the Sanderson family: Chibi-Robo. As a birthday present to their young daughter Jenny, Chibi-Robo is a tiny robot only a few inches tall, and his job is to make the Sanderson family happy.
As Chibi-Robo, you and your flying helper "Telly Vision" walk around the Sanderson's giant house, looking for small ways to make the family happy. You do so first by picking up small bits of trash to throw away. Soon after, you find a toothbrush on the ground which you use to scrub off muddy spots on the floor. Each little thing you do earns you ﾑHappy Points" and "Moolah." Moolah you earn can be used to buy upgrades for Chibi-Robo, like a helicopter head for gliding down from dizzying heights, or a Chibi-Blaster for zapping Spydorzﾗtiny insect-like robots that infest the Sanderson house. Happy Points increase your Chibi-Robo ranking. The higher you are ranked, the more battery life you have. Chibi-Robo drags an electrical plug behind him (or you can pick it up over Chibi's head to walk faster). Each thing you do in the game drains Chibi's battery and you must constantly find electrical outlets to plug Chibi into to recharge. You can also save your progress after charging. Having to constantly recharge sounds annoying, but it is actually fun and challenging to figure out puzzles and plan your day around Chibi's battery. Chibi-Robo may look like a 3D action-platform kind of game, but there's little hop and bop activity required. The only kind of platforming you do is figuring out how to get from the floor to that countertop way up there. Chibi might have to pull out some drawers to make some stairs to climb, or scale a conveniently placed shoelace or lamp cord like a rope. But most of what you do in the game (besides cleaning), is give items to the other characters in exchange for clues or other items. Each discovery leads to a new discovery. It's like a cleverly disguised point and click adventure game.  Besides cleaning, Chibi-Robo can talk to the quirky members of the Sanderson household and learn more about them and their problems. Mr. Sanderson is addicted to buying and collecting toys, especially of his favorite super hero toy line: Drake Redcrest. But his wife is a bit displeased with him because he is currently unemployed and they can't afford such frivolous spending. She was angry that he even bought Chibi-Robo, but she takes a liking to Chibi after seeing how well he helps her clean up the house. She even affectionately gives him the nickname "Cheebo." The young daughter Jenny wears a frog hat and only speaks in ribbits. You will get an item after helping some frogs in the backyard that will let you understand what Jenny is saying. Tao, the family dog, is just a regular old dog. By helping out the family and doing favors and things for them, you will learn that they have some big problems and only Chibi-Robo can help make things better for Jenny, her mom and her dad. Not only that, but you must uncover an even bigger mystery: why is there a giant defunct Giga-Robo down in the basement? There's a bit of a Toy Story vibe as well. The game has day and night cycles. By day you clean house and talk to the Sanderson family members. But at night when the family is asleep, the toys scattered around the house will come alive. You talk to them and solve their problems and pick up side-quests as well. There is a caterpillar dog chew toy who is secretly in love with the Drake Redcrest action figure, a T-Rex made out of Lego™ blocks named Dinah, and Funky Phil, an electronic dancing flower (remember those in the mall?), plus many more. A group of egg-shaped toy army men constantly train in the foyer at night in preparation for their battle with their greatest enemy: Tao the family dog! Most of the toys' side-quests are purely optional, but they're all fun to do.  The graphics are a bit dated but they are still colorful and charming. The background music isn't noticeable at all, but as Cheebo walks he makes music with every step, and the instrument played changes depending on what surface he's walking onﾗcarpet, tile, etc. You can make whole songs just by walking around the house, and this small little detail adds to the charm of the game. Play control is easy and responsive, but slightly slower paced than your usual 3D game. If there are any problems, it's that the camera controls can be a little unresponsive at times and the game goals can be a little unclear. But the leisurely pace doesn't put a premium on either good camera angles or clear goals, so they're not much of a problem at all. If you enjoy quirky and charming adventures like Katamari Damacy, Mister Mosquito, or Animal Crossing, then you'll love Chibi-Robo! 
Chibi-Robo is practically non-violent. The only violent thing you do is sometimes blast those tiny robot Spydorz with your Chibi Cannon. Most of the time you just clean the house or find ways to make the family happy, two activities that parents would encourage their kids to do in real life. Reading skill is required because while everyone has a voice to go along with the text, it's a garbled made up language similar to games like The Sims, Banjo-Kazooie, and Klonoa. With a low difficulty level yet tons of things to see and do, Chibi-Robo makes a perfect family game for all ages.
This review edited by Dave Long Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "chibi robo, robots" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Chibi-Robo |
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