As we covered previously, Nintendo Switch Online added a Gamecube section to their library on Switch 2, with Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur II available right out of the gate. Super Mario Strikers followed it last month, but we figured we’d see the obvious Super Mario Sunshine or Luigi’s Mansion next. We did not expect Chibi-Robo to show his face.
Chibi-Robo, released in 2005, was a wildly original title for a system that was already pretty experimental. You play from the perspective of a tiny robot whose function and purpose is to help the family that brought it to life. For every task you perform for the family, you’ll collect valuable “happy points,” but each task decreases your energy meter, and you can only do so much before you’ve got to plug in, sleep and recharge for the day. Planning out your tasks in advance is important!
Chibi-Robo is a four-inch-tall robot who’s arrived at the Sanderson house with the goal of helping the family get the most out of life and find happiness. Day or night, he’ll help however he can, whether that’s by cleaning or looking for lost items. In this chibi action-adventure title originally released for the Nintendo GameCube™ system in 2006, you’ll aim for the top of the Chibi-Rankings by gathering Happy Points and Moolah (aka money)! It’s rumored that Chibi-Robo will become Super Chibi-Robo if he reaches the top of the rankings…but between a daughter who only speaks in the language of frogs and toys that come alive when humans aren’t around, Chibi-Robo has his work cut out for him in the mystery-packed Sanderson house!
The original Chibi-Robo didn’t sell very well, but as is usually the case with things like this, it gained a cult following in the years afterward and secondhand copies became very expensive. Since then, Nintendo has struggled over what to do with the character. Subsequent titles like Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol and Chibi-Robo: Zip-Lash have failed to find the same audience, with fans outright despising the most recent game.
But there’s always the original, and on August 21 you’ll be able to experience it without breaking the bank on eBay — though a Switch 2 isn’t cheap either.
