Chibi-Robo

Summary  

Chibi-Robo is an original series crafted by skip Ltd. and Nintendo. The series put players in the role of a 10 centimeter tall robot named Chibi-Robo whose duty it is to keep people happy and places clean.  

Origins

The original Chibi-Robo concept began being worked on in 2003 by developer skip Ltd. and Bandai as the planned publisher, although both entities eventually dropped the project after two years. Interest in the project was renewed when fellow Nintendo publisher Kensuke Tanabe introduced Shigeru Miyamoto to the Chibi-Robo character, thus prompting Miyamoto to make contact with Kenichi Nishi of skip Ltd. to revitalize Chibi-Robo. With the help of a new development crew of about a dozen people, the final product was finished after about eight months of work.
  

Although the end product ended up being about a small robot that helped with household chores in order to please his family, the pre-Shigeru concept wasn't so similar. Originally, players were suppose to indirectly control several Chibi-Robos in a lemmings-like interface to protect Professor Sendagaya's latest invention from two burglars named Cookie and Arnie and did not involve the living toys. The toy characters we later added to give Chibi-Robo someone to interact with, as humans were found to be too big to get the job done on a personal level.  

Gameplay 

Throughout the series, Chibi-Robo is controlled directly through a third person perspective, doing tasks to accumulate happy points in order to become the number one Chibi-Robo in the world. Tasks are usually fulfilled with items varying from toothbrushes to scissors to vacuums, though items vary through each game installment. Other elements that also help in tasks are attachments, such as the chibi-copter and costumes, but were cut down significantly from Park Patrol. Instead, the second title introduced the use of vehicles and music to help clean up and let the park and town flourish.  
 
In addition to gaining happy points, players also are able to spend points upgrading Chibi-Robo's limited battery duration and spend moolah on items for Chibi-Robo. In Welcome Home! Chibi-Robo!, players are also able to purchase items such as furniture for their homes from the home shopping network using moolah. 

Story

Chibi-Robo was bought as a gift for Jenny Sanderson on her eighth birthday by her unemployed, inventor father, Mr. Sanderson. Mrs. Sanderson, Mr. Sanderson's wife, wasn't consulted on the purchase and worried about the financial impact this would have on the family. The strain between the couple becomes so bad at one point that Mrs. Sanderson locks herself up in her room and gives a notice of divorce. This spurs Mr. Sanderson to help around the house.  
 

Meanwhile, while cleaning and exploring the Sanderson home, Chibi-Robo discovers Giga-Robo, a previous toy of Mr. Sanderson's that was left to rot in the basement since it used up too much electricity and was missing a leg. Chibi-Robo sets out to find the missing appendage and his battery by going back in time to before Jenny was born, witnessing the joy of the Sandersons. When he returns to the present, a set of spydorz attacks the family and Chibi-Robo saves the household. The family reunites and Chibi-Robo receives the parts for Giga-Robo. 
 
The Chibi-Robo in Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol is not the same model one as in the original Chibi-Robo!. The character in this title was designed to make the planet green by planting flowers and preventing smoglings and smoglobbs from wilting the park's and town's flowers. The job is done once Chibi-Robo defeats the evil Miasmo and the smoglings and smoglobbs return to their former plant-loving forms. 
 

In Welcome Home! Chibi-Robo, Jenny Anderson has grown up and has a child of her own. Sill in possession of her birthday gift from years ago, Chibi-Robo aides Jenny by cleaning the environment and keeping the small family happy.