Chibi-Robo returns to star in a delightful zip lash slinging adventure
The initial first impression I got from around the web was that this game wasn't that great. Turns out I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected. The Chibi Robo series has had an identity crisis for a while now. Starting off he was just a cleaning robot that helped people and now in this latest game he is a platformer hero who must save the world from a mini alien invasion. 6 different continents must be saved and only his zip lash line will be able to wipe out any robot alien that stands in his way.
The main portion of the game is about using the Zip Lash to swing around areas to eventually get to the end of the level. Unlike in Bionic Commando it is possible to float in the air to line up a shot and even if our brave robot falls into the sea he’ll appear back at the last checkpoint. A charged throw can reach much further while also being key to getting some hard to reach collectibles. Swinging Chibi Robos plug at enemies will take out most of them although he can also dodge attacks with a dodge roll.
Running, Jumping, throwing and swinging may be the bulk of the game yet they do a great job of breaking up the action with vehicle levels. About every third mission will either require some skateboarding, surfing or even driving in a submarine. Each of these vehicles handles differently. Both the skate/surfboard require the player to dodge enemies and collect energy. They are also auto scrolling levels and can be some of the tougher stages because they have no checkpoints. As for the Submarine it is slow but adds in a new gimmick of collecting mines to fire torpedoes that can blast through metal blocks.
Even when the level is just about platforming you’ll still have to deal with different styles per level. For example one level might have a section where Chibi Robo has to keep ahead of saw blades while the next requires him to freeze water with his temporary cold power up. Going over the bosses leads me to the same conclusion. This game just has a lot of small touches that keep it interesting to play throughout the 10 hours it takes to compete it.
Even though I’ve been generally positive so far this has some things that make me go bleh. For one why does it even require the player to spin a wheel to choose which stage must be played next? If it wasn’t possible to buy panels to make sure you get the right number to go to a new level then this would be really annoying. The level of difficulty can be uneven too with a few sections like the surfboard levels requiring near perfection to compete them. Although it didn’t bother me yet I can see that the slow pace of each level could become boring. If you like platformers that keep going with very few slow moments then this game isn’t for you.
In the end I enjoyed my time playing through this game. It may just be just another platformer yet it manages to craft a fun adventure to play through. Even if it isn’t the most original kind of game ever. Definitely worth playing if you're in the mood for another platformer on the 3DS.
