Chibi-Robo

Platform: GameCube
Publisher: Nintendo
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Retail

Chibi-Robo is a nanobot away from being something really great. Part of me adores the game for its offbeat premise -- a tiny mechanical housekeeper helps a dysfuctional family learn to communicate. Like Mrs. Doubtfire with robots! But beneath this fascinating setting too many conventional game tropes lurk. Traditional item collecting, upgrade purchasing and fetch quests make this adventure feel more, um, robotic than organic. I am impressed with Chibi-Robo's hybridization of Zelda-style adventure with Pikmin's time-restraints. But still, I'm sensing that something is missing. It could be that stylish and innovative games like Katamari Damacy have ruinded me for games that are merely charming.

It's also fairly evident that Chibi-Robo was localized by Nintendo of America's "B" team. None of the sharp and often funny dialogue evident in Paper Mario or Animal Crossing is to be found here. And this, a game about a disentegrating family and the tiny robot who hopes to bring them together, is the exact place smart writing is needed.