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GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - Are you a Chibi-Robo fan?

by rawmeatcowboy
30 September 2015
GN Version 5.0

Glad to say my leg is doing better today. Still hurts like hell, but not as bad as yesterday. Let's hope things get even better tomorrow! Hope you all are doing well and feeling healthy! See you in a few, short hours.

When Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash was announced for Japan, I thought for sure that we'd never see the title release stateside. Poor Chibi-Robo doesn't seem to get much love over here from consumers. I figured this would be a Japanese release only...but then I learned of that sweet, sweet amiibo. With the reveal of that tiny hunk of plastic, I know the game's chances for localization just shot up exponentially. There may not be a lot of Chibi-Robo fans in the states, but there are certainly a lot of amiibo hunters!

I've been a fan of Chibi-Robo ever since his first outing on the GameCube. If you haven't noticed, I tend to really dig quirky games. I don't like them just because they are quirky. I end up liking them because they try putting new twists on old ideas or end up taking things in a new direction completely. As much as I love the big-name games and devs, I'm also really interested in what unique things the industry puts out. I feel like the entire Chibi-Robo franchise has been just that.

Sadly, Chibi-Robo hit the scene later in the GameCube's life, which didn't exactly help him secure a place in the hearts of many Nintendo fans. Since then, he's been given the shaft a few times. The one DS outing we got in North America ended up being a Walmart exclusive, once again limiting the chances the character had to find an audience. Then a second DS title never even got localized, nor did the 'New Play Control' of the original GameCube game that hit Wii. Then we got Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder on 3DS, which is more of a spin-off app than anything.

That brings us to Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash, which brings Chibi-Robo into an entirely new genre. This time around the little household helper takes things into the side-scrolling dimension with a platformer. Nintendo fans are certainly familiar with the platforming genre, so that should help things when it comes to consumer interest. As I said above, I think the amiibo of Chibi-Robo! could really make the difference here. I see plenty of people picking up the 3DS bundle just for the amiibo, then popping in the game just for the hell of it. Hopefully it's an enjoyable title!

Now you know I'm a Chibi-Robo fan, but I'd like to hear if you are! Have you played any of the franchise's games? Are you unfamiliar with the character completely? Are you getting the 3DS game just for the amiibo? Leave a comment and let us know!