Chibi-Robo is one of Nintendo’s most charming classics, and here’s why

At the time of writing, Chibi-Robo is Nintendo’s latest offering in the GameCube division of Nintendo Switch Online’s emulators. Notably, this is the first time Nintendo has given any significant attention to Chibi-Robo since Zip Lash on 3DS. If you don’t know this already, Zip Lash is commonly attributed to the downfall of the entire series – it was a mediocre 2D platformer on a system with a ton of great 2D platformers, so it didn’t stand out and sold poorly as a result. Skip Ltd., the developers of the Chibi-Robo games, shut their doors soon after.

That’s why it feels important to look at the original Chibi-Robo now more than ever. It’s a very unique and charming little game, and it’s very much unlike most classic Nintendo franchises – it’s probably most similar to Pikmin, if I had to make a comparison. Regardless, today we’re talking all about the original Chibi-Robo, which you can now play via Nintendo Switch Online – but only if you have a Switch 2 and the Expansion Pack membership.

These days, I feel like there’s a large group of gamers who don’t really touch “old games” and stick to modern releases instead. In one way, I kind of get that – Nintendo’s older titles have aged both in terms of visuals and gameplay, so if you only ever played new Switch games it might be hard to play something from the N64 or GameCube. On the other hand, though, you’re missing out on so many high-quality titles. Even if they’ve aged, they’re still great fun – and Chibi-Robo is no exception. With that in mind, Chibi-Robo is kind of an acquired taste. It’s very much its own thing, and the game’s slow pace may deter some players. But if you play a few in-game days, you’ll quickly realize that this game is packed full of charm.

In Chibi-Robo, you play as the titular robot, who has been purchased to help clean up a family’s home. It’s a simple premise, and it means you’re playing as a tiny little guy in a big, big house. You’ll climb up books, furniture, lamps, and more to reach every nook and cranny of the home, cleaning up any spots on the floor you see along the way. Every time you clean up a spot, you’ll earn Happy Points, which unlock upgrades for Chibi-Robo’s battery life. Speaking of which, Chibi-Robo does have limited energy. The more you walk and jump around, the faster his battery drains. You have to make sure to plug in to an outlet before you run out of power or it’s game over! 

In reality, though, what I just described is an extreme oversimplification of Chibi-Robo. Cleaning up stains and picking up garbage does wind up feeling surprisingly satisfying, sure, but the game’s real draw comes from its character interactions. At night, all of the toys in the house come to life, and they all have their own personalities and problems. Cleaning isn’t Chibi-Robo’s only job – you can also help out other characters and complete side quests for them. Some of these are surprisingly in-depth and heartwarming, and they’re also totally optional if you would rather stick to the main story. You’ll eventually be tasked with saving the family’s marriage, and the story includes plenty of twists and turns that take on a science-fiction angle. By the end of the game, you’ll forget that Chibi-Robo was ever a cleaning robot – you’ll be dealing with aliens, invaders, time travel, and all sorts of wacky concepts that you wouldn’t expect to see from this kind of game.

As for the gameplay, I did mention earlier that Chibi-Robo is a bit slow-paced. By default, each half day or night lasts five minutes, which isn’t much time. I’d recommend buying the fifteen-minute timer from the Chibi-Shop right away so that you have more time to run around and explore. Playing as a small character in a big house makes for a unique vibe that isn’t truly captured by many other games – except for maybe Pikmin 4 with Hero’s Hideaway – and Chibi-Robo’s sound design wraps up its signature charm with a cute little bow. Every one of Chibi-Robo’s footsteps makes a chime, and little jingles play when he climbs up drawers or jumps. These sounds don’t get annoying, either. As with most 3D games on older Nintendo systems, Chibi-Robo’s camera can be a bit bothersome – its default angle is kind of wonky and sometimes gets stuck behind furniture. It also won’t always rotate the way you want it to, but you can press the ZL button to center the camera right behind Chibi-Robo at any time. 

Chibi-Robo’s overworld contains plenty of secrets for those willing to look. For one, each room has several Chibi-Doors you can open to gain some extra money. They’re often visible in plain sight – the challenge lies in how you get to those doors. Many of them require upgrades, clever platforming, or most commonly – both. There are also plenty of quest-exclusive items you’ll need to find and then give to certain characters to clear their side quests. The good news here is that Chibi-Robo doesn’t have any missable content whatsoever – you’re always able to 100% complete the game, which took me around 16 hours to do.

I think Chibi-Robo’s biggest flaw is its dialogue. For the most part, it’s well-written – the problem is that you cannot skip or speed up dialogue in any way, shape, or form. Plus, the characters talk slowly as-is: their messages pop up on screen letter by letter, and if you’ve seen the dialogue already in a previous playthrough you cannot speed it up. This slows the game’s pace down to a crawl and makes repeat runs a bit tougher to justify. Some characters are particularly yappy, which wouldn’t be a problem if you could speed up their messages. It would also be helpful if Chibi-Robo had a formal request system in the menus so you could more easily keep track of which characters need what items and tasks completed. The final game has no such feature, though, so you’ll need to remember these yourself.

Despite its flaws, Chibi-Robo remains fun and full of charm to this day. Playing it is kind of a strange feeling, knowing for a fact that this franchise is almost certainly never coming back. It’s particularly odd that Chibi-Robo never made it into Smash Bros. as a playable character – he received games on Nintendo DS and 3DS as well, so you would think that maybe they would’ve put him in as a newcomer in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. Still, this game is an easy recommendation if you like the atmosphere of games like Animal Crossing or Pikmin (though Chibi-Robo isn’t really the same as either of them).

If you’ve played the original Chibi-Robo on GameCube, what are your thoughts on it? Feel free to let us know in the comments down below.