Summary
Tiny Wonder Studios, a studio made up of formerChibi-Robodevelopers, has announced an indie spiritual successor calledkoROBO, a 3D platformer with a similar protagonist and premise.Chibi-Robois one of the most niche Nintendo franchises, but it retains a cult following to this day. The original title launched in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube. In it, players control a tiny robot and navigate around their owner’s household to collect “Happy Points,” either by completing household chores or solving the problems of the fractured Sanderson family.
According to the director of the series, theChibi-Roboseries' status is a bit bleak, as there appear to be no plans for a new entry in the cult classic series. The last entry in the series was2015’sChibi-Robo Zip Lash, which garnered a very mixed reception among fans and critics. Common complaints include the shift to a 2D side-scrolling platformer instead of the series' classic gameplay, along with clunky mechanics and poor controls on the 3DS. WithChibi-Robocurrently on the backburner for Nintendo, some of the original developers have gotten together to form Tiny Wonder Studio, looking to create a spiritual successor.
Tiny Wonder Studio includes a number of industry veterans and directors who worked on theChibi-Roboseries. Kenichi Nishi, the former co-founder of Skip and theco-director of the originalChibi-Robo, is the director ofkoROBO. The first trailer ofkoROBOwas revealed during BitSummit, and showed off the game’s story and gameplay loop. The titular koROBO is a small robot who is gifted to a boy named Tom for his birthday, who lives in a fictitious version of Brooklyn, New York called Brocklyn, New Yock. Much like the originalChibi-Robo, players are tasked with keeping the house clean, helping Tom out with his homework, and even fighting a mysterious enemy who travels through time. Their time in the game is limited by the battery on KoROBO’s back, though unlike Chibi-Robo, they can recharge using patches of sun.
KoROBO is a Spiritual Successor to Chibi-Robo
Tiny Wonder Studio has a Campfire andKickstarter campaign forkoROBOopening on July 22, with players being able to directly help fund the development of the game. Depending on the success of the campaign, the game will not only be released on PC, but potentially consoles as well. Many fans were excited aboutkoROBO, believing that it looked like a proper successor to one ofNintendo’s most niche franchises.
Tiny Wonder Studio released a message after the game’s reveal, with Ishi stating thatkoROBOis intended to bea cozy indie game for players to enjoy. The core ofkoROBOis bringing people together and “working towards a better tomorrow,” with Ishi also asking for fans' support with the Kickstarter and Campfire campaigns when they go live.
Chibi Robo
WHERE TO PLAY
Chibi Robo is a Nintendo GameCube exclusive platforming adventure game developed by Skip Ltd. This 3D adventure guides players through a family’s homestead, helping them to complete tasks. The game features a robot protagonist, item collecting, platforming, and puzzle solving.
