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GoNintendo Review - Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash

Does a new genre for this pocket-sized robot pave the way for big success?
by rawmeatcowboy
09 October 2015
GN Version 5.0

Chibi-Robo seems destined to be a Nintendo character that never gets much attention. The character certainly has his supporters out there, but he's definitely one of the lower-tier brands the company has. That's not a comment about game quality by any means. I'm talking about public knowledge of the character. That could be related to poor marketing. There's also a factor of release timing. On top of all that, Chibi-Robo games are extremely quirky and odd. The character's universe and handling just aren't going to set the world ablaze when it comes to popularity.

While that may be the case, Nintendo and Skip haven't stopped trying to expand the character's familiarity with consumers. You could arguably say that Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is the biggest push we've seen for the character yet. While many Nintendo fans ignore or don't even know who Chibi-Robo is, now the little guy is getting a brand-new game with an amiibo. The fact that Nintendo made an amiibo for Chibi-Robo is a very obvious ploy to get some attention on the character. You can see that those involved with creating the games really do want more for Chibi-Robo. Sure, bigger sales would be nice, but this seems to be more about getting the character recognized.

That desire to spread the word also seems to fall right in line with the decision to switch up the traditional Chibi-Robo gameplay. This is the first time we're seeing Chibi-Robo get a true gameplay overhaul in a mainline title. Chibi-Robo has gone from free-roaming 3D adventure to traditional side-scroller. We all know that Nintendo's bread-and-butter comes from the side scrollers, so why not let Chibi-Robo have a go at the genre?



I do understand that this move has made some dedicated fans upset. They're looking for the next 'true' Chibi-Robo title and this doesn't count in some eyes. You may know that I'm a huge Chibi-Robo fan, which is why I was uber-excited to see the announcement of this game and amiibo. While I grew to love the character from his previous outings, it's the character himself that really puts a smile on my face. The game genre doesn't matter much to me, so long as the character retains the same quirky surroundings and humble charm. Perhaps that's why I really do enjoy Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash. The gameplay may be different, but the heart of Chibi-Robo is definitely still present.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is not the best platformer I've ever played. There are many other amazing platformers out there that warrant all kinds of praise for pushing the genre forward. With that said, it doesn't mean I can't enjoy platformers that take a safer route. I like the gameplay mechanics of running/jumpin in general! As long as I'm playing a game with enjoyable environments and solid controls/mechanics, I definitely get enjoyment out of it. That's where I feel Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash falls. It's not mind-blowing in any way, but it provided me with many hours of smiles and fun.

Where Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash puts a twist on the genre is the 'Zip Lash'. While Chibi-Robo still uses his plug to power up his battery, the little robot gets a whole new use out of his attachment. Chibi-Robo can now use his plug to whip enemies, collect items and even connect with certain platforms to zip-line straight to them. The best way I can describe the mechanic is by comparing it to the infamous Bionic Commando. That title was all about using your mechanical arm to swing from platform to platform. Besides walking, it was your only method of getting around. Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash uses that same mechanic, but makes it easier by allowing you to jump. Bionic Commando is one of my favorite NES games, which might be another reason why I got enjoyment out of Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash.

You'll be zipping around all sorts of levels around the world. Expect to visit locations like underground temples, deserts, waterways, grasslands and a lot more. You're coming into these locations from the size/scope of Chibi-Robo, which is just about as tall as his amiibo counterpart. That means you'll see real-life items in backgrounds that give you a true sense of scale. You might pass by a regular-sized hat, which appears quite huge compared to Chibi-Robo. Items like this litter the landscape and help sell the feeling of taking on a grand adventure in a very tiny setting. That's always something I really enjoy about the series. Wandering around real-life environments and getting to see them from a pint-sized perspective.

While the core gameplay may have changed from other Chibi-Robo titles, there are still key elements that tie the series to its roots. You still have the opportunity to wander around and collect garbage that is strewn about levels. I mean, that's a huge part of all Chibi-Robo games! Beautifying the environment lets you trade in trash for extra power in your ship. In turn, this power is used as a continue system. The more trash you collect/burn up, the more chances you'll have to retry stages. You'll always have more than enough trash to supply the retries you need in a stage, since Chibi-Robo uses his own full battery reserves before you get a real game over.

There's also the collection of real-world food items to search out. Chibi-Robo is a series that has utilized name-brand foods numerous times in the past, and Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is no different. You'll happen upon various characters that are looking to have certain cravings fulfilled. One character may want you to hunt down a PEZ dispenser, while another could be looking to get their hands on Junior Mints. You'll have to explore the environment top to bottom to find these goodies and then bring them to your new friends for goodies of your own.

While I've already mentioned trash and food stuffs, there are other collectibles to grab as well. Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is actually jam-packed with content to collect. There are three hidden treasure chests to find in each level, as well as three tiny robots wandering about. Then there's pellets that power-up your electrical cord length scattered about. There's even big/little coins that you can search out. Sometimes you have to bounce your plug off walls to gather these goodies. Other times you may have to find a false wall that you can pass behind to collect the hidden treasures. Furthermore, there's even some content you can't collect on the first pass!

You'll have plenty of reason to revisit levels to collect hidden extras, but that leads to an aspect of the game that some might be bothered by. Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash has an odd way of moving about levels. Rather than beating a level and moving to the next, the game presents you with a spinner. The spinner has wedges on it that feature numbers, and these numbers represent how many spaces you'll move. Think of it as a board game. Spin the wheel, see what number it lands on and move that many spaces. In order to complete a world and visit the boss battle, you have to clear each level. With the spinner mechanic, this means you might have multiple spins where you land on a level you've already played/beaten, but you are forced to go through it again.

Thankfully, the game does offer some ways around this drawback. The end of each level has three spaceships that you can hit with your electrical cord. If you hit the tiniest gold ship, you get three spins on the wheel. Subsequently, the medium-sized ship gets you two spins and the biggest ship gets you one. This is your first method of securing a wheel spin that'll get you where you want to go.

You also have the ability to buy new wedges for the wheel. If you go into the shop, you use the in-game coins you collected to buy wedges you like. You could buy wedges that turn every spot on the wheel into a 1-space. You can grab whatever number you like to help better your chances of where you land. This just means you'll have to be on the lookout for coins while you play, because the more you have, the better chances you won't have to repeat levels when you don't want to.

I used the coin method very early on and it lead to me not having any problems after that. I'd just buy a couple 1 wedges and put them on the wheel, then spin to the 1 spot. If you have two or three 1 wedges on the wheel, you can almost always land on one of them. The wheel is pretty easy to judge when it comes to spinning, and early on you'll learn when/where to hit the button to make the wheel land where you want it. Hopefully people realize this early on, because playing the game without buying wedges/spinning for spots they want could lead to replaying levels over and over again. I do admit that it's an odd mechanic and I was confused at first. Once I learned it, I just went with the flow. I didn't feel it added anything to the game or took away from it, but I can certainly see it being a point of frustration for players that don't bother to learn what's up.

Once you clear out ever level, you get to take on a boss battle. These bosses are usually quite big and flashy, but don't provide much challenge as far as difficulty. They do help to spice things up a bit and have you using your electrical cord in more calculated ways. When you do take on/defeat the boss, you also have the ability to freely revisit any stage you that world. This is the best way to go back and collect items you missed in each level, since now you'll have the ability to travel to each level at free will. Once again, this will really do away with frustration that some might feel from the wheel.

There are also some other levels scattered around Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash that present you with new ways to play, rather than sticking to the traditional side-scrolling fodder. Sometimes you'll be riding a skateboard that is pulled along its path by Chibi-Robo plugging/yanking his cord. There's also a section where you get to ride a surfboard and hit jumps along the way. Every so often there's a new gameplay type that pops up and helps break up the regular action. Some of these sections can be quite tricky and unforgiving at first, but that's what made me enjoy them more.

To tell you the truth, it's the regular levels that gave me most of my enjoyment in Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash. There's just something about the way they're designed that gave me enjoyment. Levels are pretty lengthy and varied in their topography. You'll be jumping up, down and all around levels that have all kinds of verticality built into them. Very rarely are you running left-to-right and calling it a day. All the hidden goodies in a level also give you a great reason to explore every nook and cranny you find, which made me really appreciate all the variety that was offered. Going through levels and clearing them was just fun. I took my time, explored a lot and really felt like I accomplished something each time I cleared a stage.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is a nice platformer with some interesting twists along the way. It doesn't turn the genre on its head and it's not going to wow newcomers to the franchise. I'd say most newcomers will be in on this title for the amiibo alone, but hopefully they do check the game out as well. It may not be amazing, but it's still quite enjoyable. What it lacks in innovation it makes up for with charm and heart. Chibi-Robo has always seemed like an underdog character to me and it's odd to say, but I feel like Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash really personifies that. It's the character you want to really love and see amazing things happen for, but he never quite gets there. He has great adventures and all sorts of charm, but can't quite break through to the next level.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash will be too by-the-numbers for some. The wheel-spinning mechanic will turn others off as soon as they get to it. I can't fault anyone that feels that way. All I can tell you is that I personally enjoyed the game. It put a smile on my face and it was nice to see Chibi-Robo in something new/different. The platforming was solid, the characters were quirky and the overall presentation has that Chibi-Robo charm. In the end, we have a perfectly serviceable-to-fun adventure that gets an extra boost from the delightful nature of Chibi-Robo himself. The game may be a tad forgettable, but the character is (and always has been) undeniably endearing.