ChibiRobo (Prototype Pre-Alpha)

ChibiRobo (Working Title)
NA JPN
Developer	Skip Ltd.
Publisher	Bandai
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube
Genre	Point-And-Click, Puzzle, Adventure, 'Assistance Strategy'
Media	GameCube Game Disc

Not what you were looking for? See: Chibi-Robo (disambiguation)

ChibiRobo (Working Title) was an unreleased Point-And-Click Puzzle Adventure game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was developed by Skip, Ltd. and was to be released by Bandai in June 2003 in Japan, and in Spring 2004 in the US. The game was cancelled not long after it was shown at E3 2003, and in the coming years, would be reworked into Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!.

Plot

Professor Sendagaya, after years of research, has finally built the first 'Robot with a heart'; a sentient robot with their own free will. Two burglars, named 'Cookie' and 'Arnie', read about this recent innovation in a newspaper, and decide they want to seize the robot for themselves. Unfortunately for ChibiRobo, he can't initially defend himself, as he doesn't even know how to think sensibly. Moreover, he doesn't know the difference between a good or bad decision. As a result of this, it's your job to train ChibiRobo. Teach him about the dangers of his surroundings, how to safely interact with the world around him, and, of course, how to protect himself against human intruders.

Gameplay

Players do not directly control ChibiRobo. Rather, they control an on-screen cursor (by moving the analog stick) to guide ChibiRobo to objects of interest, and ChibiRobo will interact with them. If the player wants ChibiRobo to interact with a certain object, or move in a certain direction, the player can use the green cursor (by pressing on the GameCube controller). However, if the player wants to cancel a command or discourage ChibiRobo from interacting with an object, the player can use the red cursor (by pressing on the controller). ChibiRobo must also keep himself charged, or he will run out of energy. He can charge himself by plugging into an outlet, or by collecting the batteries in the tutorial. ChibiRobo's intelligence and efficiency depends on how you train him; If you focus on laying out all the do's and don'ts as quickly as possible, he'll become more intelligent and savvy. However, if you don't train him very well, or train him in a confusing manner, he may act in unexpected ways.

Physical upgrades can be given to ChibiRobo to provide functional and/or cosmetic upgrades. For example, memory chips increase learning capabilities, and expansion batteries allow ChibiRobo to roam around for extended periods of time. As for cosmetics, ChibiRobo can be fitted with new arms, legs, and heads, as well as uniforms; Sound/motion chips allow ChibiRobo to emit different sounds and perform a variety of poses.

Cancellation and redevelopment

According to Kensuke Tanabe in an interview with Cubed, he felt that the Point-And-Click genre only allowed for an objective sense of control over the character. He believed that a change to directly controlling Chibi-Robo would create a stronger sense of identity between Chibi-Robo and the player, and as such would be more appealing. In addition to this, he also felt that the Point-And-Click controls didn't work very well with the GameCube controller.

Gallery

To view ChibiRobo (Prototype Pre-Alpha)'s image gallery click here

Trivia

• The music that plays in Professor Sendagaya's lab was later remixed and used for the title screen music in Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!.
• Professor Sendagaya's surname is based on the name of the location of Skip's previous headquarters.