Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash[lower-alpha 1] is a Nintendo 3DS game co-developed by Skip Ltd. and Vanpool and published by Nintendo.[1] It was released in Japan and North America in October 2015, and in Europe and Australia in November 2015. It is the fifth game in the Chibi-Robo! series and the second Chibi-Robo! game on the 3DS after Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash
Developer(s)Skip Ltd.
Vanpool
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Jun Tsuda
Keita Eto
Producer(s)Kensuke Tanabe
Taro Kudo
Hiroshi Suzuki
Programmer(s)Hironori Ahiko
Artist(s)Akira Katsuta
Composer(s)Hirofumi Taniguchi
Kiyoshi Hazemoto
Soshiro Hokkai
SeriesChibi-Robo!
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS
Release
  • JP: October 8, 2015
  • NA: October 9, 2015
  • EU: November 6, 2015
  • AU: November 7, 2015
Genre(s)Sidescrolling platformer
Mode(s)Single player

The game deviates from the first Chibi-Robo! game by being more of 2D sidescroller, where the player takes control of a 10 cm tall robot named Chibi Robo who is defending the world's resources from aliens. The game was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews from critics with praise for the games visuals and sound, but criticism for its level design, controls and gameplay mechanics, with many calling the game unoriginal and uninspired.

Gameplay

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash deviates from the first three games in series, by being a sidescrolling platformer instead of being an adventure platformer. The player takes control of Chibi Robo who needs to move to the end of the level to reach the goal UFOs to progress.[2] Chibi Robo can move left and right, jump and crouch. To help get to the goal, Chibi Robo possesses a power cord. This cord has two different functions. The first function is the Whip Lash, where Chibi Robo can use the cord like a whip and quickly swing it in front of him, which can be used to grab items, open doors or attack enemies. The player can also hold down the whip lash in the air to stay in the air longer and travel greater distances. The other function is the Zip Lash, in which the player charges up and then releases it at a great length. This ability is used for puzzle solving and reaching high up places. In the level, the player can collect two different orbs to extend the length of the cord. Red orbs extend the length of the Whip Lash, and blue orbs extend the length of the Zip Lash. The length of the orbs reset once the player completes the level. During the level, Chibi Robo's battery life depletes, which causes a game over if it reaches 0. The player must recharge with plug sockets scattered around the levels. Additional socket can be found that grant Chibi Robo the elemental powers of fire and ice.[3] In some levels Chibi Robo can take control of certain vehicles get across large surfaces of land. These vehicles include balloons, a skateboard, a submarine and a wake board.[4]

Chibi Robo traverses through seven worlds represented as Oceania, North Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, the South Pole, and Asia. Each world contains seven levels in total, six of which are regular side scrolling levels and the seventh is a boss battle. In each side scrolling level, there are three different types of collectables. Star Medals, Chibi-Tots (miniature robots that resemble Chibi Robo returning from Photo Finder), and snacks.[5] The snacks resemble real world brands from across the globe such as Chupa Chups, Pocky and Mentos.[6] These snacks are used for side quests in the game, where the player meets toys in different continents and gifts them snacks in return for costumes Chibi Robo can wear. Throughout the level, Chibi can also find trash and collect it, which can be converted into energy at the "Chibi House". Additionally, when completing a level, a blue alien can appear in a level already completed. If the player rescues the blue alien, it will reward the player with a costume.[5]

When the player completes a level, the player can spin a roulette wheel in order to see which stage one can go to next, which can lead to repeating the same stage more than once. The player can purchase new tiles with coins found in the level to replace some of the ones on the wheel so that the player can rig the wheel to be fully favorable. Once the player completes all six side scrolling levels, the boss battle opens up. The player can move there and spin a wheel to determine the difficulty of the boss.[7][8]

The game is compatible with the Chibi Robo Amiibo toy, which allows the player to unlock a toy capsule machine to collect in-game Collectible Figures. The Amiibo toy also grants the player "Super Chibi Robo", a powered up version of Chibi Robo that has an increased battery life and max power cord length.[9][5][10]

Plot

Zip Lash begins in space where a tiny, advanced robot named Chibi Robo is cleaning a space shuttle before his companion Telly tells him to take a break. During the break, Chibi Robo discovers that a lot of the natural resources on Earth have vanished, with many believing that aliens are behind the disappearance. Chibi and Telly then discover that aliens known as the Gyorians are in fact stationed all over the world. As such, they both set out in a "Chibi House" to combat the alien invasion.[11][12] During the adventure, Chibi Robo travels to all continents of the world, such as Oceania and Europe to reclaim the stolen resources and defeat the alien robots that guard their specific continent.[13] When traversing the continents, Chibi Robo comes across a wide array of different toys to befriend and offer gifts to them in the form of snacks.[14] This adventure eventually leads Chibi Robo and Telly to Antarctica, the area where the Aliens' Mothership is located. The Mothership is promptly destroyed by Chibi Robo, however an orb escapes from the wreckage and heads towards a large metropolitan city in Asia. This orb transforms into a large monster named "The Mega-Mech Menace" and starts to reek havoc. Telly helps Chibi Robo combat the monster by helping Chibi construct a giant named "Giga Chibi-Robo". Both giants battle each other until Chibi Robo deactivates the monster and destroys it, prompting both Chibi and Telly to head back to the shuttle.[15]

Development
The Chibi Robo Amiibo toy unlocks in-game features.

The game was announced during a Nintendo Direct Micro on June 1, 2015.[16] It was shown again at E3 2015,[17] where developers expressed the reason for a genre change was to hopefully "be a great place to expand that fanbase" mainly in the United States.[18] The developers said the reason for the use of real world brands was to give recognition to each region but in a size recognized by a tiny robot. For the American version, Nintendo of America and Europe asked most companies for permission with Nintendo's headquarters in Japan sorting out the rest.[19] When conducting an interview with The Verge, Kensuke Tanabe the series producer, stated that if the game does not get much recognition or sales, this may be the last game in the franchise.[20]

Amiibo

The game came bundled with a Chibi-Robo Amiibo toy, used to unlock the toy capsule machine and "Super Chibi-Robo". In addition, the game is compatible with 57 other Amiibo toys.[21] The toy originally was exclusively bundled with the game, and was later packaged separately.[22][23]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic59/100[lower-alpha 2][24]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid5.5/10[25]
Eurogamer6/10[26]
Game Informer7/10[27]
GameRevolution3/5[28]
GameSpot4/10[29]
IGN5/10[30]
Nintendo Life[31]
Nintendo World Report8/10[32]
Pocket Gamer[33]
Shacknews7/10[34]
The Guardian[35]
USgamer2.5/5[36]
VentureBeat73/100[37]

The game received fairly mixed reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[24] Most critics mentioned that the game is very forgettable and unoriginal, with uninspired level design.[38] Nintendo Life's Jon Wahlgren mentioned that this game does have the "typical Nintendo polish", but the controls were quite restraining and repetitive, adding that the game lacked ambition.[31]

Though critics stated that the game was "bogged down" by a lot of problems, it was praised for its sound design, visuals, and overall charm. USGamer said that the sound design is a significant high point for the game, claiming it to be "Bright, jangly sound effects and enthusiastic music", and that the visual were "decent enough" but were drawn back due to the 3DS's limitations.[36]

Critics had a major problem with the "Destination Wheel", which is the way the player moves between levels. They said that it is incredibly restrictive and pointless to the overall point of the game. Destructoid noted that this feature "single-handedly demolished their excitement for Zip Lash" as it forced players to replay levels already completed, making it a bad mechanic, adding the "Boss Wheel" seemed completely redundant.[25] IGN said that the wheel was "pointless" because purchasable slots make it easier to choose the levels and that most levels are too slow.[30]

Pocket Gamer wrote of numerous problems, such as that Chibi's whip controls are sluggish due to the d-pad and "lack finesse unlike other video games with a whip like Bionic Commando".[33] Kotaku did not recommend the game, citing tedious level design, lost potential, and poor controls in the vehicle segments, stating that the only thing worth purchasing is the Amiibo toy.[39]

Sales

In Japan, more than 14,000 copies were sold at launch, placing 9th overall and making the game a financial failure.[40] Overseas sales also lacked, not appearing on the top 40 selling 3DS games in the UK. Games released earlier, such as Mario Kart 7, overshadowed Zip Lash.[41]

Future

Due to the game being a critical and commercial failure, Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is considered the last game in the series,[42] and Skip Ltd. has not made any games since 2015.[43] On January 10, 2018, Nintendo tweeted a picture of "Fiery Chibi robo", a mechanic in Zip Lash where Chibi Robo could harness the power of fire.[44] This led to speculation that a Nintendo Direct was close and a new Chibi-Robo game was going to be announced.[45] A Nintendo Direct Mini was released the next day, without a new Chibi-Robo game. However, the image of "Fiery Chibi Robo" has become a meme in the Nintendo community as representation for hype for a Nintendo Direct.[46]

Notes
  1. Known in Japan as Nagenawa Akushon! Guruguru! Chibi-Robo! (なげなわアクション！ぐるぐる！ちびロボ！, Lasso Action! We are Going Around! Chibi Robo!)
  2. Score based on 50 reviews.[24]

References
  1. "Vanpool Teaming Up With Skip for Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  2. Nintendo staff, ed. (2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America Inc. p. 30. CTR-P-BXLP-EUR_en.
  3. "Chibi-Robo!™ Zip Lash Gameplay". Nintendo UK. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. Nintendo staff, ed. (2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America Inc. pp. 41–42. CTR-P-BXLP-EUR_en.
  5. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash Nintendo 3DS". Giant Bomb. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash 3DS Models". The Models Resource. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. "なげなわアクション！ぐるぐる！ちびロボ！：ちびロボが地球をぐるぐる!ニンテンドー3DS任". Nintendo Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  8. Nintendo staff, ed. (2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America Inc. pp. 44–45. CTR-P-BXLP-EUR_en.
  9. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash - Super Chibi Gameplay". GameSpot. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. "Lasso action! Round and round! Chibi Robo! : Amiibo Chibi Robo! Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. "Chibi-Robo!™ Zip Lash: Story & Characters". Nintendo UK. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  12. Nintendo staff, ed. (2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America. p. 12. CTR-P-BXLP-EUR_en.
  13. "RECENSIONE CHIBI-ROBO! ZIP LASH". everyeye.it (in Italian). Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  14. Nintendo staff, ed. (2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash! instruction booklet. Nintendo of America Inc. p. 36. CTR-P-BXLP-EUR_en.
  15. Skip Ltd. (October 9, 2015). Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash (Nintendo 3DS). Nintendo. Telly: For a tiny little robot, you sure took on some huge challenges here. You were a real hero, sir! What a relief it is, to know the world is a more peaceful place today. Now, let's get back up to the station.
  16. Kuchera, Ben (June 1, 2015). "A new Chibi-Robo! game, complete with amiibo, is coming to the 3DS". Polygon. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  17. "Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash is a cute, cord-whipping adventure". Polygon. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  18. "Why Chibi-Robo Became a Side-Scroller in Zip Lash". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  19. "How Utz Potato Chips and Pocky Wound Up in Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  20. "Nintendo's cutest mascot has one last chance to be a star". The Verge. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  21. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash Works With 57 amiibo". Siliconera. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  22. "Pre-order the Chibi-Robo amiibo without the game starting today". Polygon. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  23. "Chibi-Robo amiibo will be sold in a special bundle with Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  24. "CHIBI-ROBO! ZIP LASH 3DS". Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  25. "Review: Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash". Destructoid. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  26. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash - review Another change of dress for the Nintendo saga". EuroGamer (in Italian). Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  27. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash Nintendo's Tiny Utility Player Keeps Plugging Away". Game Informer. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  28. "Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  29. "Chibi-Robo Zip Lash Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  30. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash Review". IGN. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  31. "Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash 2015". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  32. "Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash (3DS) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  33. "Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  34. "Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash Review: Whip-Smart". Shacknews. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  35. "Games reviews roundup: Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash; Corpse Party: Blood Drive; BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend and Paris Games Week". The Guardian. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  36. "Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash 3DS Review: Lashadaisical". USgamer. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  37. "Chibi-Robo Zip Lash is fun in small doses". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  38. "Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash review for Nintendo 3DS". Gaming Age. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  39. "Chibi-Robo Zip Lash: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  40. "Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Fails to Clean Up in Japanese Charts". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  41. "Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Endures Awful UK Launch as Mario Kart 7 Bundle Deals Drive It Up the Charts". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  42. "Feature: Dormant Nintendo Franchises We'd Like To See Return On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  43. "What's Going On With Chibi-Robo Developer Skip?". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  44. "Game Companies Respond To Nintendo Of America's "Troll" Tweet, And They're Awesome". ComicBook. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  45. "Nintendo fans spent all of last night waiting on a Direct announcement". EuroGamer. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  46. "Well That Was A Weird Way To Do A Nintendo Direct". Kotaku. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
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