Chibi-Robo
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Chibi-Robo returns January 9
Helpful Chibi-Robo with a heart of gold is back and looking for NostalJunk beginning January 9. Revealed during today's Nintendo Direct, the new game, Chibi-Robo Photo Finder, will be exclusive to the Nintendo eShop, where a demo will also launch "soon." The game tasks players with a real-life photo hunt, as they take photos of objects based on silhouettes with their 3DS, which are then incorporated into the game. NostalJunk Challenges will also be added shortly after launch, along with some insane-looking minigames. No word yet when actual Chibi-Robos will be produced for home use.
The 10 best GameCube exclusives (other than the obvious)
Three days ago marked the Xbox's tenth anniversary -- which means today is the GameCube's tenth. Those two systems are emblematic of the rift between "core" and "casual" gaming that formed seemingly around them -- nobody really thought there was a difference in previous generations, but the contrast between the Mountain Dew-green, imposing Xbox and the family-friendly, lunchbox-shaped, honestly adorable GameCube underscored the growing divide. Just as we did with the Xbox, we're celebrating the GameCube today with a look at ten of its exclusive titles. More of these led to sequels and ports elsewhere, but in almost every case, there was some aspect of the game that never "clicked" away from the GameCube. Oh, and we're not listing the obvious ones. Yes, we all liked Smash Bros. and Zelda. Where's the fun in bringing those up again? After the break, find an utterly arbitrary list of GameCube games we liked. But first, we have to begin properly: like this.
Nintendo sneaking a new Chibi-Robo game out this month
Nintendo has released a trailer for its latest Chibi-Robo sequel for the DS. Called Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Osouji! (Welcome home, Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Big Cleanup), the third Chibi-Robo game returns to the house-cleaning gameplay found in Skip's original GameCube game.The new game takes place in the home of a grown-up version of Jenny, the frog-obsessed little girl from the original game. Chibi-Robo sweeps, vacuums, scrubs with a toothbrush, and sifts through dust to find gems, which he trades for money that can be used to buy things from a home shopping channel. Happy Rich Cleanup is coming out in Japan on July 23, which seems really soon! See the trailer after the break, and see short video clips of the game here.
The 'control' in New Play Control Chibi Robo
The next title to get the New Play Control treatment from Nintendo is Chibi Robo, and in being overhauled for Wii, players can expect new point-and-click-based controls, Siliconera reports. Gone are the analog controls of the original GameCube title, as not only will you guide your robotic munchkin around now by pointing your Wiimote where you want him to go, but you will also be tasked with finishing some of Chibi's chores through motion-based gestures. And the shooting scenes from the original? They've been replaced with light gun-like segments, further taking advantage of the Wiimote's ability to point at things.The game is set for release in Japan on June 11, and no North American release has been mentioned.
Japan: New Play Control Metroid 2 and Chibi-Robo in June
According to Siliconera, Japan will receive the New Play Control versions of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Chibi-Robo! on June 11. No details have been revealed about how the games will be reconfigured for Wii controls, though it's probably a safe bet that Metroid Prime 2 will play similarly to Metroid Prime 3. As for the adorable-housekeeping-robot sim, Chibi-Robo!, it's anyone's guess.For now, the release date for countries outside Japan remains a mystery, so those who haven't played the Gamecube originals can start holding their breath ... now.
Point/Counterpoint: Yea or Nay -- Play on Wii?
At their October media summit, Nintendo announced plans to release Wii ports of some GameCube games as the Wii de Asobu (Play on Wii) series. Today, we found solid evidence of a North American release. While GameCube games are, of course, currently playable on Wii, these new ports will enable motion and pointer-based control schemes, allowing new players to use the "simpler" Wii controls, and existing fans to play favorites in a new way. At least, that's the idea, we think.But is it a good idea to port these games and try to sell them again? Is it good for the fans? For the games? For the Wii? For the win? We say yes! And also no. That's kind of how debating works! NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Nintendo dates Pikmin port, names other Play on Wii titles
IGN has confirmed that the "Play on Wii" Pikmin port is more than just a repackaging -- it and the other Play on Wii GameCube games will have updated Wiimote controls. Pikmin is actually the second of these to be released, and it'll hit Japan on December 25 of this year for 3,800 yen ($36). It'll be preceded on December 11 by the game we officially nominate Least Likely to Benefit from New Controls: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. If these games are released here, we would expect them to be slightly cheaper than the Japanese price (like all games). Titles announced for 2009 include Mario Tennis, Metroid Prime 1 and 2, Pikmin 2, and -- best of all -- Chibi-Robo! It'll be interesting to see if Skip makes it a point-and-click like it was originally. [Via Joystiq]
GameSetWatch names Chibi-Robo one of 2007's Top 5 Overlooked Games
Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, the environmentally-conscious (though perhaps not produced under such auspices!) DS sequel to skip's GameCube domestic adventure, has been listed as one of five notable games that didn't get the attention they deserved this year.GameSetWatch's Brandon Boyer said that the game "managed to pack big charm into its diminutive body, with a mostly non-combative and environmentally-minded ethos typical of the lineage of the staff at developer Skip." With such a big trend towards going "green" this year, a green-themed game should have been a huge hit, right? Well, it might have been, had people been able to find it. Unfortunately, it was exiled to Wally World.We do like to see DS games making best-of lists, even if it's because of their relative invisibility. Maybe some added attention will inspire someone to pick it up used or even maybe go to Wal-Mart.
Metareview: Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol
The Wal-Mart exclusive, environmentally conscious sequel to Chibi-Robo came out this week, and the reviews seem to be hovering around the low-to-mid 80's (with Eurogamer as an outlier). We find that sometimes we like the kind of games that inhabit that space, since it usually means they're solid and fun, but not too epic. It seems that the game has weathered the transition from adventurous chore simulator to park-building fairly well. If any of you out there have made the dangerous journey to Wal-Mart to pick this up, please let us know what you think!GameSpot -- 80%: "This delightful, bizarre adventure simplifies and builds on the gameplay of the GameCube original while making innovative use of the touch screen and presenting an often-hilarious story rife with colorful, insane characters." GameSpy -- 80%: "Chibi Robo: Park Patrol retains the fun and charm of its console predecessor even if the gameplay is noticeably different. It's a shame that it's being released on the same day as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass as it will undoubtedly get overshadowed. That's too bad -- this tiny robot deserves better."Eurogamer -- 60%: "If you don't have the name of that significant series that Park Patrol resembles in your head right now then you've not been paying attention, but Harvest Moon springs easily to mind as a comparison. Its sow-reap-repeat dynamic, set against the pressures of a quickly diminishing day are easily mirrored here. And while Park Patrol lacks the extra-curricular entertainment of the best of those titles, it gets the core right."
Chibi-Robo: PR Stunt Patrol
Nintendo has announced another out-of-the-box promotional effort for Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, this time focusing on the environmental theme. The game is about improving parks, and what improves outdoor areas more than a nice tree? To that end, Nintendo will send out 500 trees to a random selection of Chibi-Robo registrants who sign up between now and November 9th. The saplings will be mailed out just in time for America Recycles Day, which is apparently a real thing. We wonder if they're the same kind of trees that were pulped for the Chibi-Robo bookmarks.Cynics may wonder why, if Nintendo is so concerned about the environment, they're associating this game with ginormous Earth-killer Wal-Mart. Those of you with advanced degrees in cynicism may be thinking that these shows of environmentalism may be an effort to offset the association with Wal-Mart. Whatever the reason, seeing a big company like Nintendo do anything environmentally conscious at all is nice. Check the press release after the break for a little more information about Nintendo's green practices.
Chibi-Robo encourages reading, smelling
A GoNintendo reader received this Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol bookmark at school. It has a feature that the DS game can't possibly have: scents. We assume that scratching the adorable-faced flower things releases a delightful floral scent. This is the best scratch-and-sniff game item since the CyberSniff 2000 (which did actually add a smell component to the gameplay of Leisure Suit Larry 7). It's a little incongruous that Nintendo is putting such energy into promoting this game when they're putting considerably less into making it available. We're in the same predicament with the bookmark as we are with the game: since we're not in school, we can't get our hands on this, much like the lack of nearby Wal-Marts makes it more difficult to purchase the game.
DS releases for the week of October 1st
Hmm ... isn't there something spectacular hitting this week? Maybe we're thinking of another week ... no, it must be Holly Hobbie & Friends, right? You know you want it!Seriously, folks, DS fans have loads to be pleased about this week. Not only are we getting what may end up being our game of the year, but there are tons of other options if you happen to not be a Zelda fan (gasp!) or if you want to pick up a second or third title. What's on your shopping list? Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Crash of the Titans Holly Hobbie & Friends Kurupoto Cool Cool Stars The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge Spider-Man: Friend or Foe For the releases in other major markets, sail past the break. Importers especially take note: Mistwalker's Archaic Sealed Heat debuts this week in Japan.
Chibi-Robo DS not dead, but trapped at Wal-Mart
Signs of an unfortunate unplugging of Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol for the Nintendo DS arrived earlier this month amid pre-order cancellations issued by GameStop. Coupled with a change in release date, it appeared that the quirky franchise was experiencing quite some difficulty in reaching its portable destination. Nintendo has since confirmed that the game is still on its way -- just not to all stores.Speaking to GameSpot, a Nintendo representative noted that Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol would be made available "exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide." Does limiting the game's retail range imply a lack of faith in the game or its commercial appeal? We'll find out on October 2nd... if we can make it to our neighborhood Wal-Mart, that is.[Via DS Fanboy]
A chibi trailer for Chibi Robo
This commercial for Chibi Robo: Park Patrol is really, really short. Fifteen seconds. It also shows no real game footage at all. But it's about Chibi Robo, which we really don't see or hear enough about. Also it's got some creepy flower things in it!It's mostly just great to see Nintendo putting some advertising yen into Chibi Robo. What are the odds that even fifteen scant seconds will be devoted to it on American television?
MASSIVE clearance at Best Buy starts today
If you're near a Best Buy store, gather up your $2 bills and get going, because they're in the midst of an epic videogame clearance, and you'll want to get there before the unscrupulous speculator types grab all the stuff to sacrifice to the ravenous eBay. You've got to be wily to get to the goods before the FatWalleters and the CAGs!There aren't any Wii games on clearance, but there are plenty of Wii-compatible Gamecube games. We've got a list of all the Gamecube software on sale after the break. Don't expect to find all of it-- most of it has been out of stock for months or years at most stores, and the price changed to clear out remaining copies. But we hope you do find what you're looking for in abundance. And we hope we can make it to Best Buy soon enough to luck into our own copy of Chibi Robo.[Thanks, ali emamdjomeh!]
Check out Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol
If breakdancing refreshed dying flowers out in the real world, gardening would be a hell of a lot more fun. We can't wait to try it out in the upcoming Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol, the DS sequel that pits our favorite tiny household robot against killer plants in the great outdoors. Since we have absolutely no idea when this game will hit shelves, we'll have to console ourselves with screenshots for now. Check 'em out after the jump!
Yet another 'games to watch' list
We can only guess that it wasn't enough for the DS to steamroll everything and everyone in 2006. Nintendo wants to own 2007, as well. Not that we're complaining; after all, we are total slaves to our beloved handheld. But it just seems altogether crazy that there could be so many lists predicting great games in the coming year, and that the lists could vary so much. No matter your pleasure, 2007 is bound to be packed with more DS games than you can possibly afford. And in celebration of our future indecision, IGN has offered a list celebrating ten of the best coming games for the year. We've included the full IGN list after the jump, and we'd love to hear how it compares to some of the other lists you've seen since the end of last year, because there's been a ton. We've even dipped a toe into the list-making process ourselves.
Best of the rest: Ross' picks
Lumines Live! (XBLA) On a big screen with surround sound, Q Entertainment's Lumines Live was easily the most-played game in my library (if you stretch the definition of library to digitally distributed titles). Although I railed against how microtransactions were implemented in this title and still think the extent to which they disclosed the dearth of features was misleading, both the Basic and Advanced Pack got more than enough play time, as did the multiplayer. It is the best Xbox Live Arcade title since Geometry Wars.
