Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol

Last updated
Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol
Chibi Robo Park Patrol Boxart.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Skip Ltd.
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Hiroshi Moriyama
Producer(s) Kensuke Tanabe
Hiroshi Suzuki
Designer(s) Fumikazu Tanaka
Programmer(s) Masahiko Kikuchi
Tsukasa Namba
Composer(s) Eishin Kawakami
Series Chibi-Robo!
Platform(s) Nintendo DS
Release
Genre(s) Platform, adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol [lower-alpha 1] is a platform-adventure video game for the Nintendo DS. Developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo, it is the second installment in the Chibi-Robo series and the sequel to the original Chibi-Robo! for the GameCube. It was released in July 2007 in Japan, followed by a North American release the following October, however was an exclusive to Walmart stores.

Contents

Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol puts the player in the role of the titular character Chibi-Robo, a four-inch-tall robot tasked with revitalizing a park. The player does so by growing seeds into flowers by watering them with a squirter and spreading more seeds by causing the flowers to dance using a tiny boombox. The player can also alter the terrain, build and repair various structures, visit the accompanying town, and defend the park from noxious Smoglings, bits of pollution which can kill flowers.

Park Patrol received generally positive reviews, with some calling it an improvement over the original for its improved graphics, charm, minigames and music, although some gameplay mechanics were criticized. Despite selling well in Japan, it was commercially unsuccessful in North America due to its limited release. A third game in the series, Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Ōsōji! , was released on July 23, 2009 in Japan only.

Gameplay

Chibi-Robo watering flowers with the squirter item, with his battery life displayed in the top right. On the bottom screen the player uses touch controls to push the water out of the squirter. Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol Gameplay.jpg
Chibi-Robo watering flowers with the squirter item, with his battery life displayed in the top right. On the bottom screen the player uses touch controls to push the water out of the squirter.

Key elements from the first game are in Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol, such as losing watts by walking and performing actions. New features, such as the game taking place primarily outdoors. There are many tools to use, with some returning from the first game, such as the boombox and the clippers. There are also new modes of transportation called Chibi-Rides, which are vehicles like carts and bikes that the player can ride in.

The game has two main areas: the park, and the town. The park is where the player spends most of their time in. They water buds with their squirter, and they grow very quickly into either white flowers or colored flowers. If they are white, they use their boombox to make them change color and spread seeds. The boombox does not work on colored flowers. To use the boombox, the player must select it in their inventory near white flowers. A wheel will appear on the screen when they select it. The wheel must then be spun at a moderate pace to play a catchy tune, and it is advised not to spin it too fast or too slow. At the end of each tune, there is a rating that scores their pace from 0–100. If the player gets a rating below 70, nothing will happen. If they get a rating of 70 and up, their flower will change into a different color and will spread seeds to the surrounding area. If they grow 30 flowers in one area, the area will turn from fertile soil to green spaces. In green spaces, the player cannot plant anymore flowers in the area, unless they lose a flower in that area. Flowers cannot grow if they are in sand.

In the town part of the game, there is a flower shop, a hamburger joint called Monkey Burger, and an alley where the player's friends hang out. At the flower shop, the player can clip flowers from the park and give them to the clerk to earn many Happy Points. They can collect Happy Points by doing good deeds like planting flowers or defeating Smoglings. There is also a special flower of the day that if the player gives one to him, he will triple the Happy Points. The Smoglings are the main enemies in the game. They turn the player's flowers black, causing the flowers to wither at dusk. The player defeats them by squirting them with water until they pop, spraying water and releasing seeds, and the player can prevent Smoglings from appearing using the holes in the ground that they appear out of until the holes shrink away to nothing. Smoglings can also react to food items like candy if players give some to them. Smogglobs are giant versions of Smoglings and turn flowers into black flowers when they step on them and into Miasmo flowers when they release smoke. Miasmo flowers still wither at dusk, but players can purify them by squirting them or walking over them. To defeat a Smogglob, players need to knock it down with a vehicle and squirt at it until it pops, releasing several buds and spraying water in a manner similar to that of the Smoglings.

Plot

A company known as Citrusoft creates a new model of Chibi-Robo called the Blooming Chibi-Robo to help heal the declining health of the planet. This new model is distributed to parks everywhere for free to improve their quality and get more people to visit them and care about the environment. One Chibi-Robo is sent a park in desperate need of help after it has been forsaken by the people of the nearby town. Over the course of his mission, Chibi-Robo is aided by a manager robot named Chet and makes friends with many of the town's toys, who are eager to help him restore the park. He is also impeded by black creatures called Smoglings, their general Sergeant Smogglor, and their leader Miasmo, who are determined to spread pollution and stop the park's revitalization by any means necessary. As Chibi-Robo continues his mission, Sergeant Smogglor's backstory is revealed: he was once a toy called General Greenthumb who was originally owned by a child, but was abandoned at the park. Greenthumb came alive and, seeing the beauty of the park, he swore to protect it. Soon after, Miasmo attacks with a group of Smoglings. Later, Greenthumb managed to infiltrate Miasmo's factory base, determined to face him. Unfortunately, he is quickly overwhelmed and Miasmo uses his power to brainwash him, turning him into Sergeant Smogglor. After this final flashback, Greenthumb is freed from Miasmo's control. Miasmo appears to him, calling him a useless piece of trash, and abandons him. With his memories restored, he is upset by his actions and leaves. After enough flowers are planted, Miasmo transports Chibi-Robo to his dimension Exhaustia for the final fight. Greenthumb appears and sacrifices himself to help Chibi-Robo defeat Miasmo, although he claims that he can never truly be stopped as long as humans continue their current ways. Miasmo's defeat causes the Smoglings to turn pink, indicating that they are now friendly. Seeing the beauty restored to the park, Greenthumb is grateful for Chibi-Robo for his hard work. With a final farewell, he dies, giving Chibi-Robo an energy ball that grants him infinite battery power. Greenthumb's owner arrives and, convinced that Greenthumb is the one who restored the park, finally shows him some respect and takes him home.

Development and release

Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol was developed by Skip Ltd., the same company responsible for the original Chibi-Robo! on the GameCube. However, Park Patrol was designed by a separate department led by one of the first game's directors, Hiroshi Moriyama. His co-director for that title, Kenichi Nishi, was not involved in the creation of Park Patrol. [4] Other team members included gameplay designer and animator Fumikazu Tanaka; programmer Masahiko Kikuchi; map and object designer Daisuke Ooshita; and supervisor Kenyuki Ueda. [5]

After the release of Chibi-Robo!, Moriyama and some Skip associates opened an office in Harajuku to start a new project. [5] Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe asked the team to specifically develop an appealing game using a different approach from the original Chibi-Robo!. Tanabe emphasized: "While the feature like the miniature garden that GC Chibi-Robo! had are taken over, I am asking them to aim at establishing a game system where the game’s emphasis is on freedom and enjoyable gameplay, rather than the game events". [4] The team members took a design approach that Ueda likened to jazz improvisation. After deciding the game should take place in a field, the Squiter item was implemented to make water flowers and the field setting became a park. Kikuchi was tasked with making all items require the DS touchpen functionality. Tanaka stated that having Chibi-Robo dance to bloom the flowers was inspired by a scene from the 1988 Michael Jackson film Moonwalker . [5]

Park Patrol was announced at E3 2006. [6] The game was subsequently released in Japan on July 5, 2007, then later in North America on October 2. [7] The game was initially released in North America as a Walmart exclusive because of the company's alleged "strong environmental program and social giving campaign". [2] [8] To promote the game, Nintendo of America gave out packets of seeds to 500 randomly selected people who registered the game on the company's website. [9] The game never had a European release, though Australia saw a PAL release in early 2008. [3]

Reception

Critical reception for Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol was generally positive. The game currently has a Metacritic rating of 78 out of 100 based on 14 reviews. [10] GameSpot cited that it had "an innovative use of the touch screen, fun minigames and a great cast of characters but had slow paced gameplay and the minigames would have been great for multiplayer".

According to Media Create, Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol entered the Japanese sales charts at number two, selling over 45,000 units. [21] An additional 26,905 copies were sold the following week. [22] By the end of 2007, the game sold 160,376 copies in Japan. [23] Gamasutra stated that Park Patrol apparently did not fare as well commercially in North America due to its limited release. The website ranked it as the fifth-most overlooked game of 2007. [8] Park Patrol was followed-up by a third game in the series, Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Ōsōji! , released in Japan in 2009. This game has a similar premise as the original Chibi-Robo!. [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Sakasete! Chibi-Robo! (咲かせて!ちびロボ!, "Make It Bloom! Little-Robo!")

Related Research Articles

<i>Giftpia</i> 2003 video game

Giftpia, stylized as GiFTPiA, is a video game, developed by Skip Ltd. for the GameCube. It was released in Japan on April 25, 2003. Nintendo cancelled the North American localization of Giftpia. In English, the game would most likely be better understood as called "Giftopia" to represent the two words, gift and utopia.

<i>Nintendogs</i> 2005 real-time pet simulation video game and franchise

Nintendogs is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions: Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends. It has been re-released twice, first as a bundled release with a special edition Nintendo DS with a new version called Nintendogs: Best Friends and later as Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends.

<i>New Super Mario Bros.</i> 2006 video game

New Super Mario Bros. is a 2006 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in May 2006 in North America and Japan, and in PAL regions in June 2006. It is the first installment in the New Super Mario Bros. subseries of the Super Mario franchise, and follows Mario as he fights his way through Bowser's henchmen to rescue Princess Peach. Mario has access to several old and new power-ups that help him complete his quest, including the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower, and the Super Star, each giving him unique abilities. While traveling through eight worlds with more than 80 levels, Mario must defeat Bowser Jr. and Bowser before saving Princess Peach.

<i>Guilty Gear Dust Strikers</i> 2006 video game

Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers, or Guilty Gear DS, is a fighting game of the Guilty Gear series for the Nintendo DS. Modeled after Guilty Gear Isuka, its gameplay allows up to four player fights. It was the first versus fighting game for the Nintendo DS to be released outside Japan.

<i>Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!</i> 2005 puzzle video game

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!, known as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? in PAL regions, is an edutainment puzzle video game. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has stated that it is an entertainment product inspired by Tohoku University professor Ryuta Kawashima's work in the neurosciences.

<i>Chibi-Robo!</i> (video game) 2005 platform-adventure video game

Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure! is a platform-adventure video game developed by Bandai and Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the GameCube console. It was released in Japan in 2005, and in North America and Europe the following year. Originally conceived as a point-and-click adventure game, it was put on developmental hold until Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto gained interest in the title and overhauled its production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skip Ltd.</span> Japanese video game developer

Skip Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer that has a close relationship with Nintendo. Nintendo has published all of their Japanese releases; with the only notable exception being LOL, which skip Ltd. published independently. The company's staff includes prominent developers from Square such as Kenichi Nishi and Keita Eto. In October 2019, it was reported by OneControllerPort.com that the company had changed its name to Skip Inc. the previous year and had become inactive on all social media. By August 2020, it was reported that the company may have become defunct as they hadn't released a game since 2015, however this has not yet been officially confirmed.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass</i> 2007 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the fourteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series and the direct sequel to the 2002 GameCube title The Wind Waker. Phantom Hourglass was released worldwide in 2007, with the exception of South Korea in April 2008. The game was re-released for the Wii U via the Virtual Console service in the PAL region in November 2015, in North America in May 2016, and in Japan in August.

<i>Yoshis Island DS</i> 2006 video game

Yoshi's Island DS, known in Japan as Yoshi Island DS, is a 2006 platform game developed by Artoon and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released in North America and Australia in November 2006, in Europe in December 2006, and in Japan in March 2007. It is a sequel to the 1995 SNES game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Announced at Nintendo's E3 press conference in May 2006, the game was well received by critics, scoring an average of 81% on Metacritic's aggregate. The game was originally to be titled Yoshi's Island 2, though its name was changed one month before its North American release. In April and May 2015, the game was made available for the Wii U via the Virtual Console service, shortly after a Nintendo Direct presentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanpool (company)</span> Japanese video game developer

Vanpool, Inc. was an independent Japanese video game, music software, computer software and toy developer. Its employees included Taro Kudou and Kazuyuki Kurashima, both of whom worked for the independent game developer Love-de-Lic. The company shut down on May 31, 2023.

<i>Professor Layton and the Curious Village</i> 2007 Japanese puzzle video game

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a puzzle adventure video game for the Nintendo DS system. It was developed and published by Level-5 in Japan and published by Nintendo worldwide. It was released in Japan in 2007 and worldwide the following year. It was re-released in Australia using the British English localisation and European artwork to replace the previously released North American localisation. Curious Village is the first game in the Professor Layton series, followed by Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. An enhanced mobile port of Curious Village featuring additional cutscenes, subtitled "HD for Mobile", was released in 2018.

<i>MySims</i> 2007 video game

MySims is a video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts as a spin-off to Maxis' The Sims franchise for the Wii and Nintendo DS in September 2007, re-released for Microsoft Windows and mobile phones in 2008, and for BlackBerry in 2009.

<i>LOL</i> (video game) 2007 Nintendo DS video game

LOL, known in Europe as Bakushow and in Japan as Archime DS, is a Nintendo DS video game. The game was published by Skip Ltd. in Japan, Agetec in North America, and Rising Star Games in Europe. Developed by a group of five people headed by Kenichi Nishi, LOL is a multiplayer game implemented with a PictoChat-like interface in which a host player asks a question, requiring others to write or draw their answers on the DS touchscreen.

<i>Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days</i> 2009 video game

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is an action role-playing video game developed by h.a.n.d. and Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS. It is the fifth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, and takes place near the end of the first game in parallel to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, leading directly into the events of Kingdom Hearts II. The game was released worldwide in 2009. The story is told from the perspective of Roxas, and follows his daily life within Organization XIII and his relationship with fellow Organization member Axel; it also introduces a fourteenth member, Xion, who befriends them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noise (video game company)</span> Japanese video game development company

NOISE Inc. is a Japanese video game development company that works in partnership with Nintendo, developing games for the Custom Robo series.

<i>Pokémon Platinum</i> 2008 video game

Pokémon Platinum Version is a 2008 role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the third version after Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and is part of the fourth generation of the Pokémon video game series. It was released in Japan on 13 September 2008, and later in North America, Australia, and Europe in 2009.

Kenichi Nishi is a Japanese video game designer. He has helped found a number of notable video game companies and develops games at Route24, his own private limited company. The number 24 in the title comes from its founder's name: "Ni" (2) and "Shi" (4).

<i>Chibi-Robo!</i> Video game series

Chibi-Robo! is a series of adventure video games developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo. The franchise follows a series of tiny robotic units known as Chibi-Robo, whose purpose is to spread Happiness. Recurring game elements of the franchise include monitoring Chibi-Robo's battery usage at all times, and cleaning Chibi-Robo's nearby environment through a variety of methods in order to collect "Happy Points," the game’s collectible representation of the happiness you instill in others. While the primary purpose of a Chibi-Robo is to assist humans, they have also been shown to assist animals, sentient alien life, and even living toys.

<i>Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash</i> 2015 video game

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is a 2015 side-scrolling platform game developed by Skip Ltd. and Vanpool and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fifth installment in the Chibi-Robo! series, and the second Chibi-Robo! game for the 3DS after Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder (2014). Zip Lash players control the character Chibi-Robo, a robot that is tasked with roaming the world and defending its natural resources from a fleet of invading aliens. Chibi-Robo is equipped with a cord and plug with which he can attack enemies and get to inaccessible places. Throughout the levels, the player can find collectibles such as big coins, Chibi-Tots, and snacks that are based on real-world brands.

References

  1. ↑ 【ファミ通クロスレビュー】 週刊ファミ通7月13日号新作ゲームクロスレビューより (in Japanese). Famitsu. June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  2. 1 2 Spencer (August 8, 2007). "Chibi Robo only found in Walmart". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  3. 1 2 Shea, Cam (March 17, 2008). "Aussie Game Releases (March 17)". IGN. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  4. 1 2 Riley, Adam (July 22, 2006). "C3 Exclusive Interview | Skip, Ltd Talks Nintendo, Chibi-Robo DS, GiFTPiA & More! (Transcript)". Cubed3. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Skip Ltd. staff (July 2007). "「咲かせて!ちびロボ!」 開発スタッフインタビュー" [Let It Bloom! Chibi Robo! Development Staff Onterview] (in Japanese). Nintendo. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ Harris, Craig (May 9, 2006). "E3 2006: Touch that Chibi-Robo". IGN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  7. ↑ Spencer (July 31, 2007). "Chibi Robo: Park Patrol cancelled? Golin Harris comments". Siliconera. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Gamasutra staff. "Gamasutra's Best Of 2007". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Chibi-Robo Plants Trees". IGN. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  10. 1 2 "Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2008-08-24. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  11. ↑ Mielke, James (October 29, 2007). "Chibi-Robo Park Patrol (Nintendo DS)". 1Up.com . Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  12. ↑ Lyon, James (July 30, 2007). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  13. ↑ Matt (June 28, 2007). "Games Asylum - Gaming gibberish » Chikasete! Chibi-Robo!". GamesAsylum. Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Lark (March 8, 2008). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ Theobald, Phil (October 2, 2007). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol (DS)". GameSpy . Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  16. ↑ Hruschak, PJ (October 8, 2007). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Review". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  17. ↑ Harris, Craig (May 14, 2012). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Review". IGN . Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  18. ↑ Reddick, Stuart (April 3, 2009). "Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Review (DS)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  19. ↑ P., Scott (November 2007). "Nintendo Power Issue 221". Nintendo Power . No. 221. p. 102. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  20. ↑ Burchfield, Evan (October 9, 2007). "Chibi-Robo Park Patrol". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  21. ↑ Jenkins, David (July 12, 2007). "Gamasutra - Zelda Back On Top In Japanese Sales Charts". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  22. ↑ Jones, Dean (June 20, 2007). "N-Europe: Charts: Latest Japanese Software & Hardware Sales". N-Europe. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  23. ↑ Takahashi (June 18, 2008). "Famitsu Top 500 of 2007". Gemaga. Archived from the original on 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  24. ↑ Spencer (July 2, 2009). "New Chibi-Robo Is Like Classic Chibi-Robo". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.