Chibi-Robo! devs reveal multiplatform spiritual successor
Rewired.
The creators of the cult classic Chibi-Robo! series have announced a spiritual successor, koROBO.
Key members of Chibi-Robo!'s development team are working on the project together under the banner of Tiny Wonder Studios, following the closure of their previous studio Skip back in 2020. Founded in 2000, Skip worked closely with Nintendo on more than two dozen games, including Japan-only cult classics such as GameCube title GiFTPiA and bizarre Wii game Captain Rainbow.
As in Chibi-Robo!, Tiny Wonder Studios' koROBO features a tiny household robot embarking on an adventure across the bedroom of his 10-year-old owner and beyond. The little robot will clean up mess and solve various issues around the house, but with a limited battery must bathe in sunlight to recharge at regular intervals.
The story and setting features plenty of humour too: the family home koROBO cleans is in New Yock City, while the cast includes the suspicious figure of Garth Vader.
Tiny Wonder Studios has also hinted at time travel for koROBO, suggesting puzzle solving should ramp up in challenge.
The original Chibi-Robo! was developed by Skip and published by Nintendo for the GameCube in 2005. A number of sequels were developed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS, but were mostly popular in Japan.
Tiny Wonder Studios is aiming for release across PC and modern consoles should enough funding be achieved, but it's launching crowdfunding next week to gather support from fans. You can support the developers via Kickstarter from 22nd July.
"Our goal is to create a game that everyone can enjoy, so koROBO is intended to be a cosy and comfy game that we hope everyone will fall in love with," said director Kenichi Nishi. "The core of koROBO is all about bringing people together and working towards a better tomorrow and this campaign, combined with your support, is a wonderful opportunity to bring fans of video games together - something that would make our tiny hero proud!"