koROBO: Everything We Know

Chibi-Robo!, Pikmin and Toy Story fans are in for a treat; the former more than the latter games. In fact, you may even go as far as to call the new game a reskin of Chibi-Robo!, with a tiny, little robot returning to grace our screens. After the mixed reviews of Zip Lash, a lot of high hopes have been placed on the upcoming game. Fingers have been crossed that, at the very least, we receive a similar, if not better, vibe than the original. So, are you ready to run some errands and swim in a sea of adorable tunes? First, check out everything we know about the upcoming game, koROBO.

What is koROBO?

koROBO is an upcoming 3D platformer game. It’ll be the spiritual successor to Chibi-Robo!, with the developers of the GameCube platform-adventure series now working on the new game. More so, the premise of the two games is the same: a tiny, little robot embarks on a wild adventure running day-to-day errands. However, there are also subtle differences that will quite possibly carve out a unique path and future for the new game.

Story

At the center of the story is a tiny little robot called koROBO. His owner is a boy called Tom, who receives the robot as a gift from his father for his tenth birthday. He supercharges it to life, and from then on, players take control of the robot’s actions. koROBO is portrayed as a tiny, hardworking robot who kicks off serving his master in Tom’s room in a fictional version of Brooklyn, New York called Brocklyn, New Yock. 

As you control the robot, you’ll help run errands for Tom – watering his plants, helping him with his homework, cleaning the house – all along piling up overwhelming cuteness and spreading cheer everywhere you go. The official description of the game builds up excitement over the story, stating that players will “embark on a heartwarming, thrilling journey.” Further, your playthrough will “soon expand into a great adventure that will change the world.”

Gameplay

Being a 3D platformer, you’ll control koROBO as he navigates around Tom’s house. Since the robot is so tiny, you’ll need to adapt to a world a thousand times your size. But at some point, you’ll upgrade your abilities. You’ll unlock the ability to fly, making your movements in the house a lot easier. But you’ll also unlock time travel. These will come in handy when a villain is thrust into the picture. A mysterious foe who can travel through time threatens Tom’s safety. And so, it’ll be up to you to defend him. 

You’ll also be able to make friends with other robots. You’ll interact with the neighbours and meet other helper friends. Cumulatively, you’ll impact the families you live with, interacting with them too. Like Chibi-Robo!, you’ll also need to keep track of your battery woven on your back. However, the upcoming game will allow you to recharge the battery using sunlight. Tiny Wonder Studio has termed it a “cozy indie game,” further adding that their goal is to spread love and a better future.

It’s unclear the specific gameplay elements you can expect in the final game, with platforming the main feature portrayed in the trailer. But there’s a high chance you’ll also grapple with a light combat system. And perhaps, a relationship meter that tracks your interaction with humans and other robots.

Development

Tiny Wonder Studios is currently working on developing and publishing koROBO. They have launched a Kickstarter and Campfire campaign that you can support if you’d like to be a part of the project’s development. Fun fact: Tiny Wonder Studios is made up of developers from the team that blessed us with GameCube’s exclusive and cult classic Chibi-Robo! Series released in 2005 by Skip Ltd. 

Tiny Wonder Studios expresses how much koROBO takes a lot of inspiration from Chibi-Robo! With a new team made up of the same developers from Skip Ltd, it comes as no surprise that the upcoming game has glaring similarities to the story and gameplay of the original. But it also seems that the decision to develop a new IP is intentional. Given Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash’s mixed reviews, Tiny Wonder Studios is likely trying out a different path. 

Either way, fans of Chibi-Robo! are beyond excited to get their hands on a new game that has a similar take on the original series. And if at all the developers decide to revive the Chibi-Robo! series, we’ll be here to gulp it down like cheesecake.

Trailer

If you’re curious to know what the story and gameplay look like, then you’re in luck. Tiny Wonder Studios has released an official gameplay trailer for koROBO, illustrating the graphics and gameplay you can expect in the final game. It still looks a little shaky, but keep in mind that the game is still in the Kickstarter stage of crowdsourcing funding.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

A Kickstarter and Campfire campaign has only just launched on July 22, 2024, and will run for about a month. And so, there being no details on the release date is unsurprising. The same case applies to the platforms you can expect koROBO to launch on. For now, we can confirm the new game will launch on PC platforms. However, the developing team also says that if the campaign is successful, they may consider porting the game over to consoles as well. And, as for the editions, well they remain unconfirmed for now. 

Still, you can head over to the Kickstarter and Campaign pages to be directly involved in the development of the game. The studio has been adamant about interacting with the public and taking in suggestions on how to proceed. Alternatively, you can follow the official social media handle here to keep track of new announcements on development so far.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of koROBO when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.