Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol
A tiny robot revives a park with flowers and music.
Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol is a platform-adventure 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. The game was released in Japan in July 2007 and in North America the following October as a Walmart exclusive.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Skip Ltd.
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Hiroshi Moriyama
- Producer
- Kensuke Tanabe; Hiroshi Suzuki
- Programmer
- Masahiko Kikuchi; Tsukasa Namba
- Designer
- Fumikazu Tanaka
- Composer
- Eishin Kawakami
- Series
- Chibi-Robo!
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game retains key elements from the first Chibi-Robo!, such as losing watts by walking and performing actions, while introducing new features like an outdoor setting. Tools include returning items like the boombox and clippers, as well as new Chibi-Rides—vehicles such as carts and bikes. The player primarily operates in two areas: the park and the town. In the park, buds are watered with a squirter, growing quickly into white or colored flowers. White flowers can be made to change color and spread seeds by using the boombox, which requires spinning a wheel at a moderate pace. A rating from 0 to 100 is given at the end of each tune; a score of 70 or higher causes the flower to change color and scatter seeds. Growing 30 flowers in one area turns fertile soil into green spaces, where no more flowers can be planted unless one is lost. Flowers cannot grow in sand.
Plot
Citrusoft, the company from the previous game, creates a new model of Chibi-Robos called the Blooming Chibi-Robo to heal the planet's declining health. These robots are distributed to parks for free, and one is sent to a park neglected by the nearby town. Chibi-Robo is aided by a manager robot named Chet and befriends several toys: a puppet magician named Francois, toy penguins Pop and Fizz, a toy tree named Molly Maple Leaf, a toy car named Chassy, a toy monkey named Kid Kombo, a Free Ranger named Tampa, and a toy football player named Bull. He is opposed by black creatures called Smoglings, their general Sergeant Smogglor, and their leader Miasmo, who seek to spread pollution. Chibi-Robo helps the toys with problems such as upgrading Chassy, restoring Bull's colors, reconciling Pop and Fizz, and helping Molly become a real tree. Sergeant Smogglor's backstory reveals he was once a toy named General Greenthumb, abandoned at the park, who swore to protect it. He is later freed from Miasmo's control and leaves, upset by his actions.
Development and release
Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol was developed by Skip Ltd., with a separate department led by Hiroshi Moriyama, a co-director of the original game. Kenichi Nishi, the other co-director, was not involved. Other team members included Fumikazu Tanaka, Masahiko Kikuchi, Daisuke Ooshita, and supervisor Kenyuki Ueda. After the first game, Moriyama and associates opened an office in Harajuku for a new project. Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe asked for a game emphasizing freedom and enjoyable gameplay over events. The team took a design approach likened to jazz improvisation. The field setting became a park, and the Squirter item was added to water flowers. Kikuchi ensured all items used the DS touchpen. Tanaka said the dancing to bloom flowers was inspired by a scene from the 1988 Michael Jackson film Moonwalker. The game was announced at E3 2006, released in Japan on July 5, 2007, and in North America on October 2 as a Walmart exclusive due to the company's environmental program. Nintendo of America gave seed packets to 500 registrants. The game did not receive a European release, but Australia saw a release in early 2008.
Reception
Critical reception was generally positive, with a Metacritic rating of 78 out of 100 based on 14 reviews. GameSpot noted innovative touch screen use, fun minigames, and a great cast of characters, but criticized slow-paced gameplay and the lack of multiplayer for minigames. In Japan, the game sold over 45,000 units in its first week and 160,376 copies by the end of 2007. It was commercially unsuccessful in North America due to its limited release, and Gamasutra ranked it the fifth-most overlooked game of 2007. A third game, Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Ōsōji!, was released in Japan in 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol released?
Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol was released on July 5, 2007 in Japan, on October 2, 2007 in North America and on March 20, 2008 in Australia.
Who composed the music for Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol?
The music for Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol was composed by Eishin Kawakami.
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