Anybody remember July’s surprise Japanese Nintendo Direct? Well, during its measly 17-minute run time, a Chibi-Robo! photography app for the 3DS was announced entitled Chibi-Robo! Live Action. While definitely a departure from previous titles, a revisit to the franchise is quite welcome. Although there’s a larger emphasis on photography than the previous title, Chibi-Robo’s quest for the betterment of society is still intact. Luckily, it appears that Chibi-Robo! fans outside Japan may experience the title soon.
The Australian Classification Board, or OFLC, recently went through the rating process for a game entitled Chibi-Robo! Let’s Go, Photo! With a similar title like that, it’s safe to assume that this could be the Western adaptation of the previous Japanese title. Anyway, this basically tells us that there is a great possibility of this app finally coming to PAL regions and beyond. Even if Chibi-Robo! doesn’t ring any bells, you should be very, very excited.
A quick history lesson on the franchise—Chibi-Robo got his start on the Nintendo GameCube, with the quirky but surprisingly deep and human Chibi-Robo! Throughout the game, Chibi-Robo helps clean around the house, improve the well-being of his owners and even uncover some of their haunting abandoned memories. All of this was complemented by an incredibly unique soundtrack that perfectly fit each situation. To give you an idea, here’s a track during one of the darker points in the game:
Now, Chibi-Robo’s adventures in the West didn’t end there. Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol (Nintendo DS) was the next entry in the franchise. Although it proved to be decent, none of the magic captured in the original ever surfaced, but it had its moments. That was the last we saw of that helpful little robot in the West.
Back to the topic at hand, if Chibi-Robo! Let’s Go, Photo! makes its way outside Japan like the classification board hints, then I highly suggest you support it. Heck, maybe it’ll even help Nintendo realize that this franchise shouldn’t be abandoned outside Japan. So, are any Chibi-Robo! fans out there excited about this news? Do you have any memories from the franchise’s past to share? Go forth and comment!
Games from the Chibi-Robo! franchise are available from 
