Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Reviews
"Spin the wheel of fortune."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
A fun game marred by bizarre design choices
An alright platformer with charming looks and characters, but nothing revolutionary.
Chibi-Robo Zip Lash may not be the most original game of 2015 but it gives the player an honest arcade experience with a fun protagonist and some old-school gaming mechanics with a few twists and challenges to be found along the way. To borrow an element from the song by Devo "I say whip it… Whip it Good!"
There's plenty of good times and fun to be had with Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash, but it's all bogged down by a restrictive and archaic level selection system.
Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash attempts to be an approachable platformer for everyone, but clunky controls and sluggish gameplay create a dull experience instead.
[I]f you like old-school action and see yourself not minding the spin wheel mechanic for accessing stages, then Chibi Robo! Ziplash might just be a game you'll want to plug into.
I had my doubts about Chibi Robo, and was this close to not even trying it out. The video game player in me gave it a chance though like it tends to do, and I was really surprised. It has issues, but ones that I can easily overlook, not just to throw caution to the wind but because it just didn't affect my overall thoughts and feelings while playing the game. I was having a good time the majority of the time, and it strikes me as a unique platforming experience at the end of the day. It's cute, charming, and very Chibi, and that's just how I like it.
Some interesting ideas, then, but they remain a set of novel detours rather than coming together as a coherent whole.
This is so far away from the games that made Chibi-Robo a recognizable Nintendo character. This is an average, easy platformer. Unless you want to play just that kind of game, you would probably do well to steer clear.
Less zip and more of a lashing, Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash has all the basics it needs to be an enjoyable platformer but trips over itself with some baffling design choices and an un-inspired candy center.
The new Chibi-Robo chapter is certainly not a triumphant return to its previous titles but that doesn't mean Zip Lash does not have its charms. The use of the electrical cable and the collecting of snacks are welcome components and the outfits certainly extend the game's replay value. It can, however, become repetitive quickly and lose some of its appeal, as its unambitious level design demonstrates.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite the name this lacks any kind of zip at all, in what may be the most mundane and unexciting platformer Nintendo has ever put their name to.
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash is a nice break from the series' usual 3D platforming formula and offers some solid gameplay, even if it stumbles a bit along the way.
Had Nintendo taken the time to produce a sequel with the same amount of depth as the original Chibi-Robo, we'd be getting somewhere. But Zip Lash just feels like a routine platformer, not offering enough bang for the buck to satisfy die-hard fans of the series. Kids may get a kick out of it, but more could've been done to assure a long-lasting life for our environmental hero. Here's hoping we haven't seen the last of him.
It's fun in spurts, but overall a disappointment that hopefully doesn't consign this series to years in limbo.
Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash tries to clean up the series but just makes a mess
An unspectacular sidescroller that squanders its core idea.
Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is not the best Chibi-Robo - it is not even that great of a 2D side-scroller or platformer, either. For the most part, the experience ends up feeling shallow and generic compared to the past games and aside from a few fleeting bold moments with the bosses, there just is not much memorable about it. The world may never see another game in this franchise, and it is sad that this one will probably be remembered as "that time Nintendo tried to give Chibi-Robo a desperate change." Perhaps the timing was bad for this character, or the world just wasn't ready for him yet. Zip Lash is a well-made title, just one that fails to inspire. Skip Ltd. should have played to its strengths as a quirky Japanese game developer, instead of aiming for a homogeneous 2D platformer.
In the end, I was very pleased with Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash. It took me about 9 hours to beat it, and that’s without having found all the Badges and Alien Babies. The replay value will mostly depend on your willingness to find a bunch of things that have no bearing on the completion of the game. I wasn’t sure how it would translate to a platformer, but I feel Chibi did so successfully, albeit with a couple of missteps. Most importantly, I find most if not all of the complaints I saw leveled at the game without merit. It is a fun, challenging and occasionally frustrating game. Considering it’s a totally new genre for this environment friendly robot, I was really impressed with the whole thing. It’s not the best platformer I’ve ever played, but it is by far my favorite game in the Chibi-Robo series. Here’s hoping it did well enough to keep seeing Chibi in strange adventures far into the future.