Chibi-Robo! Let's Go, Photo! (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Chibi-Robo! had plenty of charm and lots of intriguing tasks that made it into a very likeable adventure, Park Patrol had its highlights but grew tiresome a little too quickly, and Let's Go, Photo! is just a complete snorefest, at least to begin with. Many players that start this up and play for about half an hour or so may find it hard to imagine that Skip Ltd. is behind this because it lacks the invention found in prior entries. In fact, from the first full hour it could be thought that perhaps the confines of its eShop trappings stunted development, or maybe it was more because someone decided to rely on the horrendous 3DS camera as a large part of the game. In fact, numerous reviewers have indeed taken that stance. It must be said, though, that such a viewpoint is very short-sighted indeed, with the game opening up considerably after the initial 'hard slog.'

The tiny robot has to undertake what seem like mundane tasks, such as guessing how far a tape measure has been extended, grabbing various ingredients from a fridge, and even wandering around small areas to merely collect rubbish and vacuum up dust. What needs to be remembered is that from GiFTPiA to Captain Rainbow to all Chibi-Robo! entries and even the Art Style series, the team at Skip likes to do things differently - basically in its own personal style, and if people do not like it, well, there are plenty of others that do indeed appreciate it.

There is a charming story that develops the more progress is made through the game, showing the warm relationship between Chibi-Robo and the curator of a NostalJunk museum where an exhibition is on constant display for members of the general public. NostalJunk is basically 'nostalgic junk' - random objects that appeal to a certain audience. This is where the 3DS external camera comes into play, since they are created when Chibi collects special camera film that brings up an outline on the top screen of the 3DS, which players must then match up with an object in the real world (or something from Google Images, for those wanting a handy shortcut!). Part of the fun is trying to figure out what the outline actually is before trying to use the (admittedly awful) 3DS camera to take as accurate a snap as possible. At times it will prove frustrating, but the beauty is that the game reveals what exactly it should have been once a botched effort has been made, so trying again is far easier, and there is a chance then to go for a 100% accurate shot or even just take a 'cutout' shot where ANYTHING can be snapped and the appropriate shape cut out to form the necessary object.

Let's Go, Photo! is surprisingly open-ended, especially for a limited eShop title. However, saying that, normally the pattern of play starts off like this: Chibi appears on a tabletop in the curator's office with a guide called Telly (previously a TV set in older games, now an old smartphone handset) who offers advice on how best to up visitor numbers. Then watch as Chibi's battery power wears down when walking around - starting with just a 50 Watt limit, which runs out annoyingly fast (part of the reason for frustration in the early stages). With perseverance, though, the capacity gets upgraded in increments of 50 extra units when visitor levels reach certain targets (for instance, the first boost comes when 5,000 people have come to view the NostalJunk Chibi-Robo has collected so far, with numbers increasing depending on the rarity of the photo, the accuracy rate and constant re-placing of items into different exhibition rooms to spice the show up).

There are limited places to roam on the desk space, with a special printer for collecting developed photos, a device to transport NostalJunk to one of the exhibition rooms (new rooms are opened by the curator when the previous one is full, plus items can be moved around from place to place at will to spice up the exhibition for punters), the wall counter that tracks visitor numbers, a mini helicopter to allow Chibi to roam around the exhibition rooms to find out information about new NostalJunk, interact with the curator at story event intervals, as well as uncover secrets every now and then.

Chibi-Robo! Let's Go, Photo! is all about exploration; wandering around, checking out every nook and cranny of the locations available (a busy kitchen and expansive garden being just two examples, with new areas opening as the game progresses), interacting with the weird and wonderful characters in the Chibi universe (a scaredy-cat stone lion; an old school robot that has great admiration for Chibi-Robo; an insecure super hero that needs reassuring about numerous subjects; a female octopus that looks after little Chibi-tots that themselves love to hide in all manner of places, encouraging Chibi-Robo to find them; and plenty of others that certain sectors may hate, whilst long-term Skip fans will adore).

The special laptop on the main hub (in other words, the desk where Chibi restarts after a mission) provides access to special jobs (such as the aforementioned wacky ingredient collection chore, instigated by highly amusing animated ketchup and mustard pots, complete with French-tinged text when conversing), areas to be explored, the camera for snapping images, the silhouette catalogue where new outlines can be purchased using in-game currency ('Happy Points'), and more (yes, a secret…although read on and it may be revealed).

All these objectives are undertaken in order to gain said Happy Points, which allow for the purchase of special types of photo film, and this currency is acquired from basically everything Chibi does. Perform a task successfully - vacuuming dirt, collecting rubbish, using a toothbrush to remove stubborn stains, cleaning garden mess, and so on - and the rewards are great. Fail and none are forthcoming, or a mere single Happy Point will be given out of sympathy. Do not be fooled by the first taste of Chibi-Robo! Let's Go Photo! Whilst it may not be a patch on its GameCube forefather, for what it is - a low price eShop release - this is pretty impressive when delved into properly, and with a mind willing to embrace the obscure, of course...