In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!, Nintendo will be re-releasing the cult-classic 3D platformer for the Nintendo Switch 2 as part of their GameCube Nintendo Classics Service. Commemorating the re-release of the game, Chibi-Robo director Hiroshi Moriyama shared some new tidbits about how it was created – citing The Legend of Zelda series as a big inspiration.
“I created Chibi-Robo while imagining a ‘Zelda but without the battles,’ making sure that even actions like walking around or climbing furniture feels like a fun and thrilling experience,” Moriyama said in his post on X. “Chibi-Robo has over 1,000 animations, and all of them were hand-crafted with care. That might be the reason why the game is still loved even now, 20 years after its release. Thank you so much.” As Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure had been in development for around 4 years before finally getting released in 2005, it is very likely that it took inspiration from the Zelda series’ early 3D classics like Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
While both Chibi-Robo and Zelda feature gameplay that focuses on navigating 3D space, exploring the world, and occasionally solving puzzles and doing quests, what sets them apart is the combat. Chibi-Robo does have battle elements – mostly when facing the infamous Spydors – but it is not so combat-heavy overall, and it takes on a more light-hearted approach both in terms of gameplay and overall atmosphere. After all, your main purpose as a Chibi-Robo is to do good deeds and spread love.
On a related note, in his X post, Moriyama also shared what seems to be an early concept sketch of the Chibi-Robo, containing notes about all the different features that were planned for the game. Please check out our translation of his notes below:
Chibi-Eyes: They have many different functions, including an infra-red mode and telescopic mode. Also, the Chibi-Robo shows many different facial expressions using his eyes.
Chibi-Neck: A neck that can rotate 360 degrees horizontally and 45 degrees vertically. Thanks to his Chibi-Neck, the Chibi-Robo is able to look in many directions.
Chibi-Hand: It can press buttons, can be used for climbing or controlling vehicles.
Chibi-Leg: Retractable. But while extending them, Chibi-Robo can’t walk.
Cord: A freely retractable, mysterious cord that doesn’t get tangled no matter how much Chibi-Robo walks around.
Plug: Used for uploading & downloading the mind, and charging/outputting energy. It works as an attachment, and Chibi-Robo can change it to many different types of plugs.
Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure! launches on August 21, 2025 as a part of the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
