History YMMV / ChibiRobo

** ''Park Patrol'' is one of many early DS games that included touchscreen mechanics for little more than to show off the function, and it adds only annoyance to the gameplay. For example spraying water requires you to "pump" the water out by making a clockwise motion on the touchscreen. The the better you do that in regards to speed and steadiness of the motion, the more efficient your water use is. In practice, it is difficult to even figure out what the game's preferred speed ''is'', much less make your motion match it. This then adds more busywork to go refill your water tank. It is telling that similar mechanics are nowhere to be seen in ''Clean Sweep''.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: ''Zip Lash'' being a 2D platformer, a complete departure from the gameplay style of prior games. In an era when Nintendo was already saturating their output with loads of them, opting to make an entry in a series known for its extremely unique concept as basic and by-the-numbers as possible alienated any longtime fans of the series from wanting to try the game, and being set up to compete against tons of far more well-known [=IPs=] severely limited the possibility of any newcomers having their attention grabbed.

* CultClassic: The original game, mostly: beloved by those who played it, but being a new IP released near the end of the Gamecube's life kind of killed any chance of it reaching wider audiences. Pretty much every game in the franchise was plagued with InvisibleAdvertising and/or NoExportForYou, which kept it that way for its run.

* ScrappyMechanic: In ''Zip Lash'', the next level you head to is determined by a spin of a roulette wheel. It becomes annoying when you have a few stages left to complete, and if you land on one you've already done, you're forced to finish it again before you get another chance at the wheel. You can manipulate the wheel so that you can go where you want to more likely, but considering that you have to complete all levels in a world regardless, there's no reason beyond FakeLongevity why a normal level select wouldn't have sufficed.
** Making Nostaljunk can be this despite being the main selling point of Photo Finder. The 3ds camera cannot detect light very well so in certain lit areas you could get a picture that's too bright or too dark. This is on top of an Accuracy system which can be highly inconsistent and if the accuracy of a Nostaljunk is too low it could be destroyed ingame forcing you to save up happy points for more chances.
** Not helping matters is that later Silhouette Film will require more obtuse rarer shapes forcing you to either draw if you're an artist or Ironically use pictures online.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Those who don't hate Zip Lash see it as a fine but forgettable platformer.

** Danger Sense Test from Photo Finder is one the jobs you can partake in. In it Chibi-Robo has to crush eight different boxes for three rounds with some of the boxes containing bombs with absolutely no indication which ones are safe to crush or not. It's basically a LuckBasedMission.

* UncertainAudience: It's often believed that this was part of what killed ''Zip Lash!": fans weren't interested in a game being so radically different from its predecessors, critics thought the game looked too generic and grindy to recommend over any other 2D platformer on the system, and general audiences had no familiarity with the franchise.

* FirstInstallmentWins: No other game in the series has ever been able to replicate the same magic as the original entry, which is already pretty obscure to begin with. ''Happy Richie Ōsōji'' came the closest, but its nature as Japan-exclusive means very few western players had access to it.

* FirstInstallmentWins: No other game in the series has been ever able to replicate the same magic as the original entry, which is already pretty obscure to begin with. ''Happy Richie Ōsōji'' came the closest, but its nature as Japan-exclusive means very few western players had access to it.

* FirstInstallmentWins: No other game in the series has been ever able to replicate the same magic as the original entry, which is already pretty obscure to begin with.

** After Mrs. Sanderson [[spoiler:locks herself in her room and threatens divorce,]] if you go to Jenny's bedroom at night, she'll be staring at her toy TV, which is showing a strange symbol, while mumbling "Circle. Middle. Radar?" Considering what's happening with her parents, it's not much of a stretch to think that Jenny is going through a HeroicBSOD. She's so focused on the TV, ''her toys don't even bother to stay still.''

* EightPointEight: While the original Chibi-Robo got mostly favorable reviews of at least 8 out of 10, Game Informer gave it a ''''5 out of 10.'''' People were not pleased with that.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: ''Zip Lash'' being a 2D platformer. In an era when Nintendo was already saturating their output with loads of them, opting to make an entry in a series known for its extremely unique concept as basic and by-the-numbers as possible alienated any longtime fans of the series from wanting to try the game, and being set up to compete against tons of far more well-known [=IPs=] severely limited the possibility of any newcomers having their attention grabbed.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Space Hunter Drake Redcrest, an Expy of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] who is as [[LargeHam hammy]] as [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Captain Falcon]]. This may be why he was in ''Photo Finder'' [[spoiler:and ''Zip Lash''.]]

* SpiritualAdaptation:
** The first installment and ''Clean Sweep'' work as excellent ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' games, with toys that come alive when no humans are around, and deal with surprisingly serious and mature issues.

* UncannyValley: Mr. Curator just does not look right. One good example of this would be how often his fingers bend backwards ''well'' beyond what should be possible.

* WhatAnIdiot: Mr Sanderson has bought yet another Drake Redcrest toy, and needs to hide it from his wife.\\
'''You'd expect:''' Since the receipt is made of paper, for him to just burn it or throw it out.\\
'''Instead:''' He hides it.\\
'''Result:''' [[spoiler:His wife finds out about it and almost divorces him.]]
** Whoever designed the Chibi-house and Chet from "Park Patrol". They decide to design a feature for rebuilding and rennervating the park.\\
'''You'd expect:''' They would design it in a way that allows eaither Chet or Chibi-Robo to use it.\\
'''Instead:''' They build Chet into the house and design the feature in a way that makes it impossible for him to use. They don't even consider making it so that Chibi-Robo himself can use it.\\
'''Result:''' Neither Chet or Chibi-Robo can use the feature without outside help.\\
'''Luckily:''' Chibi-Robo befriends some toys that are willing to help him and Chet with the park.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Space Hunter Drake Redcrest, an Expy of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] who is as [[LargeHam hammy]] as [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Captain Falcon]]. This may be why he was in ''Photo Finder'' [[spoiler:and ''Zip Lash''.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Space Hunter Drake Redcrest, an Expy of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] who is as [[LargeHam hammy]] as [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Captain Falcon]]. This may be why he was in ''Photo Finder'' [[spoiler: and ''Zip Lash''.]]

* FridgeBrilliance: In the original game, the four aliens whom Giga-Robo saved and befriended look very similar to Chibi- (or Giga-)Robo. [[spoiler: But at the end of the game, as they leave, each alien turns into a black squid-like creature, suggesting that this is their true form.]] The aliens chose that particular form as a tribute to the friend who saved them!

** The first time you approach the foyer at night, the loud, horn-like sound coming from the basement can be a bit startling to hear, especially if you don't expect it. It gets even worse when you discover [[spoiler: it's Giga-Robo running out of battery and he's yelling for help.]]
* OlderThanTheyThink: This isn't the first game about a robot with a plug. Back in 1992 there was a MascotWithAttitude Platformer on the Sega Genesis called ''VideoGame/Socket''. (known as Time Dominator 1st in Japan.) However it didn't even have a Cult Following like Chibi Robo and is considered SoOkayItsAverage.

** Whoever designed the Chibi-house and Chet from "Park Patrol". They decide to design a feature for rebuilding and rennervating the park.
'''You'd expect:''' They would design it in a way that allows eaither Chet or Chibi-robo to use it.\\
'''Instead:''' They build Chet into the house and design the feature in a way that makes it impossible for him to use. They don't even consider making it so that Chibi-robo himself can use it.\\
'''Result:''' Neither Chet or Chibi-robo can use the feature without outside help.\\
'''Luckily:''' Chibi-robo befriends some toys that are willing to help him and Chet with the park.\\

* OlderThanTheyThink: This isn't this first game about a robot with a plug. Back in 1992 there was a MascotWithAttitude Platformer on the Sega Genesis called ''VideoGame/Socket''. (known as Time Dominator 1st in Japan.) However it didn't even have a Cult Following like Chibi Robo and is considered SoOkayItsAverage.

** Danger Sense Test from Photo Finder is one the jobs you can partake in. In it Chibi-Robo has to crush eight different boxes for three rounds with some of the boxes containing bombs with absolutely no indication which ones are safe to crush or not.

* EightPointEight: While the original Chibi-Robo got mostly favorable reviews of at least 8 out of 10, Game Informer gave it a ''''5 out of 10.'''' People were not pleased with that.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Space Hunter Drake Redcrest, an Expy of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] who is as [[LargeHam hammy]] as [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Captain Falcon]]. This may be why he was in ''Photo Finder'' [[spoiler: and ''Zip Lash''.]]