Meet the Robinsons is a video game based on the 2007 Disney film of the same name. The game takes place before the film, with it being focused on Wilbur Robinson before he met Lewis.
The game's plot expands Wilbur's efforts in trying to get the stolen time machine back from Bowler Hat Guy. When arriving at the Science Fair though, he accidentally alters the timeline drastically just by opening the door into a student named Stanley's face. As a result, Stanley and another student, Lizzy, become dueling super-villains, and Wilbur has to get his own time machine back from their forces in order to go back and fix things.
Tropes used in the game include:
- Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole: Near the end, the future changes to Doris's apocalyptic world. This however, raises some confusing questions, such as the fact Wilbur and Carl still exist despite Lewis never marrying and never becoming an inventor. There also the fact that Doris somehow created enough hats to enslave the world, even though this is a prequel to the film, meaning she and Bowler Hat Guy didn't successfully sell the memory scanner yet.
- Adapted Out: Of the Robinson family, Lucille, Joe, Fritz and Petunia don't appear at all, while Tallulah only appears as a Chargeball opponent and action figure, not in the actual story.
- Ascended Extra: Stanley and Lizzy. Unlike the movie, they play a huge role in the game as villains in the Bad Future.
- Bug War: Lizzy's giant ant robots serve as one of your primary enemies.
- Convection Smonvection: The "touch the lava and die" rule applies and only bursts from highly visible steam vents will kill you as well.
- Covers Always Lie: Lewis appears on the cover, even though the game's nature as a prequel means he only makes a non-speaking cameo in-game.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Willbur encounters the Robot Guardian in the Time Lab:Willbur: Carl, dad upgraded!Carl: That's right, he did mention something about...oh no!
- Gameplay Roulette: Main adventure is a The Legend of Zelda-style action-adventure game, with some quests including the Air Hockey/Breakout hybrid game of "Chargeball", the Super Monkey Ball-like Protectosphere missions, and Dig Dug-style Havoc Gloves puzzles.
- Indy Escape: The tutorial level, Ancient Egypt, ends with Wilbur running from a rolling Sphinx head to escape King Tut's tomb.
- Load-Bearing Boss: Prometheus, whose destruction begins flooding the whole city with lava.
- Mecha-Mooks: Lizzy's ants and Stanley's hoplites, as well as the basement security robots.
- Mission Control: Carl gives tips to Wilbur via a communicator.
- New World Tease: Wilbur can take the monorail to Magma Industries as early as reaching Old Town, but can't progress beyond the first room without the Lev Gun obtained after The Hive.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Sets the game's main plot into motion. Like in the movie, Wilbur leaves the garage door open, allowing Bowler Hat Guy to steal the time machine.
- Noodle Incident: After Wilbur messes up the future, Carl says "this is even worse than the invisible cow incident."
- Prequel: The plot of the game is set before the events of the film, as it shows Wilbur's adventures before he met Lewis in the past.
- Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: For some reason, only Wilbur and Carl realize the future has been changed; everyone else thinks it's always been Magma City.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: Wilbur when a giant robotic ant steals the time machine after he returns to the future from the Science Fair. Bonus points for happening right after he asks Carl, "What's with all the girly yelling?"
- Stuffed into a Locker: When in Lewis's school in the past, Wilbur can free three kids from lockers by disassembling the locker doors. One of them uses his locker as a mediation space according to his scan.
- Tom the Dark Lord: Wilbur can't take the fact that Magma City is ruled by someone called "Emperor Stanley" seriously.
- Tricked-Out Gloves: Wilbur's Chargeball Glove lets him throw balls of electricity, and the Havoc Gloves let him dig underground and shoot sonic shockwaves at enemies.
- Version-Exclusive Content: The Xbox 360 version features enhanced graphics and the exclusive Security System Mini-Game.
