Source Gaming
Follow us:
Filed under: Speculation, Super Smash Bros. Series, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dream Smashers – Chibi-Robo

With the Final Smash Presentation now over and done with, we now know every character that will appear in Super Smash Bros for Wii U & 3DS. However, I still plan on doing these articles and I hope you still plan on reading them. My reasoning is that the Super Smash Bros series is a lot like Mario Kart. There will always be one every main console generation and so there is no doubt in my mind that Nintendo’s NX will get a version of Smash in due course. It may not be until 2022 but it will happen. So, unless the Smash series dramatically changes into a MOBA or a Kart racing game, I think it is safe to say that the Smash formula will not get a massive overhaul so these character movesets will still be relevant when the next Super Smash Bros. game begins development. Hopefully by then we will also have a big enough backlog of characters that we could, in theory, have anyone playable from King K. Rool to the Badge Arcade Bunny. With all this said, today’s Dream Smasher has been a somewhat popular choice from a somewhat neglected series in Smash. As promised in my final Nintendo History article on the guy, here is Dream Smashers: Chibi-Robo!

Who is Chibi-Robo?

char--chibi-plug-in-hand@2x

Chibi-Robo is one of Nintendo’s micro mascots and has been around since 2006. He is a small, silver, robot whose purpose is to make the world a better place. There have been at least four different Chibi-Robos throughout the series but they are all identical. Chibi-Robos main functions are to clean and so he often come with various cleaning tools like a toothbrush and a vacuum cleaner. One of the big features of the Chibi-Robo series is the Chibi-plug. As a little robot, Chibi-Robo is powered by batteries and so in order to stay functional he has to plug himself in and charge himself up. Chibi-Robo has the ability to be upgraded as well so that his battery power lasts much longer. Overall he is a very functional little robot and really feels like something that could exist in the real world.

Chibi-Robo was invented by skip Ltd., a second party company to Nintendo. Chibi-Robo is essentially their mascot as it his series that has received the most games (excluding the ArtStyle series which often gets released in waves and has no recurring characters). Chibi-Robos first game was for the GameCube but he then jumped over to the handheld side where every other game has come out on, up to the latest game that came out in 2015 called Chibi-Robo! Zip-Lash. Chibi-Robo1 Zip-Lash was a very divisive game among Chibi-Robo fans but is also a very important one as it showed that Chibi-Robo could come out as an action star and fight enemies. As a 2D platformer, it worked perfectly for showing how Chibi-Robo could function in Smash although it ignored a lot of what made Chibi-Robo so special in his previous titles.

Maybe one day

Chibi-Robo’s only appearance in all of Smash 4

While the Chibi-Robo series has never sold outstandingly, it can still be thought of as one of Nintendo’s key franchises that have yet to be represented in Smash, alongside Rhythm Heaven and Golden Sun. While enjoying much more popularity in Japan, it should be noted that most of the games success does come from America and the games almost always get great reviews. The future of Chibi-Robo is a bit bleak but his relevancy is still there. Like all of Nintendo’s all-stars, Chibi-Robo received an amiibo of his very own and even appeared in Super Mario Maker as a costume. The brand awareness is there so all he needs to get into Smash NX is a new game to come out between now and then. Something to show the franchise is not dead. It is possible and hopefully the Amiibo and appearances in other mainstream games will help boost Chibi-Robo awareness.

History & Importance to his series/Nintendo.

It's like owning your own Chibi-Robo! Except without the cleaning function. One day...

Chibi-Robo gets his own amiibo. How many other non-Smash characters can say that?

So in this section I usually talk about the History of the character and how he relates to Nintendo. However, i have already done that in some previous articles and so instead I am going to link them below. I hope you have read them as I put a lot of effort into writing them and they can help to shed some more light on Chibi-Robo’s chances in the smash series.

Nintendo History: Chibi-Robo! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

As for Chibi-Robo’s importance in his own franchise, well he is the titular character. He is the main character and although the actual Robot always changes, they all look the same so it makes no differences whatsoever. He is the only playable character in the franchise and so clearly is the most logical choice. This segment was very self-explanatory so I guess we’ll just move on from here and onto how he would play in the Super Smash Bros series.

How will he play?

Sprites by TheAnvil, Recolours by Nantendo

Sprites by TheAnvil, Recolours by Nantendo

When making Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash the team at skip wanted to make Chibi-Robo stand out among other platformers like Mario and Donkey Kong. This led to a Bionic Commando style of gameplay using the Chibi-Plug as a whip and tether. Giving Chibi-Robo a whip makes him more unique than other fighters that we have in Smash and so it will play a big role in his moveset. For fans of the older Chibi-Robo you do not have to worry, they will be referenced within the moveset as well. Chibi-Robo’s general design is not changed much from his home game and he will take a stance more akin to Zip-Lash, holding his plug in his hand by the cord. This is because many standard attacks use the plug as their main weapon. But, before we move onto his gimmick here are some statistics:

  • Can he crawl: No
  • Can he wall jump: No
  • How many jumps do they have: 2
  • Is there any exclusive abilities he has*: Yes.
  • Weight Class: D
  • Height Class: D
  • Speed Class: B
  • Is he mirrored when he faces the left: Yes

A big part of the Chibi-Robo games is the fact that Chibi-Robo does not have a traditional health bar. Instead, he has a power counter that you have to charge up by plugging his Chibi-Plug into sockets around the world. This mechanic is being brought over faithfully as Chibi-Robo’s gimmick. Starting at 999 watts, Chibi-Robo will slowly use up his power as the match goes on. It is a bit like the stamina gimmick of the Pokemon Trainer in Brawl but worked on to make it fun. Depending on the attacks you use, Chibi-Robo loses a lot more power. So using some of his specials will drain more power than using the tilts and smash attacks. How many watts each move will drain are listed below.

The counter as it would appear in-game.

The counter as it would appear in-game.

When Chibi-Robo’s power runs out he does not die like in his original game. Instead he becomes really weak. Only his down special will work and he will no longer be able to perform smash attacks. All of his stats will drop as well such as his speed, strength and kockback. He basically becomes useless but there is a way to avoid that and that is with his plug-in move. Chibi-Robo’s down special will allow him to charge up his power. The longer you hold it down the more he charges up with the limit being 999. This can lead to some interesting gameplay mechanics where you have to decide whether it is worth having him attack and charge frequently or waiting it out for a good opportunity, say: only charging up when you knock someone off the stage. The charge rate is quite fast but gets slower the higher your percentage. Chibi-Robo is completely vulnerable during this mode so you will need to really time when to charge up.

With that out of the way, let us look at each of Chibi-Robos individual moves and animations so you can get an idea of how he plays.

 

Move Name & Action Image Description
Entrance entance His entrance has him sitting down, plugged into the floor. He wakes up, stands up, and pulls out the plug – ready to fight.
Walking  

 

 

This animation is the same as in Zip Lash.
Running running This animation is the same as in Zip Lash.
Jump jump This animation is the same as in Zip Lash.
Falling Animation/Damage  

 

 

This animation is the same as in Zip Lash.
Neutral/Jabs  

 

 

His jabs involve swinging his free hand and kicking but then ends by leaning his head down and it opens up with chibi-copter coming out and damaging people before knocking them away.
F-Tilt  

 

 

This tilt involves Chibi-Robo swinging his plug in front of him in a downward arc.
Up-Tilt up tilt This tilt involves Chibi-Robo swinging his plug in a circle above his head.
D-Tilt  

 

 

This tilt involves Chibi-Robo swinging his plug around his feet in front of him.
Dash Attack  

 

 

Chibi-Robo skids to a stop while throwing his plug forward. It’s not as strong as the smash attack but it is quicker.
Up Smash  

up smash

 

His Up Smash has the lid on his head open up. A possible three things can come out, getting stronger each time: a tick, a cross and a chibi-tot. It is like peach’s down smash in idea. It uses 50 Watts.
Down Smash  

 

 

His Down Smash has him throw his plug a little bit forward before flicking it backwards and hitting behind him. Imagine Clouds down smash for a better idea. It uses 50 Watts.
Forward Smash  

whip-lash

 

His forward smash is the whip lash. It has more range. It uses 50 Watts.
N-air  

float

 

His standard ariel is special. He swings his plug above his head and if you keep tapping it, Chibi Robo can hover for a bit. If he hits someone though he just drops. The longer you stay in the air the faster your Watt drop so it is not doable on low power.
F-air  

ariel kick

 

His forward ariel is like a karate kick that you see in kung-fu movies
B-air  

drop kick

 

His back air has him stretch his legs out straight behind him into a drop kick position
U-air  

 

 

His up ariel has him throw his plug skyward in a line and damgaing anyone it hits.
D-air  

 

 

This ariel can cause a meteor spike and has Chibi-Robo hold the plug under him and ride it as he falls down. If it does not hit anyone and hits the floor then it gets stuck in the ground which means a lot of landing lag.
Grab  

 

 

His grab is similar to his smash attack but quicker. When he grabs people he flings them in different directions. Imagine the plug is like a rope and he is using it as a lasso.
Pummel  

 

 

Chibi-Robo hits them with his hand while they are tied up in his chord.
F-throw  

 

 

Chibi-robo flicks his chord forwards and launches them that way.
B-throw  

 

 

Chibi-robo flicks his chord behind him and launches them that way.
U-throw  

 

 

Chibi-robo flicks his chord upwards and launches them that way.
D-throw  

 

 

Chibi-robo flicks his chord downwards and slams them into the ground in front of him (which can be followed up with a combo).
Neutral Special 1: Zip-Lash zip lash His standard special is the Zip Lash. It is similar to the smash attack in animation however it can be charged longer, goes alot further and can bounce off of walls. This move uses 50 watts as its standard but the more it’s charged up the more it increases until it hits 100 watts for the full power throw.
Neutral Special 2: Flaming Lash  

fire

 

His first custom is a fire variant. It does not travel as far but does more damage. The amount of watts used is 10 more than the default.
Neutral Special 3: Freezing Lash  

ice

 

His second custom is an ice variant. It does not travel as far but will freeze anyone who is hit by the plug. The amount of watts used is 10 more than the default.
Side Special 1: Toothbrush  

Chibi-robo-toothbrush-art

 

His side special is the Chibi-Brush. Taken from the first game, Chibi Robo pulls out a toothbrush and scrubs it in front of him. People too close can get caught in it and get stuck under the brush. They get fully cleaned before being thrown out. Chibi-Robo can move while this is on. This move uses 10 watts for each second the move is used..
Side Special 2: Vacuum Chibi vaccuum This custom is a stronger version that uses the vacuum cleaner from the third game but uses 20 watts each second instead.
Side Special 3: Electric Toothbrush  

 

 

For this custom the toothbrush is a lot faster and deals the same damage as normal. However it uses 20 watts instead of the normal 10.
Up Special 1: Chibi-Copter  

chibi-copter

 

His Up special is the Chibi-Copter. The Chibi-Copter comes from his head and he flies up. You have control over which direction to fly him in but t cannot be stopped manually, you have to wait for it to automatically stop (like Duck hunt). This move uses 50 watts.
Up Special 2: Big-Copter  

 

 

One custom gives you a bigger helicopter blade to hit people with but uses more power and is harder to control. This move uses 80 watts.
Up Special 3: Power Saver-Copter  

 

 

The other custom allows you to stop the helicopter blade by pressing a button but you have no control, it just moves up. This gives you control over how much power it uses which will be 10 watts every time Chibi rises past his own height.
Down Special 1: Recharge  

recharge

 

His down special is the most important move in Chibi-Robo’s arsenal. Chibi-Robo plugs into the ground and begins charging up. The little guy has a battery meter by his character icon that shows you how much power he has. The lower it gets, the weaker he gets and when it hits zero only his jabs and ariel’s work. No smash or special attacks except this move. Chibi is left vulnerable during charge-up but it does not waste time.
Down Special 2: Speedy recharge  

 

 

The customs for this move affect Chibi-Robo as a whole. With this custom, Chibi-Robo charges up a lot quicker but all attacks use up 20% more power than normal
Down Special 3: Powerful Recharge  

 

 

The other custom takes longer to charge but attacks use 20% less power.
Final Smash: Super Chibi-Robo  

super chibi-robo

 

Chibi-Robo becomes Super Chibi-Robo and all of his attacks become stronger. His battery is also infinite for this period of time so go crazy.
Up Taunt  

chibi-tot

 

His up taunt has the chibi-tot appear out of his head and wave, before Chibi Robo forces him back down.
Side Taunt  

dance

 

His side taunt has Chibi Robo performthe dance he does when he finds a snack (though no snack appears).
Down Taunt  

stop right there

 

His down taunt has Chibi-Robo perform his ‘Eat Whip Lash, Evildoers!’ pose found in Zip Lash.
Victory animation 1  

victory

 

One has him perform the dance he does at the end of levels in Zip lash.
Victory animation 2  

 

 

1 has him chasing after the chibi-tot and grabbing him, lifting him up onto his shoulder.
Victory animation 3  

 

 

The final one has him swing in on his zip lash and after landing, he performs a cool pose.

His victory music will be the Captain Reddrake theme. It was used in Super Mario Maker as Chibi-Robos victory theme as well:

With this, our series of Chibi-Robo! articles has come to an end. While Chibi-Robo did not make it into this latest iteration of Super Smash Bros all hope is not lost for the next one. Hopefully Chibi Robo will stick around whether it will be on the NX or on mobile. But, when and if he does come, let’s hope that he is an interesting and fun character to play with. What did you think of my idea for a moveset? Is it how you imagined it or do you think it uses Zip Lash a bit too much as a reference? Do you think he sounds fun to play or do you hope Sakurai could do much better? Please let me know in the comments below and look forward to more Dream Smashers. Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS is over but there is no doubt in my mind that the NX will also get a Super Smash Bros title, whether it be the rumoured one or not, and when it does, hopefully we will be prepared.

Joshua 'NantenJex' Goldie
7 comments
  1. We can only hope for the best. After playing Zip-Lash, I did think that there would be a workable moveset and you pretty much got his ideal moves. If possible, should the Up-special use Telly, CR’s friend uplift him and then put the copter as one of his customs?

    Chris.W on February 6 |
  2. He is in Super Smash Flash 2
    I think he is okay

    Scoops Of Smashing (Justin) on February 6 |
  3. I would rather see more of his items from all games. Drake’s blast, The Water Squirt gun, the bike, flower clipper. Alt costumes could be the different costumes he wears in all the games. Ziplash just helped show that he is capable of fighting. I would rather see a wacky moveset that uses cleaning, planting and other daily routines instead of fighting.

    Nick Marcin on February 9 |
  4. I’m glad to see someone else pulling for the little guy. He’s been my most-wanted character ever since Brawl was first announced.
    The way I envisioned the character, like in the games, his health and battery would be the same. That means that his damage percentage is constantly going up, even if he’s standing still, and moving and attacking increase the damage rate even more. Then, when plugging in with his down special, he would gradually heal himself, but be tethered to one spot on the ground as long as he’s plugged in and not able to use the whip lash attack. Also, getting launched by a strong enough attack could yank the plug out of the ground. It might seem unfair for Chibi-Robo to be able to heal himself at will, but I think that by adjusting the rate the damage accumulates and the rate at which he heals, it could be worked out.
    Also, you left out what I’d say is Chibi-Robo’s most iconic attack from the games before Zip Lash: The Chibi Blaster. Admittedly, it wouldn’t be anything too different from certain other attacks already in the game, but I think it’s an important part of the character. Plus, a custom variant could use the wasabi blaster from Photo Finder.
    Lastly, I think that the final battle from Zip Lash involves what I think would be the perfect final smash for Chibi-Robo. I won’t say more here, though, so as not to spoil it for anyone concerned.
    Anyways, good moveset. I enjoyed the series history, and here’s hoping that he makes it into the next game.

    John on February 9 |
  5. With the up smash idea you mentioned, I think it functions closer to Peach’s side smash, not her down smash. I like most of the ideas here, but the one I’m conflicted on is the power meter. Obviously, you want to represent the character as close to their original games as possible, but if you have to worry about expending power, then you have considerations like how well he’ll perform off-stage and what happens if he struggles to recover against certain characters that can afford to just keep tapping him back off-stage when he’s low on power. Plus, in a 4-player free-for-all (or an 8-player free-for-all), he will have a very hard time trying to charge up his power. I think he would work well with some sort of offensive move that could charge up a little power as well, maybe a command grab where he drains power from other fighters with the plug, so that he has an option to avoid being left vulnerable. This move could possibly have a bonus effect when connecting with energy-based attacks and projectiles to recharge even more energy, which could give it a defensive advantage too. I’ve only played the first Chibi-Robo game, but I liked it and it had a lot of charm. I think he’d be an interesting fit in Smash, and wouldn’t mind seeing him in a future installment.

    As a side note: who is canonically smaller, Chibi-Robo or Olimar? Just curious.

    Spiral on February 10 |
  6. @Nantendo

    Are you taking in suggestions for this series? There are quite a few characters who I feel are worth adding to Smash that I’d like to see you cover.

    Michael on February 12 |
  7. I think it’d be cool if his crouch was his recharge or if his recharging special move was a crouch.

    DonkaFjord on February 13 |