Recently, the GameCube has become more of an exercise in a game I like to call “waiting for Zelda to be released” than an actual platform to play games on. With the release of the 360 and the DS, there seems to have been a huge decline in the amount of games released on the system, a figure that has already been low for some time. It's at this time when you have to look a bit harder for those all important quality titles that we all need to stop us from going just that little bit mental. Sometimes they come in the most unlikely of forms; just like this, say hello to Chibi-Robo.

The concept is really quite simple; you wander around a house as a pint-sized mechanical helper, cleaning and trying to keep place in order, just as your owners, the Sanderson's, bought you to do so. While the idea may not leave you compelled to pre-order Chibi Robo this very second, or better yet get your nearest flight to America or Japan and pick up a copy in person, the concepts behind the game are intriguing.

First is the fact that Chibi Robo must be charged. Whilst completing your tasks, you must always keep in mind that your battery is slowly being drained, and when it does reach a highly depleted state, you must find the nearest socket and plug yourself in by the adaptor that trails behind you in your adventures. As you progress, you can buy bigger battery life with happy points, of which are earned by cleaning the house and keeping its habitants happy, as well as collecting the tokens scattered within.

Secondly, it's not just battery life you can collect. There are a number of items that Chibi can keep locked away in his cranium; from a toothbrush for cleaning stains from the ground Super Mario Sunshine-style, to a helicopter blade that springs from his head and lets the little robot hover over gaps; Chibi Robo isn't just about collecting up litter and scrubbing floors (although that's how part of the game is made up), you'll still have to rescue princesses, awaken giant robots and save at least part of the world, in your own, small kind of a way. This will surely make for a game packed with variety; merging the contagious playing style of Animal Crossing with the adventure elements of, say, a Mario or Banjo title to keep play fresh.

One very odd aspect of the game, though, comes in the form of the soundtrack. As Chibi moves around the Sanderson's household, every step he takes a note is played (different depending on how he's travelling). So as you're rushing around the place, a strange tune will accompany Chibi's footsteps; the sound will change when moving onto a different surface, and even whilst hovering a different noise will emanate from the little robots musical body. For example, running across a carpet makes a completely different noise to when you're moving across a bare floor, or when tip-toeing across a pile of leaves in the garden. The only trouble is, as charming as this may be for the first ten minutes, I can't help but feel I'll be reaching for the mute button very soon after.

Aesthetics is the one area that Chibi seems to be lacking. There's nothing particularly wrong with the visuals, they're just hugely average looking. It's obvious that the attention has gone elsewhere when it comes to Chibi Robo; the characters models are simplistic, the textures not too hot and there aren't any cut-scenes. While this does give it that kind of naïve charm akin to the likes of Animal Crossing, looking at it logically, Skip (the developers, and also the people behind Giftpia) could and should have done so much better. It's already on release in America, so there's also virtually no chance of any graphically sprucing up before it reaches our shores, either. Shame really.

Despite it's seemingly short-comings, Chibi Robo is looking mighty impressive so far. Expect the kind of compulsive play you'd find in an Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon title, but with a bit of added longevity and variety in the form of adventure-puzzle aspects. Technically nothing to marvel at, but Chibi Robo looks to make up for it in other areas. One to watch out for.