Custom Robo
1999
- fighting
- role-playing (rpg)
- action
- science fiction
- single player
- multiplayer
- split screen
The story
Custom Robo is sort of a sci-fi action take on Nintendo's own collect-and-battle style Pokemon titles. In the game's story mode, you slip into the role of a young boy who has just built his very own toy robot who goes by the name of Ray. Together with your cousin, you head down towards Robo Station to take part in a giant Custom Robo battle championship that takes place in the local Holosseum. The ultimate goal is to improve your skills so that you can defeat the champion Custom Robo builder of them all, Mamoru. Gameplay involves robo customization and frantic action battles in confined 3D arenas. Followed by a sequel.
What it’s like
Bright, toy-box polygonal arenas with chunky, primary-coloured robots that look like they were assembled from kit parts, and a sense of bustling small-town sci-fi around them. The palette is sunny and saturated, the camera trails and swoops around confined 3D battle rings, and the battle sound is a busy mix of blasts, clanks and cheerful synth-rock cues that keep the energy up without ever feeling oppressive. Its vibe is playful, earnest and a little scrappy: a Saturday-morning afternoon of tinkering and tournament-going, good for a lazy weekend session or a stretch of pick-up-and-play time with a friend in split-screen. The rhythm is quick and bouncy, with brief battles punctuated by quiet workshop moments where you swap parts and tweak your machine. The emotional register is warm and gently competitive, centred on a young builder's slow growth in confidence and the friendships that come with it. Intensity is low: robots blast and crash into one another with lots of sparks and explosions, but nothing gory, with no real cruelty or fear. Its natural audience is people who enjoy building and customising, fans of Pokémon-style collecting who want a sci-fi twist, and anyone looking for upbeat, easygoing action with a nostalgic late-'90s N64 charm.
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