An unconventional RPG that is simple and imperfect, but still so worth it!
Sometimes games are good no matter what, sometimes they are good because of the situation, personal or otherwise.
“Wait, what?” You might be asking.
Let me explain. When I was in my late teens, during the last two years of high school and my first year of University, I worked the night shift at a doughnut shop. I loved playing RPGs during my free time, even at this point in my life, in the opening years of the 2000s decade. But, after such long nights making the doughnuts, I didn’t have much energy during the days. Remember those Dunkin' Donuts “Time to make the doughnuts” commercials? I was like that guy, a zombie most of the time. I wasn’t in the mood for more involved RPGs like Final Fantasy 7 or 8, or Breath of Fire 3, even if I otherwise loved them.
Robotrek, developed by Quintet and released by Enix in 1994, fit my current situation at the time: An undemanding RPG that didn’t require too much thought or involvement that would have been too taxing on my weary brain. The right game for the right (personal) situation created some lasting memories. But, is there merit to playing this game beyond that? A somewhat recent replay confirmed that this game stands the test of time if seen as the relic from the past that it is.
Robotrek is one of the cuter RPGs you will find on the SNES. While it is far from the best looking, there is an unmistakable charm to the character and enemy sprites and towns that is so endearing. The cartoony sprites are adorable, though the overworld map and many of the dungeons are bland. Take the overworld from Super Mario World, add five years, simplify that map by making it smaller, and that is what you are left with: Robotrek. Better games have also done away with the world map, but with much greater success. Here, it just feels limited and disappointing.
Likewise, the music felt like it came directly from a toddler cartoon, too childish at times, especially within the menus when tweaking robot stats. At times, I felt like I was slipping into a post-work, early morning dream state where I was suddenly surrounded by clowns in some circus. Only to jolt awake and realize I was playing Robotrek. Some of the music is bearable, and some quirky sound effects should get some chuckles out of most people, and it is unlikely there are too many RPGs, if any, with a soundtrack quite like this.
That’s not to say I found the game boring. Far from it, even AAA RPGs of the time would have had a difficult time holding my attention for large portions of the day after a night of work. The story is standard, not requiring much brain power to follow. On the planet of Quintenix, a group known as the hackers, led by Blackmore, has caused an uprising. It is up to your nameless hero, the son of a famous inventor, to discover why the Hackers are hellbent on kidnapping his father. They also want a legendary stone that allows them to see the past, as well as the future, and travel through time. Not ideal in the hands of a bunch of evil jerks! The main antagonist realizes he can rule the entire universe with the power of this stone that allows time travel, and your hero must put a stop to these diabolical plans!
The battle system is where the real fun is found. One of the most enjoyable things is that every battle feels like a race, with a timer in the top right. Winning in less than 10 seconds provides a sizeable EXP bonus. Even if it takes more than 10 seconds, there is still a decent bonus for victories of less than 20 seconds. Finally, as long as you win in less than 30 seconds, there is a small bonus. Later in the game, this extra experience doesn’t have a huge impact from one battle, but bonuses do add up by consistently winning quickly. There are little treasure boxes that sometimes appear in battle too, and those are time-based and explode after a few seconds, adding another twist: Experience bonus or bounty? The developers deserve some credit for trying to keep players more engaged by rewarding quick reactions: dispose of enemies or get some loot.
One other thing this game deserves high praise for is viewable enemies in dungeons, as this was not common in the first half of the 1990s outside of Lufia 2, Chrono Trigger, the Sega CD versions of Lunar, and a handful of other games. There are no random battles, and all enemies can be avoided, often with relative ease. The power this puts in the hands of players is truly appreciated, and it can’t be understated how much more gratifying battles are when you know you can avoid them and know they are coming, rather than the unpleasant shock that can come from seemingly countless random battles. Viewable enemies, along with the timed aspect, actually make me want to fight more!
However, once in battle, the main hero does not fight. In his place, three robots do all the fighting, though only one at a time. These robots can be customized in five different ways, and the numbers can be changed after every level-up or at any R and D room. The stats are energy (HP), power, guard, speed (hit rate and dodge rate), and charge, which determines how fast your ATB meter fills up. It is important to note that players shouldn’t worry if their ATB doesn’t fill up quicker even after adding a few points, as it will only move faster at specific increments, once enough points have been added. Though the increase in speed is noticeable and helpful! What I loved about this system was that nothing was ever set in stone. If you ever feel like you made a mistake with assigning points, it is easy to reverse what has been done.
A fuel meter adds some strategy to battles. Every movement or action takes up a little bit of the fuel meter, even guarding. Once the fuel meter is used up, you have to wait for it to fill up while the enemy attacks.
There are even special attacks with certain button combos.
Items, weapons, and accessories can also be combined and strengthened. In fact, there aren’t any shops to buy things like most traditional RPGs of the time. All new weapons are created by combining scraps with a sword, axe, hammer, punch, shot, bomb, boots, shield, and so on. It’s semi-random, but many recipes can be found in magazines called “Inventor's Friend” around the world. Inventing is not limited to just items for battles, and you’ll have to make several items that can be used to solve the game's numerous puzzles. They are never too difficult, just the same, a joy to overcome. You can even take control of a mouse at certain points to move around areas that are otherwise inaccessible.
Robotrek flows nicely, never with too much dialogue or lulls. In fact, if anything, the translation leaves a lot to be desired, and the story is basic; it would have been great to have more text to explain things more. Overall, Robotrek isn’t a mind-blowing game, but it does pack some amusement into the 15 to 20 hours or so that it takes to beat. Don’t expect a groundbreaking story, just a straightforward game with an interesting battle system.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 1: Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 2: Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Wayback Wednesday Volume 4: Secret of Mana and Wild Arms
Wayback Wednesday Volume 5: Illusion of Gaia and Grandia
Wayback Wednesday Volume 6: Breath of Fire 3 and X-Men Legends
Wayback Wednesday Volume 7: Star Ocean: The Second Story and Super Mario RPG
Wayback Wednesday Volume 8: Demon's Crest and Dragon Quest VI
Wayback Wednesday Volume 9: Suikoden I and Jeanne d'Arc
Wayback Wednesday Volume 10: Ranking the first 6 Final Fantasy games
Wayback Wednesday Volume 11: Earthbound and Valkyrie Profile
Wayback Wednesday Volume 12: Legend of Legaia and Secret of Evermore
Wayback Wednesday Volume 13: Threads of Fate and Soulblazer