This is a GameCube game that I played on the Switch 2. You are a cute robot that has been given as a birthday present to a little girl. It’s your job to make everyone in the house happy, for instance by cleaning or returning people’s lost items. You have an internal battery though, and a plug that drags along behind you. You have to keep in mind your remaining charge, and periodically plug yourself in. It’s an interesting game mechanic, especially how your battery gets improved the more happy points you get which allows you to explore more of the house. It never became a frustration to me, because the next part of the house or the next upgrade was never far away.
The game is obviously inspired by Toy Story. All of the toys in the house come alive when no one is watching. It’s all very cute and funny. The girl you belong to is currently convinced that she is a frog, and will only talk to you when you’re dressed as one too. It turns out that she’s doing this because her mum and dad are not getting on. Her dad has been spending too much money on toys, and they are struggling to pay their bills. For a game that is so light-hearted on the surface there is some real pathos beneath that is never voiced out loud. I felt sorry for the little girl, and the Mother and Father characters are both selfish but written in a sensitive way. It becomes your job to try to help bring the parents back together as the story progresses. It goes in some very surprising directions, in particular, I never expected to end up on a flying saucer with time-travelling aliens!
The controls felt cumbersome, in particular the camera which I never stopped feeling like I was fighting. That feels like a minor quibble in the face of the sheer amount of charm in this game though. I’m very glad I finally got around to playing it.
