Robotrek is a role-playing game released on the SNES in 1994. It was published by Enix and developed by Quintet and Ancient.
Robotrek's main focus is on allowing the player to raise three robots. These robots are built from spare parts that are acquired in various ways.
Gameplay[]
Robotrek has similar gameplay to that of most RPG video games, with the notable exception that the main character is not the combatant, but rather, the robots he invents are. The robots are highly customizable, in aspects such as equipment, special attacks, body color and name. The player is allowed to build a maximum of three robots. Unlike many RPGs, the player must invent or create the robots equipment, use "Program Points" to set the robot's attributes (as opposed to these attributes being set by the game), and program special attacks in a macro-like fashion, although certain commands do special effects instead.
Battles are engaged by contact with the enemy on a map. The player usually attacks first, unless the enemy has caught the player's side or from behind. Battling in the game takes place on a battlefield under a variation of the ATB system, in which the player must wait for a gauge to fill up before acting. Only one robot may fight at any time up against at most three enemies; you can switch between robots whenever its your turn at the cost of using that turn. During the player's turn, none of the enemies will act, and the robot is free to move around the battlefield and attack with one of its weapons. After the robot acts, a gauge appears with the letters E (empty) and F (full) at either end. The gauge's depletion will depend on what action the player used. Until the gauge reaches F, all enemies take turns attacking.
Unlike most RPG video games, the character gains "Megs of Data" instead of experience points. Once enough Megs are obtained, the player gains a level. Also all enemies don't give money by default, but certain enemies do drop it on the map after being defeated. Most enemies will drop some item or low-level equipment, but these can be "Recycled" to make money.
This battling system also uses bonuses. The player can earn extra Megs of Data by defeating enemies within a time limit and using melee attacks. Bonus capsules are also scattered around for the duration of the time limit that can contain items or traps.
Much of the game revolves around creating and combining items for your robots' benefit, and is essential to make higher-level equipment. The player creates and combine items using an invention machine. More items can be created by finding the Inventor's Friend series which can only be accessed depending on the character's level. Aiding the combination process are items called Scrap, these allow the player to create basic equipment or make more powerful ones. Weapons can also be strengthened by combining one weapon with the same type (swords for a Sword). A weapon can increase strength by nine times (called levels).
The different Scraps that the protagonist can find, are: Scrap 1, Scrap 2, Scrap 3, Scrap 4, Scrap 5, Scrap 6, Scrap 7, Scrap 8, Scrap 9, Scrap 10, Scrap A and Scrap B.
Items[]
- Main article: List of Items in Robotrek
Plot[]
On the planet of Quintenix (Paradise Star in Japanese), where the situation has long been peaceful, a group calling themselves "The Hackers", headed by Blackmore, suddenly starts an uprising against the population by disrupting the peace of the town of Rococo (and elsewhere). The main character (who appears to be nameless) is the son of a famous inventor, Dr. Akihabara, who decides to move to Rococo. The main character soon sets off to find out that The Hackers want Dr. Akihabara for a sinister purpose, as Akihabara refuses an offer to join them. The story unfolds to the point where The Hackers' ultimate goal is the Tetron, a mysterious stone that allows viewers to observe events past and future and travel through time.
The Tetron is later found out to be an invention of the main character's ancestor Rask (Rusk) and one of his friends, Gateau, finds the Tetron's potential as the key to controlling the universe by controlling time. Rask disregards that potential and hides the Tetron in shards throughout Quintenix. Gateau, who presumedly formed The Hackers later on, obtains the Tetron and attempts to proceed with his plan for universal domination, starting with Rask's home planet of Choco (Chocolate Star). It is up to the main character to stop Gateau in his space fortress.
Characters[]
- Main article: List of Characters in Robotrek
Locations[]
- Main article: List of Locations in Robotrek
Reception[]
Robotrek received generally mixed reviews upon release. It was mainly criticized for its music. However, many critics liked the fact that random encounters can be avoided, similar to EarthBound. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 7.4/10.
On cross Review of the game magazine Famitsu Tsushin, Robotrek was won the "Silver Hall of Fame" with a total of 30 points (out of 40 points).
In Family Computer Magazine, the evaluation was 22.4 points (out of 30 points).
Sales[]
Quintet reported that the game sold 45,000 units in Japan and 20,000 units in North America, adding up to a total of about 65,000 units worldwide.
Trivia[]
- In the Japanese manual the main character is initially called "Hero" (主人公) which is for the player to name him as desired and feel that they are the protagonist. In the manual, he was named "Enix" (エ ニ ッ ク ス).
- Scrap 9 and Scrap 10, when combined with some equipment or other scrap, create the most powerful weapons in the game.
- The Hackers are parody of Shocker Combatants from Kamen Rider.
- In the Japanese version you can see a deleted scene for the American version: After saving Polon, a scene begins two hackers in a black background began are talking about seemingly of something inappropriate.
- The "Blade 4", in the Japanese version is called "SoulBlade" (ソウルブレイド), which could be the replica of the legendary weapon of the hero of Soul Blazer, "Soul Blade", with the technique of launching bullets shaped Firebird/Phoenix.
- There are two ways to create Blade 4, combining "Seed" with "Blade 3". The other way is combining "Smoke" with "Scrap 8", nonetheless the first combination is a hidden reference to the Kingdom of Freil from Soul Blazer, which in Japanese is フレイル王国|Fureiru ōkoku, where フレイ means Freyr, reference to the name of the Norse god of fertility, which comes from Old Norse name Freyr ("lord"), meaning 'fertile'. Both in form and meaning, fraiwa-("seed").
- The form bipyramid of the Tetron or "Tiatron" (ティアトロン) resembles the "Shrine of the Master" from Soul Blazer and the crystals of Angkor Wat from Illusion of Gaia.
- It's probably the name "Tetron" is the combination of two words:Tia,Theia/Thea"Divine"or "Divine light" and Tron "Tool" take into account that Theia or Euryphaessa is one of the twelve Titans, the children of the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus in Greek mythology, also it could be a little reference of the Giant-impact hypothesis.
- In the Clock Tower of Count Polinky's mansion where there is an enmity of some dolls with the mice of the place, this part of the game could be a reference to Soul Blazer in parody form.
- In the Japanese version, the chicken on the farm is called "Catherine" (カトリーヌ), which is made a small mention in Terranigma.
- In the computer of the Hero's house and that of his father, mentions ActRaiser 2 and Illusion of Gaia (in the Japanese and American version).
- With the CyberJack, the player can enter the computer in dad's house and meet the Development staff of Quintet. This secret is present in Actraiser 2 and Terranigma, too.
- In the American manual of Robotrek, the story section has variations between languages. Example: "The technology on Rococo is slightly more advanced than the technology we have here on Earth" in Japanese version: "The civilization of Rococo town is a little more advanced than the present Japan"(ロココ町の文明は今の日本 より少しだけ進んでいますが).
- Robotrek is one of the games that appears in the Quintet Quiz of Neotokio from Terranigma in the Japanese version.
- On Terranigma, in one of the houses in Crysta there is a footboard from the one bed a generic cat's face carved in wood that is later seen again in a mini game in Liotto, however the cat face is similar to the official art of Kurogane the cat from Robotrek.
- In both the Japanese and American versions, a girl's dog and her grandmother's have the name Turbo (タ ー ボ), a name given to the dog that appear in Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma.
- In one video "Brute Press" VHS Vol.24 July 1995 (【非売品】ブルートプレス Vol.24 1995年7月号) published Terranigma Beta version. The sound effects can heard is the same of the Robotrek.
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