Sequel Bait - Custom Robo | Phenixx Gaming

It’s been quite a while since I’ve talked about games in need of sequels. They do take a fair bit of time, but I’m always happy to discuss some long-dead franchises. In case you’ve forgotten, I like to use this series to discuss the history of old games and discuss what I’d like to see in a potential revival however unlikely it may be.

Today I’m discussing another of my childhood favorites. I think most people would agree that robots are pretty awesome, yet it is a genre that has notoriously been the center point for a variety of now-dead franchises or one-off games. My favorite of these is the Custom Robo series. The franchise consists of five games, only two of which were ever released in the west.

The series was initially quite popular in Japan for a number of years but was eventually overshadowed as a result of poor marketing decisions by Nintendo. After the failure of Custom Robo Arena for the DS, Nintendo decided to cut ties with developer NOISE. With their biggest franchise now owned by Nintendo, the studio was then forced to work on smaller titles.

None of those smaller titles ever received much praise and led to continued losses over the years. The fourth game in the series, released in 2004 for the Gamecube is one of my personal favorites of all time.

The game features a pretty basic JRPG story for the time, but where it really shines is in the gameplay. The core combat places you in control of a miniature robot suit that then battles for supremacy in a variety of virtual areas using third-person shooting.

Each and every robot is uniquely customizable and the game features hundreds of possible weapon combinations. For 2004 this was quite revolutionary and even replaying the game today I am still impressed by the variety of builds I can create. However, the balancing is all over the place and it is easy to see which weapons are best in combination with one another. The game also featured multiplayer since its inception, a feature that was notoriously underexplored by Nintendo’s first-party titles.

As far as potential sequels go this is easily one of the most unlikely. Nintendo now has many other successful first-party and third-party JRPGs such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Octopath Traveler. Nonetheless, I think the series still deserves a place within the Nintendo game catalog.

The biggest area that needs to be improved in a Custom Robo revival is the story. I’m calling for a complete overhaul of the established universe and canon. The previous entries feature a mostly lighthearted tone that fit the family-friendly approach of Nintendo at the time. Most of the plotlines often contained similar themes to Pokémon or the Megaman: Battle Network series.

The fourth game contained some darker sci-fi concepts relating to AI though. Additionally, its action-oriented combat was certainly a contrast to other Nintendo series at the time. Supposedly, this was one of the reasons the game was mishandled by executives at Nintendo though there is no hard evidence to support these claims.

Nintendo has come a long way since then and has embraced producing games for all ages. For a new title, I think it would be wise to deliver a more mature approach with a focus on fast-paced mech combat contained within an interesting setting. Perhaps the mechs themselves become the central characters rather than humans. The story could also take place in an entirely mechanical world or amidst a post-apocalyptic version of our own where only machines can now survive.

The second major inclusion would have to be more expansive combat arenas or maps. While open worlds are quite standard nowadays I feel it fits well with the series as every game featured exploration. Next, in addition to the obvious online multiplayer, I feel that a battle royale mode would actually be a fun addition.

The game is a 3d arena battler at its core. Although I usually despise games in this subgenre, I think it would be a perfect inclusion here. Furthermore, using more modern gameplay ideas proven to appeal to a wide audience is critical for the success of this revival.

Finally, the last two new things are simple quality-of-life improvements. Better balancing of weapons and suits across the board will enhance incentives for experimentation. It will also prevent dominant builds from destroying the online metagame. I’d also like to see the addition of melee weapons that could either be utilized as secondary weapons for your main firearm or act as an alternative. More diversification is always a nice feature for a sequel to have. Adding new weapon types not only enhances this but also feels like a natural evolution of the core combat abilities.

I’m hoping against all odds this series can eventually return in some fashion. At this point, I’d even be happy with a rerelease of the previous three Japan-exclusive titles on the Nintendo eShop. In fact, the first two games were released within a collection this past July. However, this deal as of now is still Japan-exclusive which couldn’t be more of a letdown. Still, I’ll always have that original game to replay and will definitely be seeking out the DS game as well.