Custom Robo GX (2002)

Developer: Noise
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Genres: Role-playing (RPG)
Where to get it: Nintendo eShop

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A methodical sci-fi RPG-hybrid where customizing your robo fighter for tactical battles is the core thrill.

tacticalsci-ficustomizablemethodicalaction-rpg hybrid

About

The Game Boy Advance iteration in the Custom Robo franchise. Custom Robo GX is a Japan-exclusive GBA version of Custom Robo. It maintains the series' trademark RPG-hybrid gameplay, but changes the battle system to accommodate the limited capacity of the GBA. The Robos can still be customized in the same manner as the console games (Body, Gun, Bomb, Pod, Feet) but the battles take place on a 2-d plane in zero gravity. There is still auto-aim, and the Robos have the same fire modes as the console releases. Different arenas have obstacles, and Robos have dash moves to move around them more effectively. Generally a Robo is based on its 3d counterpart, so a slow and powerful Robo will still be slow and powerful. This game was originally planned to be the first Custom Robo game released in America, but Nintendo chose the Gamecube release instead.

Screenshots

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More by Noise

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.