Tokobot Maintenance Update

Though Tecmo's upcoming Tokobot isn't quite ready for hands-on just yet, we got a look at a new trailer and had the chance to talk to producer Keisuke Kikuchi about the unique game. The recently announced title puts you in control of a young archaeologist named Bolt, who sets out to save the world with the aid of a gaggle of mysterious robots he discovers in some ancient ruins. While Kikuchi-san couldn't spill the beans on everything about the upcoming game, he did reveal a few choice bits.

At present, it sounds as though you'll be able to roll with a posse of bots that'll run eight deep. You'll have the ability to switch them into three formations that will vary based on your location and needs. So far, we've seen the little guys lining up to form a makeshift ladder for Bolt to climb, wings for him to traverse chasms, and a tight circular formation around him that lets him get past potentially bot-maiming hazards.

However, the most impressive thing we've seen so far is the special Voltron-like combining of Bolt's robot minions into a powerful gestalt. We got to see one of the creations, which was a massive lance-wielding, knight-looking robo that appeared to be pretty tough. In the case of that particular robot, Bolt was able to ride on its shoulder as it zipped about. Kikuchi-san revealed that the various combination robots will have unique attributes, and the ability to make those combination bots will come from blueprints you'll find in your adventure.

Our look at the game gave us a better idea of the art style. Bolt's world of ruins appears to have a distinctly disheveled and blocky look to it, at least from what we've seen so far. The game uses a bright color palette and features clean character design. In some ways, it looks to share the same spirit as Sony's Ape Escape, with the tiny bots replacing the monkeys here (not a bad substitution, in our opinion).

While our gander at Tokobot was all too brief, we did think that it is looking like a breezy action game with a good amount of personality. We're especially anxious to see how all the different gameplay elements will meld together in the final game. Tokobot is currently slated to ship this fall for the PSP. Look for more on the game in the coming months.