A unique take on a rock solid genre.
In this game, the player takes the role of a young and inexperienced inventor, who is the son of a much more accomplished one. At the very beginning, your father wakes you up with what sounds like a grenade and tells you that he and your assistant are done unpacking your things in your new house. He then leaves you with the Robot Book, a book that, when read, endows the reader with the knowledge to build a working robot. It also happens to have 2000 Gold in the back cover which helps as well!
Once the first robot has been built, it is revealed that you can customize it using attributes such as Energy, Power, Guard, Speed, Charge, and even the color. The more interesting thing, however, is that you can custom make your own attacks! It takes a little bit of experimenting to see just what sorts of attacks are possible, but almost anything you can come up with is better than the stock moves that come with each robot.
Once you are out in the game world, you discover that your character never fights. Instead, he throws his robots out into the battlefield to do his bidding. You control the robot once the fight begins, and when it is over, experience points gained are measured in megs of data. Bonus megs are given for winning a fight quickly. Each time you gain a level, you can make your robot stronger using the 10 Program Points you receive for each level up. These points are allocated into the attributes mentioned earlier. Another thing worth noting is that the vast majority of the time, enemies are visible in the game world, like in Chrono Trigger or Secret of Evermore. This makes it possible to avoid most minor fights altogether in order to get through an area quickly.
In addition, your character becomes smarter with each level gained. Scattered throughout the game world are the Inventor's Friend books, each one corresponding to a Level. For example, you must be at least level 10 to read Inventors Friend level 10, if you can find it! These books teach you how to create new parts for your robots, and these parts can bestow brand new abilities, or improve existing ones. For example, a more advanced pair of boots can enable your robot to move around more easily during an enemy encounter, which can make the difference between life and death.
There is also an interesting Combine feature in the game. Using an Invention Machine, which is the same contraption used to create robots, the player can combine various items and produce useful products. Combining objects provides solutions to some of the puzzles in the game. It is also possible to make new parts for the robots this way.
The story of the game is very entertaining and very deep. There is an unbelievable twist near the end that left me thinking, "I can't believe there's still more to do!" But I was thrilled that the game wasn't over yet, because it is just plain fun!
The graphics in the game are just fine. They create a cartoony atmosphere that fits perfectly with the story and gameplay. The sound effects and music compliment this, and I remember a few of the tracks to this day because they are quite good, especially the overworld map theme.
In conclusion, Robotrek is a surprisingly long game that is very unique and a lot of fun to play. I would recommend this game to anyone that enjoys a good RPG.