When in Circle formation, the robots hold hands in a circle around Bolt and allow you to keep your little bots together when navigating difficult terrain. Fortunately when you hold hands, you can’t fall off ledges. If you release the right trigger and jump then press the square button, the bots to a double flip and pound down on the ground. The impact can either activate floor switches or bring the hurt on some enemies.

When in V formation, the Tokobots form a direct line behind Bolt. If you press the Square button while in the V formation, you can toss the Tokobots over your head to grab onto ledges or attack enemies. Now the mechanics of using the V formation is one of the downfalls of the control scheme. Using the throw technique is great for crossing gaps, and climbing up them like a ladder. When it comes to swinging from horizontal poles, the mechanics are completely off. It’s very difficult to get the timing down, and sometimes you have to cross several poles over dead air. Fall and you have to start all over. It’s very frustrating and feels completely unnatural. You can’t gain much momentum, and if your approach is wrong, you can kiss your ass goodbye.

When in U formation the Tokobots join hands at your side like a game of Red Rover. This formation is quite useful because when you pump the Square button, they spin around you like a big top. Eventually you get the ability to spin when jumping and it allows Bolt to float over gaps.

That’s not all you can do with the bots. Along the way, you uncover ancient slates that unlock hidden powers of the Tokobots. Activating the powers is done with the directional pad, and costs junk parts that you collect along the way.

Now the puzzle aspect of the game is well thought out. They are challenging, causing me to scratch my cranium a few times to get through a level. You really have to understand your formations and how to switch them on the fly to accomplish various goals in the game. The levels are designed well, but the designers really didn’t have much fun decorating the levels. They are pretty bland and each corridor looks like the one before and so on. You get to explore ravines and mountains, and ruins, but that’s about it.

Despite my gripes about the swinging mechanics and the rather lackluster visual flair of the level designs, Tokobot is a solid platform puzzler that is well worth picking up used at your local gamery. For those of you who don't have a PSP, the PS2 port has been well received and is apparently an improvement over the original. So if you want in on some little robot action, check out Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri.