Let me start by saying that Chibi-Robo for GameCube is one of my most cherished games ever. There are few games that come close to matching its simple but addictive gameplay, quirky sense of Japanese humor, and the sheer amount of heart that the game so proudly wears on its sleeve. It's founded in one of the most classic design structures, but remains something so fresh and original that it is able to appeal to a wider audience than any other game in its genre. But most intriguing of all is if there ever was a hardcore gaming wolf in casual sheep's clothing, this is it.

The game begins with an introduction to the Sanderson family. Its the day of little Jenny's birthday and her gadget-fiend father has just given Jenny a robot about the size of your standard action figure named Chibi-Robo. As this miniaturized title character, it's your job to help Jenny and her loved ones through the trials and tribulations of ordinary family life by lending your tiny robotic hand in daily chores. Since the Sanderson's a wee bit on the untidy side, this means picking up garbage, washing out stains from the carpet, finding misplaced items and other tasks of that nature.

What makes these run of the mill errands so interesting is how the game uses this everyday setting and cast of characters as a base to draw players into one of the most compelling Metroidvania-styled games out there. Think of a game not unlike Symphony of the Night with stains on the floor in place of zombies. Try to imagine Super Metroid not taking place on a massive distant planet, but in an ordinary house from the perspective of Buzz Lightyear. The fundamentals of exploration, ability enhancements, and progression through discovery are still there and just as prominent as Chibi-Robo's influences, but the game manages to present them in such a unique way that it feels new all over again.

Just about every item, upgrade and ability seen in any Metroidvania game has an analogous element featured in Chibi-Robo. Energy tanks become battery power, double jumps become a propeller that pops out of Chibi's head, and new abilities allow you to explore new rooms and levels in the house. Remember that feeling when you had when you got the Varia Suit for the first time and used it to explore the lava slathered areas of Planet Zebes? Chibi's exhilarating moments of new found freedom come in the form of gathering enough power to propel your way to the top of the Sanderson's spiral staircase. But what makes feats like this carry more emotional impact than Samus discovering a new type of missile is that the staircase Chibi ascends exists as a real object in our world. There's no need to imagine it's scale, we've seen it with our own eyes! We already know the challenge it presents to Chibi and what it's eventual victory will mean before we climb the first step. Nearly every Metroidvania games strives to display the player character's progression with new abilities, but few are reinforced with unspoken but intuitive details like this.

Throughout the story, you'll move Chibi through the days when the Sandersons are awake and the night time when the house's hidden inhabitants come out. You'll meet misfit toys and not so sinister bad guys all while trying to improve the lives of those around you. Plot progression in one time will help progress the narrative in the other like an episode of My So-Called Life when the narrative morals of Angela and her mother's separate stories overlap in strange ways. It's so sweet that it may give you cavities, but the game's charm is undeniably addictive and keeps you coming back for more.

Dawdle recently asked readers what their gaming Happy Place was. What games we return to when we need to be cheered up or can put a smile on our faces no matter what our mood is. In my reply to the question I tragically failed to mention this cult classic. I'm not sure why I forgot it at the time, but after returning to Chibi this past weekend I'll never forget it again. Even at a time when I had plenty of reasons to feel down, the game was able to remind me that the opportunities for spreading happiness always surround each and every one of us, as if we all have metaphorical mini-toothbrushes that we can use to remove life's carpet stains. It's all too rare that we see this type of positivity in games and it's something that should not go unnoticed or uncelebrated.