<s>
Robotrek	B-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
(	O
RPG	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
(	O
SNES	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
its	O
Japanese	O
name	O
implies	O
,	O
Robotrek	B-Application
was	O
intended	O
as	O
a	O
humorous	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designed	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
a	O
younger	O
audience	O
,	O
Robotrek'''s	O
main	O
focus	O
is	O
on	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
raise	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
robots	B-Algorithm
which	O
are	O
built	O
from	O
spare	O
parts	O
that	O
may	O
be	O
found	O
,	O
gained	O
through	O
battles	O
,	O
or	O
generated	O
by	O
the	O
player	O
by	O
means	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
item	O
combination	O
system.Robotrek	O
sold	O
poorly	O
and	O
was	O
given	O
mostly	O
average	O
reviews	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
combination	O
of	O
traditional	O
RPG	O
mechanics	O
with	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
build	O
customizable	O
robots	B-Algorithm
and	O
invent	O
items	O
was	O
positively	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
sources	O
have	O
noted	O
gameplay	O
similarities	O
between	O
Robotrek	B-Application
and	O
the	O
later	O
released	O
Pokémon	B-Application
and	O
Robopon	B-Application
RPG	O
franchises	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameplayRobotrek	O
has	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
most	O
RPG	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
notable	O
exception	O
that	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
is	O
not	O
the	O
combatant	O
;	O
rather	O
,	O
the	O
robots	B-Algorithm
he	O
invents	O
are	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
more	O
similar	O
to	O
Pokémon	B-Application
and	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
Monsters	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
robots	B-Algorithm
are	O
highly	O
customizable	O
,	O
in	O
aspects	O
such	O
as	O
equipment	O
,	O
special	O
attacks	O
,	O
body	O
color	O
and	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
allowed	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
maximum	O
of	O
three	O
robots	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
many	O
RPGs	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
invent	O
or	O
create	O
the	O
robots	B-Algorithm
 '	O
equipment	O
,	O
use	O
"	O
Program	O
Points	O
"	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
robot	B-Algorithm
's	O
attributes	O
(	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
these	O
attributes	O
being	O
set	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
program	O
special	O
attacks	O
in	O
a	O
macro-like	O
fashion	O
,	O
although	O
certain	O
commands	O
do	O
special	O
effects	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
one	O
robot	B-Algorithm
may	O
fight	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
up	O
against	O
at	O
most	O
three	O
enemies	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
switch	O
between	O
robots	B-Algorithm
at	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
a	O
turn	O
(	O
like	O
in	O
Pokémon	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
turn	O
,	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
enemies	O
will	O
act	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
robot	B-Algorithm
is	O
free	O
to	O
move	O
around	O
the	O
battlefield	O
and	O
attack	O
with	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
weapons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
robot	B-Algorithm
acts	O
,	O
a	O
gauge	O
appears	O
with	O
the	O
letters	O
E	O
(	O
empty	O
)	O
and	O
F	O
(	O
full	O
)	O
at	O
either	O
end	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
revolves	O
around	O
creating	O
and	O
combining	O
items	O
for	O
the	O
robots	B-Algorithm
 '	O
benefit	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
essential	O
to	O
make	O
higher-level	O
equipment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Quintet	O
had	O
previously	O
developed	O
the	O
ActRaiser	B-Application
series	O
,	O
Soul	B-Application
Blazer	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Illusion	B-Application
of	I-Application
Gaia	I-Application
,	O
all	O
released	O
by	O
Enix	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Quintet	O
first	O
collaborated	O
with	O
Ancient	O
on	O
ActRaiser	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robotrek	B-Application
was	O
directed	O
by	O
Quintet	O
president	O
Masaya	O
Hashimoto	O
,	O
who	O
supervised	O
the	O
staff	O
during	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
assisting	O
on	O
the	O
overseas	O
marketing	O
of	O
ActRaiser	B-Application
,	O
Shinji	O
Futami	O
was	O
promoted	O
to	O
producer	O
for	O
several	O
Quintet	O
games	O
including	O
Robotrek	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiko	O
Takebayashi	O
served	O
as	O
both	O
the	O
chief	O
designer	O
and	O
scenario	O
writer	O
for	O
Robotrek	B-Application
,	O
while	O
Shigemi	O
Kita	O
was	O
its	O
main	O
programmer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Takebayashi	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
central	O
theme	O
of	O
robots	B-Algorithm
and	O
their	O
inventor	O
stemmed	O
from	O
the	O
desire	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
game	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
nurtured	O
their	O
own	O
creation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
gameplay	O
model	O
consisted	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
inventing	O
robots	B-Algorithm
with	O
different	O
abilities	O
that	O
would	O
aid	O
the	O
citizens	O
of	O
a	O
town	O
in	O
their	O
daily	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
,	O
backgrounds	O
,	O
and	O
enemies	O
in	O
Robotrek	B-Application
were	O
designed	O
by	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
Quintet	O
artists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
artist	O
of	O
note	O
is	O
Kōji	O
Yokota	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
responsible	O
for	O
designing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
robots	B-Algorithm
and	O
claimed	O
he	O
was	O
tasked	O
with	O
making	O
them	O
appear	O
"	O
retro	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
old	O
fashioned.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
Robotrek	B-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Ayako	O
Yoda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ancient	O
president	O
and	O
lead	O
composer	O
Yuzo	O
Koshiro	O
is	O
credited	O
as	O
a	O
sound	O
producer	O
on	O
the	O
game.Robotrek	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
July	O
8	O
,	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robotrek	B-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
October	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Quintet	O
reported	O
that	O
Robotrek	B-Application
ultimately	O
sold	O
only	O
45,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
20,000	O
copies	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robotrek	B-Application
would	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
final	O
games	O
released	O
by	O
Enix	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
before	O
taking	O
a	O
hiatus	O
from	O
publishing	O
outside	O
of	O
Japan	O
in	O
late	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nick	O
Rox	O
of	O
GameFan	O
,	O
Dean	O
Mortlock	O
of	O
Super	O
Play	O
,	O
and	O
Doug	O
Brumley	O
of	O
Game	B-Device
Players	I-Device
all	O
viewed	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
invent	O
items	O
and	O
build	O
customizable	O
robots	B-Algorithm
that	O
fight	O
in	O
the	O
protagonist	O
's	O
place	O
as	O
innovative	O
or	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mortlock	O
appreciated	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
invent	O
objects	O
and	O
add	O
new	O
robots	B-Algorithm
as	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
one	O
saving	O
grace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
gameplay	O
attributes	O
,	O
coupled	O
with	O
linear	O
storyline	O
progression	O
,	O
led	O
Brumley	O
to	O
conclude	O
that	O
Robotrek	B-Application
was	O
"	O
a	O
fun	O
choice	O
for	O
players	O
without	O
much	O
RPG	O
experience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
GamePro	O
negatively	O
assessed	O
that	O
Robotrek	B-Application
"	O
unsuccessfully	O
attempts	O
to	O
push	O
the	O
envelope	O
of	O
its	O
genre	O
,	O
"	O
criticizing	O
the	O
inability	O
to	O
send	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
robot	B-Algorithm
into	O
battle	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
and	O
the	O
trial	O
and	O
error	O
involved	O
in	O
creating	O
hybrid	O
weapons	O
and	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
did	O
praise	O
the	O
robots	B-Algorithm
 '	O
special	O
attacks	O
and	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
avoid	O
enemy	O
encounters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
approved	O
of	O
the	O
spritework	O
but	O
likewise	O
discounted	O
the	O
overworld	O
graphics	O
as	O
"	O
simple	O
"	O
and	O
criticized	O
the	O
English	O
text	O
as	O
roughly	O
translated	O
and	O
nonsensical	O
at	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brumley	O
alternatively	O
praised	O
Robotrek	B-Application
as	O
having	O
"	O
colorful	O
landscapes	O
and	O
cartoon-style	O
characters	O
,	O
"	O
a	O
"	O
wonderful	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
some	O
"	O
realistic	O
"	O
sound	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Online	O
commentary	O
regarding	O
Robotrek	B-Application
has	O
varied	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
Quintet	O
retrospective	O
,	O
1Up.com	O
editor	O
Todd	O
Ciolek	O
considered	O
Robotrek	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
developer	O
's	O
few	O
missteps	O
during	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
era	O
,	O
describing	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
"	O
odd	O
robot-raising	O
RPG	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
few	O
warmed	O
up	O
to.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
writing	O
about	O
the	O
genre	O
's	O
prominence	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
,	O
Brett	O
Elston	O
from	O
GamesRadar+	O
counted	O
Robotrek	B-Application
among	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
strong	O
"	O
second	O
stringers	O
"	O
like	O
The	B-Application
7th	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
,	O
Paladin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Uncharted	B-Application
Waters	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
sources	O
have	O
noted	O
similarities	O
between	O
Robotrek	B-Application
and	O
Pokémon	B-Application
,	O
an	O
RPG	O
franchise	O
launched	O
two	O
years	O
later	O
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joe	O
Keiser	O
of	O
Next	O
Generation	O
credited	O
Robotrek	B-Application
as	O
a	O
predecessor	O
to	O
the	O
core	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Pokémon	B-Application
in	O
that	O
the	O
protagonist	O
does	O
not	O
himself	O
fight	O
,	O
but	O
instead	O
sends	O
out	O
robots	B-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
are	O
kept	O
in	O
capsules	O
outside	O
of	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Staff	O
for	O
both	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
and	O
RPGamer	O
also	O
observed	O
a	O
resemblance	O
in	O
functionality	O
between	O
these	O
capsules	O
and	O
the	O
Poké	O
Balls	O
used	O
in	O
Pokémon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Verge	O
contributor	O
Nick	O
Statt	O
and	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101s	O
Joshua	O
Jankiewicz	O
further	O
suggested	O
that	O
Robotrek	B-Application
may	O
have	O
been	O
the	O
partial	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Robopon	B-Application
,	O
a	O
Pokémon''	O
"	O
clone	O
"	O
RPG	O
series	O
originating	O
in	O
1998	O
that	O
features	O
customizable	O
robots	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
