Nintendo Direct: Chibi-Robo Photo Finder Coming To 3DS January 9

An old mechanical friend from the GameCube era will be making an appearance on 3DS in just a few weeks.

That would be Chibi-Robo, and the North American release of his game “Chibi-Robo!: Photo Finder” (which hit Japan this past summer) will take place on January 9. As the title suggests, taking pictures will be a key component of the gameplay, as you’ll be tasked with taking pictures of objects that match silhouettes that appear on the 3DS screen. The idea is to get as accurate a match as possible, and the items will then remain in the game to show off to other players.

There are also plenty of quirky characters that need Chibi-Robo’s help, some of which were shown off during Nintendo Direct this morning. Nintendo also talked up the game’s NostalJunk Challenges, which will be available shortly after launch. These involve submitting especially creative, interesting, or funny artifacts created using the picture-taking mechanic. After Nintendo picks 10 finalists, the game community will vote to decide the winners, who will receive special in-game outfits for Chibi-Robo to wear.

The quest to help Chibi-Robo (and make sure he doesn’t run out of electricity) looks like a strange but fun one. Head to chibirobo.nintendo.com to find out more.