Robbit (ロビット Robitto) is the protagonist of the Jumping Flash! series. A rabbit-shaped pest control machine produced by the Robbit Company and owned and maintained by Universal City Hall’s Planet Consultation Section, he possesses powerful electromagnetic springs in his legs that allow him to jump high into the air, as well as a sparkle beam gun and several types of fireworks-based projectile weapons. He has been sent in to resolve various incidents that occur within the galaxy, the most notable of them being Baron Aloha’s holiday villa scheme and Captain Kabuki’s plunder of Little Muu.
History[]
Before Jumping Flash![]
Robbit was created as a prototype by the Robbit Company for the purpose of pest control,[1] and was used by a private company as a work robot.[2] Eventually, Universal City Hall would purchase him to use as equipment.[2]
Jumping Flash![]
In the wake of Baron Aloha's attack on Hanauma as part of his plan to create a set of private resorts, Robbit is quickly prepared for the situation and is retrofitted with the sparkle beam gun to enhance his combat capabilities.[2] Boarded and piloted by a young employee of the Planet Consultation Section alongside the support A.I. robot Kumagoro,[3][4] Robbit is sent to reclaim each piece of land stolen by Aloha's six Kuragera Gs. Additionally, he must also retrieve four Jet Pods from the first two stages of every world, with the reason for this varying between regional versions; in the original Japanese release, the Jet Pods act as fuel to allow Robbit to fly to the next stage,[5] whereas in the US release they were used to propel each world before being unplugged by Aloha,[6] and ostensibly they are needed to propel the worlds back to their original places. Every third stage, he must defeat a large robotic boss character that guards each world. In World 6-2, he comes face to face with Dark Robbit, an evil clone created by Aloha that mirrors several of his techniques, and he eventually battles and defeats Aloha's ultimate creation Aloha Robo.
After clearing all six worlds, Aloha declares that he is yet to be beaten, and Robbit must once again go through each world in order to really save the planet. He eventually defeats Aloha for good, sending him flying home and promising to get back at Robbit.
Jumping Flash! 2[]
Upon Universal City Hall's receival of a distress call from Aloha, whose hideout planet Little Muu is under attack by Captain Kabuki, Robbit is once again sent to rectify the situation. In addition to freeing each planetary fragment from Kabuki's collection of bottles, Robbit must also save every MuuMuu stuck within.
As Robbit makes his way through his second adventure, his progress garners him varying responses from his onlookers in space. While the MuuMuu accompanying Aloha is relieved to see Robbit come to their aid, Aloha himself is unhappy about his archenemy's success and hopes to see him get knocked down a peg. Kabuki, while displeased with Robbit for destroying his new collection pieces, also teases him with rabbit jokes for his own amusement. After Robbit saves each of Aloha's five worlds, he makes his final destination by entering Kabuki's world, where the last four MuuMuus are being held, and faces off against Kabuki's robotic replica Captain Robo. He manages to defeat it, saving Little Muu, and returns to the Izakaya Oahu, where receives praise from the MuuMuus as well as from a reluctant Aloha who offers him something to drink.
At the beginning of "2 Faces of Baron Aloha", the Baron announces his plan to rule the galaxy and get even with Robbit, reintroducing him to Captain Kabuki who is now working alongside Aloha, leading Robbit to spring into action once again to stop him. Robbit makes his way through Little Muu, battling Aloha's henchmen, before entering a final showdown with Captain Robo, who he defeats for good, humiliating Kabuki and enraging Aloha who flies off into space vowing to get the better of him next time.
Pocket MuuMuu[]
Robbit makes his final playable appearance in this spinoff title, acting as the player's means of exploring the game's two hub worlds. Unlike the previous two entries, he cannot double or triple jump at the start of the game, as the ability is now locked behind the Jump Shoes item found in MuuMuu Park. He also cannot attack in any manner, as his jumps do no harm to anyone and he is without his sparkle beam gun and special weapons. He can, however, talk to characters who roam around and run the shops, and can interact with objects to find goodies inside of them. One of the Pocket Games known as "Hopping Flash!" features Robbit as the star, where he must hop on ascending platforms to reach the highest height he can.
Characteristics[]
A diagram detailing Robbit's various features.
Robbit is a multi-capability vermin extermination machine with an emphasis on mobility and made to be compact in design.[7] His defining features are his powerful electromagnetic spring legs that give him incredible jumping ability, allowing him to continuously jump up to three times in the air and land on enemies with a powerful stomp, as well as his assortment of fireworks-based weaponry, among them being the sparkle beam gun which has unlimited ammunition. Other features include his ears which act as 360 degree rotational radars, a cotton tail-like jet nozzle, and red eyes that act as scopes with an anti-shake function. Initially, he required an external energy supply in order to fly in space (appearing in the form of the Jet Pods),[5] but this would no longer be the case in Jumping Flash! 2, as a newly-added energy tank would allow him to travel so long as he has a jumping board to take off with.[8][9] In addition to this energy tank, Robbit would also undergo several minor visual changes; his shoulders and the rims of his feet would change from bluish purple to to cornflower blue, a blue stripe was painted onto his jet nozzle, small green lights were added to his shoulders, and his "R-1" mark (signifying his prototype status)[1] would be removed in favor of a new "2" mark.
Unlike most robots in the series, Robbit is not autonomous and requires a pilot in order to do anything. He also lacks an artificial intelligence of his own, making him bereft of any sort of personality. The closest thing he has to one are his Support A.I. robot companions, who are loaded onto him in order to provide moral support to the pilot and are directly linked to Robbit's senses, allowing them to react to whatever happens to him, such as getting hurt or firing off a special weapon. Despite this, the English narrator of Jumping Flash! 2 describes Robbit as "freedom-loving, [and] robo-heroic" and states that he is "looking forward to a nice, long vacation" in the game's epilogue.
Trivia[]
- Robbit's name is a portmanteau of "rabbit" and "robot."
- Robbit's red eyes and white body are likely nods to real-life rabbit breeds with the same attributes, such as New Zealand whites or Californians.
Gallery[]
Jumping Flash![]
Jumping Flash! 2[]
Robbit Mon Dieu[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jumping Flash! Fanbook, pg 58.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jumping Flash! 2 Perfect Strategy Guide, pg 47.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! JP manual, pg 1.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! EU manual, pg 1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jumping Flash! JP manual, pg 12.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! US manual, pg 5.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! JP manual, pg 8.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! 2 EU Manual, pg 6.
- ↑ Jumping Flash! 2 JP manual, pg 22.