History VideoGame / SteambotChronicles

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Good luck completing the photo album.

* BewareOfHitchhikingGhosts

* CelShading
* CharClone: Elder the White Phantom.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The [[HotCoffeeMinigame Hot Cocoa]] option in the dating minigames.
** A serious example - when Vanilla and Connie have to go through the shack to reach the trotmobile, Connie seems very unhappy to be in, near, talk, hear or even think about the shack. It has very little connection with [[spoiler:Chickory's death by getting hit by a car]] and if you ask her some more about it, she'll say she used to basically play with her dolls in the shack, but "a lot of things happened" and now she doesn't like going in there. Other than some old memories of [[spoiler:Chickory]] being in there, to someone who isn't hip to the plot it almost looks and sounds like a setup for some Lifetime movie type of story about a little girl being raped by some pedophile. Though nothing like that ever happens in the game. Especially with it being a rated T game.

* FiveManBand: Vanilla and the Garland Globetrotters are a literal five-man band. Connie is the lead singer and guitarist, Savory provides backup vocals and piano accompaniment, Marjoram plays the drums, Basil plays bass, and Vanilla plays... whatever the hell you want him to play (though his signature instrument is the harmonica). Fennel was originally a member of the band, but he quits to seek out his own sound about a third of the way in.
** On the trope side of things it breaks down like:
*** TheLeader: Vanilla
*** TheLancer: Connie
*** TheBigGuy: Savory
*** TheSmartGuy: Majoram
*** TagalongKid: Basil

* StepfordSmiler: Connie. Big time.
* TheChick: Connie.
* TheShortGuyWithGlasses: Basil.

''Steambot Chronicles'' is an 2005 (2006 in Europe North America and Australia) ActionRPG made by Creator/{{Irem}} for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, known as ''Bumpy Trot'' in Japan. The game is set in an SteamPunk AlternateUniverse where most daily tasks are handled by [[SteamPunk steam powered]] [[HumongousMecha mechs]], affectionately known as [[MiniMecha Trotmobiles]]. The main character, Vanilla, wakes up on the shore of Seagull Beach [[EasyAmnesia with amnesia]], awakened by [[TheChick a girl]] who's part of [[FiveManBand a band]] called the Garland Globetrotters. Finding an abandoned and beat up trotmobile nearby, he agrees to help her reunite with her friends in the nearby town, while also trying to rediscover his lost past. [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain Supposedly.]]

* AlwaysCheckBehindTheChair: It's easy to miss a few treasures hidden in objects within houses. Most of them are books that you can find in bookshelves. One of said books is hidden in a bed that otherwise looks like nothing is under it.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The Japanese boxart used the same cutesy art style you see at the top of this page. The [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Steambot_Chronicles_Coverart.png American boxart]], on the other hand, features a more serious-looking Vanilla outfitted with goggles (which can be obtained in the game, but not worn on your on your head), a hotter-looking Connie, and a more badass trotmobile.

** The first boss of the game, the Don Elephant ll. Its a giant steam-powered mech that is covered in mounted cannons and takes a huge amount of damage before its destroyed. The catch? Once you jump onto its back you can just beat it to death with little resistance. Also it moves so slow that its no real threat even to the weaker trotmobiles.
** The giant spider mech in the forest has an easy to hit weak point in its center. It main form of attack, it's spike feets, cannot hit Vanilla as long as you stay in its center.

** [[spoiler: After the end of the game, you have one last mission : find the various members of the Garland Globetrotters, one year after Vanilla left. For doing this, you have to travel to every location you visited during the main game, in the reverse order of how you got there. You finally reunite with Connie on the very beach where Vanilla awakened on at the start of the game.]]

* NoodleIncident: It takes a huge amount of digging to get even a the barest details on the incident involving [[spoiler:what happened to Chicory]], and even then, you don't learn all that happened.

* OutdoorBathPeeping: If the player completes a [[GuideDangIt particularly frustrating sidequest]] a hot springs will open up for Vanilla and Connie to visit in the year after mode. Sadly, there isn't a cutscene or any sort of reaction from her programmed into the game... so the only reward the player gets for all their trouble is just being able to spy on her. Also, the game doesn't actually show any naughty bits.

* ScienceIsBad: A common theme that's mentioned in many cutscenes, talked about my many [=NPCs=], and displayed in a few of the sidequests. It''s [[spoiler: Dandelion's main argument for wanting to burn the world down]] and seems to actively cause people to worry about their jobs being taken away.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: While the story seems to start off light-hearted enough, appearing to be about a boy with amnesia who is helped by and helps out the lead singer of a band, it takes a turn for the worse about half way through the main storyline when the focus shifts from Vanilla's amnesia and his relationship with the Garland Globetrotters to a war against a secret society. Aside from the main storyline, the country within the game is actually pretty depressing and corrupt past the more cheerful background music and silly NPC chat, if you take the time to explore. Social class divides, constant talk of industrialization causing job cuts, and [[spoiler:Chicory's death due to apathy of the ironically named city of Happy Garland]] are just a few of the issues you may come across.

* HotCoffeeMinigame: Sort of. You can invite a girl over to your apartment for a date and the minigame begins when she arrives. You start with a set number of hearts and various actions use up hearts. If you increase the number of hearts enough and select the right actions the screen will go blank while a short "hot coffee cutscene" plays where the girl compliments the quality of the hot cocoa you serve her.

* InterfaceScrew: Combined with DamnYouMuscleMemory as well, a somewhat subtle example of this exists in the fossil mining aspect of the game. Every menu in the game starts with the cursor on the first menu option, except when extracting fossils, where it defaults to the bottom menu option instead. As well, there's a short input lag before the game will recognize any input on this menu and this one only, meaning that inattentive players who already know about this "feature" can easily select the bottom option anyway. And of course, there are numerous bugs surrounding fossil mining that can easily result in the Museum Plate being [[PermanentlyMissableContent lost]], including [[GuideDangIt abandoning a fossil load]]. Which is exactly what you do if you pick the bottom option.
* IHaveManyNames: Vanilla will receive titles usually based on what your mech is and how full you are.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: That and the combat controls killed the game for some people.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfSidequests: The main storyline is actually pretty short if you were to skip the myriad of sidequests within the game. While some of them are worthwhile (eg. Nora's sidequest gives the powerful Gatling arm), many provide only cosmetic plates and small amounts of free stocks.
* LyricalDissonance: Actually, despite their upbeat attitude, most of the songs sung by the Garland Globetrotters are pretty damn depressing. You probably won't notice the first time you hear them, though.

* OptionalSexualEncounter: Two of them. One is Nora the Bandit Chief, and the other is Rosetta in the Red Dress in Nefroburg. They're indirect GRatedSex at most, but the coding is there.

The game didn't sell particularly well, at least partially thanks to its incredibly laid back style, as well as [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading load times]] and occasionally wonky controls. [[SugarWiki/NeedsMoreLove But the world is interesting, and there are far worse ways to do..]] [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain ... uh... whatever it is you do in this game.]]

* FunnyAfro: One of the barbers gives only funny afros to his customers.

It was followed by two spinoffs. The first, ''Blokus Club with Bumpy Trot'' for the Playstation 2, was a [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] video game adaptation of the popular tabletop game ''Blokus'' featuring characters from Steambot Chronicles. It was later ported to UsefulNotes/PlaystationPortable as ''Blokus Club Portable'', which was released internationally as ''Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship''. The second, ''Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament'' for the PSP, was an [[ActionizedSequel actionized spinoff]] released in 2009 and taking place sometime after the first game. It did away with most of the elements ''Steambot Chronicles'' was known for, focusing purely on the Trotmobile battles and the side quests.

* GuideDangIt: You will not be able to get 100% on your first try. Items are {{permanently missable|Content}}, quests can become {{Unwinnable}}, and the game can become NintendoHard when trying to find all the trotmobile parts, plates, '''children's story books''', instruments and so on.

''Steambot Chronicles'' is an 2006 ActionRPG made by Creator/{{Irem}} for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, known as ''Bumpy Trot'' in Japan. The game is set in an SteamPunk AlternateUniverse where most daily tasks are handled by [[SteamPunk steam powered]] [[HumongousMecha mechs]], affectionately known as [[MiniMecha Trotmobiles]]. The main character, Vanilla, wakes up on the shore of Seagull Beach [[EasyAmnesia with amnesia]], awakened by [[TheChick a girl]] who's part of [[FiveManBand a band]] called the Garland Globetrotters. Finding an abandoned and beat up trotmobile nearby, he agrees to help her reunite with her friends in the nearby town, while also trying to rediscover his lost past. [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain Supposedly.]]

''Steambot Chronicles'' is an ActionRPG made by Creator/{{Irem}} for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, known as ''Bumpy Trot'' in Japan. The game is set in an SteamPunk AlternateUniverse where most daily tasks are handled by [[SteamPunk steam powered]] [[HumongousMecha mechs]], affectionately known as [[MiniMecha Trotmobiles]]. The main character, Vanilla, wakes up on the shore of Seagull Beach [[EasyAmnesia with amnesia]], awakened by [[TheChick a girl]] who's part of [[FiveManBand a band]] called the Garland Globetrotters. Finding an abandoned and beat up trotmobile nearby, he agrees to help her reunite with her friends in the nearby town, while also trying to rediscover his lost past. [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain Supposedly.]]

It was followed by two spinoffs. The first, ''Blokus Club with Bumpy Trot'' for the Playstation 2, was a [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] video game adaptation of the popular tabletop game ''Blokus'' featuring characters from Steambot Chronicles. It was later ported to Playstation Portable as ''Blokus Club Portable'', which was released internationally as ''Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship''. The second, ''Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament'' for the PSP, was an [[ActionizedSequel actionized spinoff]] taking place sometime after the first game. It did away with most of the elements ''Steambot Chronicles'' was known for, focusing purely on the Trotmobile battles and the side quests.

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* WideOpenSandbox

* OptionalSexualEncounter: Two of them. One is Nora the Bandit Chief, and the other is Rosetta in the Red Dress in Nefroburg.

* BestHerToBedHer: Give Nora the Bandit Chieftain one of each gemstone, and she'll express interest in you; but only after you beat her in a Trotmobile battle. Then she'll say you have access to her bedroom and her. You never see her and Vanilla in her bedroom at the same time, but it has a {{Main/Sexophone}}-esque tune inside and a purple hue. (and a GatlingGood weapon in a chest.) She also talks about how amazing it is to spend nights with Vanilla.

* BestHerToBedHer: Give Nora the Bandit Chieftain one of each gemstone, and she'll express interest in you; but only after you beat her in a Trotmobile battle. Then she'll say you have access to her bedroom and her. You never see her and Vanilla in her bedroom at the same time, but it has a {{Main/Sexophone}}-esque tune inside and a purple hue. (and a GatlingGood weapon in a chest.)

* NowWhereWasIGoingAgain: In case the article didn't clue you in, it is entirely possible to end up with five different {{SideQuest}}s active, get distracted playing music on the street corner for half an hour, and end up with no idea what the ''[[QuicksandBox hell]]'' you were supposed to be doing for any of them. The game does have an in game journal for this purpose, but it's not at all organized or helpful with hints.

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: When you first reach Nefroburg, Connie will try to guide you to her house to meet her mother, Rosemary. If you choose to run off into the rest of the city and do an activity that advances the time to night (eg. battling at the arena, playing billiards, etc.), you'll find a cutscene with Connie at the bridge just past her house. She'll be upset that you ignored her, though much like every other option in the game, this has no effect on the main storyline.

* BraggingRightsReward: Once you've found all the billiards players in the game, at the menu screen you can do the "Hustler King" challenge. If you beat all 14 billiards players ''in a row'' without losing, you get the Demon Cue; supposedly once owned by a demon which acts exactly like a normal cue. (And there ''are'' other magical pool cues in the game that are easier to get, and have special powers.)

* BraggingRightsRewards: Once you've found all the billiards players in the game, at the menu screen you can do the "Hustler King" challenge. If you beat all 14 billiards players ''in a row'' without losing, you get the Demon Cue; which acts exactly like a normal cue.

* BookEnds: [[spoiler: After the end of the game, you have one last mission : find the various members of the Garland Globetrotters, one year after Vanilla left. For doing this, you have to travel to every location you visited during the main game, in the reverse order of how you got there. You finally reunite with Connie on the very beach where Vanilla awakened on at the start of the game.]]

Said to be like VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto [[LighterAndSofter if you removed every shred of psychopathy from the mix]], SteambotChronicles offers a cheery CelShaded world with a massive amount of {{SideQuest}}s, {{MiniGame}}s, [[VirtualPaperDoll fashion]], [[RhythmGame music]], and myriad other ways to completely waste your time. The game has a massive array of choices, [[DialogueTree from what Vanilla says]], [[VirtualPaperDoll to what Vanilla wears]], [[StoryBranching to what Vanilla does]], ninety percent of which does not actually matter as far as plot is concerned, but are quite effective as a means to... [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain completely waste your time.]]

* NintendoHard: The instruments, believe it or not. While the Harmonica and Trumpet are so simple you could play them with one hand (almost), things like the Accordian, Organ, Piano, and Electic Guitar will likely test even some of the die hard RockBand players.

* GuideDangIt: You will not be able to get 100% on your first try. Items can be LostForever, quests can become {{Unwinnable}}, and the game can become NintendoHard when trying to find all the trotmobile parts, plates, '''children's story books''', instruments and so on.

* GottaCatchThemAll: The license plates. There's 30 of them and a few can be easily LostForever. [[BraggingRightsReward And they do nothing.]]

* InterfaceScrew: Combined with DamnYouMuscleMemory as well, a somewhat subtle example of this exists in the fossil mining aspect of the game. Every menu in the game starts with the cursor on the first menu option, except when extracting fossils, where it defaults to the bottom menu option instead. As well, there's a short input lag before the game will recognize any input on this menu and this one only, meaning that inattentive players who already know about this "feature" can easily select the bottom option anyway. And of course, there are numerous bugs surrounding fossil mining that can easily result in the Museum Plate being LostForever, including [[GuideDangIt abandoning a fossil load]]. Which is exactly what you do if you pick the bottom option.

It was later followed by ''Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament'', a PSP game taking place sometime after the first game. It did away with most of the elements ''Steambot Chronicles'' was known for, focusing purely on the Trotmobile battles and the side quests.

SteambotChronicles is an Action RPG made by Creator/{{Irem}} for the PS2, known as {{Bumpy Trot}} in Japan. The game is set in an SteamPunk AlternateUniverse where most daily tasks are handled by [[SteamPunk steam powered]] [[HumongousMecha mechs]], affectionately known as [[MiniMecha Trotmobiles]]. The main character, Vanilla, wakes up on the shore of Seagull Beach [[EasyAmnesia with amnesia]], awakened by [[TheChick a girl]] who's part of [[FiveManBand a band]] called the Garland Globetrotters. Finding an abandoned and beat up trotmobile nearby, he agrees to help her reunite with her friends in the nearby town, while also trying to rediscover his lost past. [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain Supposedly.]]