Zip Lash players control the character Chibi-Robo, a robot that is tasked with roaming the world and defending its natural resources from a fleet of invading aliens.

Throughout the levels, the player can find collectibles such as big coins, Chibi-Tots, and snacks that are based on real-world brands.

The decision to shift genres was taken in the hope of expanding the franchise's fanbase in the US, and to assist mechanics developed for the game.

Zip Lash is currently the most recent game in the series and is believed to be the last, and Skip Ltd.'s dormancy has prompted speculation of its closure.

The player takes control of the robot Chibi-Robo with the goal of reaching the end of the level, which is signified by an unidentified flying object (UFO).

[2] By attaching the plug to orange surfaces on walls and ceilings, Chibi can swing or grapple with his cord to reach inaccessible places.

[3] The Whip Lash can also be performed in the air; holding the action can cause the player to briefly hover.

The levels are displayed in a ring on a 2D map; the player can navigate between them via Chibi-Robo's spaceship, which is called the Chibi-House and acts as the game's hub world.

The color of the UFO determines the number of chances the player gets to spin the "Destination Wheel", which is the game's method of level progression.

[3][18] Chibi-Robo is cleaning the exterior of a space station when his companion Telly reminds him to take a break.

During the break, Chibi-Robo watches television and discovers many of the Earth's natural resources have vanished because of invading aliens.

Chibi-Robo destroys the mothership but a large, glowing ball escapes from the wreckage and heads toward a metropolitan city in Asia.

[24] Tsuda had worked with Tanabe on Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Dillon's Rolling Western and its sequel.

[23][25] The game's lead designers include Yuki Watanabe and Shingo Kabaya,[26] artist Akira Katsuta,[27] and programmer Hironori Ahiko.

[21][30] In discussions with Skip Ltd., developers were tasked with focusing on action gameplay, suggesting "getting his cord and moving it over his head".

The developers did not want the gameplay to revolve around jumping, as does the Super Mario series, and instead opted to focus on the cord-and-plug aspect of Chibi-Robo's design.

[23] To appeal to a wider audience, the developers decided to switch from 3D to 2D gameplay to implement the "whip and swing" mechanic suggested by Skip.

[31] Speaking with Nintendo World Report at E3 2015, Tanabe stated they used other platforming games such as the Donkey Kong series as reference for judging terrain and level difficulty.

Tabata also said Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze were used to influence camera movement in Zip Lash's levels.

[23] The idea to include real-world snack brands in the game stemmed from a need to compare the size of Chibi-Robo with the world around him.

[39] In Japan at launch, and on November 30 in Europe and North America, the amiibo was sold separately and exclusively by Amazon.

[8][47] Mark Brown of Pocket Gamer wrote the controls of the whip, which uses the d-pad, feel uncooperative and sluggish, saying it "lacked the finesse of other grappling hook games like Umihara Kawase and Bionic Commando".

[18][49] Game Informer's Jeff Cork said the vehicles have exaggerated momentum and awkward controls, and that they drag on for far too long.

[48] Some reviews said the game has underused the levels' surroundings and has "no real sense of scale" compared to Chibi-Robo's height.

[45] While the game's mechanics received mixed responses, critics such as Peter Brown from GameSpot said it has well-designed boss battles that are visually appealing and fun to fight.

Critics said the robot's cute appeal is a big driving force for the game and helps make most boring experiences slightly more memorable.

Zip Lash were sold at launch, placing it ninth in the country's video-game sales charts in its week of release.