View Full Version : R.O.B. The NES robot
Terrahawk
17-12-2007, 15:59
I know this is a bit weird maybe, but I always loved Super Mario 2--the best out the trilogy. I also used to like playing Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, Solstice and Boulder Dash!
Does anyone remember the weird robot that you could get for the NES? Mine never had it, but heres a clip of one, noisy little sod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08VrKFl6vJ8
Dr Shaneman
17-12-2007, 18:05
If you play Mario Kart DS he is an unlockable racer and on F-ZERO GX/AX he is scattered about some of the tracks.
Nitrosport2000
17-12-2007, 20:19
I remember ROB. He's getting hard to find now and expensive!!! If I'm not mistaken, the one in the video is the Japanese version. Do you remeber the power glove?
Ha, for a second I thought you were talking about the SEGA game named B.O.B. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.O.B._%28video_game%29) but I've seen this thing before....very interesting peripheral. One thing about Super Mario 2: you do know it's a copy of a Japanese game, just with Mario universe characters. I mean, beets are not exactly in line with Mario. (Am I right? I'm pretty sure I heard this.)
Rev-On V5.0
18-12-2007, 15:26
Yep....heh, R.O.B. was a robot that everyone loved but no one used. Sure it seemed so freaking cool...but it would take forever to control! I remember he came bundled with the NES Gyromite, he would be player two. He also came with this plastic rings he could stack up...R.O.B. makes his apperance in SSBB and also in Pikmon2 along with the others said by the Doc up there.
http://i10.tinypic.com/8211g8i.jpg
I use to have him with my Power Pad too, but my parents threw them away. Oh well.
Do you remeber the power glove?
Now that was freaking awesome! Kinda reminds me of the Wii-mote...or the Wii-mote reminds me of the Power Glove...something like that!
One thing about Super Mario 2: you do know it's a copy of a Japanese game, just with Mario universe characters. I mean, beets are not exactly in line with Mario. (Am I right? I'm pretty sure I heard this.)
Yes you are right, Variant. It was remake of a game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic under the name Super Mario USA. Heh heh...that game was pretty interesting...I like the music, though.
The console being used in the video is a sharp twin Famicom, which is basically a Famicom and Famicom disk system in the same box.:)
The robot was given to promote the NES back in the day, he has been in a few Nintendo games now, like Mario Kart DS for example.
The robot was given? I don't recall any R.O.B. giveaway promotion. I thought it was available for anybody to buy.
Oh and FYI I replaced the video at the top of this thread. The original YouTube video is no longer available. The new video gave more hands on information that I've ever really knew about R.O.B.
sonicfanRICH
30-01-2008, 10:38
That robot sure is one strange piece of contraption. It sure seems quite innovative for being around the time of the NES console though.
Well, apparently he was only produced in America to try and show the NES off as an "entertainment system" and not a games console, thanks to the video game market crash that had happened prior to release.
Rev-On V5.0
30-01-2008, 17:27
The robot was given? I don't recall any R.O.B. giveaway promotion. I thought it was available for anybody to buy.
Gavvie is right. Of course, I knew this thanks to a Nintendo Power article a while back but here's the wiki info anyway.
The Robotic Operating Buddy was sold in two packages. One was the NES Deluxe Set, which featured a control deck, the NES Zapper, two controllers, and two games (Duck Hunt and Gyromite). The other package only included R.O.B. and Gyromite.
So anyway...like Nintendo Power said...Nintendo came up with the first bundle before the term "bundle" was used! Slowly R.O.B. is making his comeback.
I don't get R.O.B.'s sudden popularity. First Mario Kart now this...only Mario Kart made less sense since R.O.B. isn't a Mario character. >_>
I think R.O.B. goes along quite nicely with what Nintendo has been sneaking into various aspects of their games since the launch of the Wii. They're trying to help people remember the good 'ol days of the NES. There are countless areas I can think of since the launch of the Wii with NES references. Wii Shop download progress, Paper Mario mini 8-bit Marios, Mario Galaxy and the 8-bit NES remixes/content, some Nintendo DS games, etc... Only makes sense R.O.B. would have some kind of presence in Brawl. Besides, you can't mention R.O.B. without getting a "huh" from people not familiar with him and an odd look from those whom are. :rolleyes:
Yea but they could have just kept him as the a small enemy in subspace. I've always preferred a more small little cameo that you can feel clever about finding out, like R.O.B. in the F-Zero track or the Starfox's robot, than a full blown "here he is as a playable character".
I have to admit I gave a little cry of joy when I downloaded something off my Wii for the first time and saw Mario run across and hit a "?" block, and the little mini 8-bit Marios (then my game crashed thank you NoE).
Yea but they could have just kept him as the a small enemy in subspace. I've always preferred a more small little cameo that you can feel clever about finding out, like R.O.B. in the F-Zero track or the Starfox's robot, than a full blown "here he is as a playable character".
I think the reason we got R.O.B. as a playable character instead of a bit player is the same reason we got Wolf. It wouldn't be too much effort to change up Fox and produce Wolf. R.O.B. should have a relatively low polygon count too so he should be pretty easy to make. I think that's also why we got Mr. Game and Watch as a playable character. The character model was simple. -_-
SuperMatt723
13-02-2008, 00:02
It would be awesome if we got ROB for the Wii! Its plausible.
MephilestheHedgehog
17-02-2008, 16:48
I don't think Rob was a really great character to add to Brawl... He's rather slow and his final smash isn't that great.
Rob sucked. He is only good for one thing, and that is Mario Kart DS, I'll admit, he is awesome in that game. Other than that he is a noisy cheap piece of plastic that people just shoved in their cupboard after a week of using him because they realised they just couldn't be bothered with him anymore. But, as far as a new ROB goes, yeah, I think I would like a rob on the wii, this time it could work and the possibilities are quite interesting. He is a cool character, he just needs to be used for the right things.
SuperMatt723
07-03-2008, 20:32
ROB is NOT a Stupid Character for SSBB. Hes not the best, but not the worst. I,ve seen him Win a Good number of matches, and you cant judge a character from its info.
sonicfanRICH
09-03-2008, 09:28
I kind of dislike Game and Watch man more than ROB. It's funny to watch the little robot fight.
Kaito-kun
28-09-2008, 20:24
I don't think Rob was a really great character to add to Brawl... He's rather slow and his final smash isn't that great.
He's far better than that useless puffball Jigglypuff. ¬_¬ R.O.B is actually one of my best characters in it.
Rob sucked. He is only good for one thing, and that is Mario Kart DS, I'll admit, he is awesome in that game. Other than that he is a noisy cheap piece of plastic that people just shoved in their cupboard after a week of using him because they realised they just couldn't be bothered with him anymore. But, as far as a new ROB goes, yeah, I think I would like a rob on the wii, this time it could work and the possibilities are quite interesting. He is a cool character, he just needs to be used for the right things.
You should see what Ninty have hidden in their basement... (Coughcough An army of large scale R.O.B units preparing for the full-scale console war of 2014 cough)
Sherlock
28-09-2008, 22:25
Oh my God... It's a...
ZOMBIE-THREAD!!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/YenoHyena/Fun/zombie.jpg
AAAAARRRRRGH!!
Oh my God... It's a...
ZOMBIE-THREAD!!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/YenoHyena/Fun/zombie.jpg
AAAAARRRRRGH!!
*falls off chair laughing* You know for a zombie that guy looks fairly normal :P
Anyways, Mr R.O.B (with the full stops otherwise you'll be eaten bynintendo fans) something about him rubs me the wrong way >_>" he was never popular for a very good reason and should be left to die...
Sherlock
29-09-2008, 18:50
So this means you would prefer having no video games at all?
So this means you would prefer having no video games at all?
Not at all, I'd love video games, but I'd like good ones, not half baked games with stupid peripherals.
Mind you for its day I suppose Rob was pretty advanced
Dr Shaneman
29-09-2008, 20:22
Not at all, I'd love video games, but I'd like good ones, not half baked games with stupid peripherals.
Mind you for its day I suppose Rob was pretty advanced
That's true, just like the Polo when it came out >_<.
Kaito-kun
29-09-2008, 20:35
That's true, just like the Polo when it came out >_<.
The mint?
Dr Shaneman
29-09-2008, 20:49
The mint?
Yup, the old mint with the hole.
Kaito-kun
29-09-2008, 20:52
Yup, the old mint with the hole.
I'm afraid I don't really see the train of logic that links R.O.B and a brand of mints.
Dr Shaneman
29-09-2008, 21:07
I'm afraid I don't really see the train of logic that links R.O.B and a brand of mints.
Rayne said R.O.B was advanced for it's time, well so was the Polo when it was invented.
Sherlock
29-09-2008, 21:36
Not at all, I'd love video games, but I'd like good ones, not half baked games with stupid peripherals.
Mind you for its day I suppose Rob was pretty advanced
But that "stupid peripheral" as you call him saved the American video game industry. =)
But that "stupid peripheral" as you call him saved the American video game industry. =)
Please go on :3 I'd love to know how
No, that wasn't sarcasm XD
Kaito-kun
29-09-2008, 22:05
Please go on :3 I'd love to know how
No, that wasn't sarcasm XD
Basically the American video games market on the verge of heading down the pooper (You've probably heard of the tale of the unsold E.T games hidden in a hole in the desert somewhere) and Nintendo decide to try the U.S market. But rather than advertising the NES as a games console they used R.O.B to advertise it as a toy, with the NES simply being something needed to make the toy work, by the time people realised they'd bought a console they're already enjoying it and thus buy more games and so the market was saved.
Basicallythe American video games market on the verge of heading down the pooper (You've probably heard of the tale of the unsold E.T games hidden in a hole in the desert somewhere) and Nintendo decide to try the U.S market. But rather than advertising the NES as a games console they used R.O.B to advertise it as a toy, with the NES simply being something needed to make the toy work, by the time people relasied they'd bought a console they're already enjoying it and thus buy more games and so the market was saved.
Ah now that is interesting, of course I heard about the market crash....and that brilliant decision to print more copies of E.T than they had consoles XD but I didn't know R.O.B saved the day, I thought that it was Super Mario?
Kaito-kun
29-09-2008, 22:19
Ah now that is interesting, of course I heard about the market crash....and that brilliant decision to print more copies of E.T than they had consoles XD but I didn't know R.O.B saved the day, I thought that it was Super Mario?
It was a little of both; there were two bundles available: one with just the NES, R.O.B and Gyromite (One of R.O.B's games) and another with everything the other bundle had plus a zapper and a copy of Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt.
R.O.B was the marketing tactic, but Mario really won the people over.
It was a little of both; there were two bundles available: one with just the NES, R.O.B and Gyromite (One of R.O.B's games) and another with everything the other bundle had plus a zapper and a copy of Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt.
R.O.B was the marketing tactic, but Mario really won the people over.
Tis an interesting story, but I still hate the thing :P
Sherlock
30-09-2008, 07:34
For more details, go here: http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index22.shtml
sonicfanRICH
12-02-2009, 10:20
Sorry to bring this back from the dead for no good reason but...I found R.O.B!
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/LonewormerRich/rob.png
Also, here's some cameo appearances in various games (ignore the kid):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPSSg5xV7EE&feature=related
And here's one from Kirby's Dreamland 3 that I never noticed before (gotta love kirby):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEkMz_qFl1U&feature=related
Sherlock
12-02-2009, 12:03
Oh yes. ROB is in several places...
Playable in Smash Bros. Brawl:
http://www.videogamesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/rob-unlocked.jpg
and Mario Kart DS:
http://pressthebuttons.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/robkart1.jpg
He also has a minor appearance in F-Zero GX:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzO9l9NAUBE&fmt=18
...and appears in several WarioWare games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R75z1Xc2yjI
Dr Shaneman
12-02-2009, 13:51
Oh yeah, I remember playing F-Zero GX for the first time and shouting his name when I saw him on Port Town XD.
Sonicdude1995
12-02-2009, 14:35
Sorry to bring this back from the dead for no good reason but...I found R.O.B!
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/LonewormerRich/rob.png
Also, here's some cameo appearances in various games (ignore the kid):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPSSg5xV7EE&feature=related
And here's one from Kirby's Dreamland 3 that I never noticed before (gotta love kirby):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEkMz_qFl1U&feature=related
Wow,nice finds! The Viewful Joe version of R.O.B is the japanese version! The japanese version is rarer than the english black & white version! Gotta like R.O.B!
LeeMan00
12-02-2009, 21:18
Oh yeah, my friend had Viewitiful Joe, and I was looking at the case, saw it, and I said, hurray Rob's there. My friend was like, "omg!"
Good times.
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