The Story of R.O.B. the Robot

[@GamingHistorian]

Hello everyone! Most videos on R.O.B. make fun of him, but he was vital to the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System. If you learned something new, please share this video out! Thanks for watching and have a great weekend!

[@supergamer-ol1lm]

Gaming Historian hi

[@itsaPIXELthing]

I always learn something new from your videos, Norm! That's a fact! :)

[@ireallylikegarlicsauce9555]

But rob the robot is super cool even that he only support 2 games

[@TreeGuyJon]

Gaming Historian my god I get so hype when your vids pop up in my subs... I’ve never not liked one of your vids

[@machinezwinn8625]

ROB: MOTOR OIL UP AND HIT THE GYM WITH ME.🤖🤖🤖

[@ChronoTriggerHappy]

R.O.B., The Last Of His Kind. We salute you, subspace emissary. You saved gaming industry.

[@silverdays2909]

And he saved the universe

[@16-bitpixel74]

Amén

[@joshuahunt3032]

Well, the Western Gaming Industry, as the industry was fine in Japan…

[@happytbag2194]

@@joshuahunt3032 it was also fine in Europe so saying the “west” is wrong also. It was pretty much only in North America.

[@gabrielespana319]

@@happytbag2194 so the biggest market

[@RetroGamePlayers]

My friend used to put Rob in his backpack and bring him to school. One day on the bus he got into a fight with a kid and the other kid grabbed Rob and threw him out the window. Rob didn't make it.

[@jeffdlr3056]

Retro Game Players don't disassemble R.O.B.! Don't disassemble R.O.B.!

[@ygsr]

Retro Game Players R.I.P. R.O.B. L.O.L.

[@Tribe_E100]

So saaaaaaad..... :(

[@MUMSUniverse]

I would have been beyond upset. Dang. :(

[@thevenom2731]

That sucks. Your friend should've thrown that kid out the window. See how he likes it. RIP R.O.B.

[@Mikelovesmuseums]

*Clicks on video about R.O.B* "The Trojan War" 0_o oh, okay...let's see where this goes

[@Urrarg]

Lol same. I had to refresh to make sure I loaded the right video.

[@williamjackson460]

Right

[@SherrifOfNottingham]

Is it sad that the moment the video started I went "oh yeah, ROB kind of is a Trojan horse, I probably know just about everything this video is going to say... I'll still watch."

[@unish25]

LOL

[@Jellonaa]

Same.

[@LiterallyCanada666]

“They said reviving the video game market wasn’t humanly possible, it wasn’t” is such a kick ass marketing line like hell yeah we’re nintendo and we saved video games

[@AaronOfMpls]

Read the fine print at the bottom, too, including the bit about "see our booth at CES". Looks like an ad that would run in an industry publication -- probably one meant for retailers or marketers.

[@RhythmGrizz]

Several times.

[@MuchWhittering]

Only in America. The Japanese market never died, and Europe didn't give a shit about Nintendo until the Wii.

[@UBvtuber]

@@MuchWhittering Yep. america has a bad habit of not only thinking we're the only place that matters: but over-reacting to things.

[@kurtmooreca]

@@MuchWhittering The American market never died either....even said as much in the video that arcades were as popular as ever, hence the whole "we just have to get it in their hands" approach. The consumer never left, just the Intelevisions and Atari's.

[@BagofBonesJAW]

They should make a new R.O.B. for the switch, where you can play against R.O.B. He would act as an extra hard CPU, but you can actually see him input commands, and when he plays in games like Mario Kart, and Smash Bros, he would only play as R.O.B.

[@user2C47]

An AI player device would be interesting, as it could allocate all of it's resources to the AI, without also having to run the game. It should be open source so the public can add their own AI programs. It should be recognized as a controller by games, although it will need to receive video, sound, and certain other data from the console. It should connect to the console using the standard controller interface.

[@destoyer094]

And given the tech differences between the 80s and now, doing such a thing wouldn't be too difficult

[@sfmaub234]

It would be interesting and some sort of revival, plus between the 80s and know these things are way easier to do, however i think only certain smash fans, hardcore nintendo fans and old fans would buy it.

[@sherylbane2475]

But R.O.B. isn't a playable character in Mario kart 8 deluxe.

[@sherylbane2475]

I think he would always pick random.

[@redrooster303]

Remember seeing the little robot as a kid and wanting it. Shame my parents had divorced and my mum was now on the breadline. She did manage to get me a SNES though which to this day I appreciate as she had 3 jobs at the time and it was hard for her. Great memories of playing that as a kid though. Thanks mum.

[@barreldancer3505]

Full Respecy For Your Mom

[@breakingames7772]

Ive still got my bed which works when u blow the cartridge....after 35 years it still works, try that with a Xbox or PlayStation

[@jamesdare8584]

Shout out to awesome mum's. Seems like you had a great one same as me.

[@TheMMObro]

Moms are the best

[@sparkyprep2077]

Just think how much better yours, and your mom's, life would have been if she had stayed.

[@KairuHakubi]

If only more companies had that attitude "This industry is doing badly due to incompetence, not that customers are magically not interested in this anymore" you can pick almost anything. Television, music, toys...

[@Changetheling]

Heh.

[@garyking3370]

me with memes

[@kingdedede6982]

@Joe Blow or better yet mighty number 9

[@dacypher22]

True, but this was a very specific situation. A lot of times products do fade away because the public is no longer interested or it was just a fad. The video game crash of 1983 was a particular case where the crash occurred at retail and not with end-users. Users still wanted to keep buying high-quality games, but retailers had bought up tons of poorly made games that had no commercial viability and lost their shirt on them. Those losses made them stop carrying games altogether because the risk was too high. Nintendo tapped into a market that still existed and provided a way to erase the risk at retail, so they were providing solutions to everyone. Not everything will work that way, but if you find something where this scenario is happening again it could be worth a fortune if you have the solution.

[@alienclay2]

Whoa whoa whoa there! How do you ever expect to succeed in corporate life by taking personal responsibility for your actions? That makes too much sense!

[@cronusblackstar2045]

R.O.B: "What is my purpose?" To infiltrate the American market. R.O.B: *GRINDING NOISES*

[@magicalhobo42069]

Rick and Morty lmao

[@wchan39]

@@magicalhobo42069 Still a better purpose than to pass butter.

[@AYEcorolla]

This is the best thing I have read all day, it's perfect.

[@Tristanstar360]

*Slowly grind to a salute*

[@wesleythomas7125]

YES MY LORD!!! * bing! * Ah'm a-gunna sing the Doom Song!

[@benb8708]

Hold up can we talk about how this dude at 21:48 is holding the controller

[@pizzaboxer]

thats literally how all my friends play when they play on a keyboard, since they all play on their PS4s

[@alexandramartinez3715]

What the hell!!!?!?😂

[@NotASpyReally]

For games that require smashing the buttons as fast as you can (example Soul Calibur if you don't know how to play), that's the best way to hold it xd

[@gromquat]

I know a lot of pro classic tetris players hold their controllers that way

[@jimmyjohnson1426]

That was my brother's style, thumb on d-pad, index and middle fingers on buttons. My technique of using all fingers for playing the Super Mario Bros. trilogy was completely foreign to everyone who came across it. Also, it wasn't about "button smashing", but holding down the run button and timed jumps.

[@StellarJAGuar]

*clicks on video about a Nintendo robot* opening line: “The Trojan War”

[@Changetheling]

Classic.

[@VictorCN]

Hey Vsauce, Michael here.

[@BryanX64]

@@VictorCN This tea is quite hot. But, it's not the hottest thing in the universe.

[@aziolsen1750]

that's like if you imagine someone who first plays Super Mario Bros and immediately says "this has nothing to with plumbing well i just wasted 50$"

[@TheSpearkan]

Video essayist moment.

[@ThatOneVideoGamer]

You made Rob look like an insane Nintendo toy... I agree

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

The Completionist Hey, Jirad! Nice to see you in the comments!

[@efwefwef4747]

Still struggling with dk3 errrrrr

[@YarugumaSou]

Well what if.... Rob is actually an insane Nintendo toy?

[@estoy1001]

"Made"? Watch that video again...

[@SumDumGy]

How dare you?! Rob is not insane!! He's a very well-mannered Robot that is largely responsible for the resurgence of the home video game industry. Show some respect! :D

[@Latino_Burrito]

And that's why i main him in smash.

[@plainodyssey]

Spicy Tuna Roll relatable

[@krablife354]

R.O.B. has earned my respect

[@darthrockonor3429]

I see you're a man of culture aswell.

[@gracefulfiber4246]

It’s good to see another. Our kind is rare

[@dethmettle9236]

People keep saying im spamming his spin and laser at the right time, but it's still effective....

[@DarukaEon]

I feel like they should bring this back with a more modern take on it. Make him faster, Bluetooth compatible with mobile devices, rechargeable, etc.

[@wolfetteplays8894]

JapanEyedPinoy yes please

[@Bembel81]

Why, it's a boring piece of junk.

[@seymourbrown4540]

Or a labo set

[@kpd328]

Except he'd be made out of cardboard

[@jsoto9795]

@@Bembel81 how dare you

[@Akfamilyhome]

...and 33 years later, Nintendo is making a robot toy once again. Out of cardboard and magic tho.

[@TheRezro]

Basically yes.

[@PSVitaat2am]

Hahahaha this is true!

[@totigerus]

Akfamilyhome I haven’t been keeping up. What is Nintendo doing these days with robots?

[@IndicaEuphora]

Totigerus Basically theres a toy kit called Nintendo Labo. It's a bit weird to explain but its basically cardboard pieces you fold into makeshift toys that somehow interacts with a Nintendo Switch console. It's mainly for little kids

[@thehigherdrake]

Cardboard FTW!

[@unknownscientist1530]

I've honestly felt like they could remake R.O.B, make him quieter and faster and maybe do some very interesting things with him. I'd buy it.

[@trevorslinkard31]

Who would’ve thought that this robot made video games survive to today. Could they have done it without him? Maybe, but who knows what would be different. Thank you, ROB

[@DevMeloy]

I had a ROB growing up and it was fun at first but I only owned Gyromite so he got boring pretty quickly.. I wish I'd hung onto him thought, I bet he's worth a fair bit of cash.

[@BigR.O.B.]

hell yeah

[@nathancraig4710]

r/beetlejuicing

[@BigR.O.B.]

Nathan Craig what's that

[@chloroplast8611]

@@BigR.O.B. idk dude

[@chloroplast8611]

wow.. so youtube did go thru an update ere

[@BigR.O.B.]

@@chloroplast8611 ?

[@YasugoLiehu]

I really feel that R.O.B was a pretty fun idea, one that could potentially teach kids about the basics about programmimg and robotics. I'd imagine that if R.O.B was designed in such a way, along with the proper software, you could have a fun little IDE that you could program R.O.B with, thereby getting him to do stuff.

[@zackschilling4376]

ROB always reminded me of those old programmable LEGO toys from back in the day that were compatible with the old Apple IIe. I took a summer class (a program that was called ESP Expanded Studies Program) and thats all we did was mess around with the Legos. It was really cool.

[@scantyer]

Someone with Chihiro avatar talking about programming? ha :p

[@lancelnce]

Osoiatama agree! It seems you atama is not so osoi has you nick stated xD lol

[@SaviorGabriel]

Nintendo's kinda doing something along those lines with the Toy-Con Garage Labo game for the Switch. I guess we've come full circle now.

[@coffiestar1743]

Nintendo lado might get kids into programming. They showed the garage option on lado. Instead of a list of codes there's visuals. And they mixed some cardboard sets with the new programming to make something new. I can't wait to see what people are going to make. I do know some will print some new cardboard designs.

[@lasercraft32]

I'm so glad they added R.O.B to Smash Bros. to honor his legacy. He's just such a loveable character and I'm glad he wasn't forgotten!

[@onthespoke2]

Oops. They tried to make the NES not look like a video game console, and it accidentally became the most recognizable video game console of all time.

[@truthhopelove]

No, it wasn't an accident. They wanted to sell it for the video games, but had to get around the people who thought video gaming in North America was dead.

[@wellesradio]

Accidentally? When you try to sell a product and you succeed as a result of your efforts, that's the complete opposite of an accident.

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

I get what you're trying to say, but at the time the NES didn't look much like most other game consoles. It looked more like a VCR or other appliance. It hid its cartidges away inside rather than having them poke out of the top. It used push buttons instead of flip switches. But most importantly, they made it with quality and dedication when everyone and their oatmeal factory had tried to turn gaming into a quick cash grab. They didn't "accidentally" become the most recognizable, they redefined the image of what a game console should be.

[@vurpo7080]

They only tried to fool the media and stores. The NES was definitely meant to be a video game console, and they definitely succeeded in making a popular video game console, but they just needed to do a little trickery to make stores and the media not realize that.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

As usual, another fantastic episode. As a kid I thought that R.O.B was the coolest thing ever. Now I'm looking at that AVS design with a bit of drool on my mouth lol. Thanks for your hard work on this video. It was well worth the wait.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Reality Productions I'm a time traveler! Lol. I support the channel on Patreon. We got to watch the video yesterday. Just one of the perks you get for donating. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys Norm's content.

[@adamhovey407]

Wrestling With Gaming hey, fancy seeing you here.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Adam Hovey lol indeed!

[@TheDeadman14]

Wrestling With Gaming Two of the best Gaming Historians I know on one channel, coincidence?

[@Bobadikxx]

Haha Hi WWG! Loved your last video!

[@anonymouscitizen2732]

growing up as a kid, I always wondered what that thing did. After watching the video, I still kind of do.

[@vector6977]

look up the angry video game nerd video. He (ROB) presses the B and A buttons in the slowest and most ridiculous way possible.

[@jc.1191]

Same. Lol

[@Meg-nc4su]

Even tho Mario is, visually, an ideal mascott, I feel like ROB deserved that spot more. It was .. *rob* -bed

[@Jellyfish-y]

That was good

[@StarGamer243.]

*insert laugh track here*

[@brandonwilliams6119]

Meg It hurts more when you release they never kept him in subsequent Mario Kart games. He’s mostly relegated to cameos such as Star Tropics Kirby’s Dreamland 3, F-Zero GX, Warioware etc.

[@HyperrealisticLuigi]

@@brandonwilliams6119 He's living it up in Smash though, at least HE got in, Waluigi couldn't.

[@tayeallen8528]

😂😂😂😂

[@OldManTheseDays]

I got the ROB version of the NES for Christmas, the one with Duck Hunt and Gyromite. ROB was fun for about 10 minutes- then I disconnected it and he lived out his days on my bookshelf. Gyromite was played with two controllers in hand from then on.

[@RavishingSailor]

UncleDeluxe lol. Sounds like you are from my generation or I just gave the second controller to my baby bro who is Now a 38 year old man. Still love ROB

[@albertoguardadocastaneda7354]

@@RavishingSailor Woah. How old are you?😂

[@RavishingSailor]

Warchester ! Hey Warchester, Iam 42 going on 43. Grew up an 80’s kid. Old enough to have been that little brat that my uncle took to see the original screening of “The empires strikes back”. Now a father of 4 and wishing my kids grew up with what I experienced. It wasn’t all that great but it was fun.

[@GisherJohn24]

i probably used it for 25 minutes in my entire life. Worst accessory ever besides that glove they made. lol . I was ready to play super mario bros. lol

[@The_RadicalOne]

Yes! Great job Norm! I didn’t actually get to use rob until I was a lot older. By the time I got the NES in 1987, they had Discontinued him.

[@IsayDatToYou]

Hey my main man Reggie what's up?

[@RetroClash95]

Would you say ROB is a hidden gem?

[@PSVitaat2am]

Seems like a cool thing to have.

[@michaelbreen7865]

I never got to have R.O.B. when I had the NES.

[@freddyvidz]

Same here

[@JomasterTheSecond]

It warms my heart that you're not pretending the video game crash was a worldwide thing, and specifying the crash was only in North America. Thank you!

[@ssjup81]

Yeah. I always thought it was a world-wide thing, until I learned better and realized it was more of a US problem than Europe or Japan.

[@Craigalicioususa]

Yea the crash was because people made games for money, not fun... *cough* EA *cough*

[@lordofthecats6397]

Wait, what do you mean "worldwide" north America is 99.5% of the world!! ... hehe I love to make fun of my own 'mericaness

[@hansweiss469]

Yep. Sucks that the Nes didn't do so well in Pal regions(a.k.a Europe and Australia).

[@JomasterTheSecond]

So uh... any proof on those statistics?

[@pgj1997]

I legit want to see Homebrew games that utilize R.O.B. He has so much potential that was never fully realized.

[@MrFizz-bt5wu]

I sometimes see people hating on Nintendo, and sometimes they have good reasons for it, however, without Nintendo, the gaming industry would most likely stayed dead. Nintendo revived gaming and made it what it is today and its all thanks to that awesome little robot.

[@falconoflight4773]

Mr.toastyboi 1369 Yeah.

[@elin111]

Nintendo's creativity is both their biggest strength and worst enemy. When ti works they're genius innovators (Switch, DS, NES), when it doesn't they're tone deaf nutcases (Wii U, Virtual Boy).

[@TheCrazierz]

I appreciate and love Nintendo but hate them too. I have a switch and I enjoy it but I think its overhyped. I feel it was rushed when the WiiU failed: the interface is so basic, it lacks customization, which even the 3DS had. No party support? I try to to play Friday the 13th with my friend and we have to coordinate and PRAY we land in the same game! And Nintendo fans defend it as being minimalist but I honestly think it was because the WiiU failed. I hate that there is about 8 good original AAA games; it's full to the brim with indie games, which dont get me wrong I've enjoyed a few, but they should be a side dish not the main course. I also hate how youtubers get so excited about re-leases of games...THAT HAVE BEEN OUT FOR YEARS ON OTHER CONSOLES!!! Its fine that games get re-released but damn Nintendo fans treat it like it's a fucking treat to pay full price for the privilege of playing them on the go! I also think the praise for the Switch's success is unwarranted. Firstly, Nintendo was FORCED to merge their presence in the home console industry and the handheld industry; they always dominated in the handheld but struggled in the home console and simply couldnt continue to support two separate ecosystems. It's a brilliant move, eliminating costs of 1 ecosystem while competing in both industries, but we should acknowledge that the success is across both industries now, and a fair comparison between other home consoles is very improbable. On top of that, many people are under the illusion that the Switch is competing with the PS4 and the xbox one, but it isn't. The WiiU did and failed miserably. The Switch's competition, the PS5 and the next xbox, arent out yet. So it's too early to fairly compare.

[@Jellyfish-y]

But if the wiiu wasn't made then we wouldn't have the switch, so there's always some good into wiiu

[@UBvtuber]

@@TheCrazierz Tbh, I think the Wii U gets way too much shit. It was ahead of it's time letting you plug in headphones on a home-console which the PS4 (and obviously the switch) later did. Plus, minus the fact it was so expensive due to the controller, once you got it, it does have some good games for it like Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2, Fire Emblem, Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Wind Waker HD, Mario Maker, Breath of the Wild (it was originally there before the switch). Plus, you can play Wii games with an HD signal and thanks to homebrewers, you can also play gamecube games on it (not disks tho)

[@foreman_spike]

I used to play Mario Kart DS, and I wondered what ROB was from... Thanks for the video 👍🏻

[@NintegaDario]

21:56 Until Mario Kart DS rolled around, the first time he was playable. :D

[@chaotik900]

Nintega Dario I always wondered what his reason was for being there tried to look for what he was from. When I younger.

[@ivang3021]

Then the Smash Series!

[@BagofBonesJAW]

They should make him a DLC character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

[@spydersoup8447]

He meant that R.O.B retired as a console accessory, but he did mention that R.O.B would forever live on as cameo appearinces in Nintendo video games as a way to pay tribute to him after helping Nintendo bring the video game business back to America. It just that Norm didn't really mention Mario Kart DS.

[@tuxedobird]

Nintega Dario nah he is retired all the games he’s been in is his retirement.

[@julianmartinez8414]

0:00-0:50, one hell of a way to start a video

[@LonSeidman]

Super Mario Brothers ended up being the better pack-in. Funny how they had to go these lengths to convince retailers to carry the product.

[@troodon1096]

In retrospect it's hard to imagine that retailers would be so reluctant, considering how well it sold, but after the video game crash many honestly believed that video games in general were a dead fad. It took a lot of effort to convince them otherwise.

[@osurpless]

Troodon Likely because that was the trend. As established early on, the Japanese surmised the problem was one of quality. Business in the US didn’t make that distinction, as per their usual lack of creativity and nuance. Video Games either were completely good or bad; nothing in between... And considering that quality was never a prevailing factor even when the industry was flying high in the early 80’s, it should come as no surprise that they didn’t, and likely couldn’t, make that distinction.

[@Krystalmyth]

Oliver Surpless It was always a prevailing factor... That was the point.

[@osurpless]

Krystal Myth Quality was? How so?

[@samanthasailer1988]

rob needs more love hes very cool we also have a rob, someone from my dads work wanted to buy rob from us and my dad is like no hes not for sale., cool thing is rob got his own amiibo

[@erinkarp6317]

I always wondered who R.O.B. was in Super Smash Bros.

[@sfmaub234]

Same here. It's never explained (unless you are one of the smash fans that reads every trophie like me) in detail.

[@H4PPYx337]

He's still my favorite character tho

[@JoeKenji]

I main R.O.B. in smash bros 4 😊

[@signin3686]

My friend is a ROB main, and he has one?

[@Whatismusic123]

I found out about R.O.B. From mario kart DS

[@rebelleousgaming]

I first watched this video 2 years ago; it was my first Gaming Historian episode. Little did I know this single video would spark a new, unrivaled passion for me: retro video games. I have since watched just about every Gaming Historian episode, and my love of retro video games has only grown. I hope to create my own channel some day, where I can share this love with others-all thanks to this essay on ROB. Thank you so much, Gaming Historian, for making such a great and educational video, it has inspired me so much! ❤❤❤

[@udance4ever]

aw what an amazing acknowledgement! we're glad to have u in our era! 😉

[@chrisxdeboy]

"What is my purpose?" "You sell game consoles." "Oh my god."

[@DeRockMedia]

"welcome to the club"

[@leonrider313]

Entertainment Systems*

[@SetoShadowVT]

I see that Rick and Morty reference lol

[@SmashJT]

This is my favorite comment by far. Well done good sir.

[@ninjamaster3453]

You pass the butter

[@realar]

One of Gunpei Yokoi's most important characters, thank you sir.

[@RGSTR]

Thanks for clarifying! Now I understand why Nintendo holds R.O.B. so dearly.

[@16-bitpixel74]

Yup! He is good boi and the gaming industry's saviour

[@jooperino]

4:14 "Why buy a video game console, when you could buy a PC?" They were already making master race arguments in 1983

[@Roxor128]

That's been my position since I was in primary school (late 1980s to early 1990s). If a computer can play games and do other things, why would you ever buy something that can only play games? It just seems like bad value for money.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

@@Roxor128 In Europe, people used to say that gaming consoles were for people that were either young or unable to understand how a computer works. In some ways that might have been true : on a Nintendo from the 80-90's, you just had to put the cartdrige and press the on/off button to use your game. You didn't have to learn how to use a computer or the DOS. I might be wrong though. There might be other reasons too, I guess.

[@SotNist]

Always hearing about how many obtuse speculators were gatekeeping everything in this era always frustrates me. All these industry people proclaiming things dead, being listened to like gospel, retailers needing to be "tricked" and nuclear family households with parents who just take cues on what they're supposed to be enjoying and buying, what's worth an "investment" etc We still have this happening in many industries, goods and technologies, but this one is so well documented and personable.

[@stevencoardvenice]

it was dead because their product sucked. the arcade was going strong into the early 90s. Nintendo just got it right

[@bradleyj.fortner2203]

I was born in '76. I inherited my older siblings intellivisions and 2600's when they lost interest, and my first new console was a 5200. It's safe to say I've been playing video games since the beginning, even though some of the early ones ARE a few years older than me. That being said, I think R.O.B. is the coolest video game accessory of all time. And I've seen lots of them. Slow or not, in '85 that was some amazing shit to a 9 year old. No other accessory has impressed me that much since, and I'm still playing video games to this day.

[@robdcollector2808]

Bradley Fortner ...same here. Born in 77 and got this for Xmas as a kid...it was so unbelievably cool to have this ROB and played gyromite all day long non stop. I also had duck hunt....those were the days of simple nostalgia at home!

[@soulfreaz]

My first new system was the 2600. I was young though. I got it for Christmas the year it came out.

[@stevenn1940]

I think the best way to put it is "Functional or not, he's cool." I grew up with an SNES, but I have to say, Yeah, I see the appeal. He looks cool. I mean, I can actually see the similarities with the amiibo. I mean, if amiibo were larger, and had moving parts, but you know what I mean. A toy that interacts with the game in a meaningful way (well, we assume that last bit.)

[@IllusionSector]

22:24 _and the _*_Super Smash Brothers_*_ series._ Wow! They really captured R.O.B.'s articulations in that *Super Smash Brothers* game!

[@wanstusmaximus3803]

And Mario Kart DS

[@spirithalloween3828]

Arthur Hakhverdian you probably been living under the rock since brawl and wiiu

[@cocosh58]

"FOOLED YOU it is a games console!"

[@silverdays2909]

Damn I have been tricked again

[@Aegician]

I have been Tricked!

[@lakenzie4924]

21:41 That is probably my favorite peace of promotional material I have ever seen.

[@Kiwi-hv8fg]

i though i was the only one (nice english i have)

[@jackflash8567]

It's a nifty bit of copywriting that's for sure

[@jeffgordon9501]

Peace ✌️

[@oraclejams]

"Why buy a video game console, when you can get a PC?" PC-Console wars since 1983

[@TheRezro]

Not really. It was more a Commodore and Amiga (aka home computers) what were basically consoles with keyboards (In Japan literally as you bough addon to Famicom what in fact was a home computer, so they ironically make NES to look more as home computer, but in realist it was less that then Famicom was). IBM PC was revolution but in offices as it was mostly useless for games. PC were seriously inferior even at times of PS2. They main advantage was that from half of 90's they starting have unique games, mostly because of ability to save in flow what was impossible even for standard PS2. And precise controller with high number of buttons. In short they could offer many unique genres of games like FPS, RPG and RTS, what were adopted on console whole decade later, and still for good games of those genres we need wait at least one another. For the note lack of pads for PC lead with similar issues from other side with many fighting games and some other genres being unplayable on PC. Nowadays those two platform basically fused, though you still need PC if you want play good MMO or RTS game. But those generally are hardcore so it is not issue.

[@TheRezro]

@Fixed Fun Well, it is because they didn't intend it for home computer market. Let's be honest, no one really wanted a home computer, it was only a way to convince parents to buy console under "education" argument. Even inferior is better then none after all. Nintendo totally intended to take console market, they only need convince distributors convinced that "industry is dead" and as you may recall they try "it is a home computer" approach wit AVS but it failed. Whole point of ROB was to push it on market and show that people in fact are interested in the consoles if they have good quality.

[@TheRezro]

@Kurt Angerdinger How I love ignoramus people pretending to be smart 0_0 "The Commodore 64 was a console with a keyboard?" Yes, it is called Commodore 64GS 0_0 Yes, it was released after C64 but for example Atari based most of they home computers on they consoles hardware because those are internally the same. Only difference is that early consoles use controllers and cartridges to be easy to use, when home computers use keyboard and disk drive needed in office work. Famicom and SNES has legit home computer expansion in Japan after all. Home computers died with introduction of more advanced PC's and common acceptance of consoles by adult people who didn't need "computer for school" argument anymore. "Are you completely cluess?" In opposition to peron who use random data pretending to not be clueless? "And the IBM PC wasnt anything at all" Outside that it create open architecture and so PC's as a whole, yes. PET and Apple II were office computers reclassified otherwise later due they popularity in home use. But they weren't real PC's in any way. "And consoles were way better then PCs. The SNES had 256 colors at once with amazing sampled sound. Way before VGA was even a thing" What I said you moron. Consoles and home computers have specialized chipset using traits of TV's to generate outstanding graphic, when PC offer way more advanced processors and hard disk needed for office use and some hardcore genres of game. It wasn't until half of 90's when PC's become interesting. "And ther PS1 was the first mass market polygon graphics platform" Nop. It was only first what become popular. Use of 3D become obvious with introduction of Virtua Fighter, so one of first full 3D games in 93, so everyone start experimenting with that with most famous being SNES FX chips. 3D support was obvious in case of fifth generation and all consoles from it offer that including 3DO and Jaguar. PS1 was forth released console of that generation but first what offer perfect combination of all needed elements and especially strong third party support as Sony piloted revenge against Nintendo and offered generous proposition to companies already pissed on Nintendo shitty practices of this time. PC's get first GPU addons in 1996's. "And there is simply a reason why PC gaming never made it and, til today, is just a niche market: Cause with PCS you have to invest on a yearly base to play recent games." You didn't really own PC outside maybe tapping machine, aren't you? Again until middle of 90's PC's never really meant to compete with consoles, until coincidental development of first person shooters. From that point competition was heat as FPS games become insanely popular also strongly boosting growth of this platform and most consoles were simply incapable to play them (again mostly due to controllers), it wasn't until development of Halo when first fully playable console shooter was made (take a note that N64 has Golden Eye way earlier) but it still was inferior thrash outstanding only for kids who never really play real stuff like Counter Strike for example. It is when this war console vs PC was still relevant as many PC gamers were pissed by dumbing down many games for consoles. Nowadays in age of multi platform gaming that isn't issue anymore as I said both PC and consoles fused as we play mostly same games on both platforms (it is largely because modern controllers are way more precise). Claiming nowadays that "you have to invest on a yearly base to play recent games" show that you know nothing Johne Snow. In most cases console developers pay developers to block high graphic setting so consoles wouldn't look clearly inferior as you can buy equal PC for similar price if not cheaper. Obviously you need know how to do that as laptop newer will be as good as proper desktop what is only border here. "With consoles you buy it and use it without modifications for years! Not to mention the ease of use of consoles" Yes that is why dumb people praise them so much when it is just a tool 0_0 But again you still can't play some genres on consoles and when you know what you doing you can have better equipment for same price and also for a years. Why? Because those games are also made for consoles so offer same low-settings as consoles do. Simple as can be (not to mention that core 8 gen consoles literally are x86 compatible now so are dumbed down PC's). But if you have ton of cash and are graphic nut then only PC. "So using PCs for gaming is cool cause the quality is better. But its just a niche market compared to the real game market out there at the consoles" It is this same market you salty idiot, consoles are just for less demanding client and so calling it not "real" is downright ridiculous example of your incompetence and bias 0_0

[@TheRezro]

@i Draw Though to be honest home computers suck and for most kids it was a desperate move to have anything. It was more equal in 90's and the milenium, when it depend mainly in what games you were interested (MMO's, FPS's, RPG's and RTS's definitely PC, but fighting games, platformers and j"RPG"s definitely were domain of the consoles). Nowadays it is basically this same so this sentence is most true especially when you know what you doing, but it is totally legit when you get console to simply have fun. I only hate jealous teenagers spreading myths about superiority of only console they get from they parents.

[@TheRezro]

@Kurt Angerdinger You are persistent miss informer then? Gladly this debate is still interesting. "The Commodore PET was the first personal computer followed by the Apple II" Because you siad so? "And indeed the C64 was a personal computer too, cause thats what it sets apart from large scale computing environments" As such ENIAC also is a personal computer. So what it take half of the room? "Thats called the PC revolution!" You mean the microcomputer revolution? PC revolution is common not exactly correct description. "How is starting an IT career with your PC at home important? Hm, let me guess" And how that is relevant? Let my guess, it is not 0_0 "Home computer was just a marketing term and never was really a thing at all, cause all of them were personal computers anway." Yes, according to old terminology what described that way every computer operated by one person including some supercomputers. But term used today referee to so called IBM PC clones. Two completely separated subject. "Cause there isnt such a thing as home computing" "There never ever was such a thing as an office computer or an home computer" Again is just your opinion and those are by nature opinionated, especially if your only argument is "because I said so" what is the case here. There is clear way to deference those two categories. First of all availability! In case of many computers you couldn't simply buy them in shop. Generally home computers were weaker, tend to have TV support, and were broadly available. As for the rest because you argue with encyclopedia I literally don't need to debate with you about that. "You didnt even got the reason for the success of the IBM PC" Because that is irrelevant to the topic like most of your so called "arguments" 0_0 "So no, the IBM PC wasnt in any way improtant for the PC revolution" Outside that all modern PC's are based on its core architecture that is.. "But it wasnt before Compaq and others reverse engineered the IBM PC BIOS that the PC compatibles really become a thing in business." And guess why they could do that? Because in normal circumstances it was illegal. It is why we call it a "open architecture" even if I agree creation of compatible non-IBM BIOS was against IBM intentions. Though as result of that most of modern PC are IBM PC compatible including most 8 gen home consoles and even modern Apple MAC's. Anyway if not IBM PC most people wouldn't know what "personal computer" is as it is term like "forth wheel car". It is absolutely meaningless without the context. "Not in any way the other way around" And who said that mr. Strawman? "Cause all offices used back then IBM PCs." IBM PC compatibles aka the "PC's". That older microcomputers are called that way is mostly honorary. After all at first there was only THE computer. From that evolved mini- and microcomputers, when large ones start be called a super-computers, what is generally the proper technical terminology. When computers hit the shelves we see rise of "home computers" and from rise of IBM PC the "personal computers". The thing is that in both cases many older hardware was reclassified later what I already said. "And now I tell you why im so much more familiar with this developments then you:" Yup. we clearly see that.. "Cause I experienced all of them when it happened" And I'm an extraterrestrial overseer.. words are cheap 0_0 "So I dont give a damn about you whining about your limited knowledge" Which you never did proved snobbing all inconvenient to you arguments 0_0 "which mainly comes from repeating pointless urban legends (like a Wikipedia article about home computing :)" Let my guess? And world is flat? "I could have easily pointed the Commodore PET wikipedia entry to show you that this was the first personal computer ever." But you didn't.. I wounder why? But as we come to this level.. from Wikipedia: "Using the narrow definition of "operated by one person", the first personal computer was the ENIAC which became operational in 1946.[8] It did not meet further definitions of affordable or easy to use." "Terminology "PC" is an initialism for "personal computer". The IBM Personal Computer incorporated the designation in its model name, but IBM has not used this brand for many years. It is sometimes useful, especially in a marketing context, to distinguish personal computers of the "IBM Personal Computer" family from personal computers made by other manufacturers. For example, "PC" is used in contrast with "Mac", an Apple Macintosh computer." Even if we limit ourself to desktop hardware aka microcomputer then: "The first microcomputer was the Japanese Sord Computer Corporation's SMP80/08 (1972), which was followed by the SMP80/x (1974).[7] The French developers of the Micral N (1973) filed their patents with the term "Micro-ordinateur", a literal equivalent of "Microcomputer", to designate a solid state machine designed with a microprocessor. In the USA, the earliest models such as the Altair 8800 were often sold as kits to be assembled by the user" But yeh, you experienced so you know "evarathing" 0_0 "And one thing for the way: You are only familiar with the marketing term PC (that happens often.)" Did I need quote myself? "But PC simply stands for personal computer. And thos started at the Winter CES in 1977 when Commodore introduced the PET 2001)" And also ENIAC and other "wardrobe size" minicomputes. No one really use term personal computer on larger scale to describe minicomputers because as I said term by itself is meaningless from point when computers stop being of size of building. When most people say PC they mean what most people call PC, not some covered by web stooges. "Long before IBM even knew what a PC was" Lol, you are hilarious. IBM develop first computer before Commodore was created a decade later 0_0 "You thought that the PC revolution started cause the console market broke down" Again. I never said that mr. Strawman, I only stated on reason why Commodore 64 was so popular 0_0 "The PC revolution was the reason for the US only crash of the video game market (not stupid stuff like PacMan or E.T.)" And another example when you pretend that you know anything. Microcomputer revolution start in 70's and video game crash was in the early 80's. Clearly there is connection here 0_0 Also the bad practices were reason of crash. Home computers were barely relevant, they have pick times because consoles have a bed reputation at the time. You again talk bullshit 0_0 "Cause noone was interested at all anymore in buying consoles when you could play games and learn computing on an personal computer." Seriously? I see so that so "experienced" person like you don't know clear flaws of home computers 0_0 Loading games from tape take ages (diskettes also aren't particularly fast) and most home computers have inferior graphic. Hardware Scrolling from old NES from 83 was replicated on computer (on software level) a decade later by ID Software what was big deal at the time. Literally only reason why home computers were relevant in the 80's was piracy and "its for school argument" excluding office use what is irrelevant in context of gaming, because most kids never used those functions. "And the Amiga was a huge success in europe" Irrelevant. Commodore still bankrupted because it couldn't cough competition of PC's and consoles in case of gaming. Anyway, I rarely see someone so full of shit like you 0_0

[@Changetheling]

Every time Gunpei Yokoi name appears, I start crying. What an incredible and talented individual. Amazing quality of content; great work GH!

[@DavidHernandez-oe4tf]

So, a tiny little Robot, R.o.b, saved literally every video game coming out now. Cool

[@16-bitpixel74]

That is correct

[@koghs]

>literally every game What a egonentrism that is Videogame crash was a thing only in US

[@Deathwhitch]

Should be titled "How R.O.B. the Robot saved the gaming industry" Now if only can upgrade and pull him out of retirement to do it again. Dress like a superhero and destroy all loot boxes, DLC, pre-order nonsense and microtransactions! #WENEEDROB

[@michaeldougherty6036]

His spiritual successor would be LABO.

[@tofuelemental6920]

I read that as WEEDROB

[@funfoxvlad7309]

The hero we needed not the one we deserved!

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

That would be Segata Sanshiro-levels of epic. XD

[@DerPafferfish]

The industry was doing fine outside of North America.

[@juansanchez209]

I have a ROB on my desk at work. Funny enough, he’s more useful as a decoration than he ever was as a gaming partner lol

[@lancelnce]

Don't insult the decorations, bro! Your space its not confy without then. Hahahaha xD

[@Renebean]

This man's a legend I hope to meet him at a convention one day he always makes excellent content

[@ianholmes4723]

He might come to a retro palooza

[@CM-wv8ns]

I met him at TOO MANY GAMES in Philadelphia a few years ago... shook his hand and thanked him for quality content--humble and nice, he signed my convention program guide when i asked

[@datcheesycactus9259]

yeah

[@Abel-Alvarez]

I met him at the Socal Retro gaming expo (that expo was amazing) and he was so nice and humble,really cool guy.

[@guyincognito1985]

For a SURREAL experience meet him out back behind the convention. One dollar to look at it, two dollars to touch it, 3 dollars to watch him touch it, and so on...

[@stephenyu441]

I main R.O.B in supersmashbros and he is now my favorite character.

[@robdcollector2808]

I remember getting this for Xmas when i was a kid and it was the coolest thing ever. Only 1 game was made playable for this called Gyromite. That was nostalgia!!!!

[@TheOneNamedMrLife]

I really want to see someone try to remake ROB with that upcoming Nintendo Labo Toy Con Garage thingy

[@MrPandarilla]

Mr Life that's the 40 dollar pack of used liquor boxes rught?

[@bigz4349]

MrPandarilla no

[@MrPandarilla]

Big Z oh right, it comes with rubber bands too

[@bigz4349]

MrPandarilla nope

[@Videogame-Matt]

WALL-Es father

[@rowdyrhino2theyeetaning809]

Videogame Matt who’s wall es mom then

[@sherylbane2475]

WALL-E isn't even Nintendo!

[@sherylbane2475]

Aslso, robots don't reproduce. They get created.

[@Subieghost]

@@rowdyrhino2theyeetaning809 the doctor that builds them.

[@bladebair3636]

*Cough Cough*

[@frankbizzoco1954]

We owe it to R.O.B. for single handedly saving the video game industry. Thank you Rob. You might have been slower than molasses, but your mission was a success.

[@jacoblopez7922]

“When the light on his head lights up he’s ready to play!” *meanwhile in smash* When the light lights up on his head he shoots a giant laser

[@silverman1601]

Can we get a ‘bleep’ from the R.O.B mains?

[@elainegallagher2014]

Bleep Bloop!

[@WuddesGD]

b-l-e-e-p.

[@skittlesilly]

bloobity-bleep!

[@brendonbarnes9551]

bleeeep

[@-thisma-1248]

*B L E E P*

[@pastel4485]

the screens to bright mom GET THE SHADES!

[@tisdue]

I realized long ago that my favorite part of AVGN were the various nuggets of video game history he would mention here and there. So, this channel fits me like a slipper.

[@RamLaska]

10:09 I remember being so disappointed by early computer games (such as Commodore 64 games), because you had this BEAUTIFUL hand-drawn cover art, and the in-game graphics were pixelly death. NOW chunky pixels are hip again. Ha!!

[@XPWindows_]

7:38 imagine rob with a lamp shade on his head without context it

[@michaelperez7868]

There is something therapeutic about your videos. No matter how winded i am or how horrible my life is. Your videos seem to be a since of tranquility to me in many hard times. Thank you for the incredible content Norm. Been here since the beginning will be there till the end.

[@sleepinglionarchives]

Great vid, I always loved the aesthetics of ROB. He remained on my shelf for most of my childhood because he was just so cool looking, but back in the day, the only title that universally united my family at the NES was Duck Hunt. It was the kind of title all skill levels could immediately get. ROB remains my favorite Smash amiibo

[@SmashJT]

Incredible job once again, Norm. Thank you for your diligent hard work. Love your videos. The Tetris one was my favorite KZbin video I've seen so far this year.

[@Jakob_Herzog]

Nintendo basically saved the console market in North America.

[@Changetheling]

Exactly.

[@thatoneasiankid8734]

Yup

[@weathersponge5000]

In my opinion worldwide also, people argue that the crash only happened in the U.S and people were still playing games overseas. But in economics, it's common that once a crash happens in the U.S, it later spreads to other regions since U.S is the country with all the money and power and the center of the economic world. Also the Gaming industry Worldwide was shrinking after the Crash, it NES was the one to save gaming as a whole

[@woominator3]

the world

[@UBvtuber]

@@weathersponge5000 Not saying that it wasn't possible for that to eventually happen, but you do realize there are some items or foods that sell well in other countries, but sell like shit in the US, right? Typically, it's due to cultural differences or different marketing abroad, but I could easily imagine console gaming dying in the west, but Japan or some other country going crazy over it. Hell, due to Nintendo, Japan is right behind the US in terms of video game popularity. The only country ahead of both of them... is china, probably just due to shear population size.

[@Squirrelisious]

I love my ROB The Robot. By far my favorite part of my nintendo collection, and my most prized possession.

[@matthew3986]

Mine too

[@not_riley]

Most prized possession? A little much, don’t you think?

[@grbrg4007]

@@not_riley Dude, don't fit your name

[@not_riley]

@@grbrg4007 Why not? I love pointing out people's stupid statements. You've never been on the internet before?

[@grbrg4007]

@@not_riley true, but I have been on the internet since Minecraft started to blow up in popularity.

[@gracefulfiber4246]

The next Nintendo console should come with a new and improved R.O.B

[@mr.battle20]

I remember R.O.B. when I was a kid. My neighbors had gotten the "Deluxe" NES package with the robot in it. They invited all the neighborhood kids over for the unveiling, including me. Excited, we hooked the thing up and began to play Gyromite. About ten minutes later, we quickly determined that R.O.B. was a piece of crap and played Excitebike for the rest of the evening. Good times. My parents bought me an NES about a year later, sans R.O.B. I didn't miss him.

[@gingeabredguy8070]

First time I've seen someone use the word "Sans" the original way in awhile :P

[@falconoflight4773]

Mr. Battle Oof

[@txch]

Gingeabred Guy Dont say that, you might have a bad time.

[@lindataylor4230]

What is Sans mean??

[@Green24152]

@@lindataylor4230 it means "without"

[@vustvaleo8068]

we need R.O.B. now made with today's technology.

[@juliloafers]

Yo that would be awesome

[@Sparkette]

Nintendo Labo is pretty much its spiritual successor, so in a sense that already exists.

[@fishthetaco2103]

Yes but that's stupid and expensive. Just make it compatible with the Switch and you make money.

[@tereziipyrope]

flarn2006 Yes! Call it Cardrob or something!

[@_G.C]

What about a Labo R.O.B.

[@aaronstark5060]

There was another major reason the Atari/Nintendo deal fell through. Atari was pissed off that Nintendo had licensed Donkey Kong to Coleco.

[@aussieguy1012]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_City_Studios,_Inc._v._Nintendo_Co.,_Ltd.

[@aaronstark5060]

That was Universal and completely unreleated. I'm talking about this. www.atari.io/atari-nintendo-nes-deal/

[@bramlinssen6940]

0:00 so... this channel was about games right? Nice videos btw!

[@Bobsheaux]

Wow. So the Nerd was wrong; R.O.B. DID play a major role in saving the American video game market. O_O

[@troodon1096]

It's something that ROB doesn't get enough credit for; the irony is that ROB himself was a fad that died quickly, but was mainly created to convince retailers that video games weren't a dead fad. Many consumers probably never even had one, as the package without him was far more successful, but it sparked the interest that did indeed ressurect the American video game market. The Nerd wasn't entirely wrong as many people who didn't own a NES until 1986 may never have even heard of ROB. But ROB paved the way. Could Nintendo have succeeded without ROB? Probably, but it would have been harder and taken longer.

[@DaemonWulf7]

and driving kids like myself absolutely nuts in some obscure effort to teach us patience or something... or just to hop on the Transformers fad

[@Bobsheaux]

Seriously, what was the idea behind his incredibly slow design? Just have him use the controller with a couple of strategically placed solenoids to act as his thumbs. lol

[@Rountree1985]

You’re missing the point of avgn. Avgn is an exaggerated character. He’s not always meant to be serious. The point of his show is to focus on negative aspects. If he didn’t do that, the episode wouldn’t work.

[@trifecta9810]

The Nerd is a joke. He barely does enough research on anything. He's not a good writer or even well spoken really.

[@dugroz]

21:47 - Look at that kid pushing the A & B buttons with his FINGERS! . . . total rookie move . . . 😎

[@jjjoshiii6659]

dugroz I know lmaooooooo

[@L33PL4Y]

better than pushing them with R.O.B.

[@stevencoardvenice]

I know, what a dork

[@PineLine]

True

[@mattbernacke]

It looks to me like he's probably just used to playing arcade games with arcade joysticks and buttons. No one had really used a dpad before the NES and the idea of playing games with just two thumbs was a new thing.

[@michaeldougherty6036]

Nintendo has been saving the gaming industry's ass for 35 years.

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

And counting...

[@linglingproductions931]

What do they get from the other consoles hate from the fans

[@DonnieParks]

Damn straight!

[@applescruff1969]

They haven't saved shit since the 90's.

[@livingchutoy5422]

Michael Dougherty Uh....no. Nintendo made great stride in getting the industry headed in the right direction, but it was Sony and Microsoft that really hit the ground running and showed the world what Gaming could be. Sony took the industry by surprise with the Playstation and that was followed up quickly by the PS2 and the Xbox. Two systems that exploded and dominated the market. Nintendo made a mediocre comeback with the Wii after the Gamecube failed to garner any real traction. Sad fact is Nintendo has been playing follow the leader since the mid 90's and now relies on gimmicks to sell their product. Sorry, but the Switch is just an overpowered Tablet with a ton of attachments that cannot even touch the PS4 and XB1 for performance. Yes Nintendo does have good games that are fun to play, but let's not be overly dramatic here.

[@awakkhinisland180]

I finally received it... I wanted it so much when I was young. (not knowing that there were only two games and also that he was so slow but he was so fascinating in the ads) After about 33 years, Rob the robot is at home. It was such a long dream but it has come true. I can die in peace now. :-) He's so cute! Thanks for this video.

[@RetroSho]

That feeling when a new Gaming Historian video drops.

[@RetroSho]

Haha

[@yumdum162]

These videos are better made than most things on television, its perfection!

[@Real1Gaming]

14:28 - Nintendo Direct has come a long way

[@Atari-Dude]

Haha

[@masteroflame6141]

Stupid joke for today - check.

[@stephengibson4651]

Real1Gaming n

[@princesidon]

true

[@HoonAgain]

This channel is incredible. 2 videos in and I’m hooked. High quality well thought out production, research, writing and delivery. You will have well over a mill subs in no time. Please keep making highly interesting content like this. My friend/neighbor had Nintendo before everyone and had ROB and several awesome games. It blew our minds. Nothing but happy positive memories and countless hours playing it.

[@rosebreaker4320]

*"They said reviving the videogame market wasn't humanly possible... It wasn't."* 21:39 Hahaha so funny

[@JasnoGT]

I remember getting the deluxe system with Rob. I was a spoiled 9 year old. I could not nor had the patience to make Rob work. I just loved the NES for all the other games. But yes he was cool looking. BTW Gyromite did have some great music. Now I'm gonna look it up. :)

[@BagofBonesJAW]

I wish the rob amiibo had a movable head and arms

[@c3eo125]

Robotic operating buddy is the cutest name in gaming history!

[@neoasura]

I remember when watching the ROB NES commercials as a kid..maybe it was just my blue collar neighborhood..but no one had the ROB version of NES. It wasn't until Super Mario Bros came out when I saw a NES for the first time from my neighbor friend..after that it just exploded. ROB didn't sell the NES in my area.

[@CM-wv8ns]

neoasura I remember the commercials and toys r us displays with ROB & the rest of the delux set...and my dad saying we couldnt afford it:( my neighbor got the a NES that ONLY had the control deck & two controllers [budget version?]. I eventually got a NES w/ the lightgun but by then ROB was discontinued--trojan horse no longer needed?

[@ssjup81]

Same here, actually. I didn't know anyone who had R.O.B. I remember it though, but mainly because of Double Dare and how it was sometimes one of the prizes when doing the obstacle course. It was like a huge NES system collection, which I'm assuming included R.O.B since he was featured. Like you, I didn't know much about the NES until Super Mario Bros and Duckhunt, which is probably why even now, I still associate those two games in particular with the NES as opposed to R.O.B. Most people I knew who had the NES had the game bundled with SMB and seemed to have Duckhunt as well.

[@nathenhutchison6182]

I had never heard of R.O.B. prior to this video. Based on what was presented in the video, though, it sounds like R.O.B. was really only used heavily to push the system in the first couple big test markets (NYC and Chicago, I think). After that, they started offering the package bundle without R.O.B. and, by the time they went national with the system, it sounds like R.O.B. had pretty much been phased out entirely. So unless you live in one of the first few big test-market areas, it would make sense that nobody around you would have had one.

[@stevencoardvenice]

most people got Nintendo because of Mario and Zelda, and Rob wasn't needed anymore. that's probably why nobody has rob. if you bought the deluxe set you could get rob and the duck hunt gun

[@GAMESTERVISION]

Yeah Rob was a early fad that everyone kinda stayed away from. When the price drop hit with the robless versions that's when BOOM everyone wanted or had one. Then a while later you'd argue with the Sega kids about how Nintendo was better. Lol

[@alexxcold]

Absolutely amazing episode, you're outdoing yourself with every new video. Much love, i adore your content.

[@riryoku7244]

Haha fun fact: R.O.B.'s head is a Pikmin 2 treasure :)

[@xanious3759]

The name is actually kinda heartwarming. "Remembered Old Buddy"

[@void..390]

I wish R.O.B. was still a gaming toy. I never got a chance to use him cause he was such a short-lived accessory. RIP R.O.B.

[@kei_nishimaru]

R.O.B might not be a good "controller", but he does make a good decoration on one's collection.

[@ElRealPetChicken]

awesome video Norman, they are always a treat.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Fantastic episode. It's a shame more R.O.B. games weren't created. I would have been curious to see what else they could have pulled off with it.

[@pollo20x6]

Thank you so much for making this. I bought a ROB gyromite set back when I was in high school and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I remember thinking how sad it would be for something that was 20 years old to break from age. To never hear those gears turn. See that red light turn on. Well, I’m in my 30s now. And my ROB sits on a shelf with gyromite on a stand. I don’t know if it still works. I don’t have a crt to try it on. The spinner may not work. I will probably never know when it broke. Time really just passes you by so fast that you didn’t even know it happened. But I’m glad this video exists. You really made me go back to my adolescence. Like that ratatouille scene.

[@jabarithegoldenlucario8841]

One Robot. This tiny robot saved the gaming industry. Without him, gaming wouldn’t be the same. We wouldn’t have our Switches, or PS5s, or Xbox Series Xs if this guy didn’t exist. Thanks Rob. You were short lived… but you’re a champion in our hearts.

[@SalTheSlime.]

They should make an updated version of R.O.B. For the switch!

[@MadiBendy]

The only problem was that it could only play stack up or gyromyte. Just ask AVGN 😊

[@snakebite6x6x6]

My cousin and I each received a NES Deluxe system for Christmas. Our parents had to drive out of state to pick them up as they were limited to one per customer. It came with R.O.B., the gyros and attachments, a light zapper, Duck Hunt and Gyromite. I ended up using my feet to control the second controller rather than R.O.B. as he moved so slow. Never played Stack Up though.

[@ogxboxgamer3171]

Hey norm great video as always. One thing though I work in a retro game store and clean games everyday. We get gyromite in quite a bit and I have only seen 2 out of maybe 40 copies that had the famicom adapter. Now I'm not sure about stack up but I think gyromite was localized at some point. Again great video and thanks for all the hard work.

[@hailmammonmoments7568]

You’ll be my next Patreon splurge. These history lessons are really professional without being clickbait.

[@averageegghead4829]

I want Nintendo to remake R.O.B

[@nicholasludford3098]

Sometimes I almost wonder if they should put Gyromite and Stack-Up in the NES game library for Switch Online and sell a smaller version of ROB to work with the games wirelessly. It sounds weird and it probably wouldn’t sell well, but, being a collector myself, I’d definitely buy it.

[@johnwhittington2998]

I'm pretty sure you can buy a ROB Amiibo that you can combine with Smash Ultimate to have a sort of Vertual buddy

[@Bukahta]

My big cousin had rob but I honestly don't remember playing with it. I did play gyromite a lot and that game is underrated