If R.O.B. became a hit accessory, what kind of NES games would be released?

[Immutable]

Would Gyromite sequels be made? Would every other game utilizing R.O.B. be a variant of Gyromite? What are the possibilites of expanding the library for R.O.B.? Feel free to share your thoughts. :)

[bigbacon]

thats a tough one....

I mean, they would have to drastically figure out a way for ROB to move faster to really get more fun out of it. I bet they could have done some cool stuff but he is SOOOO slow to move about.

[Edmond Dantes]

Give ROB some sentience, then he can literally be your second player buddy.

[Greg2600]

They should have created a Short Circuit game of course!!!

[Ro-J]

If R.O.B. was successful, then would there be a Super R.O.B., maybe a R.O.B. 64? And motion sensored Wii R.O.B.? Maybe he can play the games for you when they become too tough.

Of course this would all end in R.O.B. U, which is what Nintendo's been doing for years. I kid, I kid....

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I think the fact that nobody in this thread can come up with decent ideas for how ROB could have been used is sorta the whole point of why it was a failure. It was a novelty item with very limited uses.

[MidnightRider]

^Pretty much, however it served it's purpose in convincing stores that Nintendo were selling toys, and not video games, after the crash soured stores on the concept of selling video games.

Technically that would make R.O.B. the real hero of video games, instead of SMB...

[bb_hood]

There should be a Nes game based on Mystery Science Theater 3000 where you have to sit between 2 robs and they would make jokes and sarcastic comments while you play the game.

[Collector_Gaming]

^Pretty much, however it served it's purpose in convincing stores that Nintendo were selling toys, and not video games, after the crash soured stores on the concept of selling video games.

Technically that would make R.O.B. the real hero of video games, instead of SMB...

Exactly. I don't think nintendo really cared if rob was successful. They just wanted it to sell the consoles for them to a unsuspecting group of people thinking video games was gonna hurt the market all over again.

And like a drug once they started playing them they were hooked

[CRTGAMER]

Maybe this idea that Nintendo should have done in the first place. Mod ROB as a direct control with a game controller. I ended up doing this substituting duel throw momentary toggle switches. Killed the collectablity value, but made it a more interesting and interactive. Imagine playing Gyromyte while multi tasking manual controlling Rob onto the tops.

NES R.O.B Interactive Mod Guide - http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&p=330494#p330494

Guess which Robot is faster, ROB or the Armatron?

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3443

[bigbacon]

why doesn't someone start making home brew ROB games?

[sloan]

I could see a port of Hasbro's classic Operation game, where R.O.B. would have to pick up the funny bone, adam's apple, etc. based on on-screen inputs. Might actually be fun. I could even see a 2-plater cooperative version where 2 players using 2 R.O.B. units remove the pieces in a race against the clock.

[sloan]

Had another idea that is kind of out there.

What if a company made a football game ala Tecmo Superbowl where R.O.B. is the placeholder on PAT's and field goals. I envision an add-on for R.O.B. that would be an optical sensing set of goal posts along with a spring-loaded "kicker" mechanism that kicks a small football between the goal posts. If R.O.B.'s holding placement is off, the kick goes wide to either side.

[Edmond Dantes]

One of those strange thoughts that comes when your heart races from heavy bicycling, but I was envisioning a ROB version of Rockem Sockem Robots.

Like, two ROBs together duke it out.

The problem is I have no idea how the NES could be incorporated into this.

[Steve W]

Maybe this idea that Nintendo should have done in the first place. Mod ROB as a direct control with a game controller. I ended up doing this substituting duel throw momentary toggle switches. Killed the collectablity value, but made it a more interesting and interactive. Imagine playing Gyromyte while multi tasking manual controlling Rob onto the tops.

NES R.O.B Interactive Mod Guide - http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&p=330494#p330494

Guess which Robot is faster, ROB or the Armatron?

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3443

I wouldn't know, because I've never owned a R.O.B. and I have two of those model Armitrons that I've bought over the years in thrifts, neither one works. I don't know how fast any of them work, sadly. Technically I have three Armitrons, one's a later model that the base was mobile. It doesn't work either. Seems to be my luck.

[sloan]

R.O.B.'s possibilities are endless.

I could picture a checkers/chess/othello game with an actual game board in front of R.O.B. You make your moves on screen, whereby your R.O.B. moves your game pieces accordingly, then the computer/live opponent makes his/her move, again acted out by a separate R.O.B. unit. Might add a fun element to these games.

[CastlevaniaDude]

R.O.B.'s possibilities are endless.

I could picture a checkers/chess/othello game with an actual game board in front of R.O.B. You make your moves on screen, whereby your R.O.B. moves your game pieces accordingly, then the computer/live opponent makes his/her move, again acted out by a separate R.O.B. unit. Might add a fun element to these games.

Why not just a checkers-playing robot? What would be the point of having stuff on screen?

[BlastProcessing402]

I think the fact that nobody in this thread can come up with decent ideas for how ROB could have been used is sorta the whole point of why it was a failure. It was a novelty item with very limited uses.

ROB: the Kinect of the 80's.

[bigbacon]

R.O.B.'s possibilities are endless.

I could picture a checkers/chess/othello game with an actual game board in front of R.O.B. You make your moves on screen, whereby your R.O.B. moves your game pieces accordingly, then the computer/live opponent makes his/her move, again acted out by a separate R.O.B. unit. Might add a fun element to these games.

but how would that work though? ROBs movements are so limited. it is up/down or left/right

[Lictalon]

Killed the collectablity value, but made it a more interesting and interactive.

I've yet to see ROB have any collectability value (monetary that is).

I could see ROB being used as some sort of accessory, making certain moves or actions when you accomplish something in a game. I dunno. But it's way too slow to be part of any game.

[Tanooki]

The problem with ROB there is the speed and limited motion allowed to basically 5 points around the body of the unit. You could easily have a better Gyromite type game with a sequel and perhaps more depth with games similar to Stack Up as well done. Beyond that I'm uncertain you could do a lot with it as a primary tool in a game as it was just a puppet for Nintendo to shove video games back into the home so I'm thinking they had little plans ever for it to do much once the door was open which is why it got dropped fast.

I think as a component to other slow moving video games could have been a good idea. In conjunction with the zapper I think it could have maybe been useful in switching up a display on screen which opens up panels or views that allow for certain targets to pop up or be masked, or perhaps flag some as bonus points while it's on a certain 5 point spot around the ROB. That could have been interesting, but it's just too slow to I think have been of much use in an action, platformer, shooter, or any kind of speedy game.