To truly review what games were offered on the NES initially, you’d have to look at the games that were packed with the consoles. As stated in the previous “episode” of this NES Retrospect, Nintendo released the NES in two formats: the Control Deck, which included Super Mario Bros, and the Deluxe Set, which included Gyromite, Duck Hunt, and the peripherals needed to play the games. Since the main focal point of the NES at the time was ROB the Robot, we’ll start with the pack-in game Gyromite, which required the infamous ROB The Robot to play the game.
Now confession time: I never had ROB The Robot. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I only got an NES in 1990, during which time ROB had long been placed in carbonite and stranded on Omicron Theta along with Mr. Data. So my only real experience with Gyromite was through a bulk deal with a kid back in my junior years. It was only after an hour of trying to figuring out what the fuck I’m supposed to be doing in this game did I realize that I needed good ol’ ROB to play the game… well, no thanks. I already had a perfectly good toy robot for twenty bucks. Didn’t really work with my NES, but man was he awesome and also cute.
So what was I talking about before? Oh yeah, Gyromite.
Gyromite has you in control of a professor who designed ROB. Unfortunately for our esteemed scientist, he is caught in various levels filled with enemies. It’s up to the player to use Rob to control conveyors and guide the professor to safety. Now having never played Gyromite properly because I never owned the robot, I can’t provide exact details as to whether the game played well or not. Another game that was released on launch for the ROB peripheral was a game called Stack Up. This was less of a single game than it was a collection of mini-games that made use of ROB’s various functions. Again, having never owned the robot or the game, I can’t properly comment on the title.
Interesting to note was that only two games (the ones I just mentioned) were made for the peripheral and thus the robot was quickly dropped soonafter. However, ROB the Robot had served its ultimate purpose; it was Nintendo’s own version of a Trojan Horse, allowing ROB to enter the homes of families while secretly getting kids addicted to video games again and making it an in-thing during a time when people were fed up with the electronic form of entertainment. While some would criticize the robot for its noise and functionality, it no doubt remains an icon in Nintendo history to point where it even gets a character in the Smash Bros. series of fighting games. Go figure.
With its main goal accomplished, Nintendo quickly dropped support for ROB The Robot and stuck with the Control Deck and the Super Mario Bros. game, which continued Nintendo’s wave of success and ensured a future for the NES. Nonetheless, never doubt the importance of a noisy robot without whom Nintendo would never be able to succeed as quickly as they did.
ROB The Robot… we salute you. Now go back to the scrap heap where you belong and hope you get dropped for a real fighting robot in the next Smash Bros. game. Is the original Mega Man available?
Next up: The Zapper and friends.
dtm666 