R.O.B.

For fighter info, see R.O.B. (SSBB) and R.O.B. (SSB4). For other uses, see R.O.B. (disambiguation).

For the Star Fox character, see ROB 64.

Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.)
R.O.B. The R.O.B. peripheral, sporting his Western color scheme.
Universe	R.O.B.
Debut	Stack-Up (as a game peripheral, 1985) Kirby's Dream Land 3 (in-game cameo, 1997)
Smash Bros. appearances	Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (in-game cameo, 2015)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	R.O.B.
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Real world Isle of the Ancients (The Subspace Emissary)
Article on Wikipedia	R.O.B.

The Robotic Operating Buddy, or R.O.B. (ロボット, Robot), was an accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Alongside the NES and the NES Zapper, R.O.B. was touted by Nintendo as a novelty toy, rather than being directly tied to video gaming, in order to entice sales of the NES and ensure an American market in the wake of the North American video game crash of 1983.

Character description

File:ROBr.jpg

R.O.B.'s Japanese color scheme.

Due to the North American video game crash of 1983 causing retailers to all but abandon the video game market, Nintendo sought to reassure retailers and establish an American market by releasing its Nintendo Entertainment System alongside R.O.B. and the NES Zapper as a novelty toy. R.O.B. was compatible with two games, Gyromite and Stack-Up, although the player did not necessarily need R.O.B. to play these two games. Despite this, he was a key figure in Nintendo's attempt to keep the video game industry alive, as the NES sold a million units in its debut year. However, by its second year, the NES was no longer bundled with R.O.B.

Although R.O.B.'s time in the spotlight was brief, he nevertheless established a legacy. He was named the fifth in GameSpy's "25 Smartest Moments in Gaming" due to his impact in reviving the video game industry and helping Nintendo establish a major presence in the American video game market. Conversely, ScrewAttack called R.O.B. the fifth worst game peripheral ever, citing that he only moved up, down and side to side, was noisy and slow, was nearly impossible to put together by oneself and specifically noted the lack of games that could be played with him.

Despite only appearing as a game peripheral, R.O.B. has made many appearances in games, either by merely making a cameo or appearing as a full-fledged character. His earliest in-game cameo was in Kirby's Dream Land 3, where there is a stage in which Kirby must complete puzzles in various rooms to collect pieces of R.O.B. for Professor Hector, R.O.B.'s creator in Gyromite, so that R.O.B. can be rebuilt.

R.O.B.'s head appears as treasure in Pikmin 2 and is known as the "Remembered Old Buddy". Similarly to how his head is a collectable treasure, R.O.B.'s status as a collectable is referenced in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, where he makes a cameo in his entirety in the Curiosity Shop, although he can only be seen when to the right of the counter when looking from the backroom and he cannot be purchased. Robotic cranes designed in R.O.B.'s image can be seen in the F-Zero GX course Port Town Aero Dive, which can also be seen in the Brawl stage of the same name.

Mario Kart DS notably marked the first time that R.O.B. made the transition into being a full-fledged character, as he appeared as an unlockable driver complete with his own signature karts, one of which is resembles his stand for Stack-Up.

The Star Fox series in particular has been tied with R.O.B. closer than any other Nintendo series. ROB 64 references R.O.B. both in name and as a robotic assistant, due to his status as the pilot of the Great Fox, the Star Fox team's battleship and base of operations. R.O.B. himself also appears as a boss in the Star Fox-based levels in 9-Volt's stage in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Lastly, Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard both feature robots that are almost identical to R.O.B. Zero features Direct-i, who is tethered to the Gyrowing and functions similarly to ROB 64 and R.O.B. himself by being an assistant to the player, courtesy of its ability to hack into computer terminals and its ability to fire lasers from its eyes. Conversely, Guard features the A.T.K. Unit, which is one of the "combat class" robots in the game that threaten the player's mining facilities.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

R.O.B.'s artwork in Brawl

R.O.B. is an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. During The Subspace Emissary, he is ultimately revealed to be the true identity of the Ancient Minister. His default costume consists of his white and red Famicom color scheme, though he has an alternate costume that consists of his white and gray NES color scheme. To reference his signature games, R.O.B. sports the hand configuration used for Stack-Up, and uses a "gyro" and the "spinner" from his Gyromite configuration while using his Gyro down special. Due to the realistic aesthetic used in Brawl, R.O.B. also appears metallic rather than plastic-like.

R.O.B. is ranked 18th on the tier list in the C- tier.

Trophy

The R.O.B. trophy in Brawl.

R.O.B.

R.O.B. sporting his Famicom colors. R.O.B. debuted in Japan as Robot in 1985 as an add-on for the Famicom. He could be combined with a "gyro set," etc. for two types of play. The player controlled Professor Hector, the TV emitted light and R.O.B. responded to the light by moving. At the time, it was epoch-making game play. Recently, R.O.B. appeared in Mario Kart DS.

: Nintendo Entertainment System Robotic Operating Buddy

Sticker

Name	Game	Effect	Characters
R.O.B.	Mario Kart DS	AttackSpecialsIndirect+015 Attack +15	R.O.B.
Robot & Blocks	Stack-Up	AttackSpecialsIndirect+027 Attack +27	R.O.B.
Robot	Mario Kart DS	AttackEnergy+032 Attack +32	R.O.B.

R.O.B. (Mario Kart DS US)

Robot & Blocks (Stack-Up)

Robot (Mario Kart DS JP)

R.O.B. Squad

The R.O.B. Squad is the general term referring to the army and race of R.O.B.s in The Subspace Emissary. Although having no real canon of their own outside of the Super Smash Bros. series, the story of The Subspace Emissary suggests that the R.O.B.s called the Isle of the Ancients their home before it was subsequently taken over by Tabuu in preparation for his invasion into the World of Trophies.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

R.O.B. as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

R.O.B. returns as an unlockable character, being officially confirmed on the Super Smash Bros. site on October 15th, 2014. His design has been updated to appear more glossy than metallic, which makes him better resemblance his appearance as a real life game peripheral. He also has a new Final Smash called Super Diffusion Beam.

R.O.B. has been overall buffed in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, now placing 20th out of 56 on the tier list. His zoning abilities remain rather strong, while he has also seen improvements to his previously poor KOing power, having some notably potent finishers. He also has a good air game thanks to all but one of his aerials possessing disjointed ranges, as well as good power, most notably with up and down aerials. His grab game was also improved, with up throw being made a reliable KO option, and down throw being useful for starting combos. However, R.O.B. has some weaknesses. While his KO power was noticeably improved, he suffers from noticeable start-up lag. His large size and high weight also give him a vulnerability to combos.

Nevertheless, R.O.B. is generally seen as somewhat more viable for tournament play compared to Brawl, as a result of his zoning game remaining strong and his improved close-up options. He has since earned average tournament results and some noteworthy and dedicated mains.

Trophies

R.O.B.

This NES accessory was released in 1985, a groundbreaking system that controlled the robot via a game on the screen. In Smash Bros., R.O.B. has two projectile weapons and can use his rocket base to fly through the air. If you let his Robo Beam charge over time, it'll make for a powerful blast.

Originally released in 1985 as a peripheral for the NES, R.O.B. was a little robot that responded to flashing lights in games. In this game, he can fire gyros and lasers at his enemies. He also has the ability to hover, which is handy for recoveries. Keep in mind that his Robo Beam can be charged up for an extra-powerful shot.

: Robotic Operating Buddy (10/1985)

: Mario Kart DS (11/2005)

R.O.B. (Alt.)

R.O.B.'s side smash, S3, fires a laser beam that does more damage up close. You can also aim it slightly up or down before firing. His down special Gyro sends a spinning top hurtling forward and can be charged for more damage. You can even dodge while charging!

R.O.B.'s side smash, S3, fires a laser beam that does more damage up close. You can also aim it slightly up or down before firing. His down special Gyro sends a spinning top hurtling forwards. While charging it up, you can move left or right to do a quick dodge, then continue charging where you left off!

: Robotic Operating Buddy (10/1985)

: Mario Kart DS (11/2005)

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• ROBAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• ROBAllStarTrophyWiiU.png

  Alt. (Wii U)

Trivia

• As a peripheral, R.O.B. has a product ID listed as HVC-012. This appears as R.O.B.'s name in the Japanese version of Mario Kart DS, in the filename of R.O.B.-related stickers, and is even referenced in the conversation between Pit and Palutena regarding R.O.B.
• R.O.B. is the only playable character in Super Smash Bros. that debuted as hardware, rather than as a video game character.
• In Super Smash Bros. 4, R.O.B. is the only character whose default costume changes depending on what version of the game is played. His default costume in all regions consists of his NES color scheme, while his default costume in Japan consists of his Famicom color scheme.
  • Despite this, in the Sound Test for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, R.O.B.'s portrait is that of its Famicom appearance rather than its NES appearance, regardless of the game's region.
• While it may be hard to hear, R.O.B. actually has a "voice" of sorts, which consists of subdued mechanical beeps. His voice is easiest to hear when he is stunned or star KO'd.
• R.O.B. is the only unlockable newcomer in Brawl to remain an unlockable character in both versions of SSB4.
  • Additionally, he and Wario are the only newcomers from Brawl to return for SSB4 as unlockable characters, as Wario is a starter character in Brawl.