Ep 11. R.O.B. the Robot

As a virtual museum of video game stories, The Angry Video Game Nerd is an internet tv program presented by James Duncan Rolfe. The presenter takes on the role of "Angry Video Game Nerd" and reviews and critiques retro games. The AVGN mainly focuses on gaming on the retro consoles of the '80s and '90s.

In the show's latest, Season 5 episode 11, the Angry Video Game Nerd takes on R.O.B. the Robot. The episode takes a look at one of Nintendo's most celebrated failures, the Robotic Operating Buddy, also known as R.O.B. the Robot.

The episode first starts with the presenter opening a box that contains a brand new R.O.B. The robot from Japan, which is in stark contrast to the dirty and battered R.O.Bs from his childhood. He then proceeds to lay out various R.O.B. accessories and games, all of which will be played in the show's upcoming segments.

Throughout the episode, the AVGN tries to understand the ROB's supposed utilities as well as the range of games that R.O.B. can be used.

In a segment called "Robot Series," the AVGN tries to set up the robot through its various movements to understand the series of actions it performs before beginning to play with various compatible retro games. In testing the ROB, the AVGN is irritated by the robot’s slow and hesitant movements.

Later on, the Angry Video Game Nerd's co-host, Mike, joins the episode to try out the R.O.B with an additional game, "Stack-Up." The game's main objective is for the robot to move colored blocks of various shapes onto an identical area as indicated on the screen. This R.O.B. compatible game, which was more expensive than most games in its time, failed to gain popularity, and Mike remarks that it is a game "needed to be in the bargain bin."

Next up, the host dives into a review of the game Gyromite, which is considered one of the most popular games compatible with R.O.B. The game requires the robot first to move colored pillars out of the way to get to a button that opens a gate, which the in-game character uses to progress.

Throughout the episode, the host's emotions keep changing as he realizes the different aspects of compatibility and usefulness of the R.O.B. Although the robot brought back historical memories, the AVGN grew frustrated with slow robotic movements and the limited game selections. He questions the R.O.B.’s compatibility with games that did not release during the robot’s heyday and how the Robot was more trouble than an accessory that required serious hardware to work.

All in all, the "Angry Video Game Nerd: R.O.B. the Robot" episode is a deep look into one of Nintendo’s most well-known failures. It reveals how the gaming company tried to shock the minds of video game enthusiasts, introducing a robot that they thought would revolutionize the gaming industry by interconnecting the virtual and physical parts of gaming. However, in the end, R.O.B. ended up being an obscure and quirky footnote in video game history.