How R.O.B. The Robot SAVED Nintendo! Domo Arigato!!
24Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto! Ever wonder how Nintendo conquered America after the video game crash of '83? The secret weapon wasn't Mario... it was R.O.B.! (Really Obsolete Buddy, but we still love him!)
Special Thanks to @JeremyParish for the use of his footage.
Exciting Nintendo SECRET in Excitebike Cartridges!
• Exciting Nintendo SECRET in Excitebik...
In this video, I unbox a Japanese Famicom Robot sent to me by my friend Dave in Japan. We'll dive deep into the fascinating (and slightly conspiratorial) history of R.O.B. the Robot, the toy that saved Nintendo!
R.O.B. wasn't just a gimmick; he was a crucial part of Nintendo's strategy to convince skeptical American retailers that the NES was different, not just another failed video game console. Designed by the legendary Gunpei Yokoi (the genius behind the Game Boy, D-Pad, and more!), R.O.B. was a clever combination of existing technologies: light guns, electric motors, and even traditional Japanese spinning tops!
We'll explore:
The 1983 Video Game Crash: Why American stores were terrified of video games.
Gunpei Yokoi's Genius: How he used "withered technology" to create something revolutionary.
R.O.B.'s Technology: How he worked, using light flashes from your CRT TV!
The NES Launch Bundles: The Control Deck, Action Set, and the Deluxe Set (with R.O.B.!). We'll even look at how much they'd cost today with inflation!
The R.O.B. Games: Gyromite (Robot Gyro) and Stack-Up (Robot Block) –
We'll discuss their unique (and often frustrating) gameplay.
The "Honor System" of Stack-Up: Why this game is a trust exercise between you and... yourself.
Accessory Madness: You needed a LOT of stuff to actually play with R.O.B.!
Collecting R.O.B. Today: Is it worth it? We'll look at prices for R.O.B., the accessories, and the games. (Spoiler: It can get expensive!)
A special thanks to Jeremy Parish and Tappers Toys!
I'm also going to be making videos on using original Famicom systems in the US, so SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss out! If you enjoyed this video, please hit that LIKE button – it really helps!
Hashtags:
#ROBTheRobot #Nintendo #NES #Famicom #RetroGaming #GunpeiYokoi #VideoGameHistory #8bit #GamingHistory #Gyromite #StackUp #NintendoHistory #RetrogamingCommunity #VideoGameCrash #1980s #Toys #RobuSan #FamicomRobot #8bitjoystick #Japaneseretrogaming
Chapters:
[00:00] R.O.B. = Really Obsolete Buddy
[00:12] Mail from my man in Japan
[00:21] Nintendo Family Computer Robot
[00:44] Robot rose-colored glasses
[01:14] Nintendo needed R.O.B. to launch the NES
[01:18] Gunpei Yokoi saves the day AGAIN!
[01:46] Nintendo and the Great Video Game Crash of 1983
[02:15] Who was this Nintendo company any way?
[02:56] R.O.B. and Withered Technologies
[04:39] Japan has a long history with spinning tops
[05:20] R.O.B. vs US Toy Retailer Executives
[05:46] Three NES Price point bundles
[07:02] Gyromite/Robo Gyro
[09:18] Stack Up /Robo Block
[10:51] What you need to play R.O.B. Games
[11:26] Thank you to Jeremy Parish ジェレミー・パリッシュ先輩、ありがとう
[11:58] Prices for R.O.B.
[12:59] Do you need R.O.B.?
[13:15] Coming soon: Famicom Hardware videos!
Referenced videos
Exciting Nintendo SECRET in Excitebike Cartridges!
• Exciting Nintendo SECRET in Excitebik...
Good Nintentions Direct Feed #013b: Stack-Up, Memory mode (NES RGB HD footage with R.O.B. robot)
• Good Nintentions Direct Feed #013b: S...
Good Nintentions Direct Feed #014: Gyromite Mode A (NES RGB HD footage with R.O.B. robot)
• Good Nintentions Direct Feed #014: Gy...
Gunpei Yokoi at E3 1995
• Gunpei Yokoi at E3 1995
1990: NINTENDO and the JAPANESE SOFTWARE boom | The Money Programme | Retro Computing | BBC Archive
• 1990: NINTENDO and the JAPANESE SOFTW...
1984 Special Report: Video Games--Atari Crash--Halcyon
• 1984 Special Report: Video Games--Ata...
FAO Brand Video
• FAO Brand Video
Wild Gunman 1974 nintendo
• Wild Gunman 1974 nintendo
Creative Commons Flickr Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdesjardin/2677949638/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomaspurves/130411337/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/con4tini/48928799173/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mshades/340540972/
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Gyromite Statistics For 8bitjoystick
At this time, 8bitjoystick has 806 views for Gyromite spread across 2 videos. His channel published less than an hour of Gyromite content, making up less than 0.06% of the total overall content on 8bitjoystick's YouTube channel.