R.O.B.
R.O.B. (short for Robotic Operating Buddy) is an accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In Japan, it was known as the Famicon Robot. R.O.B. functions by translating flashes of information on the television screen into physical actions (using technology similar to the Zapper Gun). R.O.B. was first used for the game Gyromite.
Players can control R.O.B. with the control pad to make him raise and lower gyroscopes. To make the gyroscope spin, set the object in the gyroscope spinner and then balance it on one of the two round trays that are connected to controller two. Placing a gyro on the red tray lowers the red GATES; placing a gyro on the blue tray lowers the blue GATES.
R.O.B. is also (surprisingly) a playable character in Mario Kart DS. In the game, he is one of the heaviest characters. Only Bowser is his equal. R.O.B's symbol is the NES D-Pad. R.O.B. has two original karts: the ROB-BLS and the ROB-LGS. His karts are fast, heavy, and have wider handling. R.O.B. is the first non-Mario character to appear in the Mario Kart series. The others (in the Mario Kart Arcade GP series) are Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Blinky, and Mametchi. He is the fourth and last character to unlock.
R.O.B. is also the subject of the "Stack-Up" microgame in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ from 9-Volt's games. In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, R.O.B. is the first boss of the Starfox boss game.
R.O.B. has also appeared in the Star Fox series (albeit in a very different form) and has made multiple other small cameos in all sorts of games, such as F-Zero GX (is part of the scenery in Port Town), Viewtiful Joe (appears on the back of the box in an illustration), and Animal Crossing (The Robo-Clock and Robo-Stereo are R.O.B.-inspired).
