Gyromite

Overview

Gyromite is a video game for the NES released in 1985 and one of two games designed to make use of the Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.) accessory (the other being Stack-Up). to help a professor clear a lab of dangerous dynamite. Though the game is officially known as Gyromite, the game's title screen displays the title as Robot Gyro.

Gameplay

The game is meant to be played as a single-player game with the player controlling the professor's movement using the D-pad on the first controller and R.O.B. raising and lowering barriers by pressing the A and B Buttons on the second controller. By pressing start, the player can program R.O.B. to perform this task by interacting with a series of "gyros", or tops. The game communicates with R.O.B. by emitting screen flashes in patterns that the robot can scan and understand.

To press a button, R.O.B. must first collect a gyro that a separate device uses a motor to spin. He then must place the gyro on a button platform that holds the controller, which then presses the appropriate button to raise or lower red and blue pillars that block the player's path. In practice, however, R.O.B.'s movement and method of interaction with the game are very slow and tend to drag the pace of the gameplay. R.O.B.'s interaction is also not precise, as the gyros can stop spinning and fall off the buttons, resetting the pillars. Due to this dependency, it is more convenient and accurate for a second player to take R.O.B.'s place.