Would videogames be what they are today without R.O.B.?

[BAD PIXEL]

Well, when I say "toy stores," I actually mean toy stores and department stores that sold toys and related items; K-mart, Wal-Mart, Sears, Montgomery Ward, etc. About 25 years ago, there were a lot of department stores who carried toys, and have since phased out their toy departments. Hell, I even remember JC Penney stores - which you'd never think of selling video games today - selling Ataris back in the day. The main point is that the NES with R.O.B. and the Zapper was initially sold to stores as a toy because the buyers for stores weren't interested in selling video games.

I got my NES on August 27, 1987 - the day before school started and I'm pretty sure we got it at K-mart or Montgomery Ward. Man, it made that first day of school especially excruciating, as all I wanted to do was come home and play Super Mario Bros. The fact that I got my NES about 23 years ago makes me feel pretty old for sure.

[fastbilly1]

Come on Luke - remember the Sears Christmas Catalog. Heck the Sears my father went to use to sell pets aswell as toys.

I am just sad that ToysRUs no longer has the aisle of metal toy rifles.

[Luke]

Come on Luke - remember the Sears Christmas Catalog. Heck the Sears my father went to use to sell pets aswell as toys.

Oh hells yeah. When I was a kid, I'd cut out the gifts I'd like to get my parents, glue it to a card, and that was their gift. A shitty card with pictures from a catalog poorly glued to it. However, it is cute watching the home videos of my parents getting it.

"Oh, and look what Lukey got Daddy. A chainsaw, a new hammer, a ladder, some nice ties, 4 new tires, and a motorized can opener".

[fastbilly1]

Well one never knows when they can use a motorized canopenper. I mean I used one myself just last week to escape from a ravenous grue.

[Snickerd00dle]

This is a good point, one that I never thought of, I never had an nes as a kid so I did not experience his awfulness until I got my R.O.B. much later in life(for free actually), very good little write up

[noiseredux]

I remember tearing out the pages of video games from the Sears and JCPenny Christmas catalogs and circling all the games I wanted. Which was most of them.

[J T]

But how many people actually bought their NES from a Toy Store?

I did. Lionel Playworld was where I bought my first and only NES (it's still ticking) back in 1986 after a hard summer of mowing lawns to be able to afford it. It turned my frown upside down.

[noiseredux]

mine came from Child World. (a toy store)

[Luke]

Got word back from my Father, they picked mine up from Meijer. It's also still working like a charm.

[Luke]

mine came from Child World. (a toy store)

Sounds like a child labor slave shop.