Domo Arigato

Dog was created by Dr. Eli Vance to protect his daughter, Alyx. When he was first built, Dog was only four feet tall. As time went on, Alyx continued to work on the robot by adding various parts and upgrades. Constructed with an assortment of scrap metal, hydraulics, and wires, Dog ultimately ended up looking more like a gorilla and towered ten feet high. Not unlike a real canine companion, Dog is very friendly and loyal. He helps Gordon Freeman learn how to use his gravity gun by playing fetch with a large piece of scrap metal. He later helps Gordon out by throwing vehicles at enemies, forcing gates open, and removing him from under a pile of rubble. In spite of his incredible strength, Dog is known for his friendly and playful mannerisms and serves as a much-appreciated source of comic relief.

Chibi-Robo is a tiny battery-operated toy robot that does housework for humans. While performing various tasks to make life easier for humans, Chibi-Robo must frequently plug himself into electrical outlets located throughout the house in order to charge his battery. Chibi-Robo’s life is by no means limited to housework, however. In fact, his life is actually pretty exciting. Chibi-Robo contacts aliens, travels back in time, and defends the house against an army of robot spiders. He also befriends the toys in the house (who naturally come to life when humans aren’t around). Chibi-Robo was overlooked on the GameCube, but was given the chance to reach a larger audience on the DS and Wii. He’s a quirky character, to say the least, but he also happens to be one of the most charming robots on this list.

The “Robotic Operating Buddy” (R.O.B.) was a toy robot that was infamously used as a Trojan horse to get the Nintendo Entertainment System onto American store shelves after retailers had been burned by the video game crash in 1984. R.O.B. was intended to act as a second player in certain games, and would receive commands via optical flashes from the television screen that would eventually translate to a button on the second controller being pressed. While R.O.B. had a short lifespan and was only compatible with two games, he has continued to expand his legacy in recent years. R.O.B. has appeared as a cameo character in Kirby’s Dream Land 3, WarioWare, F-Zero GX, and Pikmin 2. He has also been featured as a playable character in Mario Kart DS and in the Super Smash Bros. series.

In a future where humans have left the Earth to colonize other planets, mechanical “orbots” were left behind to clean up all the pollution they created. The concept draws parallels to WALL-E, but Vectorman is more militarized than Pixar’s lovable robot. Vectorman is a humble orbot in charge of cleaning up toxic sludge. He has a variety of weapons at his disposal, ranging from machine guns to pulse rifles, but it’s his ability to transform that defines him. Since his body is comprised entirely of orbs, Vectorman can change his shape at will. He can become a drill to pass through floors, transform into a bomb to break through walls, or take on an aquatic form for advanced swimming abilities. These skills come in handy as he battles hostile orbots who turned against humanity after being corrupted by a virus.

Originally designed to aid American troops in the liberation of Alaska from communist China, Liberty Prime is a massive, forty-foot tall robot. His size allows him to mow down basically anything in his path, and his energy shield makes him impervious to enemy fire. Liberty Prime is fitted with twin head-mounted lasers and is also equipped with a large supply of nuclear missiles that he throws around like footballs. Liberty Prime isn’t all about weapons, and he makes an effort to inspire his allies and demoralize his foes with the use of anti-Communist phrases. Some of his more notable phrases include; “Communism is the very definition of failure!”; “Communism is a lie!”; and, my personal favorite, “Democracy is non-negotiable!” There are several robots to encounter in Fallout 3, but none are more memorable than Liberty Prime.

Horatio Nullbuilt v.5 is a skilled engineer who inhabits a derelict airship stranded in a vast desert. A virtual hermit who lives a peaceful existence with a sarcastic robot sidekick that he built himself, Horatio wants to be left alone while he repairs his crippled ship. He’s forced to venture outside of his comfort zone after a scavenger robs him of his only power source, however. Horatio initially departs on a quest for energy, but the whole thing becomes an unintended journey of self-discovery. Primordia is set in a post-apocalyptic world after the fall of mankind, and Horatio looks to humans as deities. His world view is challenged after he learns more about the history of humanity. Horatio is a creature driven by logic, so his own sense of identity is turned upside down when he discovers the truth about his own creation.

Clank is Ratchet’s robotic sidekick and co-protagonist. Although he originates from a robotic line designed for destructive purposes, Clank was altered during assembly and he now fights to save the galaxy. Clank usually acts as Ratchet’s makeshift backpack and is able to make use of various attachments and modifications that enhance jumping, hovering, and diving abilities. On occasion, Clank will leave Ratchet’s side in order to complete his own missions. While his small stature makes him ideal for exploring tight spaces, he also has the ability to increase his size in order to fight larger enemies. His highbrowed and sophisticated nature provides contrast to Ratchet’s wise-cracking persona, and that’s one of the reasons why the Ratchet & Clank games are so entertaining in the first place.

The Star Wars films are known for robotic characters like R2-D2 and Hayden Christensen, so it’s only fitting that the Star Wars video games would be noteworthy for robots as well. HK-47 was built by the Sith lord Revan and used as an assassin droid to kill people who could potentially destabilize or weaken the galaxy. When HK-47’s memory was wiped, he forgot his dark past but kept his bloodthirsty demeanor and still refered to organic lifeforms as “meatbags.” Despite his aggressive nature, HK-47 was also programmed as a protocol droid and, as such, he is able to assist in communications and etiquette. He also has a strong sense of loyalty and obeys his master to a tee. Make no mistake about it, HK-47 is one of the most compelling characters in the entire expanded Star Wars universe.

Bomberman spends most of his time blowing things up and riding around on kangaroos. He has been the subject of many makeovers since he made his debut in 1983, but he is best known for his “White Bomber” incarnation. This design was used for the enemy robots in the NES version of Lode Runner before it was ever used in a proper Bomberman game. In the NES version of Bomberman, our beloved hero is on a quest to escape from the underground bomb factory that he works in. Robots who are able to leave the factory are apparently granted a wish, and Bomberman uses his to become human. It’s at this point that Bomberman becomes Lode Runner. I’m not sure why he wanted to become a human so badly, but turning into Lode Runner is better than turning into whatever he was supposed to be in Bomberman: Act Zero.

Robo was originally named Prometheus and given the serial number R-66Y. He was created to assist humans, but was shut down by the apocalypse in 1999. After remaining dormant for over three hundred years, he was discovered and reactivated by Crono and his friends. Robo had no memory of his prior mission, and joined his new friends on their quest to save the world. His robotic arm proves quite useful in battle, and he can accurately mimic various magic techniques. Robo was punished by his creator (Mother Brain) for showing sympathy to humans, but continued to fight for what he believed in. Although he is a skilled fighter, Robo has a peaceful personality. He enjoys spending time with a pink companion robot named Atropos XR, and even devoted four hundred years of his life to restoring a forest.