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BlackYakuzu94 CHADhan Player. from Easy Coast/NY Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
CHADhan Player.
#71676: Mar 12th 2023 at 7:03:07 PM

...Does the distinction really matter?

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.
Eriorguez Since: Jun, 2009
#71677: Mar 12th 2023 at 7:20:06 PM

Ah yeah, we all remember how Goku was a big player on Namek while Vegeta was in the sidelines.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#71678: Mar 12th 2023 at 7:26:46 PM

Vegeta, admittedly, spend a good chunk of Namek as the antagonist until the twist that he's just as outmatched as the heroes are.

neoamon Mr from Planet Mobius S.T.C. (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded)
Mr
#71679: Mar 12th 2023 at 7:35:26 PM

Not all Robotnik's have two silly subordinates. Sonic Sat Am Robotnik, Archie first Robotnik, Sonic the Comic Robotnik, Movie Robotnik don't have them.

Edited by neoamon on Mar 12th 2023 at 2:37:20 PM

"May your heart be your guiding key"
lalalei2001 Since: Oct, 2009
#71680: Mar 12th 2023 at 7:39:45 PM

Archie's Robotnik had Crabmeat at first, who was silly.

The Protomen enhanced my life.
wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#71681: Mar 12th 2023 at 8:50:04 PM

Orbot and Cubot aren't entirely useless. They actually can be effective so long as Sonic and friends aren't around to mess stuff up, or Eggman's not there to berate them. They're that rare mix of expendable and invulnerable... Overall, they're the Goldfish Poop Gang or Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, and the straight man for certain comedic versions of Eggman. Also, they allow for exposition, interaction, or other narrative purposes in the shows, comics, and games.

I'm happy with Eggman having his four kids, Metal, Orbot, Cubot, and Sage.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Mar 12th 2023 at 10:52:26 AM

BlackYakuzu94 CHADhan Player. from Easy Coast/NY Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
CHADhan Player.
#71682: Mar 13th 2023 at 2:43:36 AM

So basically they serve a purpose that is almost completely rare....

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.
wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#71683: Mar 13th 2023 at 7:21:19 AM

It's really not rare. We've already had multiple instances of it in our series, and the tropes and character archetypes that use it are quite common.

BlackYakuzu94 CHADhan Player. from Easy Coast/NY Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
CHADhan Player.
#71684: Mar 13th 2023 at 7:39:23 AM

The only continuity where that really applies is Boom, which is now defunct.

Game!Eggman isn't all that comical even if he has his moments and Orbot and Cubot don't really show up unless it's with Eggman.

So they never really have a moment to showcase any real depth and are only there to serve as comical foils to Eggman.

I'm not saying Eggman shouldn't have comical henchmen, but that setup only properly works in the more comical settings as opposed to the more action-adventure oriented tone of the games and other continuities.

That's why I feel like there's been a much more positive response to Sage, who actually has a character arc and adds some depth to Eggman. (Even if I think it wasn't done that well)

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.
Joshbones Since: May, 2015
#71685: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:08:20 AM

The only time I felt they were really superflous were Forces, where they each got one line of dialogue and just screwed off.

Colors and Lost World gave them a lot to do, honestly.

BlackYakuzu94 CHADhan Player. from Easy Coast/NY Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
CHADhan Player.
#71686: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:14:51 AM

And sure enough, those are the games with the more lighthearted and comedic tone.

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.
thethirdwinklevoss Since: Mar, 2021 Relationship Status: I love you for psychological reasons
#71687: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:32:32 AM

I'm happy for Sage to keep showing up as Eggman's computer/daughter, but I hope we don't have any more extended scenes of her with Sonic, as I found those incredibly dull in Frontiers. Then again, I'm biased as I almost always hate tragic AI stories.

randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#71688: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:46:41 AM

The scenes with her and Sonic weren't tragic...

They were just dull.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
LoneCourier0 The Wandering Geek from A Diverse Land (Unitroper) Relationship Status: How YOU doin'?
The Wandering Geek
#71689: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:47:21 AM

For you.

"Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It's unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don't have to try."
randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#71690: Mar 13th 2023 at 10:50:08 AM

That's a qualifier.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
Eriorguez Since: Jun, 2009
#71691: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:27:14 PM

Eggman had left Orbot and Cubot in space before Generations.

Still, having a pair of henchmen around doesn't hurt, but, the approach is weird. Orbot in Unleashed, again, spends the game sassing a throughly competent Eggman as if he was a doofus.

randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#71692: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:32:35 PM

He was sassing him over a mistake that was pretty much entirely unavoidable...

Also because Eggman didn't actually do anything for the rest of the game pretty much.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#71693: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:42:24 PM

Honestly, I think the big thing holding Orbot and Cubot back is that they just aren't very fun to look at or listen to. Someone compared them to the cartoon's Scratch and Grounder earlier, but Scratch and Grounder worked as ineffectual mooks because they were distinct figures with their own unique abilities who could fail in entertaining ways. Like. They actually fought Sonic. Badly, but they did.

Orbot and Cubot are just a box and a ball who can't really do much more than mope and complain. They aren't fun. Scratch and Grounder were fun. Stone is fun. Sage is an interesting dynamic change with a wealth of story potential, which is a completely different thing that keeps her from being redundant with the others. But Orbot and Cubot just... They suck. There's no two ways about it. They just suck and should be replaced by more fun minion types.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Mar 13th 2023 at 12:43:11 PM

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randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#71694: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:46:07 PM

Orbot mopes...I guess.

Cubot is just kind of there.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
MightyMatilda Mr. Clueless from New Jersey, USA Since: Jan, 2015
Mr. Clueless
#71695: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:46:25 PM

In other words, Orbot and Cubot are Snively if he was two robots.

De Romanīs, lingua Latina gloriosa non fuī.
Eriorguez Since: Jun, 2009
#71696: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:47:22 PM

Or Bocoe and Decoe. They are human shaped, they can do physical stuff, and aren't built like console popups.

Seriously Orbot has big Clippy energy.

ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#71697: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:47:45 PM

[up][up]From my limited exposure to that incarnation of the franchise, I'd say Orbot is Snively if he were a robot, and Cubot... is also there.

Edited by ShinyCottonCandy on Mar 13th 2023 at 3:47:58 PM

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BorneAgain (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#71698: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:55:14 PM

I find Scratch and Grounder remarkably obnoxious in hindsight so Orbot and Cubot being a bit more restrained is a plus in my book.

Edited by BorneAgain on Mar 13th 2023 at 3:56:42 PM

randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#71699: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:58:02 PM

The simplistic designs are an unfortunate product of late 2000's Eggman.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#71700: Mar 13th 2023 at 12:58:09 PM

I don't really have any problems with the visual design of Orbot and Cubot, either. I don't think they need to be all that deep.


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