Astro Botmay very well be one of the biggest surprises of 2024, unassumingly sneaking its way into this year’s gaming lineup and already proving itself to be a worthy Game of the Year contender. A significant part of what has led toAstro Bot’s rapid success is likely its bold pursuit of the mundane, taking players back to gaming’s simpler days amid so many other titles attempting to redefine the industry with bigger and better-looking experiences. On that note,Astro Bottakes full advantage of the nostalgia of longtime Sony and PlayStation fans with Bots resembling the faces and images they’ve become familiar with over the last three decades.
Astro Botmay only be Sony on the surface, however, as the fundamental building blocks of its core gameplay loop prove its inability to deny theimpact that Nintendo has had on the gaming industryas a whole. It’s impossible to playAstro Botwithout conjuring memories of Nintendo’s classicSuper Marioseries, to the point that one perspective suggestsAstro Botmay have beaten Mario at his own game. In addition to these apparentSuper Marioinfluences, there is a generous smattering of other mechanics clearly inspired by some of Nintendo’s most recognizable franchises.
Astro Bot Wears Its Nintendo Influences on Its Sleeve
Astro Bot’s Platforming Mechanics and Level Design Are Reminiscent of Several Super Mario Games
Despite being designed to showcase decades of Sony’s history,Astro Bot’s gameplay wears its Nintendo influences on its sleeve. Most noticeably,Astro Bot’s platforming mechanics and level design areSuper Mariothrough and through. Rather than drawing inspiration from classic iterations ofSuper Mario’s platformingand level design, however,Astro Botconsiders the philosophy and design principles ofSuper Mario’s modern era, where the world is as much alive as the NPCs within it and players can progress through experimentation and occasionally shifting their perspective.
Some ofAstro Bot’s mechanics even mirror specificSuper Mariogames.Astro Bot’s jetpack mechanics, for example, are almost identical to Mario’s FLUDD pack inSuper Mario Sunshine. Specifically, when players equip the Hover Nozzle to the FLUDD inSuper Mario Sunshine, they can use it to cross large gaps and even stun enemies who get caught in the streams below. In the same way, players can use the jetpack inAstro Botto hover across gaps and also stun or even kill enemies below the jetpack’s flames.
Additionally,Astro Bot’s primary attack is a punch, similar to Mario’s in multipleSuper Mariogames.
Astro Bot Also Uses Gameplay Mechanics From Nintendo’s Pikmin Series
Super Marioisn’t the only clearNintendo influencefound inAstro Bot, as it also draws inspiration fromPikmin, from both a gameplay and a premise standpoint. The firstPikmingame saw Captain Olimar’s ship crash-landing on an unknown planet. From there, players were required to befriend creatures on the planet called “Pikmin,” and gather the parts of Captain Olimar’s ship with their help. InAstro Bot, the bots' ship is torn apart by a strange alien, scattering pieces of it and its bots all over the galaxy. Players must then gather the remaining pieces at the Crash Site after rescuing bots from each world.
Pikminis even more clearly seen in the waythe Crash Site is navigated inAstro Bot, as players seek out obstacles that require the help of a certain number of bots. Upon approaching one of these obstacles and pressing the action button, Astro Bot summons the required number of bots with a whistle, just asPikmin’s protagonist does to rally Pikmin. There are also hints of other Nintendo games found inAstro Bot, likeAnimal CrossingandSplatoon, further proving the undeniable impact Nintendo has had on the gaming industry. If Sony can’t even avoid being inspired by Nintendo in a game that’s supposed to be about Sony, that says something.
