Astro Bot 'Almost' a Nintendo Beater, Says Reggie Fils-Aimé

Astro Bot may not have the same popularity as Mario, however in terms of quality, I'd put Astro Bot up against the best Mario platformers ever

In VR it is absolutely a Nintendo beater. Best platformer of all time. Flat. Yeah. Not revolutionary enough to create the same sense of magic.

I really like Atro bot, but it's not even close to the best 3d Mario games.

I would say Astro has the potential for it.

I'd put right in line with Galaxy 1 and 2 which were the best 3D Mario games. Definitely liked it better than Odyssey myself.

@Netret0120 I mean Mario is a 40 + year IP and Astro bot is a new IP, this is his first big game that wasn't vr.

Lmfao, no, no it's not.

Astro Bot is great, Galaxy is a bit better. But this Champions League, some rate Galaxy as the best video game. Especially the more diverse moveset of Mario allows for a more artistic, high-skill gameplay. This gives the game more depth (which I could never experience by myself, btw).

Overall I'd say it's not as good as odyssey but it definitely beats any other 3D Mario game for me. Hopefully in the next game we get larger open world areas to explore like with Mario Odyssey.

Astro Bot was excellent but just imagine how good the sequel will be.

@Americansamurai1

Precisely. Astro can't even begin to rival the popularity of Mario on a popularity scale. Kids to grandparents can recognize Mario.

However Astro Bot as a game was great. I'd say it can compete with the best mario platformers of the past 40 years

I didn't really interpret that as a joke or tongue in cheek comment. Coming from a former Nintendo exec, that's probably the highest praise you can realistically get.

@Netret0120 yeah definitely has the possibility to one day but that's only if Sony stays consistent with high quality games and maybe other media like an Astro bot kids movie or show.

It would be touted as one of the greatest games ever were it a Nintendo game. The industry guys all grew up on Nintendo so there’s some nostalgia-bias there.

@Netret0120 ABSOLUTELY!!!

Nothing is coming to close to Mario Sunshine.

Astro Bot was MILES ahead of Odyssey

Wait till Reggie returns as Nintendo CEO and makes a game that will outdo Astro Bot

But with all seriousness, happy to see Reggie acknowledges the potential of Astro Bot

@Oram77 of course nothing is coming close to Mario Sunshine…

Because Mario 64, Galaxy 1&2, Oddyssey, and now Astro Bot are so far ahead of it.

😅

Personally, I think it’s an amazing thing for gaming to see kid friendly games like Astro Bot doing so well.

It will challenge Nintendo to be more creative, it will challenge other developers to try their hand at it, and all of this can only be a good thing.

The old marketing strategy of trying to get people to believe a superior product hasnt just beaten your (normally market leading) product by saying its really good and "nearly" as good as your product.

The ninty "we don't get into console wars like ps and xbox" fans are getting uppity again lol

I wouldn't say it's better, but it is absolutely on par with every 3d Mario game. It feels amazing to move around and make use of the mechanics to get around the gorgeous fun levels. And the thing is they managed it with only 3 game. With the first game alone they already accomplished something special considering it was a vr game. The 2nd game was literally just a tech demo and still managed to be as fun as a full Mario game. And their first full fledged game is one to remember. I can't wait to see what they do in a sequel to a full fledged game

As an exercise in "inspired by" to "oh dear you copied too much and badly" then yeah it's almost as good as Mario.... oh.

Still at least its not a live service.... yet🤭

I wouldn't quite put it up there with Mario's best and I'd actually say Resuce Mission is the better Astro Bot game overall. Still rather than compare, I'd just say Astro Bot is a great 3D platformer and hopefully we'll get more

Astro Bot lifted so many mechanics, puzzles and themes directly from previous Mario games that it's not even funny.

It's a good game but anyone calling it better really hasn't played many Mario games.

Queue in the Astrobot Kart, Astrobot Party, Astrobot Tennis, Golf and Baseball and of course, the new classic, Paper Astrobot games.

Its interesting to see the wildly different views on which Mario is great and which is...not so much. I wonder how much age impacts this? I think that most might like the Mario that was the most popular during their formative years more than the rest. A bit of nostalgia biasing their picks? I would place Super Mario World above all of the 3d outings.

As for Astro Bot, I haven't played the latest game, but if its just a bigger version of Astros Playroom (which I did platinum), then its a great game but doesn't quite hit the fun factor that Mario games do.

@Kienda Mario 64 is iconic but not better. personally wasn't a big fan of the galaxy games (potential hot take). Odyssey is amazing though.

Astro Bot doesnt really feel like a Mario game though, just the momentum of movement alone. While some mechanics were definitely borrowed from Mario, its only natural cause Mario is such a foundational game, the developer even said they were heavily inspired by their games. However Astro bot also has its own mechanics, gimmicks and level designs. Not to mention a whole different art style.

It’s why terms like soulslike, roguelike, metroidvania and the likes exist, because games usually borrow mechanics from eachother. Some are almost exactly the same in terms of mechanics, only differing in their artstyle. Doesnt mean those new games cant be great games on its own.

@Oram77 yeah, I was being a bit cheeky, Sunshine is a good game.

But, we all have our preferences and I would still choose the other 3D Mario’s (including 3D Worlds) above Sunshine.

And to be honest, I don’t really know why.

Did a mario game won game of the year on the video games award show.word up son

@Kienda I'll be honest, Mario maker 1 & 2 are the goats, I'm really surprised other legacy IPs haven't done this.

Definitely wouldn’t say it was better than Odyssey. Odyssey took more of my time, puzzle solving, and platforming know how to eventually beat. It was an extremely rewarding experience. Astro Bot was fabulous but I finished it quickly and the challenge wasn’t quite as robust as Odyssey. But who cares what was better? Both games have a special place in my heart. Sony needs more of this.

Reggie/Nintendo Life. XD Pointless fanboy logic. I don't care for Mario or Astro. They have their own merits. That's it. End of story. Japan Studio always did great niche games, just no one cared.

It just uses what games were popular (point made like many do any genre/trend), has cameos & does whatever. Indie platformer design I hate yet they get a pass by audiences so what people want by all means I just don't buy them.

It's ok, hardly the best thing ever seen but I'm a collector, I dig deeper of course I won't find Astro that great. A good game yes, a game I respect, not really. Games I don't play but respect for game of the year types of the past I do have a opening for. I don't go only my types of games get a pass.

Like cameo/reference jokes in movies/tv shows, it's lazy writing, like anime fan service to distract (unless contributes but varies per series) or entertainment experts in the audience, stop calling out to them/old show favourites I don't care how cultured you are. Like licensed music, make your own OST count not oh this song here (at least games still have that even if I find modern OSTs forgettable). The lyrics may match but it's also easy to get audiences in. I hate that.

Astro getting an award is a great thing as it shows games like this do have a place and I agree. But then again how many make successors as their new veteran studios and how AAA is too (like survival games why do AAA not attempt it they want money right?) They get focused on live services and aren't skilled enough yet ex Bioware or ex Criterion made Nightingale/No Man's Sky, most make successors to their past IPs.

Mario Odyssey may have 2D Mario but like Link Between Worlds it doesn't use it as inspiration it uses it sparingly in areas to spices things up for gameplay. I like that.

I only cared for Galaxy as to me the planetoids while not Ratchet scale and the Ice Flower or other power up uses were so good. That's the kind of thing I appreciated about Galaxy. 64 was just bland to me. Sunshine had moments. 2D/3D was ok of 3D Land/World. Sackboy has it's spin on things but is still just as Mario copying bland. Sumo really weren't trying there. Sonic racing I think they did try more. Snake Pass they may have published but still was a great game idea like Unbox was of moveset but Unbox is just eh of it's mission design.

Nintendo prototypes and keeps to their thoughts not borrowing from others, or maybe for patents that too (not a bad thing but I just don't like clones/close looking at competition (sometimes, depends on the mechanics and competition angle) and I prefer Nintendo's mentality, think up your own ideas, make them worth something, & what are we paying you for is how I see it). Let alone people making their own niches.

Asobi did too (it's also what made Japan Studios games so good, they felt like Indie projects yet were so creative) but they like Playroom went hmm we have cameos. Something Sony have wanted of nostalgia banking on for years, call backs to their history for the fans. While that's fine I don't find it appealing. I don't need to call back. I'm still playing that era just not those games (unless never owned and buy later to experience). PS4 era money & IPs make sense. I may not like them but it doesn't mean I miss the old era.

It's not a Disney Infinity or something.

To me Astro Bot is 'fine' but even as not a Mario fan I think plenty of B grade platformers are still better than Astro.

Why some people thinks Astro Bot needs to outdid Nintendo / Mario?

Why not let Astro be it's own thing?

@MikeOrator
I would still say that after so long with Nintendo (at the level he was) there is some bias there, if only from a legacy point of view, and probably only then sub-consciously. Its just human nature.

Its a long time since I played a Mario game through to completion, but I have heard many opinions to say that Astro beats either all or most or just some Mario games, depending on who you speak/listen to, further exacerbated by the fact that even diehard Mario fans cant agree on what the best game was!
There is also the old question of what does Astro have to beat to be a Mario beater - 1 Mario game, 50%, All, or just the most recent.

Anyway, I was only referring to how this is a very normal marketing strategy / way of talking in the circumstances. Ie most marketing /senior company people, if they didnt think Astro was right up there would go with "Astro is a very good game, excellent in fact, but its no Mario".

@MikeOrator I just want to give a little backstory to my username though, cause its not quite what it might seem like. My wife and i would diss each other when someone said something so obvious it was almost silly, by saying “Logisch” (Dutch for ‘Duhh’). After a while, that became “Logic” and then “Logic strikes again” whenever someone said something so obvious it almost felt dumb. Just a little tease when one of us is pointing out the obvious. So, while it might sound a bit arrogant, it actually came from a playful place. 😜

However, I also try to give logical, well thought out responses and look at things from multiple perspectives, so it works in both contexts. Though ‘try’ is definitely the key word there.

I can't remember the last time I finished a Nintendo game. In fact, I haven't touched my Switch in over a year.

Don’t misunderstand, this is high praise coming from this guy!

@Friendly I’d actually love to see an Astro bot kart game with playstation characters 😍

Yeah, Yeah Reggie. Except Asobi took everything Nintendo does and did it better.

Currently the one game making me wish I had a PS5. I guess one of two if you count Astro's Playroom.

I don't know if I'd like it as much as Odyssey or Galaxy, but Team Asobi is doubtlessly one of the most creative teams in Sony's first-party roster, and I hope they keep creating amazing, Nintendo-inspired 3D platformers.

@playstation1995 Odyssey almost undoubtedly would've if Breath of the Wild hadn't launched in the same year, tbh. Nothing else in 2017 came close to being as celebrated as that particular one-two punch from Nintendo.

@Ralizah. I doubt it.some other game would beat it.word up son

@playstation1995 Like what?

Horizon Zero Awards?
Persona 5 was excellent, but too Japanese to really win the big award.
NieR: Automata was excellent, but couldn't even beat P5 for best RPG.

The big award that year was a competition between competing teams at Nintendo.

The arrogance of these Astro-stans. Astro Bot was fantastic; I certainly don't want to be reductive of that. But to say it handedly bests 20 years of 3D platforming excellence? Astro is better than 64, Sunshine (...well, it is better than Sunshine), Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land (still haven't played, but it probably beats this one, too), 3D World, and Odyssey? Nah.

Astro Bot lacks the innovation of 64. The vibes of Sunshine. The aesthetic and design beauty of the Galaxys. The breakneck pacing of the 3Ds. And the exploration and mechanical depth of Odyssey. Maybe not all of those comparisons will matter to you, but the point stands that Astro does not do everything Mario has done better.

Understand that when talking about the greatest 3D platformers ever, it's comprised mostly of Mario. Now Astro's apart of that conversation. It is not, however, the defacto 3D platformer. Heck, I would personally rank Banjo-Kazooie well above it.

I'm not going to comment on Mario vs Astro Bot because that is idiot *****.

What I will say is we should celebrate a family game, made by a small (AAA standards) team and a 3D platformer winning GOTY.

In an age of live services and 200 hour JRPG Slogs with generic character and crap mini games we got a 15 hour platformer who's emphasis was only built on one thing "fun" and it succeeded.

Like I have 0 interest in the Switch 2 because I barely used my Switch but the moment they announce a 3D Mario you can bet I'm pre-ordering the Bundle. I love 3D platformers and think they truly are gamings heart and soul so whether it is Ratchet, Mario, Astro or Sly I will always support them.

@Netret0120 cheers to that!!

Game is tippy top tier. Nothing else matters. You can compare and quantify however you want.

It's an awesome game, definitely say up there with some of Nintendo's best. The Super Mario series is still top of the genre but Astro Bot is a very close second, Rescue Mission, Play Room and last year's game are all awesome.

@Ralizah Not that it truly matters, but aggregate GOTY site goty.gamefa.com (which almost perfectly aligns with The Game Awards) actually had Horizon Zero Dawn in second place with 14.9% of GOTY awards, ahead of Super Mario Odyssey at 8%. Which surprised me, I too would've expected Odyssey second.

But it's of course entirely possible that a lot of those awards for BOTW would've gone to Odyssey instead of Horizon.

@Ralizah Would've, could've, but didn't. Astro is GotY and Mario Odyssey wasn't.

Horizon Zero Awards. Haven't heard that since I was surrounded by nintendo fanboys. Gamefaqs is that way-------->.

@MikeOrator
Oh no, I didnt think it was a Jibe at Astro / Team Asobi.

My point was that given the usual marketing speak from people as high up as he was (& for so long), and with a potential sub-concious bias towards games he oversaw / worked on, he must have really liked Astro - probably more than his actual words let on.

If anything, there might even be a friendly dig at his old colleagues to try and spur them on, given that for a long time I dont really think Mario has had a real competitor, and hes saying to them that now it does.

@MikeOrator
I dont know much about the guy, although his tenure at the top is impressive, but if hes half of what you describe, yes - its a great shame that we dont see more of this at the top these days!

@Ainu20 That is interesting.

It makes you wonder if Horizon would have enjoyed a stronger night that year at TGA if BotW hadn't been on the ticket, for sure.

That said, if the winners tend to align with critical consensus, the evidence would still suggest Mario Odyssey would've taken it, considering how highly it scored. Which does make me wonder if BotW somehow soaked up the votes that would've otherwise gone to Odyssey, actually.

We'll never know, but it's interesting to think about.