Astro Bot is incredible. Developer Team Asobi has delivered not only one of 2024’s best games, but one of the best reasons to own a PlayStation 5. This cosmic, 3D platformer is so impressive it can stand toe to toe with the legendary titles that defined the genre—notably, Nintendo’s excellent Super Mario Galaxy series. The next 3D Mario isn’t launching until 2025 at the earliest, presumably on Nintendo Switch 2. But Astro Bot does more than just fill in the gap. Astro Bot is one of the best platformers ever created, which raises a question: Is it better than its biggest inspiration? Not quite. Here are three reasons why.
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1. Mario’s Levels Push More BoundariesAstro Bot and Super Mario Galaxy are both delightful titles due in large part to their level design. They use the cosmic conceit to give you a generous amount of stages to tackle, prioritizing playful creativity that wow you with fresh ideas. Not only that, both games are polished to a blinding sheen. They’re wonderful universes worth exploring.However, few Astro Bot elements are as innovative and experimental as Super Mario Galaxy’s planetoid levels. In those, gravity pushes and pulls Mario from all directions as he runs around on little spheres. That’s not just a one-off gimmick; it’s an incredibly novel and compelling concept that permeates the game. Astro Bot’s stages are well executed but often revolve around familiar 3D platforming concepts. It’s an excellent example of the genre, better than most rivals, but plays things a little too safe to reinvent the genre like Super Mario Galaxy.
(Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)
2. Mario Has More Joyful JumpingAstro Bot has effective but basic platformer controls that let it run, jump, hover, and punch. However, that simplicity is deceptive. The levels frequently offer fantastic power-ups that radically change how you play the game, such as freezing time and grabbing objects with monkey arms. These powers encourage creative play and give the controls much-needed mechanical complexity. You just never know what gimmick each level will offer.Likewise, Super Mario Galaxy has many awesome abilities, such as turning Mario into a bee or a spring coil, that make you rethink your relationship with each level. But even if you strip away the special abilities, Mario’s normal jump has more satisfying finesse than Astro’s leap. You may use every advanced acrobatic Mario move in Super Mario Galaxy, but you’ll love the plumber’s simple backflips and somersaults. Despite all his personality, Astro Bot is less physically expressive than Mario, and a great jump makes all the difference in a game all about jumping.
(Credit: Sony/PCMag)
3. Mario Has a Stronger Emotional JourneyAstro Bot appeals to many gamers because it firmly rejects the depressing, mature, cinematic, story-heavy gameplay style that has choked the life out of PlayStation games for two generations. It’s not a wannabe prestige drama. It’s not The Last of Us. It’s just about robots singing songs and repairing their PS5-shaped spaceship. It doesn’t need an elaborate story.Interestingly, that lack of narrative hasn’t stopped some Astro Bot players from reacting emotionally to the game, albeit for reasons the developers most likely didn’t intend. In celebrating three decades of PlayStation history, with costumes and levels inspired by retro gems, Astro Bot also highlights all that’s been left behind. Sony no longer publishes whimsical Japanese romps like Ape Escape; it publishes doomed live-service shooters like Concord. Astro Bot inadvertently reminds us that nostalgia isn’t just about remembering old things; it’s also about experiencing the pain associated with their absence. Astro Bot proves that those classic, fun feelings can return to PlayStation platforms, even if we need new franchises to deliver them.However, Super Mario Galaxy resonates because it dares to have a subtle, melancholic story underscoring all the Nintendo joy. Outer space is quiet and lonely; it makes you feel small. Princess Rosalina hides a tragic origin. The game toys with notions of cosmic death and rebirth. It’s like a classic fairy tale meant to scare children just a little as it gently guides them to sleep. Astro Bot has some fascinating metatextual sadness, but the game just wants you to smile and not think too hard.
(Credit: Sony/PCMag)
On the Flip Side: Astro Bot Has Better GraphicsAstro Bot’s outer space setting fosters unrestrained artistic creativity. The game takes you from candy-coated dreamscapes to snowy wonderlands to retro-themed pixel parties. Likewise, Super Mario Galaxy’s stellar setting features floating fortresses, stone cyclones, and oceans full of skeletal fish. Watching the characters blast from one world to the next in both games is always a visual treat. That said, Astro Bot is a PS5 graphical showcase, while Super Mario Galaxy is an old game running on Wii hardware.
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Astro Bot also proves that stylized games with a cartoon aesthetic benefit from modern technology. It shows that AAA games needn’t strive for realism to look amazing. Astro Bot features rich detail, bouncy animation, and explosive effects. It even runs at 4K/60fps without making you choose between fidelity or performance graphics modes. If you want a feast for your eyes, don’t shell out $700 for a PlayStation 5 Pro. Just get Astro Bot.
(Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)
Mario Is Still the Champ, But Astro Bot Is His Biggest ContenderUltimately, Astro Bot doesn’t surpass Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo’s classic is an artistic masterpiece that even other Mario games can’t touch. I could talk about Super Mario Galaxy for hours and it’s an absolute shame Nintendo arbitrarily stopped selling the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection that brought the game to Nintendo Switch in HD.However, it is an honor for Astro Bot, an outstanding experience, to be in conversation with one of Nintendo’s top titles. It sits comfortably among an imaginative, traditional sidescroller like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a 2D-inspired 3D game like Super Mario 3D World, and a truly bonkers, sandbox-style, 3D game like Super Mario Odyssey. Despite these fun comparisons, enjoying these excellent titles is what matters most. Play Super Mario Galaxy! Play Astro Bot! Games this good don’t come along very often.
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About Jordan Minor
Senior Analyst, Software
In 2013, I started my Ziff Davis career as an intern on PCMag’s Software team. Now, I’m an Analyst on the Apps and Gaming team, and I really just want to use my fancy Northwestern University journalism degree to write about video games. I host The Pop-Off, PCMag’s video game show. I was previously the Senior Editor for Geek.com. I’ve also written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I’m the author of a video game history book, Video Game of the Year, and the reason why everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.
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