Astro Bot (the game) is drawing tons of Mario comparisons, but Astro Bot (the character) reminds me more of Kirby. A cute character that can appeal to all ages, which the devs can put in any game with any experimental ideas & make it work because the character is so flexible. I see a ton of potential in the little guy, hope he goes far.
I've never really noticed it before, but you have such an incredible screen presence in these videos. Like, most gaming goobers (and even TH-camrs who studied filmmaking) just kind of sit in one place and talk directly to the camera, relying on gameplay footage to stay visually interesting, while you're out here with all these hand movements, constantly shifting around, using your whole body to get your point across. I dunno, something I just noticed lol
The days gone director throwing a hissyfit over it is funny as fuck considering that imo having a bot in astro bot is an honor when there's so much competition
Right? It would've been just as easy to just.. leave Days Gone out and pretend it never happened. Twisted Metal got shafted in favor of "Biker Zombie Game" even!
I tried my best to figure out just how many are available, and to the best of my knowledge it looks like only 14 series aren't available in any capacity. Which is pretty good, but I have to put a glaring asterix on that because that relies on PS3 streaming services, without that there's many gaps in some of the featured games. About 10 R&C titles, Puppeteer, GoW 1+2, Sly 2+3, the original Infamous, all streaming only. And not to mention titles with strange omissions, we have Jumping Flash 1, but not 2. Ape Escape 1 and some Ape Academy titles, but Ape Escape 2 is a buggy mess on PS5 and Ape Escape 3 is AWOL. We have both Parrappa but no Um Jammer Lammy for some reason, no Vib Ribbon, no Legacy of Kain, and most confusing to me, Sony doesn't have Metal Gear Rising... but Steam and Microsoft do! What's up with that?
All the youtubers I've watched said they were paid to play a bit of this game and ended up liking it so much that they just kept playing it, which is just a testament to what a good game does.
@@enescustovic1883 mostly because it feels like Sony has ditched that whimsy in Their attempt to make graphically realistic games that cost a fortune to make. Like we have 4 different versions of TLOU for Pete’s sakes.
Astro bot is proof that Sony can branch out and create bangers that deviate from their usual formula. If they tapped into that more often imagine the variety of games that they could create
Indeed. Some would say that Sony is growing "arrogant", and needs putting back in its place. At the very least, investors and shareholders need to be spanked more often. They need to start abiding by more moral laws, and not just the laissez-faire guidelines that certain governments have in place to attract and retain their vaunted custom.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was released nearly 6 years ago and not new. And for as good as Astro Bot is, it still didn’t achieve the heights of Rescue Mission made by a team less than half the size, with a fraction of a budget, and I believe in under 2 years.
@@grcigar9911 It's definitely a different novelty, actually being inside the game, and Rescue Mission is still top-notch. However, I would argue the new Astro Bot is a better game. It's longer, has more variety (levels, power-ups, enemy types) and the added value of the anniversary celebration that is very tastefully done. Plus, it's still the same core people who worked on both games. Their studio expanded quite a bit but scope of the game definitely feels larger as a result.
The shrink powerup legitimately blew my mind seeing how the game adapted to the scale of the world around me when I used it the first time. It's so seamless, it's so cool
The only negative of this game is that we're remembering their favorite franchises, and now we want them back, but sony probably won't revive them. The whole "god I wish that had a remaster" syndrome.
I'm more worried that they decide to revive improperly. With the current landscape of games we have a higher chance they will be given to a terrible studio who dont know how to highlight the soul of the game. I would rather them be a happy nostalgic memory then them coming back to die forever
@@Nanoqtran Like what happened with Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Terrible game made by a studio that *wasn't* responsible for the first four games
Most of the Capcom IPs referenced in the game are still getting plenty of love though. But yeah, seeing stuff like WipEout, Gravity Rush, Ape Escape, etc. get referenced is a tad bittersweet when you know that's all they'll probably get anymore. Hey, at least they aren't getting bad games made about them though.
Not telling you the name of the franchise is EXACTLY how they get you more invested in PlayStation properties. It's a psychological move that goes back a while. If you don't tell them the name and they want to get the reference they have to make the effort. Then players will discover other titles and in doing so sets up a psychological investment to capitalize on. Like showing you the answer to a vague algebra equation and telling you to research the material to figure it out. This results in you having a deeper grasp and attachment to the math behind the equation. If you have to look up the property, then you were the one who had to figure out how to solve for X (what the game was, reviews, gameplay videos, wiki, etc) and so it sticks with you. On the surface it's nice to think of a parent lore dumping their kids about the old days but never forget who we're dealing with here.
I think it has to do with games getting more expensive to make, but prices staying relatively the same over the years. Like back in the PS2 games were 60 bucks but they didn't cost hundreds of millions to produce, so you could sell less copies and still make a profit. Now games cost so much to make and take so long to finish that if you're going to green light something it better be a mostly safe bet like Spider-Man or GTA, for example.
I am already over the current AAApocalypse scenario we live in with the industry today. I seriously wonder how much longer we can go on with Concords, $700 consoles, layoffs, regurgitated trends, and super graphics before we finally go back to how gaming used to be? All kinds of games, for console and PC, that were all so unique and took advantage of hardware and gimmicks, and all sorts of genres. Sure, I'll stick to indies and old games for now but when will the wider industry take the hint?
Once people like Bobby Kotick and Phil Spencer get kicked out of their corporate greed thrones and have both Nintendo and Team Asobi save the industry once again with their own games that don't follow the AAA trend of everything you've listed
Genuinely one of the best platformers I’ve played in a long time, I hope this encourages Sony to rethink their priorities for the future Edit: speaking of the mouse power up, I would play a WHOLE game with that mechanic, not even kidding
I feel the same word I hope Astro bot make a lot of money to show PlayStation that you can make games like these you don’t need high graphics to make it good
I know people say Asobi is Sony's last remaining Japanese studio, but isn't one of the core directors still a westerner? It's a shame Sony shuttered/ disbanded/ didn't support the Japanese studios that carried them during Sony's golden years. Now Asobi is the only first party studio making fun games exclusive to PS.
Something kinda cool about the time-slowing power up is that you can sorta make your own platforms, by punching away those chips that are laying around, and using the time stop so you can jump on those chips. Not that that had much practical use within the existing level design, but it's certainly something you can do.
Your emphasis on the controller reminds me of Tearaway. That (platformer) game also took advantage of whatever the PlayStation Vita (and supposedly, the PS4) could do.
Tearaway on PSVita is THE best version to showcase the full potential that handheld had with its unique features The PS4 version is pretty much JUST for the DualShock 4's touchpad and nothing else
@@darianstarfrog I feel like people just only talk about the bad game then the good games because being negative more engagement, then talk about something good
This is what i missed from James Nitro Rad since year 2023 when he holding his physical media to play the game not by digital. He really enjoy to have collectible media instead having a thousand but you can't touch it and keep it. Hope you keep more content and good spirits like this brother ❤
Quick correction about the bosses, the snake and the 4th boss [which I will not say due to potential spoilers] were NOT in Rescue Mission, which had a spider and a shark instead.
I never hear enough people talk about Puppeteer on PS3. I love that game so much! Love that you shown it a lil love by including it in this vid. Japan Studios made so many masterpieces
OMG, I LOVE Puppeteer, too! It’s my most favorite game of all time! It’s the reason why I still have my old fat PS3! Well, that and my mother won’t let me get rid of it! (It was the last PlayStation brand console my late father bought!) Who’s your favorite Puppeteer character(s)? Mine are Pig and Sheep, if for no other reason than their personalities!
@@Mike14264 I beat it only recently, after playing demos of it as a younger child. for me, the art direction, style, and graphics of Puppeteer trump a lot of games in general, not just modern ones. it's actually so _beautiful!_
@@shannonbateswillis5022 minor spoilers for Puppeteer below. honestly, one of my favorite characters has to be Kutaro himself. despite having literally no dialog (explained with a particularly hilarious and clever Head Story gag), he displays so much personality too, even apart from the narrator saying what he's feeling (which does actually help). going off from the story beats and some of the cutscenes, he has a lot of pride, putting his fears aside he's clearly very headstrong and has the potential to be extremely confident and brave, although with him showing some clear fourth wall knowledge, he's also kind of a showoff, as the bonus stages Kutaro can deliberately trigger are happening in-universe, meaning he's taking time away from the main quest to show off based on the dialog for some of them, for example. (Pikarina having to drag Kutaro offstage _after the curtains close_ during one of the cutscenes is a big example of this showoff trait, and it also happens to be one of my favorite gags). the Narrator and Pikarina are both great too, they play off each other very well, and I like all the factoid rambles Narrator goes on (including the ones of...questionable legitimacy). it's honestly so nice to listen to the Narrator during bonus stages, I'll never turn off his dialog.
i just reaaaally hope sony takes note of this game and makes more smaller scale games like it, really miss when this company made other games aside from needless remasters and exclusively AAA cinematic action games
Sony SHOULD revive all those dormant IPs by given them to Team Asobi That way, that studio can bring back the likes of PaRappa the Rapper and Ape Escape while their AAA studios do their stuff so we can have the best of both sides of the grander PlayStation Studios umbrella Thanks to people who have uploaded videos of Astro Bot, I noticed that over 30 IPs/franchises that Sony own have been represented in the game yet they had NO NEW entry themselves since their last official game (not counting the PS Plus catalog inclusions) James mentioning the Days Gone director bitching about Deacon being an advertisement for his game in AB was but 1 of 2 weird comments Sony made around the latter's release, the second being they don't have a lot of IPs to call their own, which seeing as Team Asobi have done their own catalog research legit is nothing but utter bullshit Sure, a lot of those dormant IPs weren't made by Sony themselves, but they are still exclusive to those PlayStation consoles/handhelds and they STILL own them ever since
Haven't gotten Astro Bot yet but I've been playing Astro's Playroom in preparation for when I do get it and I find it fascinating how it uses the control. Nothing else I've played on PS5 does anything with it, I'm learning things about it that I never knew. I think it's another victim of the endless obsession with doing these cinematic movie action games things
I really appreciate this style of video. I'm both a big fan of your normal reviews but I also really enjoy just you going off the cuff and talking about what you liked and or disliked
I've been on a Puppeteer nostalgia kick lately. It's a game I hold really close to my heart as I believe I got it as a birthday present in late middle school, and it was one of the first games I not only 100%-ed but also actively sought out the Platinum trophy and informed so much about how I go about interacting with games (looking through guides, understanding how secrets can be hidden, efficient resource management across levels for completions sake, etc). When I saw Kutaro was a character you could save in this game, I almost got woozy with how excited I was, not to mention including a little Astro Bot Pikarina and watching him snip away at Moon Bear King cutouts, AND he's just a short walk away from Knack, another game I personally adore, in the Crash Site! I'm surprised there's not a lot of people talking about Puppeteer and seeing you show/mention it multiple times throughout this review made me happier than you could imagine! ...then again, you only gave moderate praise to the Uncharted level, so 0/10 review try harder next time lol😅
The higher ups at Insomniac did state that a new Ratchet and Clank game set after Rift Apart was one of their future projects but it'd be a while before they work on it due to Marvel's Wolverine and the Spider-Man 2 DLC requiring all hands on deck.
I don't think I've ever experience a bigger "emotional 180" then when they referenced Locoroco and Patapons and I had to get over the fact that neither of them is going to get a sequel ever again. Man it's like closing of Sony Japan all over again.
I was just thinking, “Man, Nitro Rad hasn’t uploaded in a bit. I think he’s probably gonna make an Astro Bot video since it seems tailor made for him.” I go onto TH-cam, and boom.
you forgot to mention the 4 special bots you can only get by doing extremely specific tasks in the astro's playroom tech demo, and it was a whole headache for the community to figure out how to unlock them
This game winning Game of the Year 2024 REALLY makes me wanna play it but I don't really wanna buy a console just for it's one game. But well deserved GOTY Award none the less!
This should of had its full episode you were the one who got me on to rescue mission and pick up a psvr but I still like the nitro rambles every so often
You have to be some sort of god-tier egotistical narcissist to think that your character appearing alongside other legendary characters in one of the best reviewed games of the year thus far is just "advertising other games", especially with the care and love given to said cameo. I don't own a PS5, but I know this game will be the first I pick up for it as I too miss the era of Playstation platformers with high charm and quality behind them!
Great video. It does a very balanced job of pointing out that the game has its limitations (fairly simple mechanics, not the most technical or replay able) but also explaining why this game is still so fun and special for so many people. This is the most balanced look I’ve seen yet on the game, very comprehensive
I love this game to pieces. It is easily my favorite ps5 game to date and one of the best 3D platformers i played in a while. It may not be a replayable game, but I probably can still see myself playing it all over again in at least a year or so. It genuinely is so much fun and it deserves to be in the conversation of great 3D Platformers
I feel like this game captures that feeling you get when you visited a place that felt magical when you were a kid, like Disney Land and something similar
apparently the ESRB doesn't allow you to name drop games with a higher rating in a lower rated game; it's how some Mii Fighter trailers will say something like SMASH BROS X TRAVIS instead of No More Heroes, etc.
"Astro Bot is just an ad to make you buy other older games and give Sony more money" My brother in christ, I'm sorry to say, it worked Right after I beat this game I bought the Uncharted games, Gravity Rush, Symphony of the Night, and Journey
This game winning GOTY hopefully sends a message to Sony that they need to stop investing LITERAL BILLIONS on live services and invest just some millions on platformers, experiments, etc. That can show off the console even better than most games they've been putting out nowadays. Yeah sorry Spiderman 2 felt like "oh cool more spiderman/miles morales... Yay..." Didn't feel as different imo
19:49 The "Word Jockey" of this game as he was called in the game's credits has confirmed that for the WipEout pilots, Auricom's origins in the game Novastorm by Psygnosis is referenced in their name in this game. An extremely deep cut is for FEISAR, which references an event in WipEout lore, which is something that barely shows in the games themselves at all, it's all just instruction manuals and old defunct websites. The culture is EXTREMELY well understood.
I've found the other person who remembers The Last Guy! There were a lot of neat games exclusive to PS3 store that never escaped to modern consoles. Remember PAIN? Remember Dead Nation? Confirmed Siren player, no need to mention that one... There was like a sixaxis game that I CANNOT find. Like an interactive art piece that had like a mask you moved around in the trailer?
As of now, this is my favorite game of 2024. I am amazed from the fact that I not only loved playing through each level but I remember something about them even after I finished the game. It’s spectacular even without the numerous PlayStation references, which are a very welcome bonus. I’d happily 100% it again.
Great review! When you said the snake was in Rescue Mission I had to look it up because I did not remember him being there but I don't see the snake in there at all
@@NitroRad it's all good. When looking back I had completely forgotten about the shark boss fight in the original game but I still look back on it fondly.
Same, it's easier to stick with my Nintendo and PC stuff when the competition isn't interesting, so I have mixed feelings about how fun this game looks
OMG! You played and have Puppeteer?! That’s my MOST FAVORITE game of all time! You know how you feel about Rocket: Robot on Wheels, and Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy? That’s how I feel about the video game adaptation of The Perilous Journey of a Boy Named Kutaro; Aka Puppeteer?! I LOVE this game, and I would LOVE to see you do a more thorough video on the game!
I'm always so happy when a game comes out and you give it a personal endorsement in your video. Your reviews are what tip the scale for my decisions, honestly!
To the person in Team Asobi that decided to put Taneo Tanamatsuri from "Incredible Crisis" of all games, you made me and two other people out there happy.
I disagree about Astro Bot not being that replayable. Im in the middle of my EIGHTH playthrough, and we got a little Christmas DLC after it won GOTY!!!! 💙💙💙💙💙 Astro Bot is the most consistently polished, fun, and positive game ive played in a LONG time. Since the original Littlebigplanet on PS3. Even Mario games for as fun as they are, they have their moments that dont sit well for me. Im glad they didnt make Astro Bot a HUGE open world with TONS of collectables. You can hop into a world and grab the bots and puzzle pieces on your first go. I NEVER leave a bot behind. They're just too cute... ^^ There isnt as much padding as there is in Mario Odyssey... In a sea of first person shooters, jrpgs, live service titles, and 80 hour miserable looking games with the budgets going into making the graphics look as real as possible, I couldn't be happier to see Astro Bot take home GOTY. 💙💙💙💙💙
So what's a deep cut you guys would have liked to see in Astro Bot? I would have loved seeing a reference to "Guardian's Crusade" an old Playstation 1 Jrpg from my childhood.
Seeing some sort of reference to Tail Concerto or the Little Tail Bronx series in general would've been amazing (and would've convinced me to buy a PS5 asap), but that was probably too deep of a cut.
fun fact: Astro actually got his start in something called "The Playroom". It was a tech demo of sorts for the ps4 camera. it would look like the bots were in your current room and you could use your body to interact with them.
They could expand a bit on the mouse powerup and build a whole game off it. I'm imagining a Bowser's Fury-sized open world platformer but with the ability to seamlessly transition between 3 or 4 different sizes.
I know this is unrelated to the video but I’m surprised to see there isn’t a video on IMSCARED on you’re channel, not sure why it just feels like the type of game you’d have made a video on by now
Man the references make me so happy. Im so glad theres a Gravity Rush costume. Thats my favorite Sony IP now and wish it got a level (because im biased) but seeing what we got im still happy
I appreciate the Puppeteer acknowledgement, Puppeteer is my favorite PS3 game and just one of my favorite games OF ALL TIME! It’s such an amazing, imaginative, whimsical game with a fantastic art style, amazing voice acting/performances, music and gameplay! The whole puppet/stage play motif is soooo cool and opens the door for so much uniqueness in level design, mechanics and variety where the game is constantly showing you something new every five-ten minutes. It’s such a fantastic game that still holds up to this day! I wish Sony had marketed the game better and didn’t send it out to die on the PS3, especially when the PS4 was releasing in two months! I wish this game could get a remaster on PS5, the game still looks amazing to this day, there’s not much they would need to do for a remaster, besides maybe increase the frame rate and performance. Puppeteer has so much variety and creativity, it deserves better!
I want to make a video of my own of Astro Bot and you brought up some stuff that I did not think about, which I should also mention. I think Astro Bot is amazing and I think is one of the many reasons that people should get a PS5. Anyways you rock dude and keep being rad
Astro Bot is a piece of media in a long time that makes me go “OH! It’s you!” and not “oh… it’s you.”
"You know her?"
Exactly
I always felt “oh…… it’s you” whenever I see horizon zero down
But whenever I see this guy I always go “OH It’s you!”
@@arekrekas213lol I also read that second phrase with GLaDOS voice
@@arekrekas213"It's been a looong time. How have you been? I've been really busy being dead. You know, after you MURDERED me."
Astro Bot (the game) is drawing tons of Mario comparisons, but Astro Bot (the character) reminds me more of Kirby. A cute character that can appeal to all ages, which the devs can put in any game with any experimental ideas & make it work because the character is so flexible. I see a ton of potential in the little guy, hope he goes far.
Astro Bot (the game) also has the weird amount of references. Remember Morpho Knight?
I definitely got a Forgotten Land vibe from this game while playing through it.
Kirby and Astro Bot both even get loads of costumes based on other characters
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought this.
Which is fitting, since Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Kirby, has praised the game as well.
I've never really noticed it before, but you have such an incredible screen presence in these videos. Like, most gaming goobers (and even TH-camrs who studied filmmaking) just kind of sit in one place and talk directly to the camera, relying on gameplay footage to stay visually interesting, while you're out here with all these hand movements, constantly shifting around, using your whole body to get your point across. I dunno, something I just noticed lol
You can tell I was a theatre kid in highschool lol
@@NitroRad that makes a lot of sense actually
You know a platformer is great when your first thought as you play it is, "So we're getting a Nitro Ramble soon, aren't we?"
😂 i knew it too
That’s what I was thinking!
That was literally the first thing I looked up when the reviews for that game started coming out
My first thought too haha
Actually my first thought was nitro rad won’t like this game move set is to simple
James using Sonic Unwiished over ARMS as a reference for triggers corresponding with hands is an absolute James move, never change man.
ARMS can't catch a break!
@@jameslawrenson1208great porn though.
To be fair, who the hell remembers ARMS?
I don’t think ARMS is coming back ever anyway, commercial failure.
@@Goat0423 Arms sold like almost 3M bro, twice as much as Astro Bot 😭
Where do people get it was a failure?
The days gone director throwing a hissyfit over it is funny as fuck considering that imo having a bot in astro bot is an honor when there's so much competition
I hadn't even thought of Days Gone in years until I saw it in Astro Bot again.
It's even funnier because Sam Witwer (Deacon's voice) immediately said "I'm buying the game now."
@@Webby125 He did?? That's hilarious!
Like, dude, you beat out Twisted Metal. Be proud of that
Right? It would've been just as easy to just.. leave Days Gone out and pretend it never happened. Twisted Metal got shafted in favor of "Biker Zombie Game" even!
I can’t believe that people say that this game is a cash grab when half of the characters in the game, you can’t play their original games on the PS5
anyone who says it's either a cash grab or soulless clearly have no fucking clue what they're even talking about and just wanna hate
Also the fact they haven’t made games in these series as far back as the ps2 so there’s no new games to advertise
At least we've gained another one this week, Mister Mosquito.
I tried my best to figure out just how many are available, and to the best of my knowledge it looks like only 14 series aren't available in any capacity. Which is pretty good, but I have to put a glaring asterix on that because that relies on PS3 streaming services, without that there's many gaps in some of the featured games. About 10 R&C titles, Puppeteer, GoW 1+2, Sly 2+3, the original Infamous, all streaming only. And not to mention titles with strange omissions, we have Jumping Flash 1, but not 2. Ape Escape 1 and some Ape Academy titles, but Ape Escape 2 is a buggy mess on PS5 and Ape Escape 3 is AWOL. We have both Parrappa but no Um Jammer Lammy for some reason, no Vib Ribbon, no Legacy of Kain, and most confusing to me, Sony doesn't have Metal Gear Rising... but Steam and Microsoft do! What's up with that?
Why do you pay attention to them
All the youtubers I've watched said they were paid to play a bit of this game and ended up liking it so much that they just kept playing it, which is just a testament to what a good game does.
It’s impressive how whimsical this game is. Like it feels like Sony took a Nintendo studio and asked them to make a game.
And it’s so genuinely good
Why shouldn't this be possible though? Haven't we PS fans had enough of realism, "serious" themed games without sex, boring Ubisoft and EA games...
That's just how playstation was though
@@enescustovic1883 Because Sony doesn't seem to be willing to pivot back towards whimsy. They could, but they won't.
@@enescustovic1883 mostly because it feels like Sony has ditched that whimsy in Their attempt to make graphically realistic games that cost a fortune to make. Like we have 4 different versions of TLOU for Pete’s sakes.
@@enescustovic1883 What's wrong with the new Ratchet and Spider-Man games?
Astro bot is proof that Sony can branch out and create bangers that deviate from their usual formula. If they tapped into that more often imagine the variety of games that they could create
Except they basically laid off and shut down a bunch of Sony Japan and instead are investing heavy on Sony America.
Indeed. Some would say that Sony is growing "arrogant", and needs putting back in its place.
At the very least, investors and shareholders need to be spanked more often. They need to start abiding by more moral laws, and not just the laissez-faire guidelines that certain governments have in place to attract and retain their vaunted custom.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was released nearly 6 years ago and not new. And for as good as Astro Bot is, it still didn’t achieve the heights of Rescue Mission made by a team less than half the size, with a fraction of a budget, and I believe in under 2 years.
So, kinda like how they used to way back when, huh?
@@grcigar9911 It's definitely a different novelty, actually being inside the game, and Rescue Mission is still top-notch. However, I would argue the new Astro Bot is a better game. It's longer, has more variety (levels, power-ups, enemy types) and the added value of the anniversary celebration that is very tastefully done.
Plus, it's still the same core people who worked on both games. Their studio expanded quite a bit but scope of the game definitely feels larger as a result.
The shrink powerup legitimately blew my mind seeing how the game adapted to the scale of the world around me when I used it the first time. It's so seamless, it's so cool
The only negative of this game is that we're remembering their favorite franchises, and now we want them back, but sony probably won't revive them. The whole "god I wish that had a remaster" syndrome.
I'm more worried that they decide to revive improperly. With the current landscape of games we have a higher chance they will be given to a terrible studio who dont know how to highlight the soul of the game. I would rather them be a happy nostalgic memory then them coming back to die forever
@@Nanoqtran Like what happened with Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Terrible game made by a studio that *wasn't* responsible for the first four games
Sony: We heard your cries, therefore enjoy our newest remaster!
*it's horizon zero dawn*
Most of the Capcom IPs referenced in the game are still getting plenty of love though. But yeah, seeing stuff like WipEout, Gravity Rush, Ape Escape, etc. get referenced is a tad bittersweet when you know that's all they'll probably get anymore. Hey, at least they aren't getting bad games made about them though.
It feels like a "memorial" honestly.
watching nitrorad go from "cool 90's kid gamer" to "mid 90's kid movie villain henchman" has been a wild ride over the years.
Not telling you the name of the franchise is EXACTLY how they get you more invested in PlayStation properties. It's a psychological move that goes back a while. If you don't tell them the name and they want to get the reference they have to make the effort. Then players will discover other titles and in doing so sets up a psychological investment to capitalize on. Like showing you the answer to a vague algebra equation and telling you to research the material to figure it out. This results in you having a deeper grasp and attachment to the math behind the equation. If you have to look up the property, then you were the one who had to figure out how to solve for X (what the game was, reviews, gameplay videos, wiki, etc) and so it sticks with you.
On the surface it's nice to think of a parent lore dumping their kids about the old days but never forget who we're dealing with here.
I hope this game does well, I wish Sony would realized smaller budget games can still coexist alongside their blockbusters.
It supposedly sold out in Japan so it’s a major success in there
I think it has to do with games getting more expensive to make, but prices staying relatively the same over the years. Like back in the PS2 games were 60 bucks but they didn't cost hundreds of millions to produce, so you could sell less copies and still make a profit. Now games cost so much to make and take so long to finish that if you're going to green light something it better be a mostly safe bet like Spider-Man or GTA, for example.
They do, but then people complain about it. See Lego Horizon Adventures (though this is looking like another success for Sony).
I am already over the current AAApocalypse scenario we live in with the industry today. I seriously wonder how much longer we can go on with Concords, $700 consoles, layoffs, regurgitated trends, and super graphics before we finally go back to how gaming used to be? All kinds of games, for console and PC, that were all so unique and took advantage of hardware and gimmicks, and all sorts of genres. Sure, I'll stick to indies and old games for now but when will the wider industry take the hint?
Once people like Bobby Kotick and Phil Spencer get kicked out of their corporate greed thrones and have both Nintendo and Team Asobi save the industry once again with their own games that don't follow the AAA trend of everything you've listed
Platinumed it so fast, had so much fun with it
Same!! Getting the Thick as Thieves trophy was a little annoying haha
Genuinely one of the best platformers I’ve played in a long time, I hope this encourages Sony to rethink their priorities for the future
Edit: speaking of the mouse power up, I would play a WHOLE game with that mechanic, not even kidding
I feel the same word I hope Astro bot make a lot of money to show PlayStation that you can make games like these you don’t need high graphics to make it good
I know people say Asobi is Sony's last remaining Japanese studio, but isn't one of the core directors still a westerner?
It's a shame Sony shuttered/ disbanded/ didn't support the Japanese studios that carried them during Sony's golden years. Now Asobi is the only first party studio making fun games exclusive to PS.
@@12ealDealOfficial I guess Sucker Punch and Insomniac don’t exist?
If team asobi got together and somehow made a new ape escape game I wouldn't even be mad I'd be hella excited
Something kinda cool about the time-slowing power up is that you can sorta make your own platforms, by punching away those chips that are laying around, and using the time stop so you can jump on those chips. Not that that had much practical use within the existing level design, but it's certainly something you can do.
Your emphasis on the controller reminds me of Tearaway. That (platformer) game also took advantage of whatever the PlayStation Vita (and supposedly, the PS4) could do.
Tearaway on PSVita is THE best version to showcase the full potential that handheld had with its unique features
The PS4 version is pretty much JUST for the DualShock 4's touchpad and nothing else
man... i miss playing tearaway on the vita
Couldn't agree more about giving team asobi the ape escape franchise
Being a fan of the Playstation is such a rollercoaster in modern days. We get stuff like Astrobot but then we get Concord too
Stellar Blade, Black Myth Wukong..and now Plucky Squire.. yea, there's ALOT of crap..but that's not all..
@@darianstarfrog I feel like people just only talk about the bad game then the good games because being negative more engagement, then talk about something good
This is what i missed from James Nitro Rad since year 2023 when he holding his physical media to play the game not by digital. He really enjoy to have collectible media instead having a thousand but you can't touch it and keep it. Hope you keep more content and good spirits like this brother ❤
Bring back some Horror videos and stuff since Silent Hill 2 Remake coming out next year 🎉
@@afathir It comes out next month actually
Quick correction about the bosses, the snake and the 4th boss [which I will not say due to potential spoilers] were NOT in Rescue Mission, which had a spider and a shark instead.
Was going to say the same thing.
Nitro ramble, huh? This is why I'm a fan of this youtube chamble
I never hear enough people talk about Puppeteer on PS3. I love that game so much! Love that you shown it a lil love by including it in this vid. Japan Studios made so many masterpieces
OMG, I LOVE Puppeteer, too! It’s my most favorite game of all time!
It’s the reason why I still have my old fat PS3! Well, that and my mother won’t let me get rid of it! (It was the last PlayStation brand console my late father bought!)
Who’s your favorite Puppeteer character(s)? Mine are Pig and Sheep, if for no other reason than their personalities!
@@shannonbateswillis5022 for me, its "G" i love his narrations and reactions when something happens
Always loved the premise and style and... well, everything about that game! Always wanted to play it...
@@Mike14264 I beat it only recently, after playing demos of it as a younger child. for me, the art direction, style, and graphics of Puppeteer trump a lot of games in general, not just modern ones. it's actually so _beautiful!_
@@shannonbateswillis5022 minor spoilers for Puppeteer below.
honestly, one of my favorite characters has to be Kutaro himself. despite having literally no dialog (explained with a particularly hilarious and clever Head Story gag), he displays so much personality too, even apart from the narrator saying what he's feeling (which does actually help).
going off from the story beats and some of the cutscenes, he has a lot of pride, putting his fears aside he's clearly very headstrong and has the potential to be extremely confident and brave, although with him showing some clear fourth wall knowledge, he's also kind of a showoff, as the bonus stages Kutaro can deliberately trigger are happening in-universe, meaning he's taking time away from the main quest to show off based on the dialog for some of them, for example. (Pikarina having to drag Kutaro offstage _after the curtains close_ during one of the cutscenes is a big example of this showoff trait, and it also happens to be one of my favorite gags).
the Narrator and Pikarina are both great too, they play off each other very well, and I like all the factoid rambles Narrator goes on (including the ones of...questionable legitimacy). it's honestly so nice to listen to the Narrator during bonus stages, I'll never turn off his dialog.
When Astro Bot referenced a game I wasn't expecting.... I knew this was something special.
i just reaaaally hope sony takes note of this game and makes more smaller scale games like it, really miss when this company made other games aside from needless remasters and exclusively AAA cinematic action games
Sony SHOULD revive all those dormant IPs by given them to Team Asobi
That way, that studio can bring back the likes of PaRappa the Rapper and Ape Escape while their AAA studios do their stuff so we can have the best of both sides of the grander PlayStation Studios umbrella
Thanks to people who have uploaded videos of Astro Bot, I noticed that over 30 IPs/franchises that Sony own have been represented in the game yet they had NO NEW entry themselves since their last official game (not counting the PS Plus catalog inclusions)
James mentioning the Days Gone director bitching about Deacon being an advertisement for his game in AB was but 1 of 2 weird comments Sony made around the latter's release, the second being they don't have a lot of IPs to call their own, which seeing as Team Asobi have done their own catalog research legit is nothing but utter bullshit
Sure, a lot of those dormant IPs weren't made by Sony themselves, but they are still exclusive to those PlayStation consoles/handhelds and they STILL own them ever since
Watching people play this game has made me genuinely lament not owning a PS5, *that's* how great it looks
Indeed, I'd get one for this and Astro's Playroom alone
Definitely worth buying one for it..
My gamer aunt's PS5 is digital-only
Haven't gotten Astro Bot yet but I've been playing Astro's Playroom in preparation for when I do get it and I find it fascinating how it uses the control. Nothing else I've played on PS5 does anything with it, I'm learning things about it that I never knew. I think it's another victim of the endless obsession with doing these cinematic movie action games things
Have you tried Returnal? They do some neat things with the controller in that game too.
@@dominicsawicki6943 Returnal never struck me as my cup of tea, but I might check it out one day
These ramble videos are really cute, I love hearing you talk about things you genuinely care about
It has a special part in my heart.
Had to come back for a repeat watch to celebrate after the game awards
Same
I really appreciate this style of video. I'm both a big fan of your normal reviews but I also really enjoy just you going off the cuff and talking about what you liked and or disliked
Pretty sure I've been watching his videos for the the past 7 or 8 years
I've been on a Puppeteer nostalgia kick lately. It's a game I hold really close to my heart as I believe I got it as a birthday present in late middle school, and it was one of the first games I not only 100%-ed but also actively sought out the Platinum trophy and informed so much about how I go about interacting with games (looking through guides, understanding how secrets can be hidden, efficient resource management across levels for completions sake, etc). When I saw Kutaro was a character you could save in this game, I almost got woozy with how excited I was, not to mention including a little Astro Bot Pikarina and watching him snip away at Moon Bear King cutouts, AND he's just a short walk away from Knack, another game I personally adore, in the Crash Site! I'm surprised there's not a lot of people talking about Puppeteer and seeing you show/mention it multiple times throughout this review made me happier than you could imagine!
...then again, you only gave moderate praise to the Uncharted level, so 0/10 review try harder next time lol😅
A Ratchet and Clank based level would be amazing, but I think I just want more of Astro Bot and R&C to play
The higher ups at Insomniac did state that a new Ratchet and Clank game set after Rift Apart was one of their future projects but it'd be a while before they work on it due to Marvel's Wolverine and the Spider-Man 2 DLC requiring all hands on deck.
The Ape Escape themed level was perfection lmao
@@danielgonzalezjimenez5677 I want to play more of the games but AE2 is horrifically optimized for PS5
I don't think I've ever experience a bigger "emotional 180" then when they referenced Locoroco and Patapons and I had to get over the fact that neither of them is going to get a sequel ever again. Man it's like closing of Sony Japan all over again.
Astro Bot just won game of the year. This is a huge win for 3-D platforms in general.
I was just thinking, “Man, Nitro Rad hasn’t uploaded in a bit. I think he’s probably gonna make an Astro Bot video since it seems tailor made for him.” I go onto TH-cam, and boom.
lol I thought the same thing when I played Crow Country
the PS5 finally has games people
Game*
Just one
@@phant0mdummy I'm really enjoying Spiderman 2.
It has many...wtf people are on?@@phant0mdummy
@@daveraschkestellar blade, black myth wukong, plucky squire.. all new..
you forgot to mention the 4 special bots you can only get by doing extremely specific tasks in the astro's playroom tech demo, and it was a whole headache for the community to figure out how to unlock them
This game winning Game of the Year 2024 REALLY makes me wanna play it but I don't really wanna buy a console just for it's one game.
But well deserved GOTY Award none the less!
I really shouldn't have been surprised that your cat is named Blinx
This should of had its full episode you were the one who got me on to rescue mission and pick up a psvr but I still like the nitro rambles every so often
You have to be some sort of god-tier egotistical narcissist to think that your character appearing alongside other legendary characters in one of the best reviewed games of the year thus far is just "advertising other games", especially with the care and love given to said cameo. I don't own a PS5, but I know this game will be the first I pick up for it as I too miss the era of Playstation platformers with high charm and quality behind them!
Great video. It does a very balanced job of pointing out that the game has its limitations (fairly simple mechanics, not the most technical or replay able) but also explaining why this game is still so fun and special for so many people. This is the most balanced look I’ve seen yet on the game, very comprehensive
I love this game to pieces. It is easily my favorite ps5 game to date and one of the best 3D platformers i played in a while. It may not be a replayable game, but I probably can still see myself playing it all over again in at least a year or so. It genuinely is so much fun and it deserves to be in the conversation of great 3D Platformers
I literally love listening to you ramble lovingly about platformers. It's legit my favorite thing to watch on TH-cam!
They just re-released the Nendoroid as well wow...
Knew you were gonna make a video on this and that you will love it!
I feel like this game captures that feeling you get when you visited a place that felt magical when you were a kid, like Disney Land and something similar
apparently the ESRB doesn't allow you to name drop games with a higher rating in a lower rated game; it's how some Mii Fighter trailers will say something like SMASH BROS X TRAVIS instead of No More Heroes, etc.
"Astro Bot is just an ad to make you buy other older games and give Sony more money"
My brother in christ, I'm sorry to say, it worked
Right after I beat this game I bought the Uncharted games, Gravity Rush, Symphony of the Night, and Journey
This game winning GOTY hopefully sends a message to Sony that they need to stop investing LITERAL BILLIONS on live services and invest just some millions on platformers, experiments, etc. That can show off the console even better than most games they've been putting out nowadays.
Yeah sorry Spiderman 2 felt like "oh cool more spiderman/miles morales... Yay..." Didn't feel as different imo
haven't gotten a recommendation for this channel in ages! hope you have been well
19:49 The "Word Jockey" of this game as he was called in the game's credits has confirmed that for the WipEout pilots, Auricom's origins in the game Novastorm by Psygnosis is referenced in their name in this game. An extremely deep cut is for FEISAR, which references an event in WipEout lore, which is something that barely shows in the games themselves at all, it's all just instruction manuals and old defunct websites. The culture is EXTREMELY well understood.
That rules so much, wow
This game features Gravity Rush references, and I appreciate flashing a reminder of it here.
I loved this game so much I went and played Astro’s Playroom afterwards solely because I just wanted more Astrobot.
It's Kirby and the Forgotten Land for PS5. Down to the little hubworld where your rescued friends all hang out.
I've found the other person who remembers The Last Guy! There were a lot of neat games exclusive to PS3 store that never escaped to modern consoles. Remember PAIN? Remember Dead Nation? Confirmed Siren player, no need to mention that one...
There was like a sixaxis game that I CANNOT find. Like an interactive art piece that had like a mask you moved around in the trailer?
Not a PS3 game, but dicks out for Patchwork Heroes. Had tons of fun with that on PSP.
Can't wait for the Puppeteer video now, that game always needs more light put on it
A Nitro Ramble about Astro? I am VERY excited to watch this when I get time! Thanks for the upload James!
Astro bot really reminds me of the joy of playing good ol' game, giggling all the way through it.
The Uncharted level was satisfying AF for me! 😭
Me to
As of now, this is my favorite game of 2024. I am amazed from the fact that I not only loved playing through each level but I remember something about them even after I finished the game. It’s spectacular even without the numerous PlayStation references, which are a very welcome bonus. I’d happily 100% it again.
What a delightfully charming game. Thank you for covering it :D
It's very special ❤
Great review! When you said the snake was in Rescue Mission I had to look it up because I did not remember him being there but I don't see the snake in there at all
Some of the bosses are new, forgot to mention that!
@@NitroRad it's all good. When looking back I had completely forgotten about the shark boss fight in the original game but I still look back on it fondly.
This game makes me wish I had a PS5... Which is horrifying!
Same, it's easier to stick with my Nintendo and PC stuff when the competition isn't interesting, so I have mixed feelings about how fun this game looks
OMG! You played and have Puppeteer?! That’s my MOST FAVORITE game of all time!
You know how you feel about Rocket: Robot on Wheels, and Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy? That’s how I feel about the video game adaptation of The Perilous Journey of a Boy Named Kutaro; Aka Puppeteer?!
I LOVE this game, and I would LOVE to see you do a more thorough video on the game!
I'm always so happy when a game comes out and you give it a personal endorsement in your video. Your reviews are what tip the scale for my decisions, honestly!
To the person in Team Asobi that decided to put Taneo Tanamatsuri from "Incredible Crisis" of all games, you made me and two other people out there happy.
I disagree about Astro Bot not being that replayable. Im in the middle of my EIGHTH playthrough, and we got a little Christmas DLC after it won GOTY!!!! 💙💙💙💙💙
Astro Bot is the most consistently polished, fun, and positive game ive played in a LONG time. Since the original Littlebigplanet on PS3. Even Mario games for as fun as they are, they have their moments that dont sit well for me. Im glad they didnt make Astro Bot a HUGE open world with TONS of collectables. You can hop into a world and grab the bots and puzzle pieces on your first go. I NEVER leave a bot behind. They're just too cute... ^^
There isnt as much padding as there is in Mario Odyssey...
In a sea of first person shooters, jrpgs, live service titles, and 80 hour miserable looking games with the budgets going into making the graphics look as real as possible, I couldn't be happier to see Astro Bot take home GOTY. 💙💙💙💙💙
The Days Gone guy was wild like.. bro arent you glad Sony considers the game iconic enough?
Oh God, I love that you were using part of the Runescape (or OSRS) OST with the background music for this video. You have such great taste in games.
James you never told anybody you tied the knott!
I don't know why this is labelled as Ramble, this was a very in-depth look into the game, just as thorough and well researched as the regular format.
No script
Tbh same, didn't even notice there is no script
So what's a deep cut you guys would have liked to see in Astro Bot? I would have loved seeing a reference to "Guardian's Crusade" an old Playstation 1 Jrpg from my childhood.
Seeing some sort of reference to Tail Concerto or the Little Tail Bronx series in general would've been amazing (and would've convinced me to buy a PS5 asap), but that was probably too deep of a cut.
I could have sworn two characters were a Dark Cloud reference but I don't think they are. So uh. That.
Obviously not a niche title but I was going rabid the whole game hoping for a bloodborne level. Alas 😢
Gabe Logan's absence cannot be excused!
I was hoping to get a vid about this game from you. It’s a lot of people’s GOTY already, at least a contender for best game
fun fact: Astro actually got his start in something called "The Playroom". It was a tech demo of sorts for the ps4 camera. it would look like the bots were in your current room and you could use your body to interact with them.
They could expand a bit on the mouse powerup and build a whole game off it. I'm imagining a Bowser's Fury-sized open world platformer but with the ability to seamlessly transition between 3 or 4 different sizes.
You looking good my guy😁
When is he not? 😄
I know this is unrelated to the video but I’m surprised to see there isn’t a video on IMSCARED on you’re channel, not sure why it just feels like the type of game you’d have made a video on by now
If Ratchet and Clank is been there done that, I want to be there and do that forever.
So do I my second fav game play ever behind uncharted
@@RyanSchilling-fg9qn I’ve only played the first one, I really need to get around to finishing that series one of these days.
@@williamhardee8863 amazing series amazing
Man the references make me so happy. Im so glad theres a Gravity Rush costume. Thats my favorite Sony IP now and wish it got a level (because im biased) but seeing what we got im still happy
The laser-hover makes me think of Sunshine, but the game's DNA is much more in tune with Ape Escape. SirMeowMusic almost certainly approves.
The time stopping power up is actually amazing and well utilized. Changing enemy projectiles into platforms is awesome.
James, love your reviews. I find them thoughtful and from the heart! 🙏
I appreciate the Puppeteer acknowledgement, Puppeteer is my favorite PS3 game and just one of my favorite games OF ALL TIME! It’s such an amazing, imaginative, whimsical game with a fantastic art style, amazing voice acting/performances, music and gameplay! The whole puppet/stage play motif is soooo cool and opens the door for so much uniqueness in level design, mechanics and variety where the game is constantly showing you something new every five-ten minutes.
It’s such a fantastic game that still holds up to this day! I wish Sony had marketed the game better and didn’t send it out to die on the PS3, especially when the PS4 was releasing in two months! I wish this game could get a remaster on PS5, the game still looks amazing to this day, there’s not much they would need to do for a remaster, besides maybe increase the frame rate and performance. Puppeteer has so much variety and creativity, it deserves better!
Why do I feel like Sony is going to shut down asobi out of spite for concord?
they better port the game to Switch before that happens.
They won’t shut them down just because concord fail doesn’t mean they gonna close the studio doors because of spite
@@TheShiningEnergy COPIUM
An Ape Escape game made by these guys would make me seriously consider buying a PS5.
Captain Falcon would say “yeaaaaaaaaaaaa” through the Wii remote speakers when you selected him in brawl
Bringing in the OSRS music around 8:20 was quite the surprise.
LBR, any game that references Legacy of Kain in the year of our lord 2024, is at LEAST trying~
I want to make a video of my own of Astro Bot and you brought up some stuff that I did not think about, which I should also mention. I think Astro Bot is amazing and I think is one of the many reasons that people should get a PS5. Anyways you rock dude and keep being rad
I literally bought Patapon 1 and 2 this year
Astro Bot is just huge, i'm glad you made a video about it.
Wake up honey nitro dad made a video
Puppeteer is my favorite PS3 game, and I continue to be heartbroken that it didn't perform very well. It was such a magical experience.
God a shadow of the colossus level would have been amazing...