Astro Bot celebrates its first anniversary on this day, September 6, 2025. We’re taking a moment to consider the significance this charming robot has for a new generation discovering the joy of video games.
<p dir="ltr">Over three decades ago, I was captivated. While visiting family with my parents and siblings, my attention was entirely focused on a chunky, gray and black video game console connected to an equally bulky television. I'd encountered video games in arcades and sampled simple games on our home computer. But Super Mario Bros. was something entirely different. The responsive controls, the diverse levels, the unforgettable *music*... By the time our visit ended, my siblings and I were actively lobbying our parents for our very own Nintendo Entertainment System, eager to delve deeper into the world of Mario. The rest is, as they say, history.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My experience is not unique. Many who grew up in the 1980s share similar origin stories when it comes to their love for gaming. Now, decades later and a parent myself, I'm amazed at how Astro Bot has captivated my own children, mirroring my own early experiences with Mario. Years from now, they'll almost certainly point to Astro as the game that first ignited their passion for interactive entertainment.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For me, that early encounter with Mario had a profound impact on my life's direction. It influenced not just my hobbies, interests, and friendships, but also my career path. It's difficult to imagine myself writing about games professionally had I not been hooked from a young age. While I don't necessarily foresee my children becoming game critics, it highlights the power of those initial gaming experiences and how they can influence us in unforeseen ways.</p>
<div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6465073" data-src="https://www.gamespot.com/videos/astro-bot-play-will-find-a-way-live-action-trailer/2300-6465073/" data-width="100%" data-height="100%" data-video-start="0">
<div id="video-rectangle">
<div class="js-av-player-container av-player-container av-player-athena">
<div class="js-video-player-new av-video-player av-desktop-player av-video-on-demand is-vid-loading is-vid-noseek is-vid-show-controls" tabindex="0" data-id="478433760" data-promo-id="0" data-user-has-ads="1" data-video="{"id":6465073,"title":"Astro%20Bot%20-%20Play%20Will%20Find%20A%20Way%20%7C%20Live%20Action%20Trailer","lengthSeconds":30,"startTime":0,"autoplay":false,"share":{"linkUrl":"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/videos\/astro-bot-play-will-find-a-way-live-action-trailer\/2300-6465073\/","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/videos\/embed\/6465073\/","embedHtml":{"640":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/videos\/embed\/6465073\/\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen><\/iframe>","480":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/videos\/embed\/6465073\/\" height=\"270\" width=\"480\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen><\/iframe>"}},"device":"other","isDevice":false,"isLiveStream":false,"videoType":"video-on-demand","countdownTime":0,"guid":"gs-2300-6465073","ageGateCookieName":"videoAgeGateBirthday","watchedCookieName":"watchedVideoIds","watchedCookieDays":1,"postPlayMax":100,"uvpc":"","partner":"gamespot","adPartner":"desktop\/gamespot.com","desktopAdPartner":"desktop%2Fgamespot.com","mobileAdPartner":"mobile_web%2Fgamespot.com_mobile","mapp":"gamespot","cms":"pi","seekablePlaybacks":["html5","uvpjs"],"tracking":[{"name":"SiteCatalyst","category":"qos","enabled":true,"params":[{"name":"charSet":"value":"UTF-8"},{"name":"currencyCode",":"value":"USD"},{"name":"siteType",":"value":"responsive web"},{"name":"trackingServer",":"value":"saa.gamespot.com"},{"name":"visitorNamespace",":"value":"cbsinteractive"},{"name":"heartbeatTrackingServer",":"value":"newimagitasinc.hb.omtrdc.net"},{"name":"heartbeatVisitorMarketingCloudOrgId",":"value":"3C66570E5FE1A4AB0A495FFC@AdobeOrg"},{"name":"partnerID",":"value":"gamespot"},{"name":"siteCode",":"value":"gamespot"},{"name":"brand",":"value":"gamespot"},{"name":"account",":"value":"cbsigamespotsite"},{"name":"edition",":"value":"us"}]},{"name":"ComScore_ss","category":"qos","enabled":true,"params":[{"name":"c2",":"value":"31824268"},{"name":"publishersSecret",":"value":"2cb08ca4d095dd734a374dff8422c2e5"},{"name":"c3",":"value":""},{"name":"partnerID",":"value":"gamespot"},{"name":"c4",":"value":"gamespot"}]},{"name":"NielsenTracking","category":"tracking","enabled":true,"params":[{"name":"host",":"value":"https:\/\/secure-us.imrworldwide.com\/cgi-bin\/m?"},{"name":"scCI",":"value":"us-200330"},{"name":"scC6",":"value":"vc,c01"}]},{"name":"MuxQOSPluginJS","category":"qos","enabled":true,"params":[{"name":"propertyKey",":"value":"b7d6e48b7461a61cb6e863a62"}]}],"trackingAccount":"cbsigamespotsite","trackingSiteCode":"gs","trackingPrimaryId":"cbsigamespotsite","videoAssetSource":"Publisher Asset","uvpjsHostname":"\/\/www.gamespot.com","siteType":"responsive web","startMuted":false,"screenMediumThumb":"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/a\/uploads\/screen_medium\/1574\/15746725\/4363136-44.jpg","videoStreams":{"adaptive_stream":"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/manifests\/yakBG7Qu.m3u8"},"userId":0,"premium":false,"datePublished":1725628860,"videoAdPartner":"desktop%2Fgamespot.com","videoAdMobilePartner":"mobile_web%2Fgamespot.com_mobile"}" data-non-iframe-embed="1" data-jw-context-name="gamespot" data-jw-media-id="yakBG7Qu" data-jw-player-url="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/libraries/VXc5h4Tf.js" data-jw-video-token="" data-has-youtube="" data-youtube-icon-path="https://www.gamespot.com/a/bundles/phoenixsite/images/core/loose/icn-youtube-30x30.png">
<noscript>
<p class="av-video-player-no-js">You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.</p>
</noscript>
<div class="av-wrapper-max av-video-player-bg" style="background-image:url(https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/screen_super/1574/15746725/4363136-44.jpg)">
<p>Astro Bot - Play Will Find A Way | Live Action Trailer</p>
<div class="js-vid-modal-share av-modal av-modal-share">
<div class="av-modal-content">
<div class="av-modal-body av-share-body">
<div class="av-share-section av-share-types">
<div class="js-vid-share-types-body av-share-types-body">
<p>
<span class="av-share-size-label">Size:</span>
<span class="av-share-sizes">
<select class="js-vid-share-sizes js-refresh-share-code av-share-field">
<option value="640">640 × 360</option>
<option value="480">480 × 270</option>
</select>
</span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="av-modal av-modal-autoplay">
<div class="av-modal-content">
<div class="av-modal-head">
<p>
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://www.gamespot.com/signup/">Sign up</a> or <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/login/">Sign in</a> now!
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
</p>
<p>
This video has an invalid file format.
</p>
<p>Sorry, but you can't access this content!</p>
<div class="js-vid-player-chrome js-vid-age-gate av-age-gate">
<div class="av-msg-wrapper">
<div class="av-msg-valign">
<h5 class="av-age-gate-title">Please enter your date of birth to view this video</h5>
<p>
<select class="js-vid-age-gate-month" name="month">
<option value="1">January</option>
<option value="2">February</option>
<option value="3">March</option>
<option value="4">April</option>
<option value="5">May</option>
<option value="6">June</option>
<option value="7">July</option>
<option value="8">August</option>
<option value="9">September</option>
<option value="10">October</option>
<option value="11">November</option>
<option value="12">December</option>
</select>
<select class="js-vid-age-gate-day" name="day">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
<option value="5">5</option>
<option value="6">6</option>
<option value="7">7</option>
<option value="8">8</option>
<option value="9">9</option>
<option value="10">10</option>
<option value="11">11</option>
<option value="12">12</option>
<option value="13">13</option>
<option value="14">14</option>
<option value="15">15</option>
<option value="16">16</option>
<option value="17">17</option>
<option value="18">18</option>
<option value="19">19</option>
<option value="20">20</option>
<option value="21">21</option>
<option value="22">22</option>
<option value="23">23</option>
<option value="24">24</option>
<option value="25">25</option>
<option value="26">26</option>
<option value="27">27</option>
<option value="28">28</option>
<option value="29">29</option>
<option value="30">30</option>
<option value="31">31</option>
</select>
<select class="js-vid-age-gate-year" name="year">
<option value="year" selected="selected">Year</option>
<option value="2025">2025</option>
<option value="2024">2024</option>
<option value="2023">2023</option>
<option value="2022">2022</option>
<option value="2021">2021</option>
<option value="2020">2020</option>
<option value="2019">2019</option>
<option value="2018">2018</option>
<option value="2017">2017</option>
<option value="2016">2016</option>
<option value="2015">2015</option>
<option value="2014">2014</option>
<option value="2013">2013</option>
<option value="2012">2012</option>
<option value="2011">2011</option>
<option value="2010">2010</option>
<option value="2009">2009</option>
<option value="2008">2008</option>
<option value="2007">2007</option>
<option value="2006">2006</option>
<option value="2005">2005</option>
<option value="2004">2004</option>
<option value="2003">2003</option>
<option value="2002">2002</option>
<option value="2001">2001</option>
<option value="2000">2000</option>
<option value="1999">1999</option>
<option value="1998">1998</option>
<option value="1997">1997</option>
<option value="1996">1996</option>
<option value="1995">1995</option>
<option value="1994">1994</option>
<option value="1993">1993</option>
<option value="1992">1992</option>
<option value="1991">1991</option>
<option value="1990">1990</option>
<option value="1989">1989</option>
<option value="1988">1988</option>
<option value="1987">1987</option>
<option value="1986">1986</option>
<option value="1985">1985</option>
<option value="1984">1984</option>
<option value="1983">1983</option>
<option value="1982">1982</option>
<option value="1981">1981</option>
<option value="1980">1980</option>
<option value="1979">1979</option>
<option value="1978">1978</option>
<option value="1977">1977</option>
<option value="1976">1976</option>
<option value="1975">1975</option>
<option value="1974">1974</option>
<option value="1973">1973</option>
<option value="1972">1972</option>
<option value="1971">1971</option>
<option value="1970">1970</option>
<option value="1969">1969</option>
<option value="1968">1968</option>
<option value="1967">1967</option>
<option value="1966">1966</option>
<option value="1965">1965</option>
<option value="1964">1964</option>
<option value="1963">1963</option>
<option value="1962">1962</option>
<option value="1961">1961</option>
<option value="1960">1960</option>
<option value="1959">1959</option>
<option value="1958">1958</option>
<option value="1957">1957</option>
<option value="1956">1956</option>
<option value="1955">1955</option>
<option value="1954">1954</option>
<option value="1953">1953</option>
<option value="1952">1952</option>
<option value="1951">1951</option>
<option value="1950">1950</option>
<option value="1949">1949</option>
<option value="1948">1948</option>
<option value="1947">1947</option>
<option value="1946">1946</option>
<option value="1945">1945</option>
<option value="1944">1944</option>
<option value="1943">1943</option>
<option value="1942">1942</option>
<option value="1941">1941</option>
<option value="1940">1940</option>
<option value="1939">1939</option>
<option value="1938">1938</option>
<option value="1937">1937</option>
<option value="1936">1936</option>
<option value="1935">1935</option>
<option value="1934">1934</option>
<option value="1933">1933</option>
<option value="1932">1932</option>
<option value="1931">1931</option>
<option value="1930">1930</option>
<option value="1929">1929</option>
<option value="1928">1928</option>
<option value="1927">1927</option>
<option value="1926">1926</option>
<option value="1925">1925</option>
<option value="1924">1924</option>
<option value="1923">1923</option>
<option value="1922">1922</option>
<option value="1921">1921</option>
<option value="1920">1920</option>
<option value="1919">1919</option>
<option value="1918">1918</option>
<option value="1917">1917</option>
<option value="1916">1916</option>
<option value="1915">1915</option>
<option value="1914">1914</option>
<option value="1913">1913</option>
<option value="1912">1912</option>
<option value="1911">1911</option>
<option value="1910">1910</option>
<option value="1909">1909</option>
<option value="1908">1908</option>
<option value="1907">1907</option>
<option value="1906">1906</option>
<option value="1905">1905</option>
<option value="1904">1904</option>
<option value="1903">1903</option>
<option value="1902">1902</option>
<option value="1901">1901</option>
<option value="1900">1900</option>
</select>
</p>
<p>
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
<br />
<a href="https://www.fandom.com/terms-of-service-pp1">Terms of Use</a> and
<a href="https://www.fandom.com/privacy-policy-pp1">Privacy Policy</a>
</p>
<p>
<button class="js-vid-play av-age-gate-submit btn">enter</button>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p dir="ltr">Prior to Astro Bot's launch, I had the opportunity to visit Team Asobi's studio in Tokyo for a <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-face-of-playstation-and-the-technomagic-behind-astro-bot/1100-6526261/">detailed hands-on preview</a>. It was a typical studio visit, but there was an unmistakable excitement surrounding this particular project. It felt like something special was brewing, and I believe Asobi knew it. In interviews, game director Nicolas Doucet emphasized the importance of making the game accessible and appealing to younger audiences. Astro's design is intentionally simple, allowing children to easily draw the character themselves. He communicates through expressions and sounds, ensuring the story is understood even by those who haven't yet learned to read. The platforming levels provide a manageable difficulty curve for young or inexperienced players, with optional challenges for older and more skilled gamers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I remember the first video games I ever played; their excellent design ensured they stayed with me throughout my life," Doucet explained. "Both aspects are crucial, I believe. When developing a platformer, we must cater to both audiences. So, we've cultivated not just the game, but also the team's culture, around that core principle."</p>
<p dir="ltr">While Doucet didn't explicitly mention Mario during my visit, the inspiration was undeniable. The studio aimed to create a game that would be both enjoyable and enduring.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And they succeeded. A year later, Astro Bot remains a favorite in my household. My youngest, who is still learning to read, affectionately refers to it as "the wobot game," but is beginning to recognize Astro by name. The levels provide a satisfying level of challenge that fosters a sense of accomplishment, while remaining achievable. He consistently surprises us with his ability to navigate even the more demanding later stages of the game.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My older children happily join in, offering assistance with tricky sections or tackling the extra-difficult challenge levels themselves. They all enjoy facing the bosses together. Laughter and encouragement fill the room as they overcome obstacles or replay their favorite stages. When one of my kids inadvertently deleted my 100% completion save file – I won't name names; they know who they are – I was surprisingly unfazed, knowing we could simply start again.</p>
<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4562846-scsiqh.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-4562846" data-ratio="0.56304985337243" data-width="1023" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 1023px">
<a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:56.3%" href="https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4562846-scsiqh.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-4562846">
<img alt="Astro TKOs Wako Tako" src="https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4562846-scsiqh.jpg" data-width="1023" />
</a>
<figcaption>Astro TKOs Wako Tako</figcaption>
</figure>
<p dir="ltr">To be clear, Astro Bot is unlikely to be as culturally pervasive for my children's generation as Mario was for mine. In the 1980s, video game releases were infrequent, and mascot characters were a novelty. Today, children discover games through a multitude of platforms, from mobile devices to consoles, and engage with established franchises like Minecraft and Fortnite. Nearly every gamer who grew up in the 80s has a Super Mario memory, but Astro's impact will likely be more fragmented, as there are simply more paths leading to the same passion. Astro won't be a universal touchstone for this generation, and only time will reveal if it achieves anything close to Mario's legendary status. However, it will always hold a special place in my heart for the joy it has brought to my family.</p>
<p>Astro Bot has seen significant success over the past year. It has performed well commercially, spawned merchandise (including several limited-edition controllers), and secured <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/all-the-game-awards-2024-winners-revealed/2900-5956/">the prestigious Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024</a>. But for me, the most significant impact has been personal: Astro Bot is the game that ignited a sense of wonder and play in my children, sparking their broader interest in video games. Watching them play is like peering through a time portal, witnessing my