Astro Bot: Cut Content Revealed - Bird Flight Level and Headless Astro

Astro Bot fans are well-acquainted with the story behind the iconic sponge power-up, but did you know that developer Team Asobi also experimented with even more unconventional abilities, such as a coffee grinder and a roulette wheel? This fascinating tidbit was revealed at GDC 2025, where Team Asobi's studio director, Nicolas Doucet, delivered a captivating talk titled "The Making of 'ASTRO BOT'". During the session, Doucet delved deep into the creative process behind the PlayStation mascot platformer, showcasing a variety of early prototype images and content that didn't make it into the final game.

Doucet kicked off his presentation by discussing the initial pitch for Astro Bot, which was crafted in May 2021, shortly after Team Asobi began its prototyping phase. The pitch went through an impressive 23 revisions before being presented to top management. It was initially conveyed through an adorable comic strip that highlighted the game's main pillars and activities—a format that evidently struck a chord.

Moving on, Doucet explained how Team Asobi generated its innovative ideas. The process involved extensive brainstorming sessions, where small groups of 5-6 people from diverse disciplines collaborated. Each participant contributed ideas on individual sticky notes, culminating in a visually stunning brainstorming board.

Not every brainstormed concept made it to the prototyping stage, according to Doucet. In fact, only about 10% of the ideas were actually prototyped. Yet, this still resulted in a significant amount of experimentation. Doucet emphasized the importance of prototyping across all departments, including those beyond game design. For example, audio designers created a theater within Astro Bot to test haptic controller vibrations synchronized with various sound effects, such as different door mechanisms.

Prototyping was so integral to the development of Astro Bot that a dedicated team of programmers focused solely on creating prototypes unrelated to the core platforming mechanics. This approach led to the creation of Astro Bot's unique sponge mechanic, where players could squeeze the sponge using the adaptive trigger—a feature that proved fun and was ultimately included in the game.

Doucet shared an image featuring a range of prototypes, some of which became part of the game, such as the balloon and sponge, while others, like a tennis game, a wind-up toy, a roulette wheel, and a coffee grinder, did not make the cut.

In his talk, Doucet also discussed the process of selecting and designing levels around specific mechanics. The goal was to ensure that each level offered unique gameplay experiences, avoiding repetition. While it was acceptable to reuse power-ups across levels, Doucet emphasized that their implementation had to be distinct enough to maintain variety. He provided examples of cut levels, such as one themed around bird flights, which was dropped due to its similarities with the Go-Go Archipelago level and another level in Astro's Playroom that used a similar mechanic.

"In the end, it was decided that the overlap was not healthy enough to create variety, and we just cut this level entirely," he remarked. "We'll never know if that level would have been popular. But in hindsight, I think it's a good thing that we got to spend that time elsewhere."

**Spoiler Alert:** If you haven't finished Astro Bot yet, proceed with caution.

Doucet concluded his talk by discussing the game's final scene. Initially, the player was presented with a completely dismembered Astro Bot, but this approach upset some players. As a result, the team opted for a version where Astro Bot was slightly more intact, which is what players experience in the final game.

Doucet's presentation was filled with intriguing details about the development of Astro Bot. In previous interviews with him, we've explored the game's creation process, and our review awarded Astro Bot a stellar 9/10, praising it as "A fantastically inventive platformer in its own right, Astro Bot is particularly special for anyone with a place in their heart for PlayStation."