Reggie Fils-Aimé Keeps It Real: ”’Astro Bot’ Almost Outdid Nintendo at Its Own Game”

The New York Game Awards held its 14th annual event last night, celebrating another year of achievements in 2024’s list of gaming excellence. Unsurprisingly, Astro Bot took the crown for the most wins with Best Music, Best Kids’ Game, and another Game of the Year trophy. The Astro Bot sweep is real, y’all, and even former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé recognizes it. After winning the award for Best Kids’ Game, Reggie took the stage to admit what we’re all thinking.

“So I have to admit it. Astro Bot almost outdid Nintendo at its own game,” Reggie says before sparking laughter from the crowd.

Since its reveal last year, comparisons between Astro Bot and various Nintendo gems like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey have been constant. Though I don’t know how it could be anything other than a glowing compliment, Astro Bot is often criticized for being a “Mario clone” due to its family-friendly vibe, 3D platforming gameplay, and its protagonist essentially being the mascot of its respective platform.

Reggie Fils-Aimé knows ‘Astro bot’ has the sauce; Team Asobi knows Nintendo has the recipe

Astro Bot is very much its own thing, showcasing PlayStation’s iconic 30-year history throughout its story. But, it’s easy to spot the inspiration from Nintendo’s classics. Astro Bot director Nicolas Doucet recognized this last December after accepting the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, saying, “…Let’s not forget that even before PlayStation, there were people making platformers.

“…I remember I was a kid in 1989, Christmas, and I got a grey box. And there was a game packed in, it was called Super Mario Bros., and it was really, really great.

“…I want to pay tribute to the company who really put, like, platformers and showed us innovation and quality consistently, and inspired us to actually make the game that we made.”

While Doucet intentionally left Nintendo’s name out of the speech, he made it plainly obvious who he was talking about. Nintendo arguably pioneered and perfected 3D platforming in the late nineties. Carrying the torch through the 2000s and into present time with the Switch. Sony hasn’t been shy about dipping its toes into the space. However, it’s nice to see a famed former Nintendo executive giving Astro Bot its flowers.

Astro Bot is the reigning champion of 2024. But, with the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon? A certain plumber may be tightening his white gloves and reaching for that crown in 2025.