Astro Bot fans are well-acquainted with the story behind the sponge power-up, but did you know that developer Team Asobi also experimented with even more outlandish ideas, such as a coffee grinder and a roulette wheel? These intriguing details came to light during IGN's coverage of GDC 2025, where Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet delivered a comprehensive talk titled, "The Making of 'ASTRO BOT'". In his presentation, Doucet delved into the intricacies of crafting the beloved PlayStation mascot platformer, sharing early prototype images and insights into content that didn't make the final cut.

Doucet kicked off his talk by discussing the initial pitch for Astro Bot, which was drafted in May 2021, shortly after Team Asobi began its prototyping phase. He revealed that the pitch underwent 23 revisions before being presented to top management. The pitch was uniquely delivered as an adorable comic strip, effectively showcasing the game's core concepts and activities, which undoubtedly contributed to its approval.

Doucet then explained the team's approach to idea generation, which involved extensive brainstorming sessions. Team Asobi formed small, interdisciplinary groups of 5-6 people who documented their ideas on sticky notes, resulting in a visually striking brainstorming board. However, not all ideas progressed to the prototyping stage; Doucet noted that only about 10% of their concepts were actually prototyped. Yet, this still amounted to a substantial amount of prototyping.

Doucet emphasized the importance of prototyping across various departments, encouraging everyone on the team to bring their ideas to life. He provided an example of audio designers creating a theater within Astro Bot to experiment with haptic controller vibrations that matched different sound effects, such as doors opening and closing.

The dedication to prototyping was so integral to the project that a few programmers were specifically tasked with exploring non-platforming ideas. This approach led to the development of Astro Bot's sponge mechanic, which utilized the adaptive trigger for a unique gameplay experience.

Doucet shared images of various prototypes, including those that did not make it into the final game, such as a tennis game, a wind-up toy, a roulette wheel, and a coffee grinder, alongside successful mechanics like the balloon and sponge.

He also discussed how levels were chosen and designed to complement specific mechanics. The goal was to ensure each level offered unique gameplay and avoided redundancy. While some power-ups could appear in multiple levels, their implementation needed to differ significantly to maintain variety. Doucet highlighted a cut level themed around bird flights, which was scrapped due to its similarities to existing levels like Go-Go Archipelago and a similar level in Astro's Playroom.

In the concluding segment of his talk, Doucet touched upon the game's final scene, offering a **Spoiler Alert** for those who haven't yet completed Astro Bot. In the original ending, players were presented with a completely dismembered Astro Bot, which was later changed to a more intact version due to feedback that the initial concept was too distressing.

Doucet's presentation at GDC 2025 offered a treasure trove of insights into the development of Astro Bot, a game that IGN awarded a 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."