Ex-Nintendo boss jokes 2024 GOTY Astro Bot almost “outdid” what they do best

Former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé joked that PlayStation’s Game of the Year winning Astro Bot almost “outdid” what they do best.

It’s no secret Nintendo largely strives to appeal to younger audiences. Family-friendly franchises like Mario and Zelda have helped usher in new generations of gamers for decades now and with the Switch 2 on the way, the legendary publisher clearly has no signs of shifting its strategy anytime soon.

Among the most popular genres that epitomize Nintendo is the classic platformer. What started in 2D with Mario has evolved into countless 3D adventures through challenging and inventive stages. Nintendo is so synonymous with this style of game, few others have dared to step foot in the territory.

Astro Bot almost “outdid” what Nintendo does best

Things changed in 2024, however, when Team Asobi launched Astro Bot under the PlayStation umbrella. Building off the exceptional VR game Rescue Mission and then the PS5 launch project, Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot was a full-fledged platformer that put smiles on millions of faces last calendar year.

Not only was it immensely popular, but it was a critical darling too, sitting at 94 on Metacritic and even earning a perfect score from us at Dexerto. It then went on to win the big one, taking out the Game of the Year trophy at the 2024 Game Awards.

Its award-winning success hasn’t stopped there, however, as it just took out three more trophies at the New York Game Awards on January 22, 2025. As this show was co-hosted by former Nintendo’s former US boss, Fils-Aimé couldn’t help but fire off a quick joke about the game’s success.

Having overseen the highest highs and lowest lows during his almost two-decade tenure at Nintendo, Fils-Aimé helped push the likes of Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 out the door, games in the upper echelon of all-time great 3D platformers.

After announcing Astro Bot as the winner of the Best Kids Game award during the show, Fils-Aimé joked PlayStation almost took the crown from Nintendo in that particular sense.

“I have to admit it… Astro Bot almost outdid Nintendo at its own game,” he joked before swiftly moving on to the next category.

You can hear Reggie’s Astro Bot comment at the 1:03:49 mark below.

Obviously just a playful jab, it nonetheless speaks to the impact of Astro Bot and Team Asobi at large. A first-party PlayStation studio has managed to execute on a genre-defining title in a genre Nintendo helped establish.