10 Clever Easter Eggs And References In Astro Bot
A Brief Rift Apart
Smacking bots will show funny little animations and interactions, but a few of them have some special details hidden that only fans will notice. For instance, one of the very first VIP bots you rescue has a neat detail only “Astro’s Playroom” fans might have spotted. Assuming you already nabbed the Rivet Bot’s collectible, smacking her will cause her to fall into a rift before reappearing. But did you notice where she was transported to? The rift sent her to the Labo Room! Wait…why didn’t Team Asobi add her into “Astro’s Playroom” then? Hmm…we smell a paradox.
Devilishly Delightful Dice
If you’ve gone through all of Slo-Mo Casino, you probably already know about the bot based on “Devil Dice”. Oddly enough, this little character is not the only nod to the long-forgotten PS1 puzzler. Remember the room you found Little Devil in? All of those dice blocks and the way they slowly sink into the ground are done in the exact same way as they do in the original game. In other words, you may as well have briefly stumbled into a prototype for a modern “Devil Dice” level. A little rudimentary, yes, but still a neat way to find a new VIP bot.
A Tune for the Ages
You may not have realized this, but saving the various parts of the sentient PS5 do have a neat little secret of theirs that you might not have thought to check out. As you progress and save more parts and pieces, you’ll notice your fellow bots slowly build scaffolding around the PS5. Head over to the shorter scaffolding and make your way to the top. That side of the PS5 will open up, and you will be able to hear each part sing along with the Crash Site’s music. Of course, all of these vocals are directly pulled from the various levels featured in “Astro’s Playroom”.
Prized Possession
Didn’t expect to see ol’ Kazuma Kiryu in “Astro Bot”, but the “Yakuza” series does have some heritage with PlayStation as the first handful of games were exclusive to PS2 and PS3. What’s funny about Kiryu’s inclusion here, though, is how he’ll allow you to smack him without repercussions. And when you do, an object will fly out from his pockets. Among them is a microphone, and it was almost enough for us to utter those sacred words…”baka mitai”.
The Dirtiest Little Bot
The “Metal Gear” bots have some hilarious nods to the series for fans to discover. Our favorite, however, was Solid Snake’s special interaction. Initially, he may just panic from being discovered before going back inside his box. But smack him again, and you might catch him in the act of fantasizing over a magazine model. Good sir, this is an E-rated game!! The real Solid Snake might be able to get away with that sort of thing, but not here! Put that smut away!
Raven-Hunting
The level “Bot of War” holds plenty of references and nods to the Nordic “God of War” games. It can be easy to completely forget about the level’s secret collectible. Yes, Bot of War has a trophy tied to its own secret collectible, and the opening does hint at what it is. Yeah, it’s Odin’s stupid birds! Bot of War is hiding a total of eight ravens for you to destroy. Some are in obvious spots, others are in not-so-obvious spots. And just in case you can’t tell if you found them all, there is an area with a mural that signifies how many you’ve found. Better get to hunting!
Dances With Marsupials
If you care about trophies, you probably already know about this, but your average player may not have thought to do this. Along with Ratchet and Rivet, Crash Bandicoot is one of the very first VIP bots you’ll rescue in the game. However, to unlock his special interaction, you will need to unlock his collectible, Aku Aku. Once you do, head over to Crash’s location at the Crash Site and press Up on the D-pad. Astro will do Crash’s iconic dance with the famed marsupial, and yes, we were giggling like complete idiots.
The Story of the Dude Raider
To an outsider, calling an “Uncharted”-themed level “Dude Raider” might sound like a playful joke that doubles as a “Tomb Raider” reference. On the contrary, this name goes all the way back to when the very first “Uncharted” game was still in development. This may sound hard to believe, but folks weren’t too keen on Nathan Drake initially. Because of the similarities to “Tomb Raider”, many dismissed Naughty Dog’s new game as “Dude Raider”, nothing more than a knock-off Lara Croft. Funny how opinion shifts suddenly when the game turns out awesome, huh?
The Most Valuable Treasure
While the “Dude Raider” bit might not be news to some, there is another piece of “Uncharted” history some might have overlooked in “Astro Bot”. Upon defeating Lady Venomara, Nathan Drake appears from her chest along with a heap of gold coins. But sticking out of the treasure is a large, gold PlayStation trophy. A nice touch, but there’s more to the story here. “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune” was the very first game to ever receive trophy support on PlayStation Network, and its trophy list was the first to be published before the game was even out. Since then, PlayStation trophies have spawned a community of their own and has encouraged many players to finally see their games through until the very end.
Invasion of the Rubber Duckies!!
One of the strange things you might have noticed about “Astro Bot” is just how often you’ll see a rubber ducky. Every level, every room, everywhere, you will find a rubber ducky hiding somewhere! What is with all the bathtime mallards?? Well, as bizarre as it may sound, rubber duckies do have a notable role in PlayStation’s history. Back when it was still gearing up for launch, Sony used a tech demo for the PlayStation 3 that showed a bathtub filled with water and a handful of rubber duckies. This was done to show off the system’s capabilities in rendering water and giving physics to multiple objects at once without severely compromising software. A few months after the PS3 launched, Sony even published a game based on the demo called “Super Rub ‘a’ Dub”, which tasked players with trying to keep duckies in the tub while dumping out sharks.
What was your favorite easter egg in “Astro Bot”? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!
