Astro's Playroom easter eggs paid homage to games some developers helped make

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Turns out some Team Asobi devs actually worked on the games they were paying tribute to

Astro's Playroom
(Image credit: Sony)

A number of Astro's Playroom animators worked on the original games that they created homages to in the PS5 launch game.

Earlier today, a new PlayStation Blog post was published by Jamie Smith, lead animator at Astro's Playroom developer Team Asobi. Over the course of the post, Smith reveals that a slate of homages found within Astro's Playroom were animated by developers who worked on the original games that they were paying tribute to in 2020.

It's a fascinating little anecdote from Smith. Unfortunately, he doesn't actually specify which developers worked on the original games that resurfaced in Astro's Playroom through these homages. There are so many references in Astro's Playroom, including the likes of Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Dino Crisis, and Resident Evil, so it's impossible to guess which classic games might've also been worked on by current Team Asobi staff.

It's definitely worth reading the full blog post from Smith if you're eager to learn how the development staff selected which games to pay homage to. There's a bunch of interesting details within the post, including sketches from the incredibly-talented Team Asobi concept artist Toshihiko Nakai, imagining how each homage could theoretically work before it was fleshed out through animators.

If you're yet to play Team Asobi's excellent platformer, head over to our PS5 deals guide for a complete tracker on current and projected stock of the new-gen console.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.