Astro Bot – Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, let me tell you that Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a game that truly shines with its unique abilities and immersive gameplay. Among all these abilities, the one that stands out to me is none other than the Muteki Cannonball Armor.


Astro Bot truly earned its acclaim and success. It struck the perfect balance between a relaxed platformer and creatively designed stages brimming with fun. Among the many things that make it enjoyable is the variety of skills or tools at your disposal in the game.

Apart from revolutionizing gameplay through its exclusive skills, this tool also syncs seamlessly with the DualSense controller. This innovative feature replicates tactile sensations and textures with each action, resulting in an immersive and fulfilling experience with every button click.

We’ve kept this list spoiler-free, so some abilities from the late game are missing.

12. Mouse

The mouse gadget not only turns you into a tiny bot, it also changes the environment around you. This makes everything really, really, big.

Sadly, this feature ranks at the bottom due to its lack of significant contribution to DualSense haptics. The reason being, it requires just a single press on the right trigger and transforms into a mini mouse instantly. What’s disheartening is that this functionality is limited to a single game level only.

11. Octopus Balloon

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

The octopus changes Astro into a soaring balloon that can reach great heights, expanding travel possibilities. Although this enhancement aids exploration, the best sensation from the DualSense controller comes from the sound of inflation and deflation.

10. Penguin

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

The penguin specializes in swimming. Pressing the right trigger enables Astro to traverse the waters with great speed. Helpful for underwater levels.

The haptics turns your DualSense controller into a little speed boat. Instead of engine noises, you can feel the flapping sounds of the penguin’s feet moving past underwater currents.

Like the mouse, it is only usable on one level and completely forgotten after.

9. Handy-D

As a fan, I’d say: The Handy-D monkey is quite a handy tool for scaling heights! It’s reminiscent of Astro’s Playroom in many ways. With this agile simian companion, you can easily grip onto ledges by simply pressing the left and right trigger buttons.

There is a satisfying click after successfully grabbing a ledge, and that alone deserves its 9th place.

Additionally, it can forcefully strike the ground with its fists and seize stones to hurl at adversaries. The pressure of pressing the activation button is noticeable when lifting hefty items or unlocking containers.

8. Monkey Cymbals

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

These cymbals are made specifically for festive occasions, perfectly suited since they’re exclusively found on two unique stages commemorating triumph and completion (such as defeating the final boss in the Lost Galaxy).

The monkey-strapped cymbals are quite simple in function: they produce noise and cause commotion. By pressing both triggers simultaneously, a noisy onslaught is unleashed upon enemies, reminiscent of Skyrim’s Shouts but with a monkey as your companion instead of dragons.

7. Time Stopper

Manipulating time makes the Time Stopper a powerful tool. It is useful for navigating areas where everything is moving fast. 

In the 7th position, this feature freezes everything around, turning on a single button triggers slow-motion effects. This means bullets and adversaries move sluggishly, making our space explorer, Astro, the swiftest character in the scene.

It is a powerful gadget, and you can’t help but emulate Neo from the Matrix.

6. Elephant

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

Let’s discuss an interesting device – it’s called a transformer: This gadget can vacuum up and spit out various substances. For instance, it converts ordinary honey into a trampoline-like surface, changes cement into large blocks of concrete, and transforms water into a mini ice skating rink.

This singular ability provides various methods to handle foes filled with liquid, as well as exploring hidden levels inaccessible through regular gameplay. The unique pleasure derived from vacuuming up the liquid and transforming them into stepping stones for traversal adds an innovative aspect to mobility.

Have an opinion on this article? We’d love to hear it!

5. Sponge

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

Option: The sponge functions as the polar opposite to the mouse tool. It’s earned its place on our top-5 list due to its ability to make Astro grow to immense sizes. When it soaks up water, this tiny robot transforms into a colossal being.

As a fan, I can’t help but find a peculiar satisfaction in mimicking an elephant, siphoning off liquids and unleashing them against adversaries. And let’s not forget the thrill of temporarily transforming into a colossal creature like Godzilla, wreaking havoc with my size!

4. Barkster, The Bulldog Booster

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

Barkster is a well-behaved dog who deserves a gentle scratch on the head. This bulldog makes an excellent choice for swiftly outmaneuvering opponents and smashing through walls. It’s quite similar to a penguin, except it can move effectively outside of water as well.

When you press or hold down the right trigger, your character transforms into an invincible horizontally moving entity. On collision with enemies, they disintegrate instantly (while others might burst), and even formidable bosses will quiver in fear upon seeing Barkster and his mechanical companion.

3. Chicken

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

The chicken did come before the egg. Similar to Barkster the Bulldog Booster, the chicken is the best gadget to move vertically. It uses its eggs to lay down rocket-fueled energy that takes you to the skies. 

This tool is handy for lifting items that need to move upwards, or delivering playful overhead strikes against opponents and superiors. The sensation provided by the DualSense haptics feedback while retrieving an object from the ground is reminiscent of extracting the legendary sword, Excalibur.

2. Twin Frog Gloves

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

Despite his small stature, Astro’s punches pack quite a wallop and there’s always room for improvement! With the addition of the Twin Frog Gloves, this cherished robot becomes a formidable competitor in combat games.

This technique excels in intense battles against foes who refuse to back down. By swiftly tapping the left and right shoulder buttons, your character transforms into a lethal punching machine. Additionally, it can be used to pry open enemy mouths and slam them forcefully to the ground – quite an excessive measure, wouldn’t you agree?

1. The Muteki Cannonball Armor

Astro Bot - Ranking Every Ability by DualSense Haptics from Least to Most Satisfying

The Muteki ability in Astro Bot might be the most fulfilling one to utilize, as it transforms Astro into an indestructible ball of power.

Changing into a ball, just like Samus in Metroid, becomes effortless with a simple right trigger press. Nothing can hinder your progress then. This feature proves particularly handy when navigating complex obstacles such as collapsing platforms or harmful floor surfaces.

With such strength, nothing can stand in your way. Your DualSense vibrations will mimic each strike, blast, or crash from any adversary you encounter. Similar to a steel-clad robot, Muteki serves as an unbreakable shield and undoubtedly is the top skill within the game.

13 key features make Astro Bot’s journey an enjoyable use of our time. Let’s look forward to Astro embarking on his next adventure, offering new possibilities for navigation and battle.

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2024-09-12 13:12