(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Psychonauts, the renowned platformer about delving into individuals’ minds to tackle their emotional challenges, marks 20 years since its release. In celebration of this milestone, Double Fine Productions‘ founder and Psychonauts director Tim Schafer revealed some unique inspirations that shaped this beloved classic.
Before launching Double Fine, Schafer was celebrated for creating several acclaimed LucasArts point-and-click adventure games, including Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. However, his gaming philosophy shifted dramatically after experiencing Super Mario 64. He recounted, “I remember that [Mario 64] was the first one where I just, like, pushed the joystick in the direction I wanted to go and the character ran that way, and I was like: ‘Wait a second,'” expressing the game’s revolutionary control system in a recent blog post.
Schafer reminisced about playing many games such as Final Fantasy 7 and later The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. These experiences made him realize, “I think I want to make a console game. I want to make a character-driven console game that is just really immediate and has more action, but, you know, still has a lot of narrative.” These early 3D console games represented “a big turning point” for Schafer, encouraging him to explore new territory.
While Mario, Zelda, and Final Fantasy are universal influences in gaming, the Psychonauts team sought inspiration in more obscure titles too. Schafer highlighted mechanical ideas borrowed from a lesser-known Dreamcast JRPG, Skies of Arcadia, for its unique resource-gathering concept.
In addition to games, various media such as horror adventure The Suffering, Disney’s Nightmare Before Christmas, artworks by Joe Sorren, and a novel by Haruki Murakami influenced Schafer. Furthermore, Raz’s character had roots in a scene from 1984’s Dreamscape, and his commitment to mastering his skills mirrored that of Jet Li’s character’s son, portrayed by Mo Tse, in The New Legend of Shaolin.
Looking ahead, the future of Double Fine remains a mystery. The development team is working on projects they describe as something that “could never get accepted by a publisher.” However, Banjo-Kazooie fans should note that a revival isn’t part of these plans. For a glimpse into the exciting new developments, explore upcoming titles of 2025 and beyond.