Super Mario 64, a forgotten Dreamcast JRPG, classic Jet Li films, and more all inspired Tim Schafer while working on Psychonauts

Psychonauts, the legendary platform game centered on exploring the minds of individuals to help them with their emotional struggles, has reached its 20-year anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine and director of Psychonauts, discussed some of his creative influences behind this classic.

Prior to establishing Double Fine Productions, Schafer earned recognition for a series of LucasArts point-and-click adventure titles, including Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. However, after experiencing Super Mario 64, he was inspired to venture into creating a third-person, fully-3D platformer.

“I recall that [Mario 64] was the first one where I pushed the joystick toward my desired direction, and the character responded accordingly. I was like: ‘Hold on a minute,'” the director reminisced in a recent vlog.

“At that point, I also played numerous games like Final Fantasy 7,” he mentioned. “Eventually, [The Legend of Zelda] Ocarina of Time. These games featured direct character control and a combination of narrative and puzzles. That was when I realized I didn’t want to stick with point-and-click adventures anymore. I aspired to develop a character-centric console game that was immediate and full of action, yet still rich in storytelling.”

Those early 3D console experiences represented a “significant turning point” for Tim Schafer to “step away from what I had done for the past decade and explore something different.”

It’s tough to find games that aren’t influenced in some way by Mario, Zelda, or Final Fantasy. Nevertheless, the Psychonauts team also explored more obscure sources. Schafer noted that Psychonauts incorporated “actual mechanics” from the underrated Dreamcast JRPG Skies of Arcadia, particularly regarding the resources unearthed from below.

Other influences included the horror game The Suffering and Disney’s Nightmare Before Christmas, along with artwork by Joe Sorren and a Haruki Murakami novel. Raz’s complex family dynamics might have been inspired by a brief scene in the 1984 film Dreamscape, while his quest to become the ultimate mind-healer was influenced by Jet Li’s serious on-screen son in The New Legend of Shaolin, played by Mo Tse. Check out the complete list above for details—it’s all quite fascinating.

What lies ahead for Double Fine? The details remain uncertain, but the team indicated they are developing projects that “might never receive publisher approval.” Also, that doesn’t include a Banjo-Kazooie reboot.

Discover the upcoming titles for 2025 and beyond to see what’s in store.

Kaan contributes to multiple sites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys engaging with indie horror games, nostalgic RPGs, and anything quirky. He holds a degree in English Literature and Film Studies, which he may soon forget.