You’re buzzing through the Serpent Starway in Astro Bot, probably feeling pretty good about your platforming skills, and then you hit it. Construction Derby. It’s not a main-path level. It’s one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it "Lost Galaxy" stages that turns the game’s cheerful construction site aesthetic into a frantic hunt for collectibles.
Honestly? It's one of the best examples of why Team Asobi is winning right now.
Most players stumble into it by accident. You’re playing through Creamy Canyon, minding your own business, when you realize that a specific interaction with a seal or a suspicious-looking ice sculpture isn't just flavor text—it’s a portal. Once you’re in Construction Derby, the vibe shifts. It’s noisy, vertical, and packed with the kind of physics-based chaos that makes your DualSense controller feel like it’s actually vibrating with jackhammers and falling steel beams.
Finding the Construction Derby Secret Entrance
You can't just select this from the map. To unlock Construction Derby Astro Bot fans have to put in a little legwork in the Serpent Starway nebula. Specifically, you need to head into Creamy Canyon.
Near the end of that level, you’ll see a large ice sculpture of a seal. Usually, you’d just breeze past this, but if you use your spin attack on the nearby blue sparkle spot, you'll uncover a hidden trampoline. This launches you up to a higher platform where a second seal statue is waiting. Smash that one, and the disco ball—the universal sign for a Lost Galaxy entrance—appears.
It’s a classic Nintendo-style secret. It rewards you for actually looking at the environment instead of just sprinting toward the finish line.
What Actually Happens in Construction Derby?
The level drops you onto a high-rise construction site. It’s chaotic. You have cranes swinging, literal buckets of cement, and robots trying to knock you into the abyss.
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The main gimmick here involves the Bulldog Booster. This backpack power-up lets you air-dash forward with a massive burst of speed. It’s not just for crossing gaps; it’s a weapon. You’ll find yourself smashing through glass panes, toppling pillars, and ramming into those annoying construction-themed enemies that try to block your path with shields.
Navigating the Verticality
Verticality is the name of the game here. You start relatively low, but the level quickly forces you upward using a series of girders and moving platforms.
The "Derby" part of the name feels appropriate because the physics are tuned to be a bit "bouncy." When you hit a piece of scaffolding with the Bulldog dash, it doesn't just sit there—it reacts. This can actually make the platforming a bit tricky if you’re used to the rock-solid, static platforms of the earlier levels. You have to time your dashes to account for the sway of the cranes.
One part people consistently struggle with is the section with the spinning cement mixers. If you time your jump wrong, you aren't just falling; you're getting launched into the stratosphere. The trick is to wait for the yellow caution lights on the machinery to blink. That’s your window.
Tracking Down the Bots and Coins
There are 5 Special Bots to find in Construction Derby, along with 2 Black Hole pieces. If you’re trying to 100% the game, this is where things get sweaty.
- The First Bot: Right at the start. Don't move forward immediately. Look behind the starting crates. It’s a classic "Astro Bot" trope—the developers love hiding things literally behind your back.
- The Crane Bot: About halfway through, you’ll see a crane holding a large crate. You need to use the Bulldog dash to smash the support cables. The crate drops, and the Bot (often a cameo Bot) is inside.
- The Girder Bot: Look for a series of girders being moved horizontally. One of them has a bot clinging to the end of it for dear life. You have to jump and dash at the apex of the girder's movement to reach him.
The coins are scattered in breakable crates. Pro tip: use the spin attack while mid-air with the Bulldog dash. It creates a wider hitbox that lets you vacuum up coins without having to precisely land on every single platform.
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Why This Level Matters for the Platinum Trophy
If you're going for the Platinum, Construction Derby isn't optional. Because it's a Lost Galaxy stage, it contributes to your total Bot count which is required to unlock the final "Master Challenge" in the center of the map.
The difficulty spike here is noticeable. While the main levels of Astro Bot are generally forgiving, the Lost Galaxy stages expect you to have mastered the specific power-up they give you. In this case, it’s the dash. If you can’t dash-cancel into a hover, you’re going to have a rough time with some of the later platforming sections near the top of the skyscraper.
The Cameo Bots
Without spoiling too much, the Bots you rescue here are deep cuts. Team Asobi didn't just stick to the "Big Hits" of PlayStation history. You'll find characters from the PSP and PS2 eras that haven't seen the light of day in a decade. It’s that hit of nostalgia that makes the frustrating platforming feel worth it.
Dealing With the "Derby" Mechanics
The physics can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Sometimes, the Bulldog dash will send you flying further than you intended because you hit a physics object (like a stray bucket or a loose plank) at the same time you triggered the boost. This "physics stacking" is rare but can be annoying during the more precise sections.
How to handle it: Stop moving the analog stick the moment you trigger the dash. Let the animation finish before you try to course-correct with the hover jets. If you try to steer mid-dash, you'll often overshoot the platform entirely.
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Also, watch out for the electrified floors. In the latter half of the level, some of the metal plates will surge with electricity. The pattern is usually two pulses on, one pulse off.
Mastery Tips for Construction Derby
If you want to clear this level without losing your mind, keep these three things in mind.
First, the Bulldog dash has a cooldown. It’s short, maybe half a second, but it’s there. Don't spam it. If you spam it, the second dash won't trigger, and you'll just fall.
Second, use the audio cues. The DualSense controller will emit a specific "mechanical whirring" sound when a platform is about to move or when an enemy is charging up an attack. If you play with headphones, you can actually hear which direction the hidden bots are calling from.
Third, don't be afraid to die. Construction Derby is short. The checkpoints are generous. If you miss a bot, it’s often faster to jump into the void and restart from the last checkpoint than it is to try and backtrack through the vertical obstacles.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you’re currently stuck or just starting your run through the Serpent Starway, here is exactly how to handle Construction Derby.
- Go back to Creamy Canyon first. You cannot play this level until you find the secret exit. Look for the seal statues near the end of the level.
- Master the Dash-Hover combo. Practice jumping, dashing with the Bulldog, and then immediately holding the jump button to hover. This gives you the maximum possible horizontal distance.
- Listen for the "Help!" The Bots in this level are tucked into corners of the scaffolding. Their audio cues are louder than the construction noise if you're close enough.
- Check the girders. Many players miss the bot on the moving girder because they are too focused on the enemies. Kill the enemies first, then stand still and watch the girder's path.
- Look for the Black Hole. There is a secret portal hidden within this secret level that leads to even more content. It’s usually tucked behind a breakable wall that requires a Bulldog dash to shatter.
Construction Derby represents the best of Astro Bot’s design philosophy: hidden secrets, tight mechanics, and a heavy dose of PlayStation charm. It’s a challenge, but once you find the rhythm of the dash, it’s an absolute blast to finish.