Genre: Fixed-Screen Shooter / Action
Developer: Atari, Inc.
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Year: 1979
Platform: Atari VCS
Asteroids is a classic fixed-screen arcade shooter ported to the Atari VCS in 1981. In the game, the player controls a spaceship trapped within a field of drifting asteroids and hostile flying saucers. The main goal is to shoot and destroy all asteroids without colliding with them, while also fending off the saucers.
The spaceship can rotate left or right, thrust forward, fire its photon cannon, and use a hyperspace warp to escape danger. Large asteroids, when shot, break into medium ones; medium ones into small ones; and small ones are destroyed outright. Occasionally, a saucer appears, firing at the player and posing additional threats.
There are multiple game variations and difficulty settings. Modes may change the behavior of saucers, the speed of asteroids, or how many ships the player has. Both single-player and two-player alternating modes are supported.
