Asteroids

Asteroids is a multidirectional shooter in which the player pilots a spacecraft through an asteroid field. The ship can rotate left or right, thrust forward, and fire in the direction it is facing. Its momentum continues after thrust is released, while the ship, asteroids, and other objects can leave one edge of the screen and reappear from the opposite side.

Each wave begins with several large asteroids drifting across the playfield. Shooting a large asteroid splits it into two medium-sized rocks, while each medium asteroid breaks into two smaller and faster fragments. Only the smallest asteroids are destroyed outright. Smaller rocks are more difficult to hit and award more points. The arcade game begins with four large asteroids, with later waves increasing to six, eight, and eventually ten.

Flying saucers periodically cross the screen and fire at the player. Large saucers fire less accurately and award fewer points, while smaller saucers are harder to hit and become increasingly accurate. The player’s ship is destroyed by colliding with an asteroid or saucer or by being struck by enemy fire.

Hyperspace offers a possible escape from an imminent collision by making the ship disappear and return at a random location. However, its unpredictable destination may place the ship in further danger or destroy it immediately. Play continues until all available ships are lost, with additional ships awarded after reaching certain scores.

The original arcade version uses monochrome vector graphics and supports one or two players, with two-player games played in alternating turns. The home conversions reproduce the same basic concept with raster graphics but vary in their controls, difficulty, hazards, game options, and multiplayer features. The Atari 2600 version includes numerous variations that alter asteroid speed, enemy appearances, extra-life rules, and defensive abilities such as hyperspace, shields, or an immediate 180-degree turn.

The Atari 7800 version offers four difficulty levels and three play modes. Standard Play supports one player or two players taking alternating turns. "Competition Asteroids" places both players on the screen simultaneously with separate reserve ships and friendly fire, while "Team Asteroids" disables friendly fire and gives the players a shared reserve of ships.