Machine Guides

Game History

Asteroids is a classic arcade game developed and published by Atari and released in November 1979.  The game was initially intended as an enhancement to another Atari title, Lunar Lander, but evolved into a standalone project during development.

The game's premise was simple yet innovative: players controlled a triangular spaceship tasked with destroying asteroids and flying saucers in a wraparound asteroid field. What set Asteroids apart was its use of vector graphics, which allowed for crisp, clean visuals and smooth animation, and its physics-based gameplay, which featured realistic momentum and inertia.

Asteroids was an overwhelming commercial success, with Atari shipping over 70,000 units worldwide and the game becoming one of the highest-grossing arcade titles of 1980. Its popularity was such that it became the first game to allow players to enter their initials after achieving a high score, a feature that would become standard in arcade games.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Asteroids is to survive in an asteroid field by destroying asteroids and flying saucers while avoiding collisions. You must achieve the highest score possible by destroying objects of various sizes. The game continues indefinitely with increasing difficulty, challenging you to survive as long as possible against increasingly numerous and faster objects.

Controls

• Joystick: Use the joystick to rotate your spaceship clockwise and counterclockwise
• Thrust Button: Press to accelerate your spaceship forward
• Fire Button: Press to shoot your laser at asteroids and flying saucers
• Hyperspace Button: Press to randomly teleport your spaceship to a new location (risky escape option)

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your space survival mission.

• Spaceship Navigation: Control your triangular spaceship using rotation and thrust to move through the asteroid field.

• Asteroid Destruction: Shoot large asteroids, which break into medium asteroids, which then break into small asteroids. All sizes must be destroyed to clear the screen.

• Flying Saucer Combat: Destroy flying saucers that appear periodically. Small saucers are more accurate but worth more points than large saucers.

• Physics Movement: Master the momentum and inertia physics - your spaceship continues moving even when not thrusting, requiring skillful navigation.

• Screen Wrapping: Objects that move off one side of the screen reappear on the opposite side, which can be used strategically.

• Lives System: You start with multiple lives that are lost when your spaceship collides with asteroids or flying saucers, or when hit by saucer fire.

• Wave Progression: Clear all asteroids to advance to the next wave with increased difficulty and more numerous objects.

• Score System: Earn points for destroying objects, with higher values for smaller asteroids and flying saucers. Bonus ships are awarded at specific score thresholds.