Developer: Adamvision Studios, SneakyBox
Publisher: Atari
Platform: PC, Switch, PS5, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: Switch
Asteroids: Recharged – Review
Asteroids was one of the games that came out during the golden age of arcade gaming. Its simple yet addictive gameplay made it a title that was played for many hours, often in an attempt to beat the high score and have your name shown as the best player. The gameplay is quite simple, as you just shoot asteroids, which then split up into smaller ones, while dodging other UFOs that shoot at you. Maybe one of the biggest mind-blowing features of Asteroids was that when you would leave the screen on one side, you would pop up on the other side. This made the playing field really interesting and also meant that you could not just hide in a corner to cheese the game. Now, decades later, Asteroids is back in a modernized setting, but with the same classic gameplay that all of us loved. In Asteroids: Recharged you can either play the classic Arcade mode or try your hand in 30 challenging missions.
Story
Asteroids: Recharged stays true to its arcade roots and therefore comes without a story. You just boot up the game and select the arcade or challenges mode. You control a spaceship and must dodge and destroy incoming asteroids and UFOs.
Graphics
The game has received a modern makeover but keeps many aspects from its original release. The visuals still remind you of the classic arcade cabinets with the draw lines in the background, but everything happening in the foreground is very detailed and looks sharp. There isn’t all that much to say about the graphics, there are just two UFO types and the asteroids only differ in design when they appear in different sizes.
Sound
A few upgrades were done to the sound library of Asteroids: Recharged. Those who remember the classic version will know how fun and simple the sound effects were. These effects have received an HD treatment, and a few new SFX have been added, as there are some new power-ups to play with. One place where the game received a huge upgrade was the music. The classic arcade title did not really have a song playing, but now we are treated with a variety of different music tracks that fit perfectly for this revamped version of Asteroids.
Gameplay
Asteroids: Recharged is an arcade game where you must destroy asteroids and UFOs and aim for a high score. The game has two modes: classic arcade, and challenges. In the arcade mode, you’ll be playing with your spaceship in the empty void of space, and your only goal is to survive, so you can land the highest score possible. When playing the challenges, you are put in a certain scenario where you must complete the objective. For example, you may have to destroy 100 asteroids or survive for 60 seconds. Both modes will keep you occupied for a while but will eventually boil down to the same thing, over and over again.
Playing the game is pretty simple; you need to shoot asteroids to destroy them. Larger asteroids are split into two smaller ones, and they keep on splitting up until they are completely destroyed. This simple yet intuitive gameplay mechanic made the game a hit during the arcade era, as the game gradually gets harder as you destroy more and more asteroids. You’ll have to decide if you want to destroy many larger rocks or pick them off one at a time. Not only will you have to dodge the asteroids, but other UFOs will attack you as well. There are two kinds of UFOs: those who shoot, and those who give you a power-up when you destroy them. These power-ups can range from the rapid shot and spread shot to shielding, causing big explosions, and much more.
The game is great if you are looking for some cheap and fast fun, but don’t expect a meaty title, content-wise. Maybe if you are an achievement hunter and you want to get all the achievements that the game has, then you might have some good old-fashioned fun in store for you. But, even then, we imagine you’ll be done with the game fairly quickly as well.
Conclusion
Asteroids: Recharged is a fun little title, but unless you are building an arcade collection, or just want to relive some memories, it just lacks content to be a really great game. The arcade mode is always the same, which isn’t bad altogether, but with only 30 challenges, you can get through the game’s content rather quickly. It might be a good title to have with you on the go, but it isn’t one that you will be playing for hours on end. Overall, it’s a fun reimagining of a true arcade classic, but as a whole, it doesn’t bring that much new content to the table.
Asteroids: Recharged – Review,
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