Asteroids
Asteroids is a PlayStation shooter game released in 1998 developed by Syrox Developments. It centers on aiming, shooting, and weapon use, combat encounters, and aiming and shooting, with controls and information arranged around the directional pad, shoulder and face buttons, plus DualShock twin analog sticks and vibration where supported.
- AI score · out of 10
- 7.3 / 10
About this game
Asteroids is a PlayStation shooter game centered on aiming, shooting, and weapon use, combat encounters, and aiming and shooting. Missions pace progress through enemy waves, routes, objectives, and weapon opportunities, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Aiming feedback, projectiles, hits, and danger zones need to remain readable, while early 3D graphics, pre-rendered backgrounds, CD audio, and full-motion video need to preserve targets and interface readability on a television. The genre-specific limitation is that camera turning, aiming methods, dense encounters, and peripheral support can increase control pressure. Platform conditions also include disc loading, Memory Card saves, regional video standards, digital or analog control support, vibration, and dedicated peripherals affect original-hardware use. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
Collected in series
Asteroids is Atari’s space-shooting series about keeping a drifting ship alive among rocks and hostile saucers. Rotate, thrust and fire while watching every direction: breaking a large asteroid apart leaves smaller hazards moving through the same space.
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PlayStation
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
A lively PlayStation revival of the rock-shooting classic, with repetition beneath its new spectacle.
Syrox's 1998 PlayStation Asteroids preserves the essential arcade problem: rotate and thrust a small ship, split large rocks into smaller threats, and survive a wraparound field long enough to clear it. That immediate mix of reflex and positioning still works. New asteroid behaviors, alien craft, environmental pulls and varied weapon pickups give the familiar loop more decisions than a straightforward visual port. Local two-player play and the pursuit of high scores also make it easy to return for short sessions. Polygonal rocks, particle bursts and fuller audio give collisions a satisfying physicality while retaining recognizable arcade cues. However, much of the lengthy stage sequence still asks the player to clear similar screens. Campaign briefings and cinematics contribute little to that purpose and can interrupt the brisk rhythm. The characteristic rotation-and-thrust inertia is part of the challenge, but new players will need time to control movement accurately. As a focused classic revival it succeeds; as a long campaign shooter it offers less sustained variety. This score concerns the 1998 PlayStation remake, not Atari's 1979 arcade original or a later compilation version.
Strengths
- The classic reflex-and-positioning loop still satisfies.
- New hazards and weapons broaden tactical choices.
- Effects and local two-player play improve short-session appeal.
Weaknesses
- Many stages repeat the same clearing objective.
- Briefings and cutscenes disrupt arcade flow.
- Inertia-based movement takes practice.
Who it is for: Retro arcade-shooter fans chasing scores or sharing short local sessions.
Play notes: Evaluated as the 1998 PlayStation remake, not the original arcade release.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Many stages and score chasing add longevity, yet repeated clearing and cutscenes dull the pace. | Reviewed | 6.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension The immediate rotation-and-shooting loop survives, enriched by useful new hazards and weapons. | Reviewed | 7.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Polygonal rocks, effects and familiar arcade sound give the simple premise more spectacle. | Reviewed | 7.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Readable fixed-field play and local co-op help, though inertia takes practice and online play is absent. | Reviewed | 7.2 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Syrox Developments
- Release date
- 1998
- Platforms
- PlayStation
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Shooter · Primary genre
- Tags
- Solo-friendlyThird PersonLinear LevelsMain Story Under 10 HoursFast-pacedShootingReplayableScience FictionPlayer versus Environment3D GraphicsReal-time CombatDodge
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- Top-down
Release editions
- PlayStationWorldwide1998
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided