Asteroids Deluxe fixes Asteroid's problems.
As I began Asteroids Deluxe, I was honestly expecting it to suck, just like asteroids. I was mistaken, because Asteroids Deluxe is actually worth your quarter. The reason it's so much better is because it fixes all the problems of the original Asteroids.
First off, the graphics are great. There is an actual space like background, with asteroids on it and all. Next up, your ship has some actual details, and so do the aliens. However, the asteroids themselves look the same.
The game play has been given a huge makeover, for the better. First off, YOU CAN MOVE YOUR SHIP! And in any direction too. You turn your ship, and then use the accelerate button to go straight ahead. This gives you an actual chance against aliens. Alien ships now maneuver a bit, but they can no longer shoot through asteroids, which is a HUGE help.
But of course, there's always got to be SOMETHING annoying in any game. Now, there are hexagons with tons of triangles in them. If shot, they will explode into 3 HOMING diamonds, which are just about impossible to take out before they get you. If you do manage to take out the diamonds, they will split into two more (for a total of 6) triangles, which are also homing and much harder to hit. Unfortunately, these shapes must be destroyed before moving on. Your best chance is just to hit the accelerator and open fire. Sometimes, you're trying not to hit the hexagon, but an alien will shoot at you and miss, hitting it for you. These are by far the most annoying things in any Atari arcade game.
Overall, Asteroids Deluxe is a pretty awesome game, and actually worth your quarter. It made some great improvements over the original, and now has some actual entertainment value. Thanks for reading!