Meteors and Spinners and Homing Missiles, Oh My!
And So It Starts...
You command a white, pixelated spaceship that can move side to side along the bottom of the screen. Meteors of various sizes fall towards you, trying to destroy you. If a meteor hits the ground, you lose points. If you shoot at a meteor and destroy it, you gain points. As you progress through the levels, additional enemies will begin to fall, including "spinners" and missiles that home in on your ship.
Control
The disc moves you back and forth, and the side buttons are used for shooting. I like the hyperspace feature, which allows you to avoid certain death if you get backed into a corner. The rapid-fire option is a life saver, because carpal tunnel begins to set in after a few levels from pushing the fire button over and over.
Graphics and Sound
Astrosmash doesn't push the limits of the hardware, but it was one of the first
Intellivision games. Given the newness of the platform at the time, it is understandable.
Your ship is a glorified triangle, your bullets vertical lines. The fun of this game is the gameplay, not the way it looks. All "levels" are the same except the background color changes.
The sound is also quite repetitive, but the simple sound effects make your game all the more intense. Every shot from your ship sounds like the release of compressed air (like from a soda machine), combining with excellent explosion sounds when hitting a meteor. The slow descent sounds of the spinner enemies are sheer torture, making me want to shoot them immediately! The homing missiles are so fast that sometimes only their sound can tip you off that their attack is imminent.
Will This Gather Dust?
This is still an addictive game. Its' recent port to mobile phones is testimony to its lifespan and addiction factor. I still play it at least once a month, more than 20 years later.
Overall Recommendation:
Buy this if:
* You like Asteroids.
* You like Space Invaders or Space Armada.
* You played it when you were young. It's still as good.