Play Asteroids Online

Versions

Game Info

Cover art of Asteroids
Platform
Atari 5200
Genres
Shooter
Developers
Atari
Release Status
Prototype

Summary

Asteroids on the Atari 5200 feels like a hidden gem that never saw the light of day. The prototype, cataloged as CX5201, was clearly meant to be a launch title, even a dedicated controller was sketched out before the project was shelved. Gameplay mirrors the 8‑bit version: you thrust away from incoming rocks, raise shields, flip the ship to fire at foes behind you, and gamble on a hyperspace jump when things get tight. Unfortunately the 5200 joystick makes the controls feel clumsy, a flaw that the unreleased official pad might have solved. Today the homebrew port stands as the only way to experience this unreleased slice of Atari history.

Storyline

In Asteroids for the Atari 5200, you find yourself stranded in the void between the planet Ortanus and Earth. A dense field of massive asteroids closes in, and before you can clear a path, alien saucers launch a surprise attack. You seize the controls, blasting rocks and UFOs alike, fighting to keep your ship from being crushed. The mission is a frantic scramble for survival in deep space.

Edited by Maya Carter

Game Screenshots

  • Screenshot 1 of Asteroids
  • Screenshot 2 of Asteroids
  • Screenshot 3 of Asteroids
  • Screenshot 4 of Asteroids
  • Screenshot 5 of Asteroids