Asteroids is a space shooter that Atari, Inc. released in arcades in November 1979. It was designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, who also programmed it. The vector-graphics hardware was designed by Wendi Allen (then Howard Delman) and first used for Lunar Lander; because the board had no sound chip, Allen built a circuit for 13 sound effects.
In Japan, Taito and Sega released the game in January 1980, but it was a commercial failure there. At home, the Atari 2600 port of August 1981 sold over three million copies and was the first 2600 game to use bank switching. The sequel Asteroids Deluxe (1981) added a shield instead of hyperspace, rotating asteroids and killer satellites.
The game has stayed in print through compilations such as Atari Anthology (2003) and Atari 50 (2022), and it was remade as Asteroids: Recharged in December 2021. John McAllister set a Twin Galaxies record of 41,838,740 points on 5 April 2010 during a 58-hour livestream.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Asteroids | Arcade | November 1979 | Atari, Inc. | 1 |
| NA | AsteroidsAtari 2600; sold over three million copies. | Other | August 1981 | Atari, Inc. | 1 |
| NA | AsteroidsAtari 8-bit computers. | Other | 1981 | Atari, Inc. | 1 |
| NA | AsteroidsAtari 7800, adds cooperative play. | Other | May 1986 | Atari Corporation | 1 |
| NA | AsteroidsDeveloped by The Code Monkeys; re-released by Nintendo in 1995 in Arcade Classic. | Game Boy | September 1992 | Accolade | 1 |
| NA | AsteroidsEnhanced remake by Syrox with 3D models, also on Windows; Game Boy Color 1999, Mac OS 2000. | PlayStation | 1998 | Activision | 1 |
| JP | AsteroidsReleased in Japan by Taito and Sega. | Arcade | January 1980 | Taito / Sega | 1 |
| WW | AsteroidsXbox Live Arcade, with HD graphics and a throttle monkey mode. | Xbox 360 | November 2007 | — | 1 |
| WW | Atari 50: The Anniversary CelebrationCompilation including Asteroids; also on consoles. | Windows | Nov 11, 2022 | Atari | 2 |
Also known as: アステロイド JP3Asuteroido JP3
Box art by region
NA Asteroids
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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GameplayAtari 7800
The 1986 Atari 7800 version adds cooperative play.1
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GraphicsPlayStationWindowsGame Boy ColorMac (Activision)
Activision's 1998 enhanced version by Syrox replaces the vector graphics with 3D models.1
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Bug fixArcade
Because saucers could only aim at the ship on screen, players used a 'lurking' exploit; Atari answered with a patched EPROM.1
Where to play legally today
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Steam Purchase
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
Asteroids included in the compilation
Checked: 2026-10-132store.steampowered.com
Reception
Atari built 76,312 arcade units, including Asteroids Deluxe, at its US and Ireland plants, and the Atari 2600 port sold over three million copies, though the game was a commercial failure in Japan in 1980. Time included it in its 2012 All-Time 100 list, and it is in MoMA's collection.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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