A Classic Remake in Need of Improvement

Asteroid-ometry is an arcade shooter based heavily on the classic retro game "Asteroids." If you like Asteroids, you'll like this game. If you don't, then you probably won't like this one either. There are some new elements that add a fun twist to gameplay, and some frustrating components that detract from the fun. Time for the breakdown:

Graphics:
The graphics are like those of the classic game it's based on, with more varied shapes and an obsession with the color purple. The player's ship is a triangle and enemies are different polygons and circles. There's really not much else to it besides lines and of course the bullets. They're not "bad," but there certainly isn't anything special about them.
*** 3/6

Sound:
There is a background track that seems fitting, until you've heard the 10 second loop over and over. It sounds very space-age and eighties arcade at the same time, but it way too repetitive for gaming today. It's easy to find someone to compose an original track (you can even ask me!), and I wish this had made more of an effort.
** 2/6

Gameplay:
The gameplay is similar to Asteroids. The player must shoot different shapes that rush towards them, in an attempt to keep the clock going. This adds a nice twist to the original, making enemy distraction add time to the stop clock and collisions reduce time. The more sides the shape of the enemy has, the greater the time reward by destroying it. I found though that the time decreased fairly rapidly even on easy mode, and getting far in the game proved to be quite a challenge. I suggest making it a bit easier for those non-seasoned Asteroid players. I'm not a huge Asteroids fan though, so I soon became bored with my repeated death.
*** 3/6

Story:
There's no story. I guess a game like this doesn't need a story, but maybe it could add another twist to the classic game.
* 1/6

Interface:
Oh god, this was a problem when I started. I opened the game to a black screen with a purples menu, and didn't know what to do! I couldn't select the options with the keyboard, even though arrow keys moved my selection. Eventually I discovered that just clicking the mouse selected (rather odd when combined with arrow keys and without a cursor). The controls themselves were a bit difficult to use, but I guess that's the way it is in the original game. Still, I found myself frequently frustrated in my moving ability during play. Maybe it's just me, but I can only assume others may feel the same.
** 2/6

Overall:
This game is somewhat fun once you get passed the confusing interface and controls. While not a huge fan of Asteroids, I still appreciate the retro arcade feel of the game. There are things that need to be worked on though. The game should be expanded with maybe a story or various game modes, and the difficulty should be reduced in easy mode. If this game is worked on, it can be a really solid title. As it stand though it needs improvement. I wish you luck!
** 2/6


If you liked this, try:
-Grid Defender 2