From the moment you turn Asteroids on, those familiar sounds from days gone by will warm your soul. Activision combines beautiful cinematics, realistic backgrounds, and original sound effects from Activision classics to bring us a modern version of the game that kept us all glued to our TVs and Ataris way back when.

Well, they had to do it. Bring back the most addictive game ever made. And this version is just as addictive as classic Asteroids. Plus, as an added bonus, classic Asteroids is locked somewhere in the game. To be honest, once I unlocked it, I played the old-school version as much as I did the new version. Nostalgia, you know. The new version plays almost exactly like the original, only with many more weapon choices, enemies, and new and improved asteroids. There are five zones, each with 15 levels to play. Each zone has a specific mission and particular enemies to destroy, such as crystal asteroids that regenerate themselves. Yikes. You’ll also find obstacles like solar flares and black holes to avoid, so be careful. This is not your father’s Asteroids!

There are difficulty settings in the Options menu, but all the obstacles, asteroids, and enemies make this game a bit tricky on any setting. As I said earlier, there are plenty of levels for you to practice on, unless of course, you’re already an ole’ Asteroids pro. Once you get the hang of flying your craft, the game’s a blast.

The control is exactly the same as classic Asteroids, only with much upgraded weapons. It is Dual Shock and Analog compatible, but only with Sony controllers. No 3rd party stuff. You can save your progress to a memory card, but it only saves your current zone, not the level within it. Kind of a bummer, but it does extend gameplay. I recommend Asteroids for the nostalgia, and also because every decade should have a game that keeps us up all night.