Asteroids

At the end of the 1970s, »Asteroids« (1979) was one of the most successful computer games alongside »Space Invaders« (1978). It was the beginning of the golden era of arcade machines.

In »Asteroids«, players steer a spaceship through an asteroid field. The ship must avoid the asteroid and destroy it with the help of the cannon. The game is based on »Spacewar!« one of the first computer games created in 1962 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

»Asteroids« uses a so-called vector screen. This type of screen was used in the pioneering days of computer technology. A cathode ray draws points and lines directly onto the luminous layer of the screen.