Asteroid Miner - Atari 2600

TIME TO MINE!

Your ship arrived at a field of Asteroids, but these are not just a barren pile of rocks. They contain the rare volatile element: Nihonium-286, the key to Cold-Fusion. And thus, it is priceless.

You’ve been hired to collect enough of this stuff to power the ship back home and pay off the Boss. Do it well and become rich beyond your wildest dreams...maybe even afford your own ship someday.

...As long as you survive the grueling task. Your spacesuit is an amazing technological marvel, but even it cannot protect you against the strong radiation forever. And make sure to get back to the ship before your oxygen runs out.

You have a vast field to cover. You can jump from rock to rock and drift... OR use your grappling hook to pull you to the Asteroid. When you find Nihonium, pull out your hammer and start collecting...but watch out for dangerous space debris, meteors, unstable surfaces and pirates!

Are the rewards worth the risks? Only you can decide that...

Gameplay

There are five Asteroid fields. Each is three screens wide and three screens deep. You will need to mine each field twice before moving onto the next field.

For each field, the Boss will require his share. You must collect at least that amount and return to the ship's loading dock to remain employed.

Each field has different dangers and mineral deposits. As you progress through the game, there are more minerals to be mined, and unfortunately, increasing dangers.

Dodge the space junk that randomly flies by.

Beware the Robotic Pirate that comes to steal portions of each deposit.

The Environment

Your footsteps can disturb the Asteroid’s surface and release subterranean radioactive gas jets.

These minerals are so precious that they are often protected, sometimes by a man-made object, and at other times, by something very strange.

The blue status bar is your oxygen level. Don't run out. Sometimes there is a spare Oxygen canister you can collect.

The green status bar is the Radiation Meter. It beats back and forth. The faster it beats, the more radiation you've sustained. Do not linger around this dangerous stuff. Once it starts flashing, time is running out.

It’s game over if you are not back to the ship by the time your Oxygen runs out or your suit is irradiated.

Asteroid Miner Poster

Included with Asteroid Miner is a 14" x 10" poster, featuring a unique version of William Thorup's artwork that graces the box, manual, and labels!

Screenshots

Couch Compliant

Asteroid Miner is a Couch Compliant game.  What does that mean?  A Couch Compliant game allows you to choose game options and start the game using the controller, meaning you don't have to interact with any switches on the console to do so. When your game is over, you can then return back to the title screen (if applicable) and start a new game without having to touch the console.  You can view all Couch Complaint games here.

Additional Information

Included with Asteroid Merin is the game cartridge, full color, 12-page manual, professionally printed box, and a poster featuring a unique version of the game's cover artwork created by William Thorup.