Super Smash Asteroids

[h3]RANKING:[/h3] [table] [tr] [td] [h3][strike]AVOID | LACKING[/strike] | [b]MAYBE[/b] | [strike]WORTHWHILE | COMPELLING | UNMISSABLE [/strike] [/h3] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [h3]SYNOPSIS:[/h3] [table] [tr] [th][b]ASSESSMENT:[/b][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] Super Smash Asteroids (SSA) is a work-in-progress. A promising action roguelike built around a rotational form of Asteroids. It's retro style comes from well-defined pixel graphics and a genuinely nostalgic soundtrack. Gameplay already contains a fair amount of ships, weapons, power-ups and permanent upgrades. Runs tend to become bullet hell-like in nature, enemy wave generation needs more work, along with amping up and varying boss fights more. SSA already demonstrates some solid foundations that currently merits a [b]MAYBE[/b]. If it continues on its current trajectory, it is sure to rank higher. [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table] [tr] [td][b]STATUS:[/b][/td] [td]Just beyond the Alpha stage, it has plenty of features and already is a lot of fun. Will be in Early Access for 6+ mths. UPDATE: No progress to 2025. Could well be abandoned [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]APPEAL:[/b][/td] [td]For fans of top-down arcade games, who enjoy bullet hell gameplay and don't mind perma-death, nor the grind for perma-upgrades [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]VALUE:[/b][/td] [td]Already worth the nominal fee [/td] [/tr] [/table] [quote]Key provided by developer through [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url]. Follow us for more reviews like this one.[/quote] [i]More info below....[/i] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2973207818 [h3]KEY ATTRIBUTES:[/h3] [table] [tr] [td][b]THE GOOD:[/b] [/td] [td] [b]▲ [/b]Get to pilot 4x ships with their own playstyle and upgrade strategies [b]▲ [/b]Some enjoyable bullet-hell gameplay [b]▲ [/b]Grindy permanent upgrade system with 400 points to invest in across 20x ship stats [b]▲ [/b]Excellent 90s electro-synth soundtrack [b]▲ [/b]Nice retro style visuals that combine with the music to create a very pleasing nostalgic ambience [b]▲ [/b]Good number of varied power-ups providing extra weapons or increasing damage, durability and special abilities [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]THE BAD:[/b][/td] [td] [b]▼ [/b]Currently the game is very basic and incomplete, but enough to demonstrate its on solid foundations [b]▼ [/b]Enemy wave generation is practically identical from run to run [b]▼ [/b]There are a few bugs, some QoL issues and 1 CTD was experienced [b]▼ [/b]Generic gamepad does not automatically get picked up by Steam [b]▼ [/b]Ships need more visual prompts to give them the feeling of moving through space [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]AND THE REST:[/b][/td] [td] [b]↔ [/b]RNG can play a significant part in the power-ups presented on levelling up, but over time most of the better ones will become available [b]↔ [/b]Not enough bosses and these have limited distinctions in combat style [b]↔ [/b]Over a dozen roughly different enemy ships with different attack types and patterns [b]↔ [/b]Needs more weapon systems. Currently some projectiles, missiles, lasers and waveform rays [/td] [/tr] [/table] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2973250028 [h3]KEY OBSERVATIONS:[/h3] [b]< CONTENT >[/b] ► Its on the incomplete side given its current post alpha build. ► The Everlast permanent upgrade system is the only 'fully' implemented feature at the moment with 19x or so, stat-based upgrades for ships. ► Of the 4 out of 6 'unlockable' ships most have similar stats . Though ship special abilities are 'unique.' ► 70+ power-ups provide a wealth of upgrade options during early to mid-game. ► There aren't enough bosses, with only 4x to provide a taste. [b]< GAMEPLAY & MECHANICS >[/b] ► SSA offers solid rotational style Asteroid gameplay with a simple mix of skilful manoeuvring and targeting. This switches to blind manoeuvring and incessant firing as the run becomes a maelstrom of bullets. ► Attacks consist of projectiles, missiles and lasers attacking the different configurations, along with some kamikaze enemies. Provides good variety for the first few hours. ► The same can be said of ship spawns and enemy attack patterns from run to run. The longer a run, the more the experience begins to feel like previous ones. ► The problem seems rooted in the way power-ups are offered, despite RNG playing it's role in determining which ones are presented on levelling up. ► Luck plays a positive factor that proves useful by altering the chances of some power-ups triggering more frequently. [b]< ENEMIES & BOSSES >[/b] ► Enemy wave generation is varied from start to mid-game, but rises in volume and challenge through the first two boss fights. Settles into an established pattern, with few new enemies appearing post 45 mins. ► Current bosses are differentiated by rudimentary differences in weapons and attack strategies, but little else. They can feel one dimensional after a handful of playthroughs and are in need of some extra touches to make them stand out more. ► Boss spawns are periodic, but limited to the first 40 or so minutes running out of them thereafter. ► Given its early nature an idea to re-use defeated ones continuously or have them return with upgrades or allies would be one way to solve this. ► Boss fights can be tough early on depending on which permanent upgrades and/or power-ups the player has managed to obtain or invest in. ► Later on, the combination of power-ups can make fights trivial. At least on normal difficulty. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2972861314 [b]< UPGRADES >[/b] ► There are two forms of upgrades: stat based "Everlast" permanent ones and power-ups collected in the current session. ► The range of collectable power-ups is already very good, affecting ship's damage output, defensive capabilities speed or special ability efficiency. Some make them alternate behaviour like change firing pattern or become homing in nature. ► Gaining Everlast upgrades is grindy with rewards seeming paltry, but provides some much needed longevity. ► Once some of these stats are invested in, runs become longer and provide the chance to earn more gold. ► Investments in Everlast upgrades can only be selected outside of a run, but any gold invested into points can be reset for no cost. ► Resetting these doesn't give the option to remove single points or those allocated to one stats. Currently its all or nothing making this a chore. [b]< PERFORMANCE >[/b] ► CONTROLS - Keyboard and mouse are very good, but unfortunately my generic controller was not picked up by the game's systems and needed Steam tweaking to get working. ► Even then the responsiveness of controls was less than impressive. ► QoL - Missing refinements such as multiplier showing next to score, special ability count, only room for 4x9 power-up icons, crowded and indistinct drones, no directional indicators for off-screen collectables and no end of run stats. ► BUGS - A few minor ones were found. After around 1/2hr of a run, there is a minute where no enemy ships are generated. ► CRITICAL ISSUES - One crash was experienced and reported. Given the transient nature of runs, these need to be rubbed out before coming out of EA. ► STEAM SUPPORTS - Overlay screen captures and achievements. ► OPTIMIZATION - Fine until the 70mins mark then slight screen juddering begins. Likely due to the volume of projectiles and ships. [table][tr] [td]Click for:[/td] [td][h1][url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/TheIrregularGamer/discussions/0/3832044617121968432/]Full Review[/url][/h1][/td] [/tr][/table] [table] [tr] [td][b]REVIEWED WITH:[/b][/td] [td]Game Build v0.2 @ Normal difficulty INTEL i5 6600 3.3GHz, 8GB RAM, GTX970 @ 1GB 1920x1080 windowed, EVO850 SSD, Speedlink XEOX Pro Analog Gamepad [/td] [/tr] [/table] [quote=]Thank you for reading | Click to follow my curator[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40556040-The-Irregular-Gamer/] THE IRREGULAR GAMER[/url][/quote]

Wow, what a unique gameplay! rogue-like endless survival like Vampire Survivors, but it has so many new aspects and twists that it stands out gloriously! - In good space manner the ship has a shield, so that the core health doesn't get depleted when hit, but only the shield. So you can only take core damage when you're hit too much during a short time interval. No health potions anywhere, but shield buffs exist. This is an interesting new twist! - It gets super fast-paced and intense! Dodging bullets at a later time of the run requires not blinking! - Veeery good enemy design! Every enemy is unique in gameplay and how to deal with it. There are enemies, fast-coming-in, tracking-you-kamikaze-style, distance-sniper, top-down-predict-your-movement-beamers, and more. It's a pleasure to watch out for everything and conquer the challenge! - Unfortunately these good design elements get more irrelevant the longer you can survive. You get super powerful and shoot projectiles like a machinegun in all directions and don't need to (and can't) care for aiming. Meanwhile enemies spawn at such a high rate, that they manage to shoot their projectiles on you before they die. So later this game is pretty much only about seeing the enmies' red projectiles in a sea of clutter being your projectiles, enemies, the background and asteroids. - Bosses differ from your usual shmup with all the same bullet patterns. Here you have bosses firing unusual patterns predicting your movement, making angles movement-dependant in other ways and projectiles on circle trajectories which even change their rotation midway! This mixes you up pretty good! - Hilariously funny perk descriptions! I had some good laughs while reading them! This dev nailed my humor! lol :D - Suuuuuuper beautiful pixel animations and art style! Plus I very much like when pixel graphics use bloom effect. I dunno, there's something about this that looks super cool. - SLAPPIN' SOUNDTRACK! Oh yeah, I was nodding my head hard to the synthwave beat! SO RECOMMENDED, dude! GO for it, I say =D

Music * A+ _ Abit hard to play and do air guitar riffs at same time. But I like the challange. Game* Funny memes everywhere. Allthough Wood in the space might be an untested idea and could be a major breakthrough in reaching the limits of cosmos :D Game is slow at start wich gives you time to get the feel of how to move and stuff. after some +firerate +movement aso upgrades this gave is a nice challange. I mean a Real challange. * Item upgrades. Alot of cool options, combos, +luck. This is alot of fun. Very old school arcade feel with music and gameplay. Highly recommend people to give this a try.

This developer cares more about their game than any other I have played. I did a two hour sponsored stream and the .4 update has a majority of the feedback in it with more to come. Great arcade style game with a bright future. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1924248285

Well, while this game is not exceptional in any way it does give a bit of optimism that even simple things that we have done many times before can still be fun in their own way. It looks like this game was made by someone who has talent and potential for growth but still isn't very experienced. I applaud being able to release it and taking care of all aspects of the game (art, music, etc). It's unfortunate that the upgrades are not interesting or balanced, the gameplay is still rough around the edges, and things get repetitive quickly. It just doesn't hold up against the endless competition on Steam. Also, as of now the game is not being updated, so what you see is what you get it seems (shouldn't stop you from trying it).