HYPER METEOR Review

Originally released for the Playdate portable (complete with the littlest crank you ever did see), players will set out to survive by any means necessary with the release of Vertex Pop’s HYPER METEOR. Should players get to ramming, or is this twist on the Asteroids formula a little too far-fetched?

HYPER METEOR Review

Lost in space, this pixel adventure has one objective: survive. How do you do that? By ramming into anything and everything, of course!

Using either a mouse or gamepad, players are able to steer, thrust, and use screen-cleaning smart bombs to get ahead. In true arcade fashion, there are weak spots, bonus lives, and combo scores for players to set out and conquer. However, one must watch out for the dark spots, as those that mean certain death.

So how does it play? While it is ultimately a simple game with just a few options, the momentum of HYPER METEOR really sells this title. When you give it a bit of juice, players will then have to adjust the trajectory of their ship from there. There’s always the danger of oversteering or ending up topsy-turvy; quite the predicament when there’s plenty of threats on the screen and things loop over from one end to the other. While the Playdate might not have provided enough real-estate, its transition to the PC makes this our preferred way to play.

There’s no high-level play that will have tier lists or anything of the sort, but finding the ebb and the flow of each stage (which pop up every couple of minutes) can provide a zen-like feeling.

Well, when you’re not crashing into objects or foes, that is.

Those that succumb to death will be judged by their score, kills, max combo and time – typical arcade stuff. It doesn’t quite have the same draw as Asteroids – there’s just not enough variables in play. However, time will tell if it will catch on in the long run.

HYPER METEOR also gives players the chance to customize their experience with the “High Contrast,” “Athletic,” and “Cranky” filters. While it is the default option, we highly recommend the green hues of the Athletic theme, though we do appreciate the option. There’s not too much else to adjust, unfortunately – what you see is what you get.

To keep players going in HYPER METEOR, there are 50 achievements, an Endless Mode that players can come back to, and some unlockables. For a game of this scale, it is nice that there is a reason to come back.

HYPER METEOR’s momentum-based gameplay channels the finer points of Asteroids in what amounts to a unique take on the formula. It’s a bit simple at its core, but it has the underpinnings of being a cult arcade classic.

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