Computer games come and go, but some, it would appear, were meant to stick around; Atari's Asteroids is a game that fits the "classic" moniker very well indeed.

And now Atari's 1979 best seller, has been reinvented for the iPhone with the new name of Asteroids Gunner; developed by Atari itself the game brings a whole new set of powerups and abilities as well as multiple ships to use in your attempts to destroy all that come into your vicinity.

Asteroids Gunner

Format

iOS

Price

Free

Where

iTunes

A Classy title if ever there was one Asteroids Gunner sees you take control of a ship in order to blast your way through multiple levels filled with Asteroids. Using the two virtual joysticks which are accurate and responsive, you can manoeuvre your craft whilst controlling the direction of your fire.

The pace of the game starts off at a fair old lick,, however it does give you time to get used the controls and  you''ll be dodging and weaving and hammering away at those big chunks of rock in no time.And it's not just chunks of rock you'll be firing at as there are spaceships  flying around to boot.

There are three galaxies in total with numerous levels in each. You have a choice of three ships to take on the hoards, though two are initially locked. Other upgrades are also available to buy in-between levels through the collection of crystals during gameplay; there's also now the ever-present in-app purchases which enables you to buy better upgrades than with just the crystals.

Powerups during the game are plentiful with the likes of the Super Shield, Shockwave and Claymore all coming in handy. Though these are temporary, unlike the permanent crystal purchases.

The game stays true to the original format, with best results coming from carefully picking off a large asteroid and breaking it down until you move onto the next big rock. Adverts don't seem to get in the way too much, although if they really bother you can pay your way out of it.

The biggest complaint is with the in-app spacebucks, which enables you to buy more than is available through skilful play; although this type of thing is now common within the App Store it's still very unwelcome, fortunately in this case it doesn't detract too much from what is an excellent addition to the Asteroid franchise.