Asteroids is a classic arcade space shooter video game released for the Atari 2600 in 1981. Players control a spaceship in an asteroid field, which is periodically traversed by flying saucers. The object of the game is to shoot and destroy the asteroids and saucers while avoiding collisions with both, as well as the saucers' counter-fire. The game is notable for its simple yet addictive gameplay, vector-based graphics, and challenging levels. Its success solidified it as one of the greatest classic video games, pioneering the shoot 'em up genre.