Drift

Arcade · plays in your browser, no download

Where it comes from

Asteroids, 1979, and the reason a generation learned what inertia means. Thrust is not a steering wheel: the ship keeps whatever speed you gave it, and the only way to stop is to turn round and push the other way. We left that exactly as it was, because it is the game.

How to play

Hold the turn buttons to rotate, the triangle to thrust, the big red one to fire.
Everything wraps around. Fly off one edge and you come back in on the other — ship, rocks and shots alike.

What makes this one different

A rock you hit does not vanish, it splits in two smaller and faster ones, so each big rock is seven targets and the last ones are the hard part. The ship keeps its speed: thrust is not a steering wheel, and everything wraps around — ship, rocks and shots alike.

Hit one and you lose a life, then come back in the middle flashing, and for a moment nothing can touch you. There is a little drag on the ship, because without it the thing would be unflyable after thirty seconds. Three stars is seven rocks, which is forty-nine targets, and faster.

▶ Play Drift