Asteroids

CONTROLS: - Desktop: - WASD or Arrow Keys: Move and rotate your spaceship - W/↑: Thrust forward in the direction your ship is facing - S/↓: Thrust backward - A/←: Rotate ship counterclockwise - D/→: Rotate ship clockwise - Spacebar: Shoot bullets - P: Pause/Unpause the game - Mobile/Tablet: Use on-screen buttons for movement and shooting BASIC MECHANICS: 1. Starting the Game: Click "Start Game" from the main menu. You begin with 3 lives, 100 health, and are placed in the center of the screen with 4 asteroids randomly positioned around you. 2. Movement and Physics: - Your ship uses physics-based movement with momentum - Press W or Up Arrow to apply thrust in the direction your ship is pointing - Hold the thrust key to accelerate, release to maintain momentum - Friction gradually slows your ship down when not thrusting - Use A/D or Left/Right arrows to rotate your ship before thrusting - The ship can move in any direction based on its rotation angle 3. Shooting: - Press Spacebar to fire bullets in the direction your ship is facing - Bullets travel at a fixed speed and disappear after a certain distance - Each shot consumes one bullet; you can fire continuously - Bullets wrap around screen edges just like your ship 4. Asteroids: - Large asteroids break into 2 medium asteroids when destroyed - Medium asteroids break into 2 small asteroids when destroyed - Small asteroids are destroyed completely - Each asteroid requires multiple hits to destroy (larger = more health) - Destroying asteroids awards points: Size × 10 points - Asteroids move and rotate at varying speeds 5. Screen Wrapping: - When your ship exits one edge of the screen, it appears on the opposite edge - This applies to bullets and asteroids as well - Use this mechanic to escape dangerous situations or approach from unexpected angles 6. Health and Lives System: - You have 100 health points displayed as a health bar - Colliding with an asteroid reduces health by 20 points - When health reaches 0, you lose one life and health resets to 100 - You start with 3 lives; game over when all lives are lost - After taking damage, you become temporarily invulnerable (brief flash effect) 7. Power-ups: - Destroyed asteroids have a 15% chance to drop power-ups - Collect power-ups by flying into them - Power-up types: * Health: Restores 30 health points (max 100) * Multishot: Fires multiple bullets in a spread pattern for 5 seconds * Shield: Makes you invulnerable to damage for 5 seconds * Rapid Fire: Increases your shooting rate for 5 seconds - Active power-ups are displayed in the top-right corner with remaining time 8. Level Progression: - Complete a level by destroying all asteroids on screen - Each new level increases: * Number of asteroids: 4 + (Level - 1) * Asteroid speed: +0.05 per level - Your score, lives, and health carry over between levels STRATEGIC TIPS: - Rotation Before Movement: Rotate your ship to face the desired direction before applying thrust. This gives you better control over your trajectory. - Momentum Management: Understand that your ship has momentum. Plan your movements ahead of time, as it takes time to change direction. - Keep Moving: Staying still makes you an easy target. Constant movement makes it harder for asteroids to hit you. - Distance Shooting: Maintain distance from asteroids when shooting. Getting too close makes collision avoidance difficult. - Use Screen Wrapping: If you're cornered, thrust toward an edge to wrap around to the opposite side of the screen. - Target Small Asteroids First: In some situations, eliminating smaller, faster asteroids first can reduce danger, then focus on larger ones. - Power-up Priority: When multiple asteroids and power-ups are present, sometimes it's worth taking a slight risk to collect a health or shield power-up. - Asteroid Patterns: Observe asteroid movement patterns. Many asteroids move in predictable paths that you can exploit. - Corner Safety: Smaller asteroids often bounce around faster. Create space in corners where you can react to their movements. - Bullet Conservation: In rapid-fire mode, be strategic about when to use your increased fire rate rather than wasting it on single asteroids. ADVANCED TECHNIQUES: - Thrust Control: Learn to tap thrust rather than hold it for precise positioning. This gives you more control over speed and direction. - Rotation Positioning: Master rotating while moving to create curved flight paths, allowing you to orbit asteroids safely while shooting. - Bullet Timing: Time your shots so bullets arrive when asteroids are in optimal positions. Lead your targets based on their movement. - Split Management: When destroying large asteroids, be ready for the two medium asteroids that spawn. Position yourself to handle both immediately. - Power-up Chaining: When you have Multishot or Rapid Fire active, prioritize destroying as many asteroids as possible during the 5-second window. - Edge Fighting: Use screen edges strategically. You can wrap through an edge while asteroids following you will appear on the opposite side, giving you space. - Health Management: If you're at low health, consider being more cautious and prioritizing health power-ups over aggressive asteroid hunting. - Level Planning: Each level completion gives you a brief moment. Use this time to assess your position and prepare for the next wave. - Invulnerability Frames: After taking damage, use your brief invulnerability period to reposition safely or escape danger. - Asteroid Breaking Strategy: Sometimes it's better to leave large asteroids alone if breaking them would create too many small, fast-moving pieces in your immediate area. WINNING AND SCORING: - Score System: Points are awarded for destroying asteroids based on their size (Size × 10). Larger asteroids give more points but require more shots. - High Score: Your high score is saved in browser storage. Try to beat your previous best score. - Level Completion: Successfully clear all asteroids in a level to advance. Each level becomes progressively more challenging. - Survival Challenge: The goal is to survive as long as possible and achieve the highest score before losing all lives. Enjoy the classic arcade action of Asteroids, and see how many levels you can survive!