Astrosmash is a fixed shooter video game for the Intellivision console, designed by John Sohl, and released by Mattel Electronics in 1981. The player uses a laser cannon to destroy falling meteors, bombs, and other targets. With more than one million copies sold, Astrosmash is among the top five best selling Intellivision games. A free by mail offer, with the purchase of the console, boosted Astrosmash sales. It was also promoted in the United States and Canada via a high score contest where top scorers were flown to Houston for the finals. An Atari 2600 port was released under Mattel's M Network label as Astroblast. Plot The Intellivision game catalog features the exciting caption, "Spin. Blast. And drop into hyperspace to avoid a killer asteroid shower. Power on. Attack computer engaged. Fire a quick burst at the alien antagonists. Got 'em!" The actual package gives a more specific description: "You're in command of a battery of laser guns. You have unlimited ammo and a lot of targets! You can roll up big scores by hitting a spectacular barrage of falling rocks, bombs, guided missiles and attacking UFOs..." Gameplay Astrosmash resembles a cross between Space Invaders and Asteroids. The player controls a laser cannon that can scroll left or right along a flat plane in order to target falling objects, such as large or small meteors, large or small spinning bombs, and guided missiles, as well as a UFO that crosses the screen from time to time at higher levels. Low hills and stars are seen in the background. There are four types of targets, each of which may move at a range of speeds. As the game advances, the range of speeds for each type of target increases. The bulk of the targets are meteors, which come in two sizes and various colors. Both sizes fall vertically when entering the screen. Large meteors may be destroyed with a direct hit, or may split into two smaller meteors, which fall diagonally in opposite directions. Small meteors are destroyed with a single hit. The player must also shoot spinning bombs, or spinners, which are white, come in two sizes, and spin while falling vertically. Each spinner emits a loud whistling sound, which gradually lowers in pitch as it approaches the ground. Guided missiles appear occasionally as white dots making a pulsing sound, and may fall diagonally toward the player's initial location, or