If you don’t own a Playdate, you’ll still be able to experience one of its best games. Hyper Meteor is coming to Nintendo Switch and PC on July 27 with loads of new features.
Originally built for Panic’s quirky Playdate handheld, Hyper Meteor is a modern spin on Asteroids. It’s a bite-sized, arcade-style high score game where players blast meteors while piloting a ship. The twist, of course, was that the ship was controlled by the Playdate’s unique crank, having players turn the ship 360 degrees by spinning it and then pressing a button to boost forward. It was a clear standout among Playdate’s first season of game releases and now it’ll be easily available to those who never bought one.
The new version of Hyper Meteor is naturally a bit more feature-filled, no longer working with the Playdate’s limitations. In addition to its standard endless mode, it’ll feature a survival-based Meteor Mode, a wave-based challenge, and a three-minute high score blitz.
The biggest addition is a two-player co-op mode, which wasn’t possible on the Playdate. In addition to that, the updated version features online leaderboards, a new soundtrack, 50 achievements, and 25 swappable color palettes to give its minimalist art style a little extra oomph. It’s a fairly substantial reimagining of a bite-sized minigame.
Though a Playdate game coming to other platforms is new, it’s not surprising considering the developer behind it. Vertex Pop has made a name for itself on Nintendo Switch since its launch, with indie standouts like Graceful Explosion Machine and Super Crush KO. If you’re a fan of either of those games, there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate Hyper Meteor too.
Hyper Meteor launches on Nintendo Switch and PC on July 27.
