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Hi Res Adventure #0: Mission Asteroid

Last updated: March 27, 2026

Overview

Hi Res Adventure #0: Mission Asteroid is a graphic adventure game that was part of Sierra On-Line’s pioneering Hi-Res Adventure series1. Originally released in 1980 for the Apple II, the game was designed by Ken and Roberta Williams and represented one of the earliest graphic adventure games for home computers23. Despite being numbered as “#0,” Mission Asteroid was actually the third Hi-Res Adventure released by Sierra, following Mystery House (#1) and The Wizard and the Princess (#2)4.

The retroactive numbering decision was deliberate: Sierra assigned it the zero designation because it was intended as an easier introductory game aimed at younger players and newcomers to the adventure gaming genre4. As the Gaming After 40 blog explained, “Mission Asteroid was published after #1: Mystery House, and #2, The Wizard and the Princess, but as it was intended as an easier game aimed at younger players, Sierra retro-assigned it to number zero”4.

The Hi-Res Adventures series represented a significant evolution from pure text adventure games by incorporating static graphics to enhance the gaming experience5. The game utilized the Apple II’s color palette to demonstrate each scene and featured Sierra’s early text parser system for player input67. While the visuals were described as “crude, static, monochrome line drawings”8, they marked an important step in the evolution from text-only adventures to the fully graphical games that would define Sierra’s later success.

Story Summary

In Mission Asteroid, the player takes on the role of an astronaut who receives a critical mission from Mission Control1011. The core objective is dramatic: “send a rocket up to an asteroid and blow it up before it reaches Earth”10. A large asteroid is on a collision course with our planet, and only the player can prevent catastrophic damage by intercepting and destroying it before impact.

The game’s science fiction premise was designed to be accessible to younger players while still providing the challenge of an adventure game puzzle structure4. The short, focused narrative allowed new players to experience the satisfaction of completing an adventure game without the extensive time commitment required by longer titles in the series.

However, one reviewer noted a scientific inaccuracy in the game’s premise, pointing out that “blowing up an asteroid doesn’t make the matter disappear. It just breaks it into smaller pieces and starts them moving away from each other”12. Despite this logical flaw, the game captured the excitement of space exploration and heroic intervention that appealed to players of the early 1980s.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Mission Asteroid utilized Sierra’s Hi-Res Adventure graphics engine, which combined static, monochrome line drawings with a text-based command parser8. Players interact with the game by typing text commands using the keyboard, following the traditional adventure game format of verb-noun combinations58. The game featured crude but functional graphics that made full use of the Apple II’s color capabilities to enhance the visual presentation of each scene6.

The text parser was a defining characteristic of the Hi-Res Adventure series. Players could enter one- or two-word commands to interact with the game world, examining objects, picking up items, and navigating between locations1. This interface would evolve significantly in Sierra’s later games, but Mission Asteroid represents an important early iteration of the company’s approach to adventure game design.

Structure and Progression

The game is designed as a single-player experience with fixed screen presentation7. Players must navigate through various locations and solve puzzles to ultimately complete their mission of destroying the incoming asteroid10. The game was intentionally designed as a very short experience, allowing new players to complete it without the frustration of getting stuck for extended periods.

The structure follows a linear progression: players receive their mission, prepare for the space journey, launch their rocket, and ultimately intercept the asteroid. Each step requires solving simple puzzles and making the correct choices to advance the narrative.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Mission Asteroid features adventure game puzzles focused on the central mission of launching a rocket to destroy an asteroid10. The game was specifically designed to be simpler than other entries in the Hi-Res Adventure series, making it more accessible to younger players and newcomers to the adventure game genre4. The puzzles typically involved finding and using objects in the correct sequence, a design philosophy that Sierra would refine in subsequent releases.

The game included a save system that supported up to 15 save slots, though it required a separate save disk for storage8. This feature was valuable for players who wanted to experiment with different approaches without losing progress—a consideration that showed Sierra’s early attention to player convenience.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Mission Asteroid was released during the formative years of the adventure game genre, before formal review scoring systems became standardized. The game was recognized primarily as an introductory title designed to bring new players into the adventure gaming fold rather than as a landmark release in its own right.

Modern Assessment

PublicationScoreNotes
MobyGames7.4/10User rating highlighting color graphics6
MobyGames7.1/10Alternative user rating12
MyAbandonware4/5Modern preservation site rating8
Glitchwave1.75/5.0Lower contemporary assessment13

Modern retrospective reviews have been mixed, with the game receiving recognition primarily for its historical significance rather than its gameplay merits13. The game is acknowledged as an important early example of graphic adventure gaming, representing Sierra’s transition from pure text adventures to the graphical adventures that would later make the company famous2.

The disparity between ratings reflects different perspectives on how to evaluate vintage games. Those who appreciate historical context tend to rate Mission Asteroid more favorably, while those applying modern standards find its simplicity and brevity limiting.

Development

Origins

Mission Asteroid emerged from Ken and Roberta Williams’ efforts to enhance traditional text adventure games with graphics2. The game was inspired by existing text adventure games but was designed specifically to demonstrate the potential of combining visual elements with interactive fiction14. As one of Sierra’s earliest graphic adventure games, it was developed before the company became famous for their King’s Quest series5.

The decision to create an entry-level adventure game reflected Ken and Roberta’s understanding that the genre could be intimidating to newcomers. By creating a shorter, simpler experience, they hoped to expand the audience for adventure games beyond the dedicated hobbyists who had embraced earlier titles.

Production

The game was developed by Ken Williams, who created the early graphics using a graphics tablet14. Roberta Williams contributed to the design, continuing her role in pioneering graphic adventure games5. The development process was necessarily constrained by the limited memory and processing power of early personal computers, requiring creative solutions to present graphical content alongside gameplay.

The Atari 8-bit version was later ported by Yosemite Software Products, Inc., expanding the game’s platform availability8. Additional ports to Japanese computers (FM-7, PC-88, PC-98) were published by StarCraft, Inc., demonstrating the game’s appeal to international markets9.

Technical Achievements

Mission Asteroid was one of the earliest Sierra games to feature color graphics, utilizing the Hi-Res Adventure series text parser and graphics engine5. The game demonstrated Sierra’s early technical capabilities in combining static graphics with interactive gameplay, though the visuals were necessarily primitive by later standards.

The game was distributed on 5.25” floppy disks and had relatively small file sizes ranging from 54-88 KB depending on the platform7:

PlatformFile Size
Apple II54 KB
Commodore 6456 KB
PC-8869 KB
Atari 8-bit88 KB

These modest storage requirements allowed the game to run on the limited hardware of the era while still delivering a complete adventure gaming experience.

Legacy

Place in Sierra History

Mission Asteroid holds historical significance as part of the seven graphic adventure games Sierra released before their landmark King’s Quest series515. These early Hi-Res Adventures established many of the conventions that Sierra would refine in their later work, including the combination of graphics with text parser input and the focus on puzzle-solving within a narrative framework.

The game was included in the 1997 Roberta Williams Anthology, cementing its place in Sierra’s historical catalog5. This compilation recognized the game’s importance in the company’s history and allowed new generations of players to experience Sierra’s earliest work.

Genre Evolution

While Mission Asteroid retired early from Sierra’s active catalog, it represents an important step in the evolution of graphic adventure gaming and Sierra’s development as a major adventure game publisher514. The lessons learned from creating accessible entry-level games influenced Sierra’s later approach to game design, including the difficulty scaling options that would appear in later titles.

Preservation

The game continues to be documented across gaming databases1617 and preservation archives18, ensuring its place in adventure gaming history is maintained for future generations. Abandonware sites and emulation communities have made the game accessible to modern players interested in experiencing the earliest days of graphical adventure gaming.

Alternative Versions

Historical records indicate the game was released in multiple versions, including a “White Folder Release” and “Black Box Release”12. The game was also known by alternative titles in different regions, including “Hi-Res Adventure #0: Mission: Asteroid” and “Mission: Asteroide”12.

Technical Specifications

SpecificationDetails
GenreAdventure, Interactive Fiction7
SettingSci-Fi / Futuristic7
PerspectiveText-based with Fixed/Flip-screen graphics7
InputKeyboard (text commands)8
Save Slots158
Media5.25” Floppy Disk8
Business ModelCommercial7
PlayersSingle-player7

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

  • Currently not available on major digital distribution platforms
  • GOG Dreamlist - Community Dreamlist

Download / Preservation

See Also

References

Footnotes

  1. Sierra Fandom Wiki – Hi-Res Adventure series information ↩ ↩2

  2. Old Games Download – Development and platform details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. Wikipedia – Historical context and early graphic adventure games ↩

  4. Gaming After 40 Blog – Game numbering and target audience explanation ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. Sierra Fandom Wiki – Roberta Williams design credit and series context ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  6. MobyGames – Graphics description and user rating ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. Pixelated Arcade – Technical specifications and platform details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  8. MyAbandonware – Technical specifications and save system details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  9. MobyGames Releases – Publisher and platform information ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  10. Lutris – Game plot description ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  11. Retro Game Strove – Mission Control and asteroid plot ↩

  12. MobyGames – Carl Muckenhoupt review and scientific critique ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  13. Glitchwave – Modern assessment and rating ↩ ↩2

  14. SierraGamers – Development details and graphics tablet information ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  15. Wikipedia – Sierra Entertainment history and adventure game development ↩

  16. Giant Bomb – Game database entry ↩

  17. IGDB – Game database entry ↩

  18. Archive.org – Sierra On-Line catalog preservation ↩

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