When you first up Astro Miner, your first thought is, Okay, it's a sidescroller, but with a crispness and a level of graphic effects you don't see in, say, Flash games. And then you start to play a bit, and it doesn't take long before you say -- wait... What the hell was that power-up? I can do what? What is that monster and -- oh crap... I can fly now? I can use dynamite? Jesus there's a lot of stuff in this thing...
Fundamentally, it is a conventional sidescrolling platformer, but one for people weaned on Mario and Sonic; it's fast (and the need to grab oxygen to keep it from depleting keeps it so), it's not easy, and surprises are almost continuous. Nicely responsive controls (and joystick support) as well.
Quite generic in fact.
I didn't really feel like a lot of stuff was in this thing. I started playing, searched with which button to fire, which to use dynamite, and then, well, it was a jump and gun game, collect the gold nuggets, tfight the boss, go to the exit.
Nothing especially bad, but also nothing exciting nor original, and too easy.