Missile Command

• Release Date: 1980
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Fixed Screen Shooter

Game Description

Missile Command charges you with defending six cities from nuclear ICBMS. The player is given control of a targeting device that shows up as a little cross on the screen. At the bottom of the screen are three missile bases with ten Anti-ICBMs each. Also at the bottom of the screen are six cities placed between the missile bases which you must defend. The attacking missiles appear as lines with glowing dots at their ends. You must also fight off attacking jets and satellites which scroll across the screen and bombard the cities with additional missiles. In later levels, the dreaded "smart bomb," a diamond that is programmed to avoid the player's Anti ICBMs unless they target a direct hit, appears. Bonus cities are awarded at periodic intervals based on operator settings. Each new screen adds to the bonus multiplier for the game up to screen six at which point all points are "times six" for the rest of the game. Different screen background colors and missile colors add to the difficulty of targeting and destroying the incoming missiles and bombs. When any of your bases runs out of missiles or is destroyed, that base can no longer be used to defend the cities.

Review: Overall

Released during the cold war era, Missile Command involves protecting six cities and three artillery bases from a Soviet nuclear attack. As missiles rain from the skies, players use a trackball to maneuver a gun sight around the playfield while blasting away. Shots, which expand upon detonation, are fired from the artillery bases. Satellites and bombers also appear in the terror-filled skies, just not as frequently. After an attack has been warded off, another wave begins. Ammunition is limited, and when all six cities are destroyed, it's "THE END" of the game. Innovative control, frenetic gameplay, killer sound effects, a daunting theme, and strategic aiming and firing combine to make Missile Command an all-time classic.