Missile Command

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: November 10, 1999
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Fixed Screen Shooter
• Similar Games: Centipede (IBM PC Compatible), Space Invaders (IBM PC Compatible), 3D Missile Madness (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Based on the 1980 arcade hit from Atari, Missile Command features two basic modes of play: Classic and Ultimate. Classic is similar to the original game but with updated graphics and sound. You must defend six cities from wave after wave of missiles. Some missiles begin at the top of the screen; others are dropped from enemy craft. Some are MIRVs, meaning they split into two or more warheads as they descend. Other enemies include bombers, satellites and smart missiles.

To defend your cities, you are provided with three Missile Pods placed equidistant along the bottom of the play field, in the middle and on either side. To target your missiles, you maneuver your crosshairs (with a mouse) across the landscape and sky. When the crosshairs are in place, fire a missile from one of your Pods, preferably the Pod closest to the incoming missile. When the missile explodes, any enemy caught in the blast radius is destroyed. As you probably guessed, cities are vulnerable to missile fire; what you may not know is that Missile Pods are vulnerable as well (however, the pods, unlike the cities, renew themselves after you complete a wave).

Missiles at your disposal are limited within each round. At the end of each wave, you get bonus points for remaining missiles and intact cities. When all of your cities are destroyed, the game is over. For every 10,000 points you score (in default mode), you earn an extra city. However, never more than six cities appear onscreen at once.

The Ultimate mode of play shares many of the basic play mechanics of the Classic game but adds lots of new features, including weapon upgrades, rotating Pods, special weapons, a weapons purchasing system and power-ups. Also in the mix is a partially scrolling play field (with off-screen enemies), a radar screen, helpful voice effects, new enemies, mothership bosses, 3D graphics and the ability to actually win the game (as opposed to merely trying to stay alive forever).

New weapons include splitting warheads, shield missiles, missiles with a larger blast radius, faster missiles and Electronic Impulse Missiles which create a massive localized electromagnetic disturbance that overloads the electronic components of an enemy weapon or craft in range. Your mission is to fight off waves of alien attacks on cities located in key regions of the world. Pod pilots - Firewall, Tactix and Case - will send you to where you are needed most.

Roots & Influences

This game is based on the 1980 Arcade classic of the same name. The original Missile Command was the first game to use a seperate sighting device for aiming.

Review: Overall

Back in the early 1980s, industry apologists touted heightened eye-hand coordination and increased concentration skills as reasons to let little Junior waste his hard-earned allowance on Pac-Man, Space Invaders and other popular videogames. Whether this reasoning had merit or not is a debate for another time but I can tell you that in order to score big points in the original Arcade version of Missile Command, intense concentration and heightened eye-hand coordination were a must. The game required nimble hands and fingers, quick eyes and cat-like reflexes. In many ways, this update/remake of the game continues the tradition and offers many of the same challenges, along with some new ones.

Missile Command, whether you are playing the Arcade, Atari 2600 or the PC version, is obviously a game of skill, but there are strategies involved as well. Conserving ammo and knowing which enemy missiles to let fall to the ground are just as important as quick and accurate firing. You can't simply sit on the fire buttons and fill the skies with explosions like it's some kind of grand finale at a fireworks display. You must aim your shot, fire and then move on to the next missile without looking back. Also, if a missile is headed for a city that has already been destroyed, don't bother wasting your ammunition.

Though an exact duplicate of the original game is not included in the PC version of Missile Command, the Classic mode of play is a faithful remake, at least in terms of gameplay. The action is hectic and challenging and the premise is basically the same: save six cities from destruction. Also, the unique Missile Pod weaponry system is intact and the inevitable sense of doom is always present. The graphics have been prettied up to appease the tastes of the modern (1999) gamer, but they neither add to nor distract from the actual enjoyment of the game.

The Ultimate mode of play didn't blow me away but it is a workable concept. The inclusion of motherships is a nice touch and the special weapons come in handy. The offscreen enemies in conjunction with the scrolling screen and rotating Pods adds to the challenge and will distract your attention from the missiles.

By and large I enjoy updates/remakes of classic (early 1980s) videogames but I sometimes gripe about the controls. For example, Pong: The Next Level would have been much more fun if a rotary controller (similar to that found in the Arcade version of Pong) would have been included in the software package. The original version of Missile Command was one of the first Arcade games to use a track-ball controller (Atari Football was the first). Luckily, at least in this case, the mouse is a good track-ball substitute. You can guide the Aiming Crosshairs about the screen with quickness, accuracy and ease.

Overall, this modern version of Missile Command is a solid example of bringing 1980s gameplay to 1999/2000 audiences. It's not as much fun as the updated version of Asteroids (1999) but it blows away the Space Invaders remake (1999).

Review: Enjoyment

The classic gameplay is intact. This is a challenging and intense game that will definitely keep your attention.

Review: Graphics

The backgrounds are decent, but overall, the graphics have a rough look. Also, the city explosions could've been bigger.

Review: Sound

The music during the intro scene is killer (in a Deep Purple meets techno-pop kind of way); let it play out before starting the game. Overall, the music and sound effects are powerful. If you've got stereo speakers on your computer, crank it up.

Review: Replay Value

This game has good replay value, but you won't want to play it for hours and hours on end. It is best when played a few rounds at a time. The two-player mode is an interesting feature.

Review: Documentation

The manual is detailed, informative and easy to understand. However, some color would've been nice.

Production Credits