Missile Command

The year was 1980. The the threat of all-out nuclear war was constantly on the mind of the world populace. With the Cold War heating up, the time was right to introduce an arcade game around the defense of American cities from a thermonuclear war. Enter Missile Command.

Designed by the legendary Dave Theurer, Missile Command was a smash hit and amongst the top selling arcade cabinets of its time. The topical nature of its setting also led Missile Command to become one of the era’s go-to videogames when it comes to other forms of pop culture, with many references in film and television.

Players take control of three anti-ballistic missile batteries to defend the six cities from the nuclear barrage coming from above. With just ten missiles from each battery at your disposal, players were forced to use their missiles in a more strategic manner and take advantage of their arsenal’s area of effect to wipe out as many incoming missiles as possible with each launch. Good Luck, Commander.