About

Missile Command is a 1980 Atari arcade classic where you defend six cities from an endless barrage of incoming ballistic missiles. You control three anti-missile batteries at the base of the screen, firing interceptors that explode on contact. As waves progress, missiles multiply, split into MIRVs, and accelerate until the screen is a chaos of crossing trails.

The game is a masterclass in triage. You cannot save everything — the question is which missiles to intercept, which cities to sacrifice, and how to conserve ammunition across a wave. Each battery has limited shots before reloading, so wasteful firing compounds the crisis.

Sessions end fast but leave you wanting one more wave. The escalation is relentless and the stakes are viscerally clear — watching a city explode because you were one second too slow never gets easier.

How to Play

• Move the crosshair with the mouse and click to fire an interceptor from the nearest battery.
• Interceptors explode at the targeted point — time your shots so the explosion catches incoming missiles.
• Protect all six cities through each wave; losing all cities ends the game.
• Smart bombs require a direct hit — they dodge standard explosions.
• Surviving cities and unused interceptors score bonus points between waves.

Tips

• Fire ahead of fast missiles — lead the target, not the current position.
• Use the center battery for central threats; save outer batteries for missiles aimed at outer cities.
• Let distant low-threat missiles go and focus on those about to hit.

History

Missile Command was designed by Dave Theurer at Atari and released in 1980. Theurer reportedly had nightmares about nuclear war during development. The game was one of the first to generate genuine emotional discomfort in players — the inevitable loss of cities felt meaningful. It became one of Atari's best-selling arcade titles and was a launch game for the Atari 2600 home port.