40th Anniversary: Missile Command by Atari

Released in the Arcade in July of 1980.

Arcade Missile Command Title Screen

Interesting facts about Missile Command
-According to How Long to Beat’s website the average player spends a little more than hour playing.
-Currently, about 5 games are sold per week for the Atari 2600.
-The Atari 2600 port originally sold over 2.5 million units.
-Due to rising conflicts with the Soviet Union and the building nuclear cold war, the lead programmer suffered from nightmares during development of Missile Command.
-While the Atari 2600 version depicts the setting as a war between two alien worlds, there is no reference to such war for the arcade version.
-An easter egg containing the initials RF for programmer Rob Fulop can be found on level 13, and is the second official easter egg acknowledged by Atari.
-Marathon world records are gameplay settings to allow players to play supposedly indefinitely. The current world record ended after 71 hours of continuous gameplay!

Atari 2600 Box Art

Description from Manual
-Aliens from the planet of Krytol have begun an attack on the
planet Zardon. The Krytolians are warriors out to destroy and
seize the planet of Zardon. Zardon is the last of the peaceful
planets. The Zardonians are skillful and hardworking people.
Their cities are built-up and rich in resources. It is truly a
planet void of crime and violence.

Zardon has built a powerful defense system. Several
antiballistic missile bases have been established within the
cities of Zardon. The Zardonians are ready for this attack,
and are prepared to fight to save their cities.

As base commander it is your responsibility to protect and
defend six cities on the planet of Zardon. The Krytolians have
begun firing interplanetary ballistic missiles. They are
aiming at your cities and missile bases. Your only defense is
to fire back with antiballistic missiles. But watch out, the
Krytolians are sly, they also have cruise missiles. Cruise
missiles look like satellites, but they are just as deadly as
the interplanetary ballistic missiles.

Use your antiballistic missiles (ABMs) to stop the enemy
before your happy and harmonious planet is destroyed.

Gameplay from the Atari 2600

Missile Command on Wikipedia.

NewGame+ Content:
Arcade Gameplay by World of Longplays

Atari 2600 Gameplay by World of Longplays

Be sure to check out other anniversary posts and more by clicking here!

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