Missile Command [Model CX5202]

Port

44 Years old Atari 5200 cart. Atari, Inc. [CA, USA]

Missile Command [Model CX5202] screenshot

Missile Command © 1982 Atari, Incorporated.

Your duty is to defend the six cities on your planet by destroying the enemy's weapons with your antiballistic missiles [ABMs]. The more enemy weapons you destroy and the longer you defend your cities, the more points you score. When the enemy annihilates all your cities, the game is over.

Missile Command can be played by one or two players. In single- player games the object is to beat your own highest score. In two -player games the object is to score more points than your opponent.

The enemy attacks your cities and missile base with IPBMs [Interplanetary Ballistic Missiles], MIRVs [Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles], smart missiles, killer satelites, and bombers. Attacks come in waves lasting 30-45 seconds. Each wave is more difficult than the previous one. On the sixth wave, the enemy launches smart missiles that can evade your ABMs and "home-in" on your missile base and cities.

The enemy can destroy three cities per wave and zap your missile base as often as you allow it. Each time your missile base is blasted, you lose all missiles waiting to be launched. You have a total of 30 ABMs per wave, with six in your launch pad at a time. As each set of ABMs is fired, you receive 6 more, until all 30 are gone or the wave ends. When your last six ABMs are on the launch pad, the cursor warns you by changing from (empty center) into a solid like this (center of cross full).

Sometimes, all you'll get when you press the fire button is a high-pitched 'oink' sound. That's the 'no launch' signal telling you that you can't fire ABMs for the following reasons:
* You have no more ABMs to launch.
* Your ABMs are not ready for launching.
* You already have eight ABM explosions on the scree (You may never have more than eight explosions on the screen at one time).

At the end of each wave, the cities and ABMs that you saved are displayed and bonus points for them are added to your score.
A game ends when the enemy destroys all your cities and THE END apprears on your television screen

TECHNICAL

Model CX5202

TIPS AND TRICKS

* As soon as you've launched an ABM and marked the target for detonation, move the cursor to another target. Don't wait for the explosion.

* Aim just in front of missiles, satellites, and bombers, and let them travelinto your exploding ABM's

* Hit bombers and killer satellites before they can drop missiles. Also, the sooner they'll reappear and the more points you can score. You may want to launch "insurance" ABM's at the left and right sides od the screen before a bomber or satellite appears, in the chance that one will travel into the ABM explosion.

* Hit IPBM's before they "MIRV" (divide into multiple warheads)

* Hit smart missiles dead on, since they're designed to evade your ABM detonators. If you're not good at direct hits, try surrounding smart missiles with detonations.

* Hit targets before they cross radar line. The radar line is an invisible line marking the cursor's lower limit. Since you can't position the cursor below this line, any enemy missile that crosses it is beyond the range of your ABMs

* Don't waste ABMs on enemy missiles that are heading for dirt (bomb craters or vacant sites). Defend your missile base and cities first. If all your cities are destroyed or are on the verge of earning a bonus city, then it is good strategy to go for the high-score targets like smart missiles, even if they are heading for dirt.

* Don't let smart missiles distract you. Sometimes you can try so hard to hit smart missiles you forget to defend your planet. Remember that a smart missile can only hit one target.

* As waves become more difficult, you may be forced to sacrifice some cities. Give up the outside cities first. Save the cities nearest your missile base; they're easier to defend. When waves become really tough, you may want to defend one city and go for as many high score targets as possible.

* Since the enemy can destroy three cities per wave, after you've lost three cities, concentrate on destroying high-score enemy targets. Of course, you still have to defend your missile base.

* Protect your cities with a missile umbrella. This is a line of ABM explosions spread across the television screen to trap and destroy oncoming enemy weapons. To setup a missile umbrella, move the cursor rapidly across the screen, just below the enemy missiles and leave a string of detonation marks. Space the marks close enough to form a chain of explosions beneath enemy targets. If possible, spread the missile umbrella in the path of a bomber or satellite

STAFF

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Programmer: Rob Zdybel

SOURCES

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ROM dump (MAME).