Missile Command (Atari)
1980 · Fixed Shooter · Arcade / Atari 2600
Overview
Missile Command is a 1980 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for arcades. It was released by Taito and Sega in Japan.
Deep Dive
Missile Command is a 1980 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for arcades. It was released by Taito and Sega in Japan. The game was designed by Dave Theurer, who would also design Tempest for Atari the following year. The player uses a trackball to defend six cities from intercontinental ballistic missiles by launching anti-ballistic missiles from three bases.
Developer Story
The Atari 2600 version of Missile Command was ported in 1981 by Rob Fulop. The trackball of the arcade was replaced by a joystick, significantly changing how the game felt. Fulop achieved a faithful adaptation despite the hardware constraints. The home version sold millions of copies and was one of the most popular 2600 games.
Did You Know?
- Rob Fulop ported Missile Command to the 2600 in eight weeks, adapting the trackball gameplay to joystick controls.
- The joystick version required different targeting strategies from the arcade — players swept across the screen rather than pinpointing with a cursor.
- Missile Command 2600 was one of the best-selling Atari cartridges, demonstrating that faithful-enough ports could drive console sales.
- Fulop later created Demon Attack, one of the best-selling original 2600 games, showing his talent extended beyond porting.
