History VideoGame / MissileCommand

THE END

* KillEmAll: The cities you will protect ''will'' be destroyed, and everyone living in them ''will'' die. It's a matter of [[EndlessGame how long you can stave off the inevitable]].

* ChainReactionDestruction: Part of the strategy is that even though you have a limited number of missiles, you try to destroy the missiles at the edge of your explosion, because ''their'' explosion can take out ''other'' missiles, causing a chain reaction of explosions. Since you get bonus points for unlaunched missiles, it also aids your score.

''Missile Command'' (1980) was the most violent video game ever released, at least until ''VideoGame/{{DEFCON}}'' came along. ''Missile Command'' portrayed a stark view of nuclear war at the height of UsefulNotes/ColdWar paranoia. The player was given command of three anti-ballistic missile bases, with which six otherwise defenseless cities had to be defended against wave after wave of [=ICBMs=], nuclear bombers, and orbital battle stations. The game featured simple yet realistic animations of mushroom clouds wiping out entire cities whenever the player failed to intercept an incoming warhead, and a nightmarish explosion effect when the player [[EndlessGame (inevitably)]] finally lost the game.

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->''"What's the bluntest point made by this game? That you can't win. No matter how many stages you survive, or how much time you spend playing, you can't beat Missile Command. Nuclear war has no winners. Your job is futile, but you do it anyway because you can buy people a few more minutes of hope."''

* HoistedByHisOwnPetard: Part of the strategy is that even though you have a limited number of missiles, you try to destroy the missiles at the edge of your explosion, because ''their'' explosion can take out ''other'' missiles, causing a chain reaction of explosions. Since you get bonus points for unlaunched missiles, it also aids your score.

-->-- '''Daniel Floyd''', ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJA5YjvHDU Narrative Mechanics]]"

* PragmaticAdaptation: The Atari 2600, 5200, and 8-bit computer versions were modified to have missiles fired from one single base instead of three. The Game Boy version by Accolade modified it to have two missile bases.

* ItsAWonderfulFailure: The GameOver screen is a loud explosion which reveals the words "'''{{THE END}}'''"--not just the end of the game, but ''the end of civilization itself''.

-->-- '''Daniel Floyd''', ''WebVideo/ExtraCredits'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJA5YjvHDU Narrative Mechanics]]"

* AtomicHate: The game is all about nuclear missiles, more specifically shooting them out of the sky to prevent armageddon.

* ItsAWonderfulFailure: The GameOver screen is a loud explosion which reveals the words '''{{THE END}}'''--not just the end of the game, but ''the end of civilization itself''.

* KillEmAll: The cities you will protect ''will'' be destroyed, and everyone living in it ''will'' die. It's a matter of [[EndlessGame how long you can stave off the inevitable]].

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%%* AtomicHate

%%* EarthShatteringKaboom

* EndlessGame: Because in a war fought with nuclear missiles, [[{{Unwinnable}} nobody really wins]].
%%* FailureIsTheOnlyOption
%%* ItsAWonderfulFailure: '''THE END'''
* GameOver: Only here, it's not just the end of the game, it's ''the end of civilization itself''.
%%* HopelessWar
%%* KillEmAll

%%* ProtectionMission
%%* RecursiveAmmo: MIRV missiles

'''''Missile Command''''' (1980) was the most violent video game ever released, at least until ''VideoGame/{{DEFCON}}'' came along. ''Missile Command'' portrayed a stark view of nuclear war at the height of UsefulNotes/ColdWar paranoia. The player was given command of three anti-ballistic missile bases, with which six otherwise defenseless cities had to be defended against wave after wave of [=ICBMs=], nuclear bombers, and orbital battle stations. The game featured simple yet realistic animations of mushroom clouds wiping out entire cities whenever the player failed to intercept an incoming warhead, and a nightmarish explosion effect when the player [[EndlessGame (inevitably)]] finally lost the game.

* [[RocksFallEveryoneDies Missiles Fall, Everyone Dies]]

* UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}}: One of its most popular games, even when stripped down to the memory constraints and game controls of the system.

* UsefulNotes/ColdWar: Who knew an arcade game could have a political message?

* AtomicHate

* EarthShatteringKaboom

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption
* ItsAWonderfulFailure: '''THE END'''

* HopelessWar
* KillEmAll

* ProtectionMission
* RecursiveAmmo: MIRV missiles

->''"What's the bluntest point made by this game? That you can't win. No matter how many stages you survive, or how much time you spend playing, you can't beat Missile Command. Nuclear war has no winners. [[DoNotGoGentle Your job is futile, but you do it anyway because you can buy people a few more minutes of hope.]]"''

-->-- '''Daniel Floyd''', ''WebVideo/ExtraCredits'', "[[http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/narrative-mechanics Narrative Mechanics]]"

* ColdWar: Who knew an arcade game could have a political message?

'''''Missile Command''''' (1980) was the most violent video game ever released, at least until ''VideoGame/{{DEFCON}}'' came along. ''Missile Command'' portrayed a stark view of nuclear war at the height of ColdWar paranoia. The player was given command of three anti-ballistic missile bases, with which six otherwise defenseless cities had to be defended against wave after wave of [=ICBMs=], nuclear bombers, and orbital battle stations. The game featured simple yet realistic animations of mushroom clouds wiping out entire cities whenever the player failed to intercept an incoming warhead, and a nightmarish explosion effect when the player [[EndlessGame (inevitably)]] finally lost the game.

* {{Atari 2600}}: One of its most popular games, even when stripped down to the memory constraints and game controls of the system.

[[caption-width-right:256:This can [[EndlessGame only]] [[ItsAWonderfulFailure end]] [[EarthShatteringKaboom one way]]...[[note]][[MoodWhiplash unless you make the high score list.]][[/note]]]]

'''''Missile Command''''' (1980) was the most violent video game ever released, at least until ''{{DEFCON}}'' came along. ''Missile Command'' portrayed a stark view of nuclear war at the height of ColdWar paranoia. The player was given command of three anti-ballistic missile bases, with which six otherwise defenseless cities had to be defended against wave after wave of [=ICBMs=], nuclear bombers, and orbital battle stations. The game featured simple yet realistic animations of mushroom clouds wiping out entire cities whenever the player failed to intercept an incoming warhead, and a nightmarish explosion effect when the player [[EndlessGame (inevitably)]] finally lost the game.

GCC created an enhancement kit called ''Super Missile Attack'' for ''Missile Command'' machines. Atari was not amused and sued GCC. They settled on GCC producing three games for Atari (Food Fight, Quantum, and a never-finished game).

Just a year later (1982), a sequel for two players competing to destroy each other was prototyped and tested, but ultimately never released. [[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/07/missile_command_2_to_debut_at_.php It has recently resurfaced]] and will be shown to the public in 2012, the first time in 30 years.

* PragmaticAdaptation: The Atari 2600, 5200, and 8-bit computer versions were modified to have missiles fired from one single base instead of three. The Gameboy version by Accolade modified it to have two missile bases.

* VideoGameCaringPotential: It's pretty standard practice for players to name the six cities after cities and town they're familiar with. ([[http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/15/4528228/missile-command-dave-theurer According to Dave Theurer, the developer, this was an intentional design decision.]])