Missile Command: Recharged – A Modern Remake of a Classic Game

In Missile Command, the 1980 arcade hit, you play a missile base commander fighting to save your cities against an onslaught of incoming ballistic missiles. I never played the arcade version of Missile Command. My first experience was the Atari 2600 version.

Missile Command for the Atari 2600 changed the plot and gameplay a bit but still held true to the original. In the 2600 version you are the base commander on planet Zardon and the wicked alien warriors from planet Krytol are attacking your cities.

I’d sit in the basement and play missile command for hours and hours. Getting more and more frustrated that the evil Krytolians had an endless supply of missiles; ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and my arch-nemesis, the smart cruise missile!

While I was playing Missile Command in the early 80s I was to young to realize the real world parallels; it’s so obvious now. Saving cities from ballistic missile attacks, whether from Krytolian warriors or Russians seemed normal during the height of the Cold War.

For the 40th anniversary of Missile Command Atari, partnered with Nickervison Studios, released Missile Command: Recharged for iOS and Android devices. Mission Command: Recharged goes back to the roots of the arcade version with three missile bases unlike the Atari 2600 version which only has one missile base in the center of the cities.

One of the best features of the new version is the addition of power-ups. As you score points you can buy power-ups to upgrade your offensive power. The power-ups including faster recharge times, faster missiles and more powerful bursts.

In Missile Command: Recharged you command three missile silos like the original arcade game. But unlike the original you have unlimited missiles. Instead of a battery of 10 missiles in the outer silos, all silos have been upgraded and now only require a recharge period before they can fire again. Upgrading the recharge time increases your firing speed.

Other new features in Missile Command: Recharged include:

• Powered Up: Don’t just target missiles – take aim at all-new power-ups to survive longer with defensive measures, silo repair, or a screen-clearing special blast.
• Upgraded: The new power-up system takes points earned and allows them to be used to upgrade all aspects of gameplay to get an edge and achieve the highest scores.
• Shoot for the Clouds: Compete in global online leaderboards and aim to claim bragging rights as the top missile commander.
• Achievements: Better yourself with each game played and work towards besting the toughest challenges!
• Get Augmented: Use the new augmented reality feature to project your gameplay to a virtual arcade cabinet and take your missile destruction to new heights!

Missile Command: Recharged captures the original games feel and stress level as the incoming missiles never stop coming! It’s easy to play and not time consuming. Playing a quick five to ten minutes session is easy and your points for the power-ups are saved from session to session. It’s a fast paced game with easy to understand touch based gameplay. Missile Command: Recharged graphics are brilliantly neon and the soundtrack is pure 80s gold!

Missile Command: Recharged is an excellent port of the game that holds true to the original look and feel!

Missile Command: Recharged is free to play. Grab your copy today and delve back into a modern version of a great game from the 1980s!

Can you save your cities from the incoming missiles?  Did you play the original arcade game? Or did you play the Atari 2600 port? Let us know in the comments below.