With each wave you have 30 ABMs for defense (see Figure 1). Your launching missile base, (bottom,
centre of playfield) contains only 10 ABMs at a time. As each set of 10 ABMs is fired, you automatically
receive 10 more from you underground missile dump (bottom, left corner). Once you have fired all 30
ABMs, you are defenseless until a new wave begins.
You must protect your launching missile base from enemy fire. Once it is hit, all of its contents are
destroyed. However, you still have the remaining missiles in the underground dump. The game ends when
all of the cities are destroyed. The high score of the game appears at the end of the game and is updated as
higher scores are tallied in later games.
Game Variations
Missile Command® has 34 game variations. Games 1 through 17 are one-player, and games 18
through 34 are two-player games. This ATARI Game Program includes game variations for young
children, games 17 and 34. The game play is slower in the children's versions.
Slow/Fast Target Control
Some game variations have fast target control and some have slow target control. This means that
your may move the cursor fast or slow around the screen. Because you use the Joystick to move the target
control, the slower it moves, the more control you will have; but the fewer amount of targets you'll be able
to hit. The faster the target control moves, the more difficult it is to control; but the more targets you will be
able to hit.
Smart Enemy Cruise Missile/Dumb Enemy Cruise Missile
After the 6th wave of interplanetary ballistic missiles, the enemy may attack with cruise missiles. The
dumb cruise missiles travel in a straight line and are fairly easy to destroy. The smart cruise missiles can
detect and evade your ABM explosions, making them more difficult to destroy.
Starting Wave
The higher the wave number, the faster the enemy missiles attack. Some game variations start at a low
wave number and progress to a higher and faster wave number. The games that start at a high wave number
are fast in the beginning and progress even faster with each wave. The faster waves score more points.
Children's Games
Games 17 and 34 play at a slower and easier speed for young children. They have dumb enemy cruise
missiles, slow target control, and the enemy attacks at a slower rate with less missiles. As children become
skilled at this level, they should try the more difficult game variations, starting at Game 1.
Two-Player Games
Games 18 through 34 are two-player games. In two-player games each player alternates as base
commander, one wave at a time. The left controller player begins the game. Each player's score appears at
the top of the screen with each turn. At the end of the game both players' scores are alternately displayed on
the screen.
Scoring
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