ARCADE APOCALYPSE - MISSILE COMMAND GAMES

Our erstwhile arcade sleuths, CHRIS PASSEY & MATTHEW UFFINDELL duet of their track balls and compare some Spectrum 'Missile Command' type games.

'Missile Command' is the arcade classic in which the player defends six cities from enemy missiles. These missiles leave traces on the screen, splitting up at lower levels to make life more difficult. In addition planes and killer satellites move across the screen dropping more missiles. Heat sensitive missiles (or smart bombs) are able to avoid your defensive explosions and have to be hit accurately (direct hit) or deluged with explosions. Defence is by means of three missile bases, each having ten missiles. Any missile you launch will head for, and detonate at the point where your cross wire sight is set. The game continues until all your cities have been destroyed. The control of the sight is achieved by means of a track ball, which gives a very positive, accurate movement (analogue) and is very necessary for this type of game. The Spectrum games, of course, do not have a track ball provision.

Electro Storm by PSS
Retail Price: £5.95
Memory: 48K

Although essentially a 'Missile Command' game, this one is rather altered. You defend six cities with a central laser tower, armed with 30 laser bolts. The attacking missiles are stopped, not destroyed, by hitting them on the tip. This is no easy task, considering that the explosions are instantaneous flashes. Pin point accuracy is required when compared to other versions. The key layout is probably as good as possible, but it still does not give enough control to achieve such accuracy. The graphics are fairly simple but reasonably smooth (not the explosions though). The sound is one of the game's better points. Being a bit different, it makes a change, but keyboard is out here too. Kempston option.
CP

This is the only version to have several keys doing the same function, eg. Q to T is 'up'. Even so, I found the key positions to be badly laid out. Sound plays an important role in this game. Alien missiles tend to change direction quite often, making life even more difficult and the explosions are ultra-short. For some reason the screen area for play seems to be very limited. I don't know why - perhaps it is just crowded. Keyboard response is good as is the cross wire movement. Once all the cities have been destroyed, a great flashing explosion takes place. A fair to poor copy of the arcade version, and I thought, the worst of the bunch.
MU

Note on ratings: To be enjoyed to the full, 'Missile Command' games should be played with a joystick (shame there is not a track ball) because keyboard play, in general, cannot give the same degree of accuracy and control. Although the same may be said for many other types of game, we are sure 'Missile Command' fans will agree that this is the game which needs it the most badly. Therefore the ratings given below have been split in two, one for keyboard only play, and one for joystick play. The two reviewers figures have been averaged as, in general, they turned out to be in agreement.

Ratings are given on a scale between zero and 100 points, and do not reflect what a game may receive in a regular review.