The Cold War was terrifying, but Missile Command (1981) turned nuclear panic into one of the most addictive games on the Atari 2600. Your mission? Defend six cities from a relentless rain of incoming missiles, bombers, and smart bombs. Spoiler: you will fail eventually, but it’s all about how long you can hold off total annihilation with just a joystick and nerves of steel.

You control a ground-based missile battery, firing counter-missiles to intercept incoming threats before they level your cities. Every shot counts, because once you run out of ammo, your citizens are toast. The tension ramps up as the screen fills with enemy fire and you desperately try to keep one lonely city alive. It’s simple, stressful, and endlessly replayable.

Why Missile Command still explodes with fun:

1. One of the most iconic arcade-to-Atari conversions of the early 80s.
2. Fast, addictive gameplay that nails the “just one more round” feeling.
3. A cultural time capsule—equal parts video game and Cold War anxiety simulator.

If you’re looking to buy retro games on Retro Games eXchange, Missile Command is essential. It’s chaotic, it’s challenging, and it’s proof that even in 1981, gamers loved saving the world one pixel at a time.