Missile Command is a simple game. It consists of a series of rounds. In each
round the game mounts an attack on your cities. This consists of missiles
entering from the top of the screen or coming from a satellite or airplane
that flies across the screen. Also a flying saucer may try to destroy one of
your cities or missile bases. To defend yourself, you have three missile
bases, each armed with ten missiles. The idea is to destroy the attacking
entities with your missiles before they can destroy your cities. Missile
bases which are destroyed will be reborn with the next round. Cities lost
are gone forever but the game generously rewards you with a bonus city for
every 10000 points you score. It is possible to have more cities than will
show up on the screen; these reserve cities will take the place of the
displayed cities as those are destroyed. The reserve cities are also used
in calculating the game score.
The game ends when all of your cities have been destroyed. That will not take
long if you do not defend skillfully. Remember it takes time for your missile
to get to its target so you have to lead the missile you want to intercept.
Also once you press that key the missile is fired; you need not wait on it.
It will take care of itself, traveling to its targeted position and exploding
there. One useful strategy is to create an arc of death in the sky by moving
the mouse cursor and rapidly pressing a fire key; small Xs will appear in the
sky indicating the explosion points for the launched missiles. Properly
placed, this arc can thin an attack considerably, giving you time to pick off
individual enemies that might have been missed in the fireworks. Each of your
missiles has a killing radius such that it does not have to directly hit a
target to destroy it but that radius is smaller against a satellite, plane
or flying saucer than it is against an attacking missile.
A thing to remember is that as wonderful as it is to shoot down a plane or
flying saucer, the most important thing is to save the cities.
Another thing that really makes Missile Command 386 enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to Missile Command 386. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
