«Missile Command» Arcade comes to Atari 8-bit with VBXE | Download
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Atari 8-bit owners with the VBXE graphics card can now enjoy an experience almost identical to that of the original Missile Command arcade game thanks to the work of Robert and Eric Anschuetz together with John Weisgerber.
This new version uses the disassembled code from arcade machines, which, combined with the capabilities of the VBXE, allows you to enjoy high-quality graphics and gameplay faithful to the 1980 classic.The project is inspired by the impressive work done by AtariAge forum user Woj with the VBXE port of Popeye. For Robert Anschuetz, Missile Command was one of his favorite games during his youth, and together with his brother, he would spend hours at the local arcade trying to reach the legendary score of 810,000 points, which allowed indefinite play.
Although the original Atari 8-bit version was good, its graphics left a lot to be desired. With the appearance of the arcade source code and the possibilities of the VBXE, Robert saw the opportunity to create a definitive version for 8-bit computers, taking as a reference the work of Paul Lee with "Missile Command+" and the disassembly done by Andy McFadden.
Due to the original game's internal timing being 60Hz, it is recommended to use it on NTSC systems, as on PAL systems the speed, sound effects and trackball response may be affected.
To configure game options, such as control type (joystick or trackball), use the Select button (F3 on Altirra) to choose the option to modify; and the Option button (F4 on Altirra) to select the desired setting. The fire button on the joystick or trackball allows you to launch missiles from the base closest to the cursor, while the Z, X and C keys on the keyboard allow you to fire from each base individually. It is important to note that the game resolution is 256x231, so in the Altirra emulator it is necessary to adjust the display to be able to see all the elements on the screen. To do this, you must access the View -> Overscan Mode menu and select Extended or Full with Blanking.
This release adds to the list of games published in 2021 by the Anschuetz brothers together with Weisgerber for the Atari 8-bit; most of them updated versions of games that the trio had programmed in the eighties. Some of these games include: «Night Rescue 1941»; «Overflow 2021»; «Piracy 1821» and «Piracy 1621»; «Sokoban 2021»; «Kooky Diver 2021»; «Alien Assault 2121»; «Space Assailants 2121»; «Kooky's Quest 2021»; «Ramses' Revenge 2021 BC»; «Robot Dungeon 2121», «Kooky Klimber 2021» and «Phoenix 2021».
Missile Command Arcade for Atari 8-bit computers
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