(c) 2005 Scott M Baker / SB-Software, http://www.sb-software.com/missilecommand/
Warning! Hostile incoming ICBMs have been detected. Only one person stands between the cities and total nuclear destruction... the missile commander. His job is to direct a limited supply of anti-ballistic missiles at the incoming attack. It is a job that will require lightning-quick reflexes. Will the missile commander be successful? Or will the cities be annihilated? The choice is up to you.....
Overview, Requirements, and Installation
Overview:
Missile Commander XP plays similarly to the classic game Missile Command that was popular back in the 1980s. The game is updated with rendered direct3d-based graphics, but the game play is very classical in nature. ICBMs arrive from the top of the screen on incoming vectors at your six cities, which are located at the bottom of the screen. Using a cursor, you direct your limited supply of ABMs at the incoming ICBMs.
Requirements:
This game requires Windows XP and Microsoft DirectX version 9.0 or greater.
This game requires a decent video card with 3D acceleration.
Installation:
The automated setup program will install Missile Commander XP to your hard drive, and place an icon on your desktop. It's as simple as that.
Getting Started
Launching the game:
The game is launched, unsurprisingly, by clicking the desktop icon labeled "missile commander XP" on your desktop. This will bring up a dialog box where you can configure game options, graphics settings, difficulty, etc.
If you want to jump right into things, then go ahead and click the <Play> button.
If, on the other hand, you want to study the full range of exciting configuration options available to you first, then continue reading...
Windowed vs Full Screen:
You can choose to play the game in a window, or on your full screen. Personally, I recommend full screen mode (who ever went to an arcade and played a game with windows and dialog boxes in it...)
Windowed mode is useful if you still want part of your windows desktop visible. For example, if you're waiting for an important email message or some such nonsense.
Difficulty:
The difficulty levels range from a complete and total wimp level, to unreasonably difficult. Adjusting the difficulty level will make incoming ICBMs faster and your ABMs slower.
Playing the Game
The game is played using the keyboard, joystick, or mouse. The default is the keyboard, but in the arcades, Missile Command was played with a trackball, and as such, mouse or trackball control is preferred.. To select an input device, use the "options" button on the main window, and select the "controls" page.
Keyboard commands:
Left-Arrow Move cursor left Right-Arrow Move cursor right Up-Arrow Move cursor up Down-Arrow Move cursor down Ctrl Fire from the nearest missile turret A Fire from the "Alpha" turret S Fire from the "Beta" turret D Fire from the "Gamma" turret ESC Pause (or quit) the game You have three turrets, named alpha, beta, and gamma respectively. In the classic arcade scenario, you would have three buttons to fire from those turrets. I've also thrown in the Ctrl key, which lets you automatically fire from the closest turret.
Joystick:
[Note: By default, keyboard support is selected. To use your joystick, use the options button on the main menu and select the controls page]
Joystick support is self-intuitive. Left/Right/Up/Down moves the cursor, and the fire button fires from the closest turret. You can also use the keyboard controls to fire from a specific turret.
Mouse:
[Note: By default, keyboard support is selected. To use your mouse, use the options button on the main menu and select the controls page]
The mouse control (or ideally a trackball) is the most natural way to play the game, because Missile Command used a trackball in the arcade setting. The primary mouse button will fire from the nearest turret. To fire from a specific turret, use the keyboard.
Revision History
Contacting the Author:
website: http://www.sb-software.com/missilecommand/
email: smbaker@sb-software.com