Ah, the golden oldies. The games that were so simple, so easy to play, yet you would spend hours playing them because you knew that you could get a better score the next time through.
Those were the days. We didn't worry about things like graphics, sound effects, or if you were lagging across a network that threw off where you were shooting at.
The Atari had plenty of these great old school games. Missile Command, however, was one of my favorites. And now, Microsoft has brought that classic back to us in our very own arcade. While I don't expect too much with these smaller games being brought back to life, there are some good and bad things regarding this game.
Gameplay
The game itself is broken into two different modes, Normal and Evolved, and in two different styles, which are the new and classic versions. The gameplay itself doesn't change if you go either new or classic. You are in command of three missile turrets, trying to defend the six cities of the planet from the inbound missiles. You must make precision attacks, though, as you must lead your missiles to take out the incoming attackers, whether they be missiles or spaceships.
The new style definitely gives you improvements in the interface, such as a much easier to read number to let you know how many missiles are remaining on each turret.
One thing I find as a negative, however, is the lack of a trackball to control your turret. In the old Atari version of the game, the trackball allowed you to quickly move your target to where you needed to fire. I find the analog stick to be a bit cumbersome and doesn't allow for precise attacks. There's nothing that can be done about this, simply because the 360 just doesn't have the capability with the normal controller.
Graphics/Sound
The new version looks great, while the classic version is completely untouched and will bring you back to the days of old school gaming. The visuals on the new version are beautiful, especially on your HDTV. My gaming setup is a 42" DLP Samsung running at 1080i, so I got to experience the new Missile Command in almost the perfect setup.
One thing I didn't dig, though, was the music. While I've never been a huge fan of techno, I found it very annoying and generally just turn it off and go with my own soundtrack. I feel that Missile Command is more of a game that, while it requires the quicker movements, should have a little more mellow music to go along with it.
Scores/Ratings
Gameplay -
It's Missile Command. You move the turret, you blow up other missiles and ships while defending your cities. Tried and tested, still a lot of fun, and a great time waster.
Score: 7/10
Presentation
The interface is good on the new version, while the classic version brings you back, although it may give you eye strain.
Score: 7.5/10
Graphics/Audio
The new version looks great, but the audio really kills it for me.
Score: 6.8/10
Overall Score: 7.2/10 (Good)
Those were the days. We didn't worry about things like graphics, sound effects, or if you were lagging across a network that threw off where you were shooting at.
The Atari had plenty of these great old school games. Missile Command, however, was one of my favorites. And now, Microsoft has brought that classic back to us in our very own arcade. While I don't expect too much with these smaller games being brought back to life, there are some good and bad things regarding this game.
Gameplay
The game itself is broken into two different modes, Normal and Evolved, and in two different styles, which are the new and classic versions. The gameplay itself doesn't change if you go either new or classic. You are in command of three missile turrets, trying to defend the six cities of the planet from the inbound missiles. You must make precision attacks, though, as you must lead your missiles to take out the incoming attackers, whether they be missiles or spaceships.
The new style definitely gives you improvements in the interface, such as a much easier to read number to let you know how many missiles are remaining on each turret.
One thing I find as a negative, however, is the lack of a trackball to control your turret. In the old Atari version of the game, the trackball allowed you to quickly move your target to where you needed to fire. I find the analog stick to be a bit cumbersome and doesn't allow for precise attacks. There's nothing that can be done about this, simply because the 360 just doesn't have the capability with the normal controller.
Graphics/Sound
The new version looks great, while the classic version is completely untouched and will bring you back to the days of old school gaming. The visuals on the new version are beautiful, especially on your HDTV. My gaming setup is a 42" DLP Samsung running at 1080i, so I got to experience the new Missile Command in almost the perfect setup.
One thing I didn't dig, though, was the music. While I've never been a huge fan of techno, I found it very annoying and generally just turn it off and go with my own soundtrack. I feel that Missile Command is more of a game that, while it requires the quicker movements, should have a little more mellow music to go along with it.
Scores/Ratings
Gameplay -
It's Missile Command. You move the turret, you blow up other missiles and ships while defending your cities. Tried and tested, still a lot of fun, and a great time waster.
Score: 7/10
Presentation
The interface is good on the new version, while the classic version brings you back, although it may give you eye strain.
Score: 7.5/10
Graphics/Audio
The new version looks great, but the audio really kills it for me.
Score: 6.8/10
Overall Score: 7.2/10 (Good)
I'm still saying GO TRIBE! I'm infatuated with the city of Cleveland, lived an hour away in Canton, OH my whole life! 
