Missile Command is up there as one of Atari ’s most recognisable franchises alongside the likes of Asteroids or Pong . Its simple missile defensive structure gameplay still holds up today and is still a great deal of fun . There ’s also a lot of dissimilar way for those concerned to still play it . That ’s why Atari made it very clear toThe Big Con ’s Mighty Yell andRunbow ’s 13 AM Games that they needed to imagine outside the box when reimagining this classic for them asMissile Command Delta .
“ There was a list of amazing games from the last 50 years to choose from , and Atari enunciate that if you want to do some of those games , you have to suppose of something a short bit more outdoors of the box , ” Dave Proctor , executive producer from Mighty Yell tell Digital Trends at this year ’s Game Developers Conference . “ I thought ‘ What if Missile Command was like a tactics biz ? ’ and that just let on my Einstein and I know we had to do this . ”
Missile Command Deltais the latest in a line of Atari reimaginings that includes titles such asLunar Lander BeyondandYars Rising . The historied retro game has been reinterpreted for a new adventure that meld first - person exploration and puzzle solving likeThe Witnesswith turn - based tactical engagement that blend elements from games likeSlay the SpireandInto the Breach . I operate hand - on with Missile Command Delta at GDC 2025 and found that this mixture of influences make Atari ’s boldest retro reimagining yet .
What’s going on down there?
Mighty Yell , 13 AM Games , and Atari are tight - lipped about the item of Missile Command ’s account , which sees the player clear puzzle and defending bases from missile rap at terminals within a sand trap . “ I ’m not go to say exactly when its set , but I will say it ’s about a mathematical group of multitude that are not part of this dugout , ” Proctor teased . write up likeWarGames,10 Cloverfield Lane , andEnder ’s Gamewere cited as influences by Proctor , soMissile Command Deltacertainly add together a pile of intrigue to a plot that historically had minimal news report .
One one-half of the secret plan is explore a trap in first person . I did n’t get to do too much of that during my demo , but Proctor tell that there will be devote mystifier to solve while exploring . There are n’t too many model of biz that meld first - person puzzle clear with other music genre ; the closest hybrid game I can think of is the highly underratedAmerican Arcadia . Instead , each half of the gameplay has clear influences .
When search the bunker in first - somebody , Proctor citesThe Witnessas a major aspiration . For the turn - ground battles , Slay the SpireandInto the Breachwere the primary points of comparison . When I walked up to a terminal inMissile Command Delta , I had to defend bases in bite - sized tactical struggle . Missiles rain down from the top of a hexagonal grid , and if even one hits my bases at the bottom it ’s game over .
There are different missiles at my disposal , symbolize by cards , which I can launch across a certain issue of tile before exploding . If an enemy missile enters an plosion ’s area - of - effect , it also blows up . The keystone to acing Missile Command ’s tactical battles is doing this with the fewest number of cards possible by always keeping an eye on the path enemy missiles are take on .
LikeSlay the SpireandInto the Breach , this is a somewhat tactical gameplay system where data is clearly lay out to the histrion so they can cursorily oppose consequently . And if players “ Ace ” a terminal , they can learn even Command Delta ’s mysterious universe and lore . This intercrossed first - soul and twist - base manoeuvre plot is a bluff swing , which has been the MO for a lot of Atari ’s recent retro reimaginings . Still , something about this adventure in picky resonates with me a bit more than those other titles did . Maybe that ’s because this reinvention is actually not too far from the marrow of what makesMissile Commandgreat .
“ WithMissile Command , the player should always be react , ” Proctor tell when describing howDeltaretains the core of the series . “ The thespian should never be on the offense ; they should always be react to entropy . What is the emotion of that ? How does that feel ? I think there ’s a lot of law of similarity that came very naturally into the plot through the development mental process . ”
Missile Command Deltais in ontogenesis for PC , PS5 , and Nintendo Switch .
