Missile Command is one of those games that is often imitated, but rarely with success. Distributed by Atari in 1980, the game puts you at the defense of a group of cities as a never-ending stream of missiles attacks. A game clearly developed during the Cold War, the strategy and game-play are still incredibly exciting today.

In the game, you are given three silos' worth of missiles to defend against the onslaught. Your own missiles must detonate in the air to prevent the incoming missiles from landing on your cities. If the missiles hit your cities (or even your missile silos!), you lose opportunities for points and, eventually, the game. The game can get extremely tricky, as you have a limited number of missiles in each silo.

Download Missile Command

By downloading free MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) software, you will be able to play the original Missile Command game ROM on your home computer system. The MAME software, available for Windows, Mac, Linux and other operating systems, allows a user to faithfully reproduce arcade game codes. The game ROMs themselves are loaded into memory through the MAME, which acts as a translator.

The Missile Command ROM is available for a small licensing fee. It is possible to find so-called "free" versions of the game online, but these ROMs are likely either illegal or shoddy clones. The licensing fee is incredibly small, so in most cases, it is best (from both a legal and quality standpoint) to pay the small amount and to use a quality product.