Question 1

True or false: The game's iconic 'The End' screen originally displayed a picture of a burned-out city.

Accepted Answer

True. When all cities are destroyed, a haunting image of a ruined city appears, emphasizing the futility of war.

Question 2

True or false: The game's 'Mega Missile' power-up allowed players to destroy all enemies on screen at once.

Accepted Answer

False. No power-ups exist in the original Missile Command; it's a pure skill-based game with no special weapons.

Question 3

True or false: Missile Command was originally designed to be a game about defending against nuclear war.

Accepted Answer

True. Developer Dave Theurer based it on his anxiety over Cold War nuclear threats, making it a serious political statement.

Question 4

True or false: Missile Command was one of the first arcade games to feature a 'continue' option.

Accepted Answer

False. Continues didn't appear in arcades until the mid-1980s; Missile Command had no continue feature.

Question 5

True or false: The game's joystick controlled the player's three missile bases directly.

Accepted Answer

False. The player used a trackball to move a crosshair cursor, not a joystick—a unique control scheme for its time.

Question 6

True or false: The game's high score initials 'AAA' were secretly programmed to trigger a free play mode.

Accepted Answer

True. Entering 'AAA' as initials after a high score unlocked a hidden free-play mode, a rare Easter egg.

Question 7

True or false: Atari's prototype for Missile Command used vector graphics instead of raster sprites.

Accepted Answer

False. It always used raster-based color graphics; vector graphics were reserved for games like Asteroids.

Question 8

True or false: Missile Command's arcade cabinet featured a special 'missile-shaped' trigger button.

Accepted Answer

False. It used standard convex buttons; no special missile-shaped button was ever produced for the cabinet.

Missile Command Trivia Questions