Comments on: Missile Command

By: Ironcell

Ironcell — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:06:50 +0000

@Constable Odo – You sure can, so far I’ve tested up to 8 fingers total, I wasn’t able to fit my thumbs in there, but it seemed to detect all 8 simultaneous touches with no issue.

I tried playing Missile Command with 2-3 fingers at once, but I didn’t have the eye-hand coordination to pull it off and it became harder to see what was going on since my fingers were obscuring the screen.

By: Constable Odo

Constable Odo — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:50:07 +0000

Since the screen is multi-touch, can you use three fingers at once? That would cut down on a lot of the delay of having to move one finger a a full screen’s distance.

That really is a well-done re-make. I know I played it on a home console, but it was so long ago, I don’t remember which one I used. Maybe it was an Atari 5200 with a joystick.

By: Ironcell

Ironcell — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:29:46 +0000

@Leland – I’ve updated the post to correct the mistake you’ve mentioned, thanks for pointing that out.

And about the CIA rumor, creeeeepy

By: Leland

Leland — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:58:35 +0000

The original Missile Command arcade machine actually used a trackball (and a big, heavy one at that), not a joystick, and had three buttons, one for each of the missile batteries. The joystick version on the Atari 2600 home console just didn’t match the speed and precision of the trackball.

Eh, I’m just being nitpicky. The multitouch game is even better than the trackball was, and more likely to be the control method in today’s anti-missile defense systems (remember the rumor that the arcade machines were being monitored by the CIA, keeping an eye out for VERY high-scoring players for future recruitment into the “Star Wars” missle defense program?).