It's easy to forget the cultural impact of the cold war, with nuclear annihilation being an actual fear rather than a just quaint notion, and Missile Command captures the threat of and response to a nuclear attack in a way that resonated particularly well when it was released in 1980. Though its game mechanics are simple, the combination of fast targeting of your defenses and delayed reaction of the missile destruction give the game a sense of tension that added to its addictiveness. Though considered one of Atari's greatest 80s classics, Missile Command never received a true arcade sequel, with Liberator being its closest cousin.