Missile Command: Recharged Critic Reviews

All in all, Missile Command: Recharged is a good game. It doesn’t mess with the gameplay design that the original established, but it does give you options and reasons to keep playing it.

Typically, we don’t address price in our reviews, but it feels like missing the point to not mention that this is $2.99 at launch. From a value perspective, the fleeting leaderboard-driven fun here is totally fine. From a gameplay perspective, I wish there was more than just leaderboard chasing to drive me forward. I might not be compelled to drop quarters into Missile Command: Recharged over and over again, but I’m happy it exists to bring back a landmark arcade game into modern times.

Missile Command: Recharged on the Switch eShop, is a cheap release that doesn't do much… but does everything right. It's about just as straightforward as the 1980 coin-op, and it can be had for a little stack of quarters. It is therefore hard to complain at the simplicity, as what is available plays well, at least in handheld mode, and the experience does prove surprisingly addictive. Well, no, it's not so surprising, really - it already was addictive 40 years ago, even on Atari 2600, so it would be hard for it to not be so on the Switch. It may be simple and repetitive, but this is one which, installed on the system, can make a short bus ride or car trip much less dull.

Missile Command: Recharged is a cool little survival-based adaptation of the classic arcade game. Long-time fans such as myself may be disappointed by the lack of stages and strategic scoring but what's here still offers some simple fun.

It might not be packed with content, but Missile Command: Recharged is an engaging new take on an arcade staple. The action is faster than ever, prettier than ever, and the introduction of upgrades and an online leaderboard provides reason enough reason to come back for more. I never factor price into a review (I’m grading the quality of the game, not its value), bit I would like to point out that Recharged is only a few bucks, so it’s not a huge investment for a bite-sized portion of entertainment. Recharged isn’t the most thrilling arcade title in the eShop, but it’s dependable fun that Atari fans will especially like.