Atari 2600 - Missile Command

Early arcade games had different genres of input methods (such as: buttons, paddles, steering wheels, joysticks, pedals). The arcade version of Missile Command used a giant trackball to move around your cursor, which would direct and range the flak cannon anti-ballistic missiles. In the game Missile Command, the player commanded a battery of defensive missiles. The player directed the launch of a limited set of defensive missiles against incoming ballistic missiles (raining down from above), hoping to save their six protected cities. The game was intense, as the pace quickened, defenses were limited, and the number of incoming missiles increased. On occasion, the would be cruise missiles, which may sidestep your defensive missile's explosion, and could only be stopped by a direct hit. The Atari 2600 version didn't have the giant trackball, but it did have a frenetic pace!

Launch defensive missiles!