Microsoft Arcade

Overview

Microsoft Arcade is an arcade game compilation developed and published by Microsoft (through their Microsoft Home division) for Windows and Macintosh computers in 1993.

It features recreations of five arcade games by Atari, each with numerous customizable game options and bonus interviews with Atari employees. The games included are: Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede, Missile Command, and Tempest.

The compilation later received two sequels (although now including games from Namco): Microsoft Return of Arcade and Microsoft Revenge of Arcade.

Game Options

Asteroids

The game makes use of the keyboard only, with all commands customizable.

• Number of Lives
• Points Needed for Bonus Life
• Spaceship Speed
• Missile Range
• Asteroid Speed
• Flying Saucer Appearance Rate
• Flying Saucer Firing Delay

Battlezone

The game makes use of the keyboard only, with all commands customizable.

• Number of Lives
• Points for First Bonus Tank
• Player Tank Speed
• Shot Distance
• Display Background

Centipede

The game makes use of the mouse for movement and has three options for firing: either mouse button (with the left button being the default) or a custom keyboard key.

• Number of Lives
• Points Needed for Bonus Life
• Flea Initial Speed
• Flea Wounded Speed
• Flea Appearance Rate
• Flea Mushroom-Laying Rate
• Scorpion Appearance Rate
• Spider Appearance Rate
• Bullet Speed

Missile Command

The game makes use of the mouse for aiming and has two control options: Manual Base Selection (the default, in which players fire missiles using three customizable keyboard keys, each representing the three missile bases) and Automatic Base Selection (in which players fire missiles by the mouse button, automatically switching between each missile base based on their availability).

• Number of Starting Cities
• Points Needed for Bonus City
• Attack Missile Speed
• Center Base Missile Speed
• Side Base Missile Speed
• Bomber and Satellite Speed
• Smart Bomb IQ

Tempest

The game makes use of either mouse or keyboard controls, with the mouse controls being the default. All controls are customizable.

• Number of Lives
• Points Needed for Bonus Life
• Number of SuperZappers
• Spike Protection
• Start at Any Level
• Display Hyperspace Starfield