Retrospect: Raid Over Moscow on C64

1 September 2021 · Updated 26 February 2026

Raid Over Moscow from Access Software, distributed by U.S. Gold, brought Cold War themes to the Commodore 64 during a period of heightened East-West tensions. Examining this title reveals both strengths and weaknesses in its execution, offering lessons for modern developers about balancing ambition with capability.

Areas of Concern

The promising premise suffers from execution problems that undermine the dramatic potential:

Graphics appear basic and functional rather than polished, with underwhelming explosion animations that lack the impact such a scenario demands. Enemy installations simply disappear rather than dramatically detonating
Gameplay feels elementary, suggesting possible BASIC implementation rather than optimized assembly. Frame rates suffer during busy sequences, and collision detection lacks precision
Audio quality falls below standards set by even magazine type-in programs of the era, with minimal use of the SID chip’s capabilities for music or atmospheric sound
Default system font used for score display indicates lack of polish, immediately breaking immersion with recognizable Commodore BASIC typography

Noteworthy Aspects

Several design elements remain compelling and suggest what might have been with stronger execution:

The hangar departure sequence presents an interesting staging concept, building anticipation for the mission ahead and providing a transition between strategic and action phases
Low-altitude attack runs offer engaging gameplay possibilities, capturing the dangerous thrill of ground-attack missions when implemented well
The command center overview screen provides strategic context effectively, showing the larger conflict that player actions impact

Unrealized Potential

The title promises more than it delivers, omitting anti-aircraft fire that would create meaningful threat, missile threats requiring evasive action, enemy interceptors engaging in dogfights, and actual bombing runs over objectives with visible destruction. The gap between player expectations set by the premise and actual delivered gameplay creates disappointment.

The game achieved historical significance partly through controversial marketing that generated press coverage beyond gaming publications. However, the gap between concept and implementation prevents it from reaching classic status despite containing worthwhile foundational ideas that a more capable development team might have realized fully.