What platforms is Missile Defense 3-D on?

Missile Defense 3-D was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.

When did Missile Defense 3-D release?

Missile Defense 3-D was first released on December 31, 1987.

Missile Defense 3-D

Dec 31, 1987ShooterSega Master System/Mark III

Missile Defense 3-D — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Missile Defense 3-D on?: Missile Defense 3-D was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.
When did Missile Defense 3-D release?: Missile Defense 3-D was first released on December 31, 1987.

About Missile Defense 3-D

War has been declared between two super powers. At play are real nuclear missiles and the outcome looks dim. If their missiles make contact, there's no chance for survival. Luckily there's hope. You and The Eliminator, the only anti-nuclear laser in operation. Aboard a fugitive space station, you're armed for intervention and your mission is clear: stop all nuclear missiles. But it won't be easy. Because those missiles are being launched at you, too. So play for keeps. This is the most important challenge you may ever face.

Summary via IGDB.

Missile Defense 3-D on Wikipedia

Missile Defense 3-D is a 1987 video game developed and published by Sega for the Master System. The game is a shoot em up action video game in which players must prevent missiles descending towards the player or the surface by shooting the Light Phaser. It is the first game released for the Master System to feature the use of 3-D glasses named the SegaScope 3-D, conceived by Mark Cerny, who lobbied Sega to explore the potential of 3-D peripherals and gameplay. The game, glasses, and phaser were later packaged with special versions of the console. Upon release, Missile Defense 3-D received positive reviews, with critics highlighting the appeal of the 3-D effect and its visual presentation.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1987	$7	$14	$28	6 reviews	Low (look-alike)

Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

Complete

$14

Sealed

$28

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$13	$41	$56

What it needs to play

RequiredLight Phaser — a light-gun game: it is played with the Light Phaser (game booklet / Sega catalogue).
RequiredSegaScope 3-D Glasses — a 3-D game built for the SegaScope 3-D Glasses (game booklet / Sega catalogue).

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about once a week
Sealed: about once a month

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $1.59 in Jul 2009, $3.57 five years ago, and $7.25 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2010	$1.97	—
Jan 2011	$0.75	—
Jan 2012	$3.30	—
Jan 2013	$2.37	—
Jan 2014	$3.99	$5.49
Jan 2015	$7.50	$7.49
Jan 2016	$4.99	$7.92
Jan 2017	$7.00	$7.25
Jan 2018	$5.00	$8.49
Jan 2019	$4.84	$10.65
Jan 2020	$5.00	$9.95
Jan 2021	$4.50	$9.90
Jan 2022	$6.06	$10.17
Jan 2023	$7.15	$12.74
Jan 2024	$5.13	$11.48
Jan 2025	$6.60	$10.04
Jan 2026	$8.98	$9.36
Oct 2026	$7.25	$14.39

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date
North America	August 1987
Europe / PAL	October 1987

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1987
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereLow look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A cheap Light Phaser shooter that is really a showpiece for Sega's 3-D glasses, so the extras matter more than the cartridge.

Missile Defense 3-D was developed and published by Sega and released in North America in August 1987 and in Europe in October 1987. It is a shoot 'em up in which you shoot the missiles descending toward you or the surface with the Light Phaser. It was the first Master System game to use the SegaScope 3-D glasses, an idea conceived by Mark Cerny, who lobbied Sega to explore 3-D peripherals.

Reviewers at release were positive, singling out the appeal of the 3-D effect and the visual presentation. Cerny considered the 3-D line a success given Sega's limited market share, saying the company sold 300,000 pairs of the glasses.

How it was made

Developed and published by Sega. Mark Cerny is credited as designer.

What the press said at the time

Mean Machines Games Guide	May 1992	OVERALL 76%
Mean Machines Sega Issue 3	December 1992	OVERALL 76%
Sega Pro Issue 22	August 1993	46%
Sega Pro Issue 24	October 1993	46%
AllGame		3/5
Computer Entertainer		4.5/5

“Missile Defence 3D is by no means an essential purchase … this is worth having a look at”
— Mean Machines, May 1992

“Missile Defence 3D is by no means an essential pur¬ chase, but if you're after something to use with your 3D glasses, this is worth having a look at.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

“This is a grim old game. You’ll need your 3-D glasses, but you won't miss much without them. Very repetitive and requires absolutely no talent.”
— Sega Pro, August 1993

“This is a grim old game. You'll need your 3-D glasses, but you won't miss much without them. Very repetitive and requires absolutely no talent.”
— Sega Pro, October 1993

Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Sega Master System version.

Before you buy

You need both the Light Phaser and the SegaScope 3-D Glasses to play it, so check that you have them or are buying them with the game. The US cart is inexpensive and below the middle of the US carts. The European cart is listed for noticeably more than the US one, and the gap is wider complete, so a European buyer should compare carefully rather than assume the local cart is the cheap one. The look-alike risk is low.