This game was originally published by Simulations Design Corp. (SDC) and came with Conflict magazine, issue #4. This is a slightly revised version, published by the Mishler Company. It is a two-player game of a hypothetical nuclear attack on the United States by the Soviet Union in 1962. It comes in a 9" x 12 1/2", zip-lock bag. Its 20" x 25" map is mostly black with some pink and blue on white paper. It depicts a polar projection of North America overbid with a grid farmed by longitudes and latitudes. The 5/8"-square, plug-cut, back-printed unit counters represent Russian real and decoy bomber units and real and decoy sub-launched missile units, American real and decoy fighter units and real missile units, and Canadian fighter units which are used only in the optional game rules.

After the American player has placed all of his units an the map (they must be placed on cities) the Russian player may place as many bomber units as he wants (at least four) on the map, at the north edge. Russian bombers move up to four squares per turn and American fighters six squares. American missiles do not move. Russian sub-launched (Snark) missiles are only used with the optional rules. They appear one square off either coast and may move one square and then either hit a target or are removed from the game.

An American fighter attacks a Russian bomber by moving into the same square with it on the American's turn. It is then turned over to prove its not a decoy, and both the fighter and bomber are removed from the game. An American missile unit may eliminate any one Russian unit that moves into the square it is in. Both units are removed. An American City may be destroyed whenever a Russian bomber unit stops on the city's square and is not attacked by an American missile unit. The bomber counter is flipped over to reveal the mushroom cloud on the reverse - which remains on the city to show it has been destroyed. The Russian player receives from five to nine points for each city destroyed. He needs 100 points to win.

Optional rules cover the "DEW" Line, Siberian bases, Cuban bases, sub-launched missiles, Canadian fighters and assigned targets for each bomber/missile. Rules for solitaire play are also provided.

Norad is slightly changed from the SDC version. The solitaire game was completely redone and the "Assigned Targets" optional rule was added. The bombers may no longer fly endlessly back and forth, and several rules and the number of units was changed to balance the game. It is, of course, not a detailed, "realistic" simulation. It is a simple, playable game. As such it is a near-classic. It sells for $6.00 and is available from the Mishler Company, Dept. C, P.O. Box 2626, La Mesa, CA 92041.

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