Armed with a GenRad 6502 microprocessor emulator (which they bought for $25,000 thanks to a parent's loan) and a TRS-80, Golson and his team stayed up all hours copying disassembled code from Missile Command by scratch. "You had to sit next to the TRS-80 and type it up live," Golson remembered.

Unlike other speed-up kit creators, GCC went to great lengths to ensure that its kits couldn't be copied—even scratching PAL markings off of its chips—and soon launched its Super Missile Attack kit. That pricey GenRad investment was quickly paid off and then some, thanks to over a thousand units selling within a matter of weeks for $250 a pop. However, with success came the watchful gaze of Atari.