Neon Retro Arcade - Moon Patrol

Moon Patrol

1982

Williams/Irem

There is something so satisfying about the controls of Moon Patrol. The game's continue feature took away some of the nail-biting challenge, but it also allows casual players to gradually make their way through the whole game. Its nice to learn from mistakes and feel yourself improving in realtime. So while hardcore gamers might look for more of a challenge, Moon Patrol provides a great experience despite your skill level.

Story

You are a police officer in Luna City, assigned to Sector Nine, home of "the toughest thugs in the galaxy." So naturally you drive a bouncy moon buggy instead of an awesome tank or something. Hell- some of the hardest foes are holes in the ground or rocks. You roll through the various checkpoints, clearing obstacles and keeping your buggy from exploding. I love that when you explode, your tires go bouncing away. Moon Patrol is a colorful, well-animated, fun game.

Tips & Strategies

Jump and fire at the same time to maximize your firepower.

When you reach minefields, slow down so you don't crash.

The more you play, the more you learn about the patterns.

This game popularized a technique called Parallax Scrolling- different background layers scroll past at different speeds, creating the illusion of depth.