Irem’s Moon Patrol is a simple game across two auto-scrolling levels. Control is limited to adjusting the speed of your vehicle (forwards to accelerate, back to decelerate) as it trundles along the surprisingly colourful surface of the moon. There are two cannons that fire upon pressing this button (one vertical, one horizontal), but shots cannot be angled. It’s basic stuff, but it’s also a lot of fun.
Arcade Archives Moon Patrol takes this game and adds the usual HAMSTER options and game modes. Whichever one you’re playing, you’ll find that despite the simplicity, there’s quite a bit to do as you go looking for more points or simply hope to survive that bit longer. Rocks can be blasted away or you can choose to hop over them. Craters have to be jumped over as do the landmines that are later introduced. In some cases, it’s a simple matter of a well-timed button-press, but other times you’ll be adjusting your speed to clear a crater or pulling back when you clear one landmine so you don’t land on another one.
Speed adjustment is also used to better position yourself to shoot the various different enemies and intercept (or avoid) their shots. There are a few different types to deal with, attacking from different directions, with the bombers creating fresh craters for you to leap over. Another foe pulls up behind you before suddenly charging at you. Combined with the different jumps, there’s quite a bit of variety to be had.
The audio-visual presentation is simple as you’d expect from a 1982 release, with flat bright colours, but there’s some good touches such as parallax and uneven terrain, as well as some scenic variety with background mountains and buildings. The simple sound effects that include a bouncy jump are nothing remarkable, but they work well as does the cheery tune that plays.
Each level is split into 26 sections (represented by a letter of the alphabet). These serve as checkpoints if you lose a life and should you reach certain points (indicated by the onscreen progress bar) within a certain time you’ll be rewarded with some bonus points. Each section serves as a mini challenge with those on the first level not being too tricky once you know what to expect - although it is very easy to lose track of the ground-based dangers should you be concentrating on the aerial ones. The second stage is tougher, providing more opportunity for things to go horribly wrong and requiring quick thinking if you are to make it through.
As usual you are armed with unlimited continues in the main arcade mode, which allows you to force your way through the game, although there is a score-reset upon continuing so this is simply a way to see all the sights rather than rack up a ridiculous score. Upon clearing the second level, you get to play it again and this loop continues until all your lives are gone.
Initially, you may be interested in simply surviving the levels, but the replay value comes from trying to improve your score. The usual one-credit Hi score mode is available as is the Caravan mode which also limits you to five minutes of playtime. As always online leaderboards are included for you to try and move up and there are some impressive scores on display including from the fine folk over in the Arcade SHMUP High Score thread.
The regular arcade mode also has an online leaderboard, but it’s a mode that works better as a training one. Not only can you increase your lives from three to five, but there’s an option to enable you to pick your starting point – a good way to focus on a section that is giving you trouble in the other modes. Alternating two-player mode is also available here should you wish a more local challenge, rather than compete against scores from around the globe.
Conclusion
Initially seeming quite basic, Arcade Archives Moon Patrol becomes a lot of fun thanks to the various dangers encountered and discovering the different ways the limited controls can be utilised to clear these dangers. Working through the different sections is enjoyable and it is thrilling to clear a troublesome one. If simply getting through the two levels is your goal, there's not a lot of replay value here, but Moon Patrol is of course a Hi Score chaser. Finding new ways to shoot attackers you'd previously avoided or managing a section quicker for that points bonus leads to enjoyable playthroughs as you look to improve your scoring.
Comments 43
Remember playing this in the arcades BitD (Back in the Day). Glad to hear it's still worth owning.
Fun(?) fact(?)Regarding the parallax scroling: I’ve read that Moon Patrol was the first game ever to have this feature.
This game was very well received by the community in the high score thread you mention, bringing back memories from our youth and offering some compelling and addictive game play in the process. I hope we see more old school 1980s arcade games on the Switch.
This brings me back to my C64 days. I don't know how far I got in this game, just that I had a seriously difficult time with it. I'm not sure how well I'd survive it this time around.
This is one of the games I used to play when the Donkey Kong line was too long. I'd get this, but the Donkey Kong line isn't that long anymore.
Great game! I had previously played it on the 2600 but the arcade version blows it out the water graphically. The Caravan mode is a lot of fun for this game but anyone wanting to play that now is playing for 2nd place as @GrailUK has claimed the number 1 spot for himself.
Cheers for mentioning our thread in your review @daveisbored
I always enjoy a game of this at the score seems fair and I’m pleased that’s its held its fun factor for this long.
One of my favorites!!
Amazingly I've never played this.
7 out of 10? 😱
Joking aside. MOON PATROL is one of the most playable (still to this day) and authentically classic arcade games of all-time. Deserves the same kind of recognition from the arcade gaming community that PAC-MAN, DONKEY KONG, BURGER TIME and SPACE INVADERS gets albeit if it wasn't a cultural phenomenon like many of those titles were. The more you play MOON PATROL, the more you love it and it also has one of the single greatest main themes in arcade history. Thank you IREM.
Sounds awful. I have a 2600, ( the black unit from the 80s) and most of the games are awful. Pac man is the best game I have
@NickFalk I've also heard that MOON PATROL can lay claim to being the first for parallax scrolling 👍
I'm a huge fan of this game!
@Lroy @NickFalk Isn't Defender's scrolling parallax then? The mountains certainly move faster than the stars.
Moon patrol was one of my favourites in the arcades. I'm hoping that Hamster will get to bring out Kung Fu Master and Phoenix at some point too.
@Dizzy_Boy I am a MASSIVE Pheonix fan! Gah...now I want to play it
Great arcade game.
I put in way too many coins back in the arcades, addictive.
More than the asking price on Switch and it only cost 20 cents a go back then.
Moon Cresta next please
ive got yer moon
right here
I used to love Moon Patrol. [Checks price]. Eight bucks!?! That’s a pass from me. Chuck a bunch into an arcade collection, and I’m sold - I’m not buying nostalgia one overpriced game at a time.
@Bondi_Surfer I know right? If they bundled a load of arcade classics into a virtual cabinet I'd be all over it. But I can't justify piecemeal purchases for this stuff.
love this game. just got it on the switch. beat the first level. working on the second level.
My whole family played the Atari 2600 version all the time. Such a great game. Simple to learn, difficult to master.
@Bondi_Surfer Publishers are getting greedier now as this period in gaming is starting to take on legendary status to more and more of the population with the passage of time.
I still have the C64 cartridge for this. If only I had a working C64...
I always enjoyed this game - I pumped a lot more than $8.00 worth of quarters into it in the '80's!
@Danrenfroe2016
This game is much better than anything on a 2600, including it’s terrible port to the 2600. This is the arcade game, not the inferior and awful Atari copy.
@GrailUK MP's at least the first 3-plane parallax game. I believe it's also the first to use some kind of kinematics, for the wheels to individually track the ground and have it all affect the rover itself. Considering other games out at the time it's kinda mind blowing.
@Danrenfroe2016 I had a 2600 myself and I agree with you,it's games haven't stood the test of time at all.The actual arcade games most of its library was based on though ,they can be as fun today as they were back then.Moon Patrol is one of those games. Having online leaderboards and Caravan mode ,you'll be surprised how addictive it can be.
@Agent721 What are you talking about. I have the 2600 version and it's a great port.It keeps all of the features of the arcade game intact.It's very playable.
@OorWullie Plenty of 2600 games stand the test of time,especially the ones made after 1982.Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBg48Ivjiyc&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yr-T6nRZE&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp6flUvuueY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8-y4o7VX3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RguF-vcg4&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1ipBZGrxiY&t
Oh, and the 2600 also has a huge homebrew scene.Many examples are here: https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_list&c=24&sortby=id:desc
Love this game. Used to play it all the time at a local bowling alley back in the 80's. I kind of stunk at it then but I'm much better at it now.
What makes this game even better is that you can keep feeding credits after exhausting your lives so you can get to know the checkpoints so you can see how better you perform on the next go-round.
@NandN3ds
The graphics alone are hideous compared to the arcade. It’s not comparable. I also owned a 2600 in my youth, quite familiar with it and the graphical differences between its ports and the original arcade games is gigantic.
@OorWullie i totally disagree with that statement. Many 2600 games based on playability certainly stand the test of time today. River Raid, Stampede, Star Raiders, Seaquest, Grand Prix, Enduro, Keystone Kapers, Kaboom!, Video Pinball, Demon Attack, Superman, Megamania, Freeway, Fishing Derby, Boxing, Asteroids, Warlords, Starmaster, Pitfall I&II, Chopper Command, Tennis, Circus Atari, Air Sea Battle and Skiing just to name a few off the top of my head. Cmon bro! 🤣😃🤣 me personally I look forward to the Atari Flashback releases coming to Switch!! Now we will have Atari, Nintendo and Sega classics all on one console!! 😉 that’s amazing!!
@Agent721 yes, but it is pretty good for a 2600 game.It also captures the essence of the arcade game.
@NandN3ds Cheers for those videos.Solaris is probably the best looking out of those,I'd definitely have fun with that.Road Runner ,man I had completely forgotten about that game for the last 30 odd years. I loved that as a kid.I think I used to rent it from a video shop,I definitely didn't own it anyway. As soon as the gameplay started in that video I just got a massive flashback.
@OorWullie I may have to watch some videos of it and maybe give it a try.
@joey302 I'd forgotten about Atari Flashback coming to Switch.I just had an Atari Flashback of my own watching that Road Runner video NandN3DS posted above.It's been so long since I played the 2600,I don't think I ever played any of its games again after moving into the Spectrum.I'd imagine it's games have certainly held up much better than the Spectrums anyway,those I couldn't go back to.I'll definitely be buying the Flashback collection and I'll be happy to admit I was wrong with what I said in my comment above 😀
@OorWullie all good buddy! 😃 never played a spectrum being in the states. Read about it much though in Zzap 64. From the 2600 I went to the 5200/Colecovision then the C64. Damn that computer had a ton of good games!! Yea the Atari Flashback on Switch will be a day 1 for me. Your gonna get Arcade perfect ports of Centipede, Millipede, Missle Command, Tempest, Crystal Castles, Asteroids/Deluxe, Space Duel, Warlords to name a few. And like I said, with Atari, the Sega Ages announcement, Nintendo’s eventual VC announcement with THEIR classics, all 3 big boys on one console?? Mind boggling!! If you told me this would happen one day back in the day my response would’ve been “you’re outta your right mind” lol 😂 good stuff man! The Switch is becoming a retro classic powerhouse which is great news for us older retro gaming farts!! 😊
Day one purchase for me. One of my favorites.
However, I understand why the price is too high for some. I felt the same way about Crazy Climber. And Punch-Out! is tempting, but I still haven't purchased it yet.
Until Super Mario Bros, the port of this on Atari was, as a child, my favorite videogame ever
@masterLEON Oh it is. I certainly wasn't trying to take anything away from MP.
@GrailUK
As far as I understand Defender does not really deliver parallax-scrolling from a technical standpoint. The stars never overlap with the mountains. It’s a rather clever visual trick where part of the screen scrolls at a different speed giving the impression of parallax.
@NickFalk Aaagh. I was wondering if there was some technicality to it. Cheers
@NandN3ds
You seem very well versed on 2600s. Have you tried any of the new retro systems & would you recommend one? Or is it better to go with a straight original?
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