Moon Patrol (Atari 2600) is an arcade game by Irem released in 1982. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. Moon Patrol is widely credited for the introduction of parallax scrolling in side-scrolling video games. Taito’s Jungle Hunt side-scroller, released the same year as Moon Patrol, also features parallax scrolling. Play Moon Patrol online here.
Moon Patrol (Atari 2600) game description
The player takes the role of a Luna City police officer assigned to Sector Nine, the home of the “toughest thugs in the galaxy”. The player controls a moon buggy that travels over the moon’s surface, viewing it from the side as it moves towards the right side of the screen. While driving it, obstacles such as craters and mines must be avoided, and various enemies such as UFOs from above and tanks on the ground must be shot down.
Dangers on the Moon include rocks (small and big ones) which can be shot to pieces or jumped over, pits which must be jumped, and UFO’s which fire at the player or bombard the ground (creating pits). Later the player also comes upon stationary tanks which fire missiles (that can be destroyed with the player’s own shots), landmines, carnivorous plants that pop up out of pits, and rocket cars which stalk the buggy from behind before rushing forward in an attempt to ram it down.
Play Moon Patrol online
You can play Moon Patrol online, emulated in web browser here.
