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MoonPatrol.net
- History
Cast of characters - Scoring -
Tips and Tricks - Trivia
History of Moon Patrol
The player controls a moon buggy, viewing it
from the side, that travels over the moon's surface. While driving it must avoid
obstacles such as craters and mines. The buggy is also attacked by UFOs from
above and tanks on the ground.
- Cast
of characters -
PLAYER CHARACTER - MOON BUGGY : Your vehicle across the rugged lunar terrain is
a specially designed moon buggy. It comes with six wheels on three specially
mounted axles that contain especially absorbent shocks which allow the buggy to
glide across the uneven landscape of the moon. The wheels of the buggy can be
utilized to create short hops, which allow the buggy to jump over pits and other
hazardous obstacles that can't be removed in time. It is also equipped with a
roof mounted gun for anti-air fire and a forward mounted cannon. The anti-air
gun can fire up to four bullets on the screen at one time, while the cannon can
only project one bullet at a time. The buggy is destroyed by impact with an
obstacle, getting hit by alien craft bombs, or falling into a lunar pit.
Enemies on the ground:
- Craters and Rocks - Throughout the course
of driving on the moon, you will encounter natural terrain obstacles that
you must overcome. Nothing more can be done about craters than jumping over
them. Most craters are spaced out, but a few come in rapid succession of one
another, so jumps must be timed carefully. In addition to craters, you will
come across rocks on the landscape. Most rocks are easily dispatched with
one shot from your cannon. Sometimes, two rocks occur back to back. If
you're fast enough, you can destroy them both. Otherwise, you may opt to
jump over the pair. Small rocks lie below the height of your cannon fire.
They can only be destroyed if the shot from your cannon detonates near the
rock. Otherwise, the shot will sail harmlessly over the rock. When in doubt,
jump over the rocks to be safe.
- Land Mines - These small objects which
flash white and red make their first appearance after point J in the
beginner course. Like pits, they can not be destroyed and must be jumped
over. They tend to occur in rapid succession, so it is recommended that you
travel no faster than regular speed until you are an expert player. When two
mines are approximately two moon buggy lengths apart, it is important to
jump over the first one considerably early so that you don't land on the
second, and have enough time to jump off the ground before you reach it.
- Boulders - At certain points along your
patrol, the elevation of the moon's surface rises. The first such occurrence
is between points P and Q in the beginner course. While you are driving
uphill, it is not uncommon to encounter boulders rolling down towards your
buggy. Like rocks, these boulders can be rendered harmless with your cannon.
Even the small boulders present little challenge thanks to the incline of
the surface elevating them to the level of your cannon. But be prepared for
a difficult jump if too many come at you at once and you don't have enough
time to destroy them all.
- Tanks - These first appear after point U
in the beginner course. They are stationary, and typically fire one bullet
at a time in your direction. Their bullets and the shots from your cannon
cancel each other out, so you must immediately fire again in order to hit
the tank. Any delay on your part will result in the tank firing once more,
preventing you from destroying the tank before you reach it. Tanks can be
jumped over if necessary.
- Rocket Cars - The first of these appears
after point A in the champion course. It will trail behind you until it is
ready to strike. Stay fast, and don't do anything until it begins to
approach you. When it is half-way between you and the edge of the screen,
jump up and let it sail underneath you. Fire as soon as you land to destroy
it for 500 points.
- Space Plants - A strange type of
vegetation exists on the moon, favouring to make their homes in the craters
of the lunar surface. They bob in and out of the craters in an effort to
catch whatever they can grab. These space plants first appear shortly before
point H in the champion course. A shot from the cannon is enough to render
the space plant harmless, but the crater must still be leaped over.
Attempting to leap over a crater that still contains a space plant can be a
dangerous gamble if not timed perfectly.
Enemies in the air
Alien Craft : There are three types of craft
that the enemy employs when trying to defeat you from overhead. They all appear
in groups ranging from two to five.
- Regular Craft - These weave back and forth
dropping bombs on the buggy. The bombs can be destroyed with your anti-air
gun, but they make difficult targets. If this craft is left on the screen
for too long in later levels, it may fly down to collide with your buggy.
- Elliptical craft - These behave nearly
identical to the regular craft. They drop bombs on you with increasing
accuracy. The long you remain at a particular speed, the better their shots
will get, so make sure to mix your speed up in order to confuse them.
Sometimes, you can jump at the last minute and avoid getting hit if the bomb
is about to hit the back of your buggy.
- Tri-orb craft - This craft, made of three
circles bound together, is the deadliest of them all. Rather than dropping
normal bombs at the buggy, they pitch terrain deforming grenades at the path
ahead of you. You must watch the trajectory of their small flashing grenades
and anticipate when you might need to jump as a result of the newly formed
pit left by their grenade's impact with the ground. Like the bombs, the
grenades can be shot, but they are even harder to hit.
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Scoring
Regular alien craft :
Destroying - 100 points
Elliptical alien craft :
Destroying - 100 points
Tri-orb alien craft :
Destroying - 200 points
Alien craft formation bonus (for destroying all alien craft in a formation) :
Formation of three - 500 points
Formation of four - 800 points
Formation of five - 1000 points
(no bonus points for a formation of two)
Small craters :
Jumping over - 50 points
Large craters :
Jumping over - 100 points
Small rocks :
Jumping over - 50 points
Destroying - 100 points
Medium rocks :
Jumping over - 80 points
Destroying - 100 points
Large (double) rocks :
Jumping over - 100 points
Half destroying - 100 points
Half destroying and jumping over - 180 points
Destroying - 200 points
Land mines :
Jumping over - 50 points
Rolling boulders :
Destroying - 50 points
Jumping over - 100 points
Tanks :
Jumping over - 100 points
Destroying - 200 points
(no points for shooting the tank's missile)
Rocket cars :
Destroying - 500/800/1000 points depending on distance
(no points for jumping over rocket cars)
Space plants :
Jumping over - 100 points
Destroying - 300/500/800 points depending on their height when destroyed + 100
points for jumping over the crater
Reaching a checkpoint in under average time :
Beginner course - 1000 point bonus
Champion course - 2000 point bonus
Reaching checkpoint 'Z'
Beginner course - 5000 points
Champion course - 10000 points
Time remaining at checkpoint - 100 points per second under average time
Back on Top
Tips and
Tricks
Enemies that appear in later
stages also appear in the attract mode. If you watch the attract mode carefully,
you'll learn how to deal with these adversaries.
Moon Patrol is primarily divided into 2 courses; the Beginner course and the
Champion course. Each course is divided into 26 sections labelled A through Z.
Each section is organized into 4 groups of 5 and 1 group of 6 at the very end.
At the end of each group, your time is compared to the average time for
potential bonus points.
Beginner Course
A - E
In the very first stretch, you will encounter 3 small craters, and 2 rocks. Jump
over all of the craters and fire your cannon at the rocks.
Point A
By the time you drive over point A, 2 of the first alien crafts will appear
overhead. They will be joined by two of the elliptical crafts. A rock will
appear towards the end.
Point B
2 more crafts appear while a rock approaches your buggy. A few more rocks and a
crater will follow.
Point C
3 elliptical crafts will appear. Destroy them for a 500 point bonus while you
jump over the 2 craters and destroy the rock.
Point D
2 tri-orbs will introduce themselves. Be careful of the craters that their
grenades might make. They are quickly followed by 2 regular crafts. One rock and
one crater precedes the end.
F - J
Point E
The section begins with 2 tri-orbs followed by 2 elliptical crafts. A crater and
rock appear towards the end.
Point F
More difficult obstacles appear, such as large craters, double rocks that must
be fired on twice, and small rocks that must be hit by the explosion of the
cannon shot.
Point G
2 craft appear while you jump over large craters and destroy a few rocks that
get in your way.
Point H
There are simply 2 tri-orbs and 2 regular crafts in this section.
Point I
The first group of three tri-orbs will appear. Destroy them all for 500 points.
Then a rapid succession of craters and rocks will occur, including double and
small rocks. You may wish to slow down towards the end to deal with them all.
K - O
Point J
This section introduces you to land mines, the small objects that flash white
and red. Like craters, they can not be destroyed and must be jumped over. They
tend to occur in rapid succession, so it is recommended that you travel no
faster than regular speed until you are an expert player.
Point K
More land mines in this section. When 2 land mines are approximately 2 buggy
lengths apart, it is important to jump over the first one considerably early so
that you don't land on the second, and have enough time to jump off the ground
before you reach it.
Point L
Many of the land mines you encounter here come in pairs, but they are no more
difficult to jump at regular speed than single mines.
Point M
Space craft resume their attack and this time 4 of the regular type appear to
attack. Destroy them all for an 800 point bonus. This is followed by 3
elliptical crafts, worth 500 bonus points if they are all destroyed.
Point N
4 tri-orbs appear, followed by 3 elliptical crafts. If you can destroy them all,
you'll net a 1300 point bonus.
P - T
Point O
A quad of tri-orbs start off this section, followed by 3 regular crafts.
Point P
This section is the first uphill climb that you encounter. Boulders of all three
sizes will fall down the hill in no larger groups than pairs. Even the smallest
boulders should be easy to shoot.
Point Q
4 elliptical craft appear. Be aware that their bombs don't need to travel as far
in order to hit you. Also keep your eyes open for the large craters and double
rock formations that show up.
Point R
As you begin to descend downhill, a pair of both regular space crafts will
appear and bomb you from overhead.
Point S
3 regular crafts appear near simultaneously with 3 tri-orb craft. Stay alert to
newly formed craters.
U - Z
Point T
A rapid succession of craters and double rocks appear. Take this section at the
normal speed until you feel comfortable speeding up.
Point U
As soon as the craters and rock end, you will encounter your first 2 tanks. 4
more tanks are waiting for you after a large crater. Fire rapidly to overcome
their bullets and destroy them.
Point V
A series of 4 large craters precedes an uphill climb, complete with rolling
boulders.
Point W
4 regular craft and 3 elliptical crafts appear while you're positioned closer to
the sky.
Point X
3 regular crafts are followed by 3 tri-orb crafts.
Point Y
3 more tri-orb crafts and 3 elliptical crafts fire from overhead while you must
avoid a final series of craters and rocks to reach the end of the beginner
course.
Champion Course
A - E
3 regular craft and 3 elliptical craft bomb you from overhead at the start of
the champion course.
Point A
Your first tangle with a rocket car will occur. It will trail behind you until
it is ready to strike. Stay fast, and don't do anything until it begins to
approach you. When it's half way between you and the edge of the screen, jump up
and let it sail underneath you. Fire as soon as you land to destroy it.
Point B
A few tanks occur among craters and rock. The last tank in this section is
positioned just after a large crater. It's difficult to destroy both the tank's
bullet and the tank, so fire at the bullet and leap over the crater and the tank
in one jump.
Point C
More tanks appear with short breaks of craters and rocks.
Point D
4 regular crafts fly in while you must continue to navigate over several deep
craters and clear the rocks in your way. Destroy all of the crafts for 800 bonus
points.
F - J
Point E
3 pairs of tri-orbs appear, providing a near constant shower of grenades. No
bonus points are awarded for destroying all of the crafts because they are
considered pairs.
Point F
A tricky succession of craters and rocks occur. They frequently occur back to
back, requiring you to clear the rock in front of the crater before jumping, or
forcing you to delay your jump so that you can destroy the rock behind the
crater. Slow the buggy down if your jumps are landing too close to the next
obstacle.
Point G
4 tri-orb crafts are accompanied by 4 regular crafts for a total potential bonus
of 1600 points. At the very end of this section, you will be introduced to space
plants. Even if you manage to destroy them, remember to jump over the craters.
Point H
3 of the regular and elliptical crafts appear among more craters and rocks.
Point I
4 tri-orb crafts arrive. Destroy them as quickly as possible before the terrain
gets more difficult up ahead. Among the craters and rocks are space plants that
must be dealt with. Slow the buggy down towards the end.
K - O
Point J
This section starts off with an uphill climb. Boulders now appear more
frequently and groups of three are not uncommon. Do not be determined to destroy
them all. Leap over a set if they prove too difficult to shoot in time.
Point K
4 regular crafts and 3 elliptical crafts stream onto the screen during your
higher elevation.
Point L
Land mines begin to appear again, some in very close proximity to one another.
Slow your speed down until you get the rhythm of the jumps.
Point M
More land mines appear. In this section, some land mine pairs are so close that
it's actually possible to hurdle the combination at top speed, but this requires
great familiarity with the mine sequence before attempting.
Point N
5 tri-orbs appear, for a unique chance at a 1000 point bonus for clearing them
all. 4 regular crafts appear as well.
P - T
Point O
As soon as you begin your descent down the hill, five elliptical crafts swarm
overhead with four regular crafts. Once you reach the bottom of the hill, a
tricky combination of rocks and craters occurs, so clear the crafts as quickly
as possible.
Point P
The craters continue to come at a relatively easy pace. A rocket car will appear
while you continue to jump craters. The land will level out and eventually the
rocket car will launch itself at you. Jump to avoid it, and shoot it as you
land, but be ready to jump the next crater which comes up almost immediately.
Point Q
Rocks occur on either side of some craters now, some grouped in pairs. The very
end of the section contains closely arranged land mines.
Point R
More rocks and craters show up, with the space plants occupying the later batch.
Point S
5 tri-orbs are accompanied by 3 elliptical crafts. A few rocks show up towards
the end.
U - Z
Point T
As the section starts out, a few rocks and craters get in your way before a
rocket car appears. This time, it will launch shortly after you land from a jump
over a crater, so be ready to jump back up again as the car approaches.
Point U
A number of land mines appear. In the middle, two rocks must be destroyed. Use
this as a cue to speed up quite a bit, because a pair of land mines roughly one
buggy's width apart must be leaped over simultaneously and you need a good bit
of speed.
Point V
A total of 5 tri-orb crafts and 5 regular crafts will appear to launch an attack
over you. Continue to monitor forward for craters created by tri-orbs' grenades.
Point W
A rapid succession of craters, rocks, and space plants occur here. It is best to
travel at normal or slower speed to ensure that you have time to destroy every
obstacle in your way.
Point X
5 tri-orbs and four regular craft will dominate the sky above you.
Point Y
A full combination of tanks, craters, rocks, and space plants will assail you
during the very final section of the champion course.
* Hint 1 : When alien ships fly over, keep adjusting your speed or they will
eventually hit you with a bomb. Draw their bombs to one end of the screen, then
shift to the other.
* Hint 2 : Although the part of the mines seems to be the more difficult, it
isn't - all you have to do is not move your tank at all, only pressing the jump
button. You won't get many bonus points, but at least you'll survive.
* Hint 3 : The big key to this game is memorization. After the beginner course,
you go on to the champion course, which never changes no matter how many times
you pass it. Memorize the two courses, and you will almost never lose a life.
Back on Top
Trivia
Moon Patrol was released in June
1982. It was one of the earliest linear side-scrolling shoot'em ups and the
first game to feature parallax scrolling.
Some graphical glitches :
- Shoot an alien ship as it falls and it remains on the screen, with its point
total.
- Bombs dropped in pits explode on the surface.
- Occasionally you'll miss an enemy you appear to hit, but it works the other
way around, too.
- Occasionally the enemy missiles will hit your very edge and nothing will
happen. Don't get too used to this happening, though!
- When you jump but still fall in a pit, you always make it halfway between the
edge before falling in.
The attract mode course uses its own unique course of gameplay. The screen,
however, says 'Beginner course' at the top when the moon buggy is parked at the
moon base. The enemies encountered in attract mode are as follows :
(Moon base)
Large (double) rock, Large crater, 2 space plants (the second space plant has a
rock adjacent to it), Large crater, Small crater, 2 tanks
(Point A)
Uphill climb with rolling boulders, Formation of 3 regular alien crafts,
Formation of 3 tri-orb crafts
(Point B)
Downhill descent with formation of 3 elliptical alien crafts
(Point C)
Rocket car, Large crater and small crater adjacent to each other
(Unfortunately, the moon buggy always falls into the large crater that follows
the rocket car, so technically the attract mode course ends there. Sometimes the
alien craft between points A and C would defeat the moon buggy; other times the
moon buggy would mistime its jump over the rocket car. The land mines do not
appear in the attract mode).
Mark Robichek holds the official record for this game with 1214600 points.
A Moon Patrol unit appears in the 1983 movie 'Joysticks' and in the 1984 movie
'The Karate Kid'.
A Bootleg of this game is called "Moon Ranger".
Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (R-Type :
Irem Game Music - 28XA-199) on Januaryy 25, 1988.
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