Retro Arcade Art By CTupa: Moon Patrol (1982)

With Moon Patrol being this week’s Retro Arcade Art pick. Christopher Tupa has once again chosen a game from William’s Electronics. Already with the artist’s new art project we have covered the likes of Sinistar and Inferno from William’s. Moon Patrol is an arcade classic and one that I might add I covered in the very first episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast.

There is so much to love about Moon Patrol. It’s sci-fi setting of course is a great place to start. I can certainly tell you how impressed I was the first time I stepped up to the machine. Seconds later I found myself cruising in my moon buggy across the lunar surface. In an attempt to reach check points before the timer has reached zero. Doing my best all the while to leap craters in the moon and boulders strewn about the landscape.

Or of course you can just blast those rocky formations with the cannons on the front of the moon buggy.

However when playing Moon Patrol the player has to keep an eye on the skies as well. Because that is where the enemy space ships will show up. Harrying the Player with bombs from above. Thankfully your roof mounted cannon can blow them out of the sky if your shot connects.

This swarming tactic is indeed deadly. Not that the alien ships will actually swoop down low enough to crash into your moon buggy. They do not need to do so as in fact the Tri-Orb crafts hurls missiles in front of you. These blast open new craters in front of your moon buggy!

Moon Patrol‘s rules are very easy to pick up. Mastering the game however is a totally different ball of wax. Or perhaps moon cheese in this case? While blasting or leaping over the boulders takes a steady eye…what do you do when you find yourself caught in an avalanche?

While the Player is racing across the lunar surface they must also beware of carnivorous plants. They lay in wait at the bottom of certain craters and will reach up to snatch your moon buggy. You can blast them with a shot from your front mounted cannon but must still deal with crater. Furthermore on certain stages you must contend with rocket cars who will smash into you from behind.

Now then, that is a lot to take in. I realize this but if you are going to play Moon Patrol there is more. Players must also try to nimbly jump over patches of mines.

As well as the sentient tank sentries left on the course in some stages. While, the good news is they are stationary. The shells they shoot at your moon buggy will stop your own shot so you have to quickly fire off another to blast the tank.

Now then, you know a little of Moon Patrol, so why not watch it in action?

[Via] Old Classic Retro Gaming

As always with CTupa’s Retro Arcade Art project, you can purchase the artwork featured in this post. The originals are ink and watercolor and are 5″x7″ on 8.5″x11″ size paper. You can hop on over to Christopher’s Official Site to contact him as well as check out more artwork from his project!

I hope you won’t forget to check out CTupa’s previous entries in his Retro Arcade Art Project as well!

Need more Moon Patrol information?

Perhaps you have already listened to the Diary episode for Moon Patrol? Well, I was fortunate enough to be invited to give my thoughts on the game just last month on the Ten Pence Arcade Podcast. An exceptional podcast by Victor Marland and Shaun Holley. It focuses on the Top 50 arcade games of all time. As voted on by the listeners of the podcast!