Jmac's Arcade #4 - Moon Patrol

[prog]

"" (Watch on YouTube)

In which I do my laundry. http://arcade.jmac.org

I actually have more to say about this game (which would actually be me talking more about the game per se) but I wanted to keep to the script this time around. Maybe I'll do Moon Patrol Redux later.

I got really good at this game while working on this; you have to get pretty familiar with a game in order to die on cue. I also filmed myself getting to the Z checkpoint on one "quarter", if you can believe it.

Comments

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

I only played moon-patrol a few times as a kid but you're right about the music. One of the 'catchier' video game tunes of its day.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I'd never played nor seen moon patrol. I much enjoyed this though.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I hated that damn minefield.

Moon Patrol, Galaga and the kids these days

[taskboy3000.livejournal.com]

Moon Patrol was one of my favorites. The imagery of the game seemed a lot more interesting that Galaxian, Space Invaders and even Phoenix.

When I was in Jackson, New Hampshire last month, there was a re-issue co-op cabinet in the hotel where I was staying. It featured Ms. Pac-man and Galaga. I'm a sucker for Galaga, so I started playing it even though there were a bunch of frenetic 10 year-old boys bouncing around the room at the time. As I past level 4, they started gathering around me to watch the game. To be fair, there wasn't much else to do in this very olde thymey hotel.

Like you described in your commentary, I wanted to assume the role of "pinball wizard" to show them the simple delights of an 16K game. You don't always need a DVD worth of graphics and music to have fun. They muttered sounds of awe as I passed level 10 and were excited in the same way I was when I was their age watching a good player.

As I conquered a few more levels, one of them said "nobody gets to level 13!" Sadly, it was on that screen that the last of my ships was destroyed.

The game over, my fan base left me to watch the superbowl and I had a bad case of retrovertigo.

[jtroutman.livejournal.com]

awesome. Good job.

I, too, have many fond memories of Moon Patrol.

It was ensconced at the local Papa Gambino's pizza place several blocks from my house. So many times on my weekly allowance spending and hanging out-type days, I would go there to order a pizza (12" pepperoni) and play Moon Patrol while I waited for my pie to be made, baked, and served.

[chocorisu.livejournal.com]

Haha! Nice!

The dying on cue was a nice touch, really added to the narrative. I think talking over the jingle was a mistake though... you could've afforded to pause a second or two.

I am enjoying these a lot. I remember being the kid in that story.

[chocorisu.livejournal.com]

Also: 1982? Wow, that 3-level scrolling is pretty impressive for the time. Most games didn't even have a background yet. Wasn't til the early 16-bit games in the mid 80s that games started getting detailed palettes and backgrounds.

[prog.livejournal.com]

I know, the game is actually quite beautiful! I didn't realize the diversity and artistry of the backgrounds and characters until I was working on this.

It does a great job of making you feel like you're exploring a space by revealing more new stuff every time you get good enough to advance into another part of the course. This movie shows only a little of the different stuff you encounter; the minefield halfway through the "beginner course" shows how they briefly turn it into a slightly different game using the same rules.

Cool

[(Anonymous)]

You know, that music reminds me of the music from the game, Kung-Fu for the NES... :D

You don't need to touch the joystick in the minefield

[(Anonymous)]

Back in the 80's, I was one of those guys with my hand behind my back. You actually don't need to touch the joystick through the minefield. You have to anticipate your jumps and jump earlier so that when you land, you don't land on top of a mine. It takes a few tries to get it right, but I found it easier to anticipate the jumps and not use the joystick rather than jerking the joystick backward and forward between the mines.