Moon Patrol(Atari 2600) FAQ/Walkthrough version 1.0.0
by
[email protected](anti-spam spoonerism)
Please do not reproduce for profit without my consent. You won't be getting
much profit anyway, but that's not the point. This took time and effort, and
I just wanted to save a memory of an old game and the odd solutions any way I
could. Please send me an email referring to me and this guide by name if
you'd like to post it on your site.
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OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONTROLS
3. WALKTHROUGH
4. VERSIONS
5. CREDITS
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1. INTRODUCTION
Moon Patrol is an old game from when arcade games were starting their boom
that just about everyone likes. Unlike many other loved arcade games, though,
it translated well to the Atari 2600. You don't have the parallax scenery or
the cool backgrounds, and the randomness can be truly annoying, but it's well
done given the memory constraints.
In Moon Patrol you guide a buggy across several bits of terrain, with five
mini-courses per level and five checkpoints per level. If you die, you return
at the last checkpoint. Along the way you have boulders to shoot and holes to
jump, and enemies will appear above to shoot you down. Some of them even
create holes as they fire. Then there are mined levels where you need to jump,
not too fast or slow, to keep going. You always have the ability to fire up
and to the right at the same time as the screen scrolls left, and timing when
you fire and when you jump is critical in getting through the game.
On the one hand, once you know the tricks, Moon Patrol doesn't seem all that
complex. Still there's enough timing in there and enough strategy that the
occasional random time it traps you when enemies hail shots from above to
create several pits in a row is worth it.
2. CONTROLS
You can move right to go faster and left to go slower. Speed only gives you
more points, although in some cases it may be necessary to move across the
screen to avoid enemy fire. Pushing up jumps, and the fire button fires. You
can have up to four shots on the screen at the same time. However, if you
space them together too closely, then they will become redundant. Spacing
them correctly allows them to take up more of the screen without an enemy
getting through. Jumping as you fire makes things go a bit more quickly, but
unlike the arcade game, your buggy does not take up as much of the screen, so
it does not really give you an advantage that offsets the possibility you
will forget about an oncoming rock or pit.
Going fast(as defined here) doesn't take time off your score, but it may
leave you open to crashing into two obstacles in a row, but you can leave the
joystick in the center and not lose time, while going slow may mean you are
unable to jump over a pit. In general, I go fast so I have no problems with
most jumps, but when things get tough, you need to go about at medium speed.
Toggling speeds also lets you hit enemies that insist on bouncing around in
the upper left quadrant.
If you have a lot of enemies above, or triads to kill, push the joystick
right and release as you fire, and bounce your finger up and down on the fire
button to space the shots correctly.
I generally hold right when I need to.
Extra men at 10000.
Bonuses for finishing(above 1000 flat)
100*55-x seconds for mini courses 1-2
100*60-x seconds for mini courses 3-4
100*65-x seconds for mini courses 5
First course overall: 5000
2000 for any level 2 mini course + (70-x)*100 seconds
10000 for the whole thing
Regular UFOs(yellow or purple) get 100 and triads get 200.
Jumping a single hole = 100, double = 200, land mine = 50.
Rocks and tanks can be shot(80, 100) or jumped(100, 200).
Enemy cars that start behind you are 500/800/1000.
Fire to start the game.
3. WALKTHROUGH
3-0. EASY WALKTHROUGH
MINI-COURSE 1
1: Hole, wait, rock, wait, hole, wait, rock
2: 2 yellows above, then 2 purples
3: rock, 2 yellows, hole
4: 3 yellows, 2 rocks
5: 2 triands, then hole-before-rock at the end. Shoot and fire.
MINI-COURSE 2
1: rock, rock-then-hole
2: hole&2 rocks(jump early) then 2 yellow/2 purple
3: 4 purple
4: 3 triads, 3 purple, and watch for holes from triads
5: rock-before-hole, rock
MINI-COURSE 3
Red flashing mines ahead. You can go fast here, but it is a bit of a hassle
to judge things in advance.
1: 1 mine, then 2--so jump when the mine touches the 0 on normal speed, or
when it is a bit to the right on fast
2: 1 then 1 then 1
3: 2 then 1
4: 4 purple, 3 yellow
5: 3 triads, 3 yellow
MINI-COURSE 4
This is rather easy although if you have too many enemies, it might get a bit
tangled.
1: rock, then rock-after-hole. Fire then jump.
2: rock-hole-rock quickly.
3: 2-and-2, then 3 yellows, then rock-hole, then rock
4: 2-and-2, then 3 purples
5: 3 triads
MINI-COURSE 5
1: hole. 3 rocks then hole. Tank then hole.
2: 2 tanks then hole. 3 tanks then hole.
3: hole, hole, 3 triad, hole-then-rock, hole-then-rock. This is tricky if the
triads fire in the middle of it, but go slow, fire when the rock is at the
midway point of the screen, then lurch right in midair and fire/jump to get
all the way over and hit the rock.
The next part is tricky as you need to, at regular speed, jump(with the pit
under the 0), fire fire and jump.
4: 4 purple, 3 yellow
5: 4 purple, 3 triad
6: 3 triad, rock-rock-hole, rock-hole-hole. Just fire and jump when necessary
3-1. MEDIUM WALKTHROUGH
Even the easy course has its random pitfalls. I had to use save states to get
through it the first time. It is hard to remember what to expect for five
mini-courses, especially when enemies can hover out of sight and just drop
bombs ahead of you.
MINI-COURSE 1
1: Hole, boulder, hole, boulder
2: 2 yellow guys, 2 purple
3: rock, then 2 yellows
4: rock, 3 yellows, rock
5: triads, rock/hole near end
My best: 42 seconds
There is not much tricky here, as you basically need to learn when and how
frequently to fire.
MINI-COURSE 2
1: rock+hole, rock+hole--shoot + jump right after
2: hole right away(jump just after the X) so you can shoot down the 2 rocks
Then you have 2 yellow, 2 purple
3: 4 purple
Just keep firing and jumping and you should be OK. They'll disappear at the
next one anyway. There's a rock at the end.
4: 3 triads, then 3 purples, rock just before the end. Watch for triads
dropping missiles.
5: rock, rock-before-hole, rock
MINI-COURSE 3
For this part, you need to jump when the flashing mine is over the 0 on your
scoreboard. Don't speed up or slow down. After 3 x's you'll face 8 non triads,
then 4 triads and 4 non triads after the final X.
MINI-COURSE 4
1: rock-after-hole, rock-hole-rock(shoot before jumping here)
2: rock-hole-rock-hole. Jump over the first hole at regular speed, then fire
at the rock and jump again. 4 enemies and a hole come by.
3: hole, then hole-rock-hole. Deal with the enemies from part 2. Rock near
the end.
4: This level is just coasting. Shoot everyone above.
5: See above, but this time a few triads come out. Jump when necessary.
MINI-COURSE 5
1: hole, rock-rock-rock-double hole(shoot the rocks) then tank-3 holes(fire
several times at tank)
2: 2 tanks before hole(rapid fire to gun them down), 3 tanks before 2
holes(shoot the first two and continue firing and jump over the second)
3: hole, hole(fire as you jump,) then triads, and what sucks here is that the
leading one may drop a missile between 2 holes, making it impossible to jump
correctly. So if you lose a life, there's little that can be done about it.
Then hole-rock-hole-rock, slowing a bit and firing just before jumping. Now
there are 2 rocks a way ahead of the holes, and you can fire before jumping
just to nick them, though it is best to go full throttle right.
Now 4 purple guys, then 3 yellows.
4: 5 purple, then 3 triads before the end. There are 2 more rock jumps, but
that should not be a problem.
3-2. MEDIUM-2 WALKTHROUGH
MINI-COURSE 1
1: 3 yellow/purple to shoot above
2: car behind you, go fast and when he starts moving, fire
3: 2-jump, 1-jump, tank ahead of hole(go to normal speed here,) hole, 2 tanks
ahead of hole
4: there are 2 tanks ahead of 2 holes here. Slow up to shoot them and then,
when you're where the second was, go to the center and jump just before the
edge. Make 2 quick jumps here, keeping the joystick in the center. Fire away.
Before the next hole, tap right slightly just before you get to it then make
a regular jump, so you can fire on the tank to the right.
5: 3 yellow/purple, then 1 hole, double hole, then 2 holes spaced--run fast
and jump over them.
MINI-COURSE 2
1: 2 yellow 3 white. The end part is tricky as you need to be on the ground
when the x appears, but someone may drop a hole. Fire twice and jump and fire
to get rid of the hole-3 rocks.
2: jump over the hole so you land early, stay back and shoot the 2 rocks,
then go forward to jump barely over the hole and the next one. Triads will
come before the next X and you may get crossed up by them. But if you do,
you'll be past the next x, which is an easier area. I've found you may get a
bit more traction firing as you jump, if an enemy deposits a hole between the
two holes or near the rocks.
3: 2 holes then 2 rocks, then 2 rocks then 2 holes. Purple guys shoot above.
4: 3 of each, hole, 2 holes, hole, 2 purple along the way too
5: 3 triads are tricky so just try to shoot them(fire up as the X is about to
disappear,) do a normal jump over the 2 pits, and shoot the rock to get to
the end
MINI-COURSE 3
1: hole, hole, 3 rocks. Jump over the first one at regular speed, slow, shoot
2 rocks and go back to regular to jump and shoot the third rock.
There's another tricky jump ahead too. You need to jump over 1 hole, then
over 2, then slow down and shoot 2 rocks before and after, make one of those
comeback jumps where you speed up, jump and shoot. Next X after 4 yellows
2: normal speed. when the red is 2 digits right of the 0, jump up, then jump
forward. Jump forward over the next pairs, too.
Next time, jump when the red is 2 right of the 0, then 4 jumps forward.
3: rock, but the 3 triads and 3 purple will probably drop a hole, then
hole(jump early) and rock and rock
MINI-COURSE 4
1: 3 yellow, 3 purple
2: another car. 1 hole, 2 double holes, then fire when it goes forward.
You'll have time to shoot it before jumping over the double holes that are
part of...
3: double hole, 3 rocks, 2 holes, 1 hole
4: 2 tanks over 1 hole, where you need to slow down, take them out, then
speed up and jump
5: 3 rocks, 3 triads, 3 yellows and then a hole thrown in for good measure to
go with what the triads shoot
MINI-COURSE 5
1: 2 yellow 2 purple
2: lots of red mines here. Jump at regular speed until you see a boulder,
then slow back and shoot all 3 rocks and make a regular jump. Jump over the 2
red mines.
3: 4 yellow 2 purple, shoot the 2 rocks.
4: shoot the 3 rocks between the 2 holes, then jump and slow down and then
regular jumps.
5: 3 triad, 3 yellow. Jump the hole, then 2 rocks spaced evenly.
6: jump the hole, 2 tanks. Slow jump over the hole after them. Go regular
speed and fire at the tank when he shoots, so that you can jump over him and
then fire quickly.
After this the game repeats.
End of FAQ Proper
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4. VERSIONS
1.0.0: sent to GameFAQs 12/27/2007, complete, though I missed where an X is.
5. CREDITS
Thanks to the usual GameFAQs gang, current and emeritus. They know who they
are, and you should, too, because they get/got some SERIOUS writing done.
Good people too--bloomer, falsehead, Sashanan, Masters, Retro, Snow
Dragon/Brui5ed Ego, ZoopSoul, War Doc, Brian Sulpher, AdamL, odino, JDog and
others I forgot. OK, even Hydrophant in his current not-yet-banned message
board incarnation. I am not part of his gang, but I want him to be part of
mine.
Special thanks to Retro for notifying me about this version of the game.
