Moon Patrol/Gameplay

Gameplay summary

 * You control a moon buggy. It rolls along the moonscape on its own; you can direct it to go faster or slower by holding the joystick left or right.
 * You can fire forward and upward at the same time by pressing the Fire button; the fast upward shot takes out alien spacecraft overhead, while the slow forward shot destroys rocks and various ground-based enemies.
 * You can also jump by pressing the Jump button, which allows you to clear pits and mines, and even jump over said rocks and ground enemies.
 * If you're hit by enemy projectiles, you run into a rock or ground enemy, or you fall into a pit, you will lose a life; you start with three.
 * There are two "courses", marked by twenty-six checkpoints (A to Z) of which five are major, essentially dividing the courses into five "stages". When one of these major checkpoints is reached, your time is compared to the par and bonus points may be given; completing a course gives you an additional 5000 points.
 * The second Champion Course is harder and introduces new enemies over the first Beginner Course, and "loops" forever (each loop is even numbered).

Controls

 * Joystick: The joystick can be pressed to the right to increase the speed of the Moon Buggy, or to the left to slow it down. When the joystick is at rest in the neutral position, the Moon Buggy travels at a medium speed.
 * Fire: Press the Fire button to fire both up into the air, and forward ahead of the buggy at the same time. While up to four air bullets may be fired upward at the same time, only one forward shot can occupy the screen, so it is important to time your shots when obstacles are approaching.
 * Jump: Press the Jump button to launch the Buggy into the air momentarily. The distance you jump is proportional to the speed that you are traveling, so successfully jumping over long pits requires a decent rate of speed.
 * 1-2 Players: Press either button to begin a one or two player game.

Moon Buggy
Your vehicle across the rugged lunar terrain is this 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.

Pits 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 pits than jumping over them. Most pits are spaced out, but a few come in rapid succession of one another, so jumps must be timed carefully. In addition to pits, 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, like the one shown on the left, 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.

Boulders
At certain point along your patrol, the elevation of the moon's surface rises. 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.

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 four.

Tanks
Tanks appear in later stages. 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 Car
During the first stage of the second mission, and two more times afterward, a rocket car may appear behind your moon buggy. It will appear on the left side of the screen and pause for just a short moment before darting towards the back of your vehicle. Your only defense is to jump up and let it sail beneath you.

Pit Plants
A strange type of vegetation exists on the moon, favoring to make their homes in the pits of the lunar surface. They bob in and out of the pits in an effort to catch whatever they can grab. A shot from the cannon is enough to render the plant harmless, but the pit must still be leaped over. Attempting to leap over a pit that still contains a plant can be a dangerous gamble if not timed perfectly.