Moon Patrol
Moon Patrol — frequently asked questions
- Is Moon Patrol on Steam?
- No. Moon Patrol is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Moon Patrol on?
- Moon Patrol is available on Commodore VIC-20, Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Atari ST/STE, DOS, Apple II, Texas Instruments TI-99, MSX, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC, TI-99/4A, VIC-20.
- When did Moon Patrol release?
- Moon Patrol was first released on May 8, 1982.
About Moon Patrol
Moon Patrol is a side-scrolling shooter that puts players at the controls of a six-wheeled moon rover that can jump and shoot. The goal is to move through the entire course as quickly as possible while shooting enemies for additional points. Cannons are mounted on the front and top of the vehicle, and both fire simultaneously when the fire button is pressed. Rocks, mines, and pits in the course prevent you from just holding to the right for maximum speed. Rocks and mines can be shot, but pits must be jumped. Some enemies fire shots that create new pits in the course, forcing players to react quickly.
Summary via IGDB.
Moon Patrol on Wikipedia
Moon Patrol is a 1982 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Irem for arcades. It was released by Williams Electronics in North America. The player controls a lunar rover which continually drives forward across a scrolling landscape while jumping over or shooting obstacles such as holes and rocks. Shooting sends one bullet forward along the buggy's path and, simultaneously, another straight up for defense against aerial attack saucers. The goal is to reach the next checkpoint and eventually the end of the course.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Commodore VIC-20, Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Atari ST/STE, DOS, Apple II, Texas Instruments TI-99, MSX, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC, TI-99/4A, VIC-20
- Developer
- Irem
- Publisher
- Irem
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | 1983 | $9 | $24 | $35 | 2 reviews | GCC (designed by Mark Ackerman / Noelie Alito) |
Also released on: Commodore VIC-20 · Arcade · Commodore C64/128/MAX · Atari ST/STE · DOS · Apple II · Texas Instruments TI-99 · MSX · Atari 8-bit · Atari 5200 · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · IBM PC · TI-99/4A · VIC-20. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Atari | Silver | CX2692 | Common+ |
| Europe Atari | Red | CX2692 | Scarce+ |
Also released in South America by Polygram, Polyvox, Shock Vision, Tron, Atarimania.
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1983
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1 - 2
- Authenticity
- Low
Atari's 2600 conversion of Irem's lunar-buggy arcade game, cheap and easy to find.
Irem's 1982 arcade Moon Patrol has you drive a lunar rover across a scrolling landscape, jumping holes and rocks while firing forward and straight up at attack saucers. It is often credited with introducing full parallax scrolling to side-scrolling games.
Atari published the 2600 version in October 1983. General Computer Corporation developed it, with Mark Ackerman and Noelie Alito credited as designers.
How it was made
Developed by General Computer Corporation (Mark Ackerman and Noelie Alito) and published by Atari in October 1983, with a PAL release in early 1984.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 8 | November 1983 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
| Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 2 No. 3 | January 1984 | 3½ joysticks |
“The 2600 version is also quite good, offering three difficulty levels and lots of surprises as you explore further on the lunar surface. … MOON PATROL is a delightful game that is lots of fun to play.”
“Moon Patrol may not be the most original game ever created but it is one of the most challenging and addictive.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Apple II · Atari 8-bit · Atari 5200 · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · IBM PC · MSX · TI-99/4A · VIC-20
| Atari 2600 | GCC (designed by Mark Ackerman / Noelie Alito) |
- Commodore 64. InfoWorld's Scott Mace named the Commodore 64 version his favorite Atarisoft game for its use of the computer's sound, and Computer Games noted it adds a continue feature.
- Atari 8-bit. Computer & Video Games rated the Atari 8-bit version 33 out of 40 in March 1985 and named it the month's third-best game.
Worth knowing
- 1984 Arkie Award. The 2600 Moon Patrol received a Certificate of Merit in the Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame category of the 1984 Arkie Awards.
Before you buy
Low risk; this is a common Atari cart. Loose, boxed and sealed copies are all inexpensive. Make sure the listing is the 2600 cartridge and not the Atari 5200 or computer version, which share the name.
Moon Patrol screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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