I
loathed this game in its VCS incarnation. Its flickery graphics and choppy
scrolling killed the game. I'm happy to report that the 5200 version comes
almost indistinguishably close to the arcade original. In Moon Patrol,
you take control of an armored go buggy, tooling across the lunarscape. It's
just you against alien spaceships, tanks, and a grueling, pockmarked path. In
addition to the vehicle-swallowing pits natural to the landscape, the enemy
vessels can blast holes in front of you.
5200 Moon Patrol successfully retains both the wild gameplay and the trademark audiovisual effects that helped to distinguish Moon Patrol in the arcades. The background graphics are gorgeous, and the soundtrack does a terrific job of setting a playful mood -- while incorporating some of the eeriest sound effects found in a classic home videogame. And since the key to conquering this game lies in the precise timing of jumps, the joysticks do not detract from the gameplay one bit. Recommended.
