Moon Patrol 6-15-83 (166-06)

 

Here we have another interesting Moon Patrol proto.  This prototype proves that GCC was attempting to make the rover look like the arcade version but was having trouble getting it to look right.  This version also has the missing rolling boulders, which appear after the third checkpoint.  GCC may have been having trouble with these as well, because for some strange reason though they appear to bounce instead of roll.  This may have been why they were removed from the final version.

One other interesting thing about this version is the music.  GCC attempted to simulate the background beat from the arcade game.  The result is a very loud beat that almost drowns out the regular music.  This music cannot be turned off with the difficulty switch like it can it later versions.  Speaking of difficulty switches, the 3 speed option has not been implemented yet so the right switch does nothing.

 

Prototype Differences
The option for three speeds has not been implemented yet so the right difficulty switch does nothing.  The game only has two speeds.
The game sometimes doesn't register that the player has pushed up to jump if done rapidly.
There is no sound
After you die the game will wait until you press the fire button to continue
Your Rover is shaped differently. It kind of looks like a cross between a tank and a tractor. The result is a really large block with a tread. The picture next to the lives counter also looks like this.
The rover is actually longer than in the final version so it's harder to jump over things
Staring at the fourth checkpoint you encounter rolling boulders which sort of bounce across the screen. These were removed from the final version.
The music is slightly different towards the end (no syncopation), and there's a messed up attempt to do a background drum beat.
You cannot turn the music off with the difficulty switch, it has no function.
The demo is slightly buggy.  The rover will move over two holes at the beginning and then jump afterwards (slightly too late).  This is due to the timing of the demo being off.
The letters E and H for easy and hard on the difficulty selections are much smaller than the M for medium which is the regular size
Instead of showing 1P and 2P for one or two players, this version displays one tank or two tank symbols
The word BONUS that is displayed after each round is smaller and positioned off to the right instead of being centered
The words NO BONUS are not  displayed when you don't beat the timer (it doesn't say anything).

 

That's one funky looking rover...

Here's the demo glitch.  Notice the rover is in the hole!

Here's that bouncing boulder

BONUS! (A bit off center)

No Bonus, no message

Notice the tank symbol and how big the M is.

Little tiny H

Little tiny E (teddy bear included)

 

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