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>Way back in 1974 I encountered a computer ... via a >remote terminal ... and a video screen too ... there >were a couple of games listed ... and I tried Lunar >Lander ... a text game where you input how much fuel >to use over time ... and you got a one line response >as to your altitude and velocity ... I remember I ran >out of fuel and the text lines started flying down the >screen as I lost altitude and gained velocity and made >a text crater on the moon ... > >Later in 1979 I found Atari's Lunar Lander vector game >in the arcades and wow! I spent a small fortune >trying to land on its rugged landscape ... > >Over the years I've seen several text versions of the >lander game ... but none brought back the magic of >these first two encounters .. until this year when I >found Moon Lander for my favorite console ... the >Vectrex! So I ordered the EPROM & PCB and soldered >the two together and plugged it into my Vectrex and I >was stuck in that mode of fascination for a video game >that keeps you going half the night! > >Sure after crashing a couple of times I finally >landed! But the thrust didn't work right for me >because I was using a modified digital Genesis >controller ... Thanks to someone on the newsgroup .. >the tip was to use the original analog Vec controller >with joystick up for variable thrust! So then I could >thrust a little or alot just like with the Atari >arcade unit! > >So with a little effort I was landing reasonably well >on the first moon ... then to the next one ... the >landscape was changed and some wind was blowing me off >the landing pad! A challenge! > >The gameplay is addicting! Over time I conquered >several moons before losing all my landing craft ... >and with much effort I made it up to moon 8 ... wow! >Different landscapes, wind, different gravity values >... It's a different game every time! > >This game from Clay Cowgill gets a 10 from me ... >brilliantly conceived and programmed with some polish >from Chris Salomon ... This analog game is the only >reason to pull out your original controller and have >alot of fun! You cannot experience this game on >emulation ... only on the console with the original >controller ... It is even better than it's inspiration >... Atari's Lunar Lander! > >Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

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