Lunar Lander

1979 · Simulation · Arcade

Overview

Lunar Lander (1979) is Atari's vector-graphics landing simulator: manage fuel, thrust and rotation to set a module down gently on the Moon.

Deep Dive

Designed by Rich Moore, Atari's Lunar Lander turned a well-known text simulation into a vector-graphics arcade game. A thrust lever and rotation buttons control a module that keeps its momentum, so players must plan ahead to arrive on a landing pad slowly and upright before the fuel runs out; the harder pads score more. It was Atari's first vector game, released the same year as Asteroids, and it let players insert extra coins mid-game to buy more fuel.

Developer Story

Atari's Lunar Lander was designed by Rich Moore and released in 1979 as a vector graphics arcade game. It was based on the 1969 text simulation but rendered with beautiful line-drawn graphics. Its vector display hardware was reused for Asteroids later the same year. The cabinet used a thrust handle and rotation controls to simulate the Apollo lunar module.

Did You Know?

Lunar Lander was Atari's first vector-graphics arcade game — Asteroids, which became far more famous, followed later the same year on the same hardware.
A "buy more fuel" option was built into the game — players could insert coins mid-game to continue, one of the first examples of monetising game continuations.
The terrain was randomly generated for each play, meaning no two landings were on the same surface.
The game used authentic physics — the lander had inertia and the thrust was continuous rather than instantaneous, requiring players to think ahead.