Blue Moon Longplay (Commodore 64 Game)
6Blue Moon Longplay (Commodore 64 Game) -
Blue Moon is a space shooter developed by Merlin Software and released for the Commodore 64 in 1983. In this game, players pilot an intergalactic spacecraft on a mission to rescue a sister ship and its crew trapped on a hostile planet. The game comprises five distinct stages, each presenting unique challenges that must be overcome to bring the crew safely back to the Blue Moon.
In the first stage, players must connect their control module to the spacecraft by steering it left or right as it descends, requiring precise timing and accuracy. The second stage involves navigating through a comet storm, where players move the craft horizontally to shoot or dodge incoming comets, some of which drop directly toward their position.
The third stage introduces alien creatures called Blue Bouncers, which drop plasma bombs. Players must dodge the bombs while eliminating the aliens, and occasionally, pods transform into additional Bouncers, increasing the intensity. The fourth stage features a large alien named Tecom Man, who moves at the top of the screen, dropping droids and eggs that hatch into more aliens. Players must destroy Tecom Man while managing the additional threats.
Finally, the fifth stage requires players to land on one of three pads on the Blue Moon, with smaller pads awarding higher points. Completing the landing successfully ends the mission, after which the game restarts with increased difficulty.
Blue Moon reflects the early 1980s era of gaming, marked by straightforward yet challenging gameplay. Its multi-stage design offers variety, but to me, the game feels hastily put together. The stages, while individually engaging, lack cohesion, making it seem as though the developers drew inspiration from various space shooters of the time but struggled to create a unified, atmospheric experience. Instead of feeling like a coherent mission to conquer the Blue Moon, the game comes across more like a series of disconnected trials.
Despite these shortcomings, it remains a part of the Commodore 64's diverse library, offering a glimpse into the experimental game design approaches of its time.
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