Lunar Lander © 1979 Atari.

Lunar Lander is a 1-player coin-op electronic game that simulates landing a manned spaceship on the moon. Various video-display phrases indicate score, time elapsed during this landing mission, fuel units consumed, altitude above the moon, and horizontal and vertical speed. The fuel consumption and both speed readings are important for the player to determine how to land the craft. Realistic engine rumble and crash sounds accompany game play. A high beep warns of an almost-depleted fuel supply, whereupon players can add coins to automatically extend the game and 'fill up' their fuel tanks. Depending on the quality of the landing or the crash, various messages are displayed on the screen.

Game play begins with engine rumble and the lander drifting towards the bottom
right corner of the screen. Horizontal and vertical speeds are constantly displayed, including two arrows to show horizontal and vertical directions of travel. Altitude is measured in distance above the surface of the mountain - not above 'sea level'. The screen also shows time in actual seconds, representing time elapsed in the current mission.

The operator can select from four different settings for fuel units - 450, 600, 750 or 900 fuel units per coin (free play is also available). As the lander module flies over the landscape, it approaches the mountains and a landing site. At a certain point near the mountains, the game 'zooms in' for a close-up view of everything on the screen.

If the player realizes the speed is too fast and the landing looks hopeless, he or she can press the ABORT button on the control panel. This will give the lander extra thrust and make it fly upwards at top speed. The abort feature does consume 120 to 180 fuel units, though, as a disincentive to overusing it. If the ABORT button is pressed too late, however, a crash cannot be avoided.

The four levels of mission difficulty are determined by the player and can be changed at any time during the game or the ready-to-play mode. The differences between the four are printed on the mission select panels and are self explanatory, except perhaps rotational momentum. This feature causes the lander to tumble around when either ROTATE button is pushed. The longer either button is held down, the faster the lander module will spin in that direction. The player gains control of the lander by pressing the other ROTATE button for the same amount of time.