Mars Patrol is a contemporary reinterpretation of the Williams arcade classic, Moon Patrol, tailored for the Commodore 64. Developed by JoeyC64 and his collaborator Helmut, the project stemmed from Joey’s belief that “The Atari version was rubbish, this could be done better!”
In the initial stages, Joey focused on programming while Helmut took charge of the graphics. Using only a 4k ass/diss monitor for direct memory manipulation, the duo embarked on creating the C64 version of Moon Patrol. Concerned about potential copyright issues, they renamed the game to Mars Patrol, envisioning substantial commercial success.
However, the project was shelved in mid-1985 when Joey changed schools and other priorities emerged. Without source code, compiler, or documentation, the project remained dormant for years.
Fast forward to 2024, Joey decided to revive Mars Patrol. His first step was to disassemble and document the game’s code on his Mac, which allowed him to successfully restart the game. Joey then cleaned up the code, added new features such as tanks and speeders from the arcade game, rewrote the UFO flying algorithm, and updated sprites and characters. He also implemented ground action with craters, rocks, and mines, drawing inspiration from a YouTube longplay by mameplayer to accurately replicate the arcade experience.
While he was unable to recreate the rolling boulders from the original arcade game, Joey borrowed sound effects from the Atari version due to his self-proclaimed lack of expertise with SID and sound composition. He welcomed contributions of music and sound code from the community to enhance the game further.
Joey’s children tested the game for bugs and playability, and despite the advancements in modern gaming, they found it surprisingly enjoyable. Joey primarily used VICE with 50Hz PAL emulation for testing and admitted that he had not yet played this version on a real C64, which remained stored away in his garage.
The game is free to play. You can download your own copy from his GitHub page.
