Summary

• Release Year: 1980
• Genres: Arcade, Shooter
• Platforms: Amstrad CPC, Arcade, BBC Microcomputer System, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Dragon 32/64, Wii, ZX Spectrum
• Developers: Nichibutsu, Nihon Bussan
• Publishers: Centuri, Incentive Software, Nichibutsu, Sega, Taito

Moon Cresta (1980)

Moon Cresta is a classic arcade space shooter released in 1980 by Nichibutsu. It is a fixed shooter in the vein of Namco’s Galaxian, but with a few unique twists.

The player controls a spaceship that can move left, right, and up. The goal of the game is to shoot down all of the enemy spaceships while avoiding their fire. The player’s ship can fire a single shot at a time, and it can also drop bombs.

The enemies in Moon Cresta come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some enemies fly in formation, while others move erratically. The player must use their wits and reflexes to dodge the enemy fire and take them down.

Moon Cresta is a challenging game, but it is also very rewarding. The game’s simple but addictive gameplay has kept it popular for over 40 years.

Gameplay

Moon Cresta is a fixed shooter, meaning that the player’s ship cannot move up or down the screen. The player’s ship can only move left and right, and it can fire a single shot at a time. The player can also drop bombs, which can destroy multiple enemies at once.

The goal of Moon Cresta is to shoot down all of the enemy spaceships while avoiding their fire. The player’s ship can take three hits before it is destroyed. If the player’s ship is destroyed, they lose a life. The game is over when the player loses all of their lives.

There are a total of 32 levels in Moon Cresta. The levels become increasingly difficult as the player progresses. The player must use their wits and reflexes to survive and reach the end of the game.

Enemies

The enemies in Moon Cresta come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some enemies fly in formation, while others move erratically. The player must use their wits and reflexes to dodge the enemy fire and take them down.

Some of the most common enemies in Moon Cresta include:

• Grunts: These are the most basic enemies in the game. They fly in formation and fire a single shot at a time.
• Fighters: These enemies are more powerful than grunts. They fly in formation and fire a spread of three shots at a time.
• Bombers: These enemies are the most dangerous enemies in the game. They fly in formation and drop bombs that can destroy the player’s ship in one hit.

Bosses

There are two bosses in Moon Cresta. The first boss is a large spaceship that fires a spread of five shots at a time. The second boss is a giant robot that fires a laser beam.

The player must use their wits and reflexes to defeat the bosses. The bosses are both very powerful, but they can be defeated with careful planning and execution.

Power-ups

There are a few power-ups that can help the player in Moon Cresta. These power-ups include:

• Speed up: This power-up increases the speed of the player’s ship.
• Double shot: This power-up gives the player’s ship the ability to fire two shots at a time.
• Bomb: This power-up gives the player’s ship the ability to drop a bomb.

The power-ups in Moon Cresta are very helpful, but they are also very rare. The player must be lucky to find a power-up, but they can make a big difference in the game.

Legacy

Moon Cresta is a classic arcade space shooter that still holds up today. It is a simple but addictive game with great visuals and sound. If you are a fan of retro shooters, be sure to check out Moon Cresta.

Moon Cresta has been ported to a variety of home computers and consoles over the years. The game was first ported to the Commodore 64 in 1983, and it has since been ported to the ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600, and NES. Moon Cresta was also released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan in 2010 and PlayStation 4 (Arcade Archives) in 2014.

Moon Cresta has been praised for its simple but addictive gameplay, its great visuals and sound, and its challenging difficulty. The game is considered to be one of the best arcade space shooters of all time.

Review Score

8/10

Art

Cover Art

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