In the classic Moon Patrol, players control a stylish moon buggy, with a simple goal: Drive from point A to point Z, trying not to blow up too many times along the way.
Gameplay: The moon isn't very safe, and thanks to budget cuts, your buggy explodes as readily as a 1972 Pinto. Luckily, you've tricked it out with a dashboard Jesus, lasers, and hydraulic shocks, so you can blast the rocks and jump over the bottomless craters that get in your way.
There's also the small matter of the UFOs that want to kill you. They drop bombs, which you'll need to shoot out of the sky or avoid, and some of them leave behind craters that you'll have to hurtle.
Once you get past checkpoint J, things get tough: landmines, rolling boulders, and enemy tanks will do everything they can to stop you. However, should you blow up, there are two saving graces: The animation is very cool, and when you run out of lives, you can drop another quarter in the machine and continue where you left off.
There are five checkpoints between A and Z. Make it between them quickly and you'll score some "good bonus points," which can be traded in for "good booze" back at the base. If you make it to point Z, you get to try the incredibly difficult champion course.
Could be mistaken for: Jungle King, Futurama's Whalers On The Moon ride
Kids today might not like it because: They can't pick up a hooker, nail her in the back of their moon buggy, then kick her out, run her over, and take her money.
Kids today might like it because: Moon Patrol is much more realistic than the car-racing games they're used to playing.
Enduring contribution to gaming history: Moon Patrol turned the gaming world upside down with its winning combination of catchy music, great graphics, and simple-but-challenging gameplay. These advances were so popular, gaming companies have been trying to duplicate them ever since. Even Nintendo.
Wil Wheaton is totally going to finish restoring that moon buggy in the yard, just as soon as he picks up those power converters from Toshi Station.