Moon Shuttle
Is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Nichibutsu for arcades. It was released in Japan in June 1981 and in North America in August 1981 by Taito. It was later ported to home computers by Datasoft.
Moon Shuttle
- Date
- 1981.
- Publisher
- Nichibutsu and Datasoft.
- Genre
- shoot 'em up.
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Documentary summary
Is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Nichibutsu for arcades. It was released in Japan in June 1981 and in North America in August 1981 by Taito. It was later ported to home computers by Datasoft.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1946683 · wikipedia · Moon Shuttle
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Moon Shuttle • Developer — Nichibutsu • Platforms — Arcade, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, TRS-80 Color Computer • Genre — Scrolling shooter • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer
Gameplay
Gameplay
The player controls a spaceship who must navigate between an asteroid belt in one phase and shoot aliens in the next. The spaceship has to avoid the asteroids at all costs and make their way through narrow gaps which they can form by shooting the asteroids. The player can accelerate through the gaps and risk crashing for bonus points, or simply allow the spaceship to cruise slowly. In the second phase, aliens move in erratic patterns and must be defeated; each wave has different enemies until a boss enemy is found and defeated.
History of the object
Dated record
History of the object
The full dated record · 1 entries
1981
Moon Shuttle published.
Reception
Robert Karp of Play Meter praised the graphics and the meteorite section's originality, but criticized the game's use of a lever for acceleration. Craig Holyoak of ComputerFun gave the Atari 8-bit version a 2/4 score, criticizing its lack of innovation as well as questioning Datasoft's intentions of developing the port.
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Moon Shuttle stands. Issued for TRS-80 Color Computer. Published by Hamster Corporation. Issued for Atari 8-bit family. Issued for arcade video game. Published by Nichibutsu. Issued for Commodore 64. Published by Datasoft. Recorded as video game.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Moon Shuttle”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1946683: Moon Shuttle
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Akagi, Masumi. アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Amusement News Agency. 55, 136. October 13, 2006. 978-4990251215.
- 2.Yarwood, Jack. Nichibutsu's 1981 Space Shooter 'Moon Shuttle' Is This Week's Arcade Archives Release. Time Extension. 2024-10-02.
- 3.Yarwood, Jack. Namco's Legendary Arcade Fighting Game 'Tekken' Is Coming To Arcade Archives 2. Time Extension. 2026-06-24.
- 4.【アケアカ】『ムーンシャトル』10月3日配信。隕石を破壊してゴールを目指すステージ、敵を倒すステージが交互に楽しめる ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com. ファミ通.com.
- 5.Karp, Robert. Moon Shuttle/Taito. Play Meter. Skybird Publishing. 7. 22. 177. 1981-12-01.
- 6.Holyoak, Craig. Moon Shuttle. ComputerFun. 1. 2. 65. May 1984.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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