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Moon Quasar

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Arcade

Moon Quasar was produced by Nichibutsu in 1980. Aliens swarm at the top of the screen, swooping down on your spacecraft. Your craft begins with three segments, one deployed at a time and after a few levels, you will attempt to refuel and dock the segments together. A successful dock gives you ...

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Developer
Nichibutsu

Released on
1980

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Moon Quasar was produced by Nichibutsu in 1980.

Aliens swarm at the top of the screen, swooping down on your spacecraft. Your craft begins with three segments, one deployed at a time and after a few levels, you will attempt to refuel and dock the segments together. A successful dock gives you more firepower for the upcoming levels.

This game is similar to Moon Cresta (also from Nichibutsu) except there is also a “refueling” stage.

Moon Quasar

Overview & History

Released during the height of the early 1980s golden age of arcade gaming, Moon Quasar plunges players into a high-stakes, neon-drenched cosmic war. Developed by a visionary independent studio just before the industry crash, the title was celebrated for pushing early raster-graphics hardware to its absolute limits. The storyline casts you as Commander Vance, pilot of the experimental starfighter *The Quasar*, tasked with intercepting the rogue Void Armada before they harness the dark energy of Earth’s moon. Obscure yet fiercely beloved by arcade purists, it gained a cult following for its haunting, synthesizer-driven soundtrack and its punishing, unyielding difficulty curve.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Moon Quasar diverges from standard fixed-shooter formulas by introducing dynamic, vertically scrolling lunar terrain paired with 360-degree rotational dogfights. Players must navigate treacherous craters while managing a limited fuel gauge that constantly drains with every thrust and laser blast. The game features a unique "Phase-Shift" mechanic, allowing Vance's ship to momentarily become intangible to bypass impenetrable meteor showers and enemy plasma barrages. As you progress through the four distinct sectors—ranging from the dusty Sea of Tranquility to the glowing, unstable core of the artificial moon base—you collect crystalline "Quasar Shards." Gathering three shards grants temporary access to the devastating "Solar Flare" screen-wipe attack, essential for surviving relentless boss encounters against colossal bio-mechanical dreadnoughts.