Lunar Commando

Lunar Commando is a 1997 action arcade game from Smokin' Software in which flying saucers from deep space launch a sustained assault on our moon bases. You defend the surface against incoming UFOs with rockets, then head inside to clear out whatever alien infestation has wormed its way in.

Two-segment waves

Each wave splits into a defense phase and a cleanup phase. You aim and fire rockets at incoming saucers from the surface, then switch to a laser pistol and sweep the base interior to eliminate alien pods before they mature into something nastier.

Mouse-driven combat

The mouse handles aiming and firing for both phases, keeping inputs immediate and reactive in the late-1990s Mac arcade tradition. The simultaneous threats inside and outside the base force quick context-switching once waves overlap.

Two-player co-op

A cooperative mode splits the labor: one player mans the exterior defenses while the other patrols the base interior, hunting pods. It turns the title into a couch co-op shooter rather than a solo arcade run.

System requirements

Per the author, Lunar Commando needs System 7 or higher, 8 MB of RAM, 256 colors, and a 640x480 monitor or larger, with PowerPC recommended. The full version 1.0.4 ships with copy protection that effectively requires native Mac OS 9 or QEMU/MAME emulation; earlier demo builds run more readily under other emulators with reduced content.