Neptune Lander Elite is a pay-what-you-want strategy video game wherein you have to carefully traverse caverns. Developed by C64Mark, this retro indie game is inspired by the 1979 Lunar Lander game and a MOS Technology 6502 tutorial by OldSkoolCoder. It is playable on the Commodore 64 console, and purchasing a copy will be donated to the Centre for Computing History.

Become an elite lander

If you’re a fan of the Lunar Lander subgenre of space flight simulation games, Neptune Lander Elite is a good game to try out on the C64. Similar to its inspiration, you have to control a 2D lunar landing module to get to each landing platform—but this time, you need to go through treacherous caverns to reach your destination. The game features 40 levels filled with various obstacles to test your skills. 

Here, you have to come up with a strategy in using the advantages and disadvantages of gravity to traverse the levels. You’ll also come across lasers, EMP zones, warp portals, moving doors, and bonus pickups to aid you. Additionally, there are three different vehicles that you can choose from. Each vehicle different when handled, which makes things more challenging. Your score increases the more platforms you successfully reach.

This game has retro 8-bit graphics with minimalistic color themes. It also features a soundtrack for each level you unlock, making each stage truly feel unique. However, there are still issues to be found. For one, it’s not taught outright that you can save your high scores. The Game Over screen also doesn’t display your final score when you die, and you have to wait for the main menu to show up just to check your scores.

Can become a classic

All in all, though, Neptune Lander Elite is a great tribute to the Lunar Lander subgenre. It’s a unique strategy game for the C64 console and offers a varied selection of levels to complete. While it doesn’t have some quality-of-life features found in other games, it’s still a surprisingly well-polished product by the developer and deserves the price tag you choose—plus, because it lovingly supports a museum.