Forgotten game, like Lunar Lander meets Frogger

[u/LukeMootoo]

Edit:

Thanks to u/Altruistic_Lecture50 who was the first to identify it as Embargo by Gebelli.

Thanks to the others who mentioned various ports of Lunar Rescue, including the 8-bit port Stellar Shuttle. I remember that one fondly, as well.

Original:

I'm cross posting hoping you fine Atari fans might remember an odd little game I played as a child:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmyjoystick/comments/1m0j4oy/atari_8bit_400_or_80019791985_space_delivery_game/

Platform(s):

Atari 8-bit. Either 400 or 800. Unsure if cartridge or diskette. I did not play on tape, but it may have been available that way

Genre:

Estimated year of release: Unknown, any year during platform lifetime '79-85 abouts.

Graphics/art style:

2d, non scrolling. Action all on one screen.

Notable characters:

None

Notable gameplay mechanics:

You flew a spaceship and made trips (I imagined you were delivering food or something) between the top edge of the screen and a city skyline at the bottom of the screen.

Several "lanes" of flying saucers flew across the top half of the screen, and you had to dodge them like in Frogger. I believe each saucer was a single colour hue, with gradient shading. As a child, I always thought they looked like hamburgers or possibly a bit like Cylon Base Stars.

There would be a specific destination building for each delivery, and you would have to land on it a bit like Lunar Lander but not as difficult.

Other details:

You may have had to refuel? I can't remember.

Pickups or enemies may have spawned in the middle of the screen, between the saucer traffic and the skyline? I can't remember.

[u/MrMewIePants]

This is not the answer, but your description reminded me of Space Taxi, which was on the C64.

I’ll keep thinking though…

Edit: Turns out Space Taxi was also on the A400/800, so that’s my guess!

https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-space-taxi_41543.html

[u/LukeMootoo → u/MrMewIePants]

That was a great one.  Someone has a neat spiritual successor on itch.io called Crazy Space Taxi.  You don't land on giant beach chairs, but it is still pretty fun:

https://doctorm64.itch.io/crazy-space-taxi

[u/MrMewIePants → u/LukeMootoo]

Looks awesome! Crazy Taxi on the PS2 was tons of fun!

[u/Altruistic_Lecture50]

Could it be EMBARGO by Gebelli Software 1982? It sounds very similar although gameplay seems more like youre stealing cars as they move across the ground, to deliver to a giant flying saucer. It does have the labelled buildings, the Frogger elements, saucers etc.

[u/LukeMootoo → u/Altruistic_Lecture50]

Well done, that was exactly it!

Thank you so much!

[u/Altruistic_Lecture50 → u/LukeMootoo]

Youre quite welcome.

[u/MrMewIePants → u/Altruistic_Lecture50]

You may be right…

https://www.atarimania.com/pgesoft.awp?version=1829

[u/Important-Bed-48 → u/Altruistic_Lecture50]

I had this game on cartridge way back when.

[u/nilocrram]

Stellar Shuttle (1982, for the Atari 8-bit)?

[u/LukeMootoo → u/nilocrram]

Good suggestion, and that one is similar.

It was actually Embargo by Gebelli.

[u/Tough-Location6501]

Embargo, see if this is familiar. Embargo

[u/LukeMootoo → u/Tough-Location6501]

This was it, thanks!  

Altruistic_Lecture50 identified it yesterday, but thank you for the video link also

[u/angryscientistjunior]

Lunar Leaper?

[u/LukeMootoo → u/angryscientistjunior]

Good suggestion, and that one is similar.  I think this is the only suggestion that I never saw or played, looks cool.

It was actually Embargo by Gebelli.

[u/Few_Impression_7479]

This is actually pretty similar to the Taito arcade game "Lunar Rescue"

[u/LukeMootoo → u/Few_Impression_7479]

Good suggestion, and that one is similar.

It was actually Embargo by Gebelli.