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Python Developer Builds Moon Lander Game As an Alexa Skill (amazon.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the Alexa,-launch-Moon-Lander dept.

Long-time Slashdot reader mni12 writes: Anybody interested to try out this "retro game" Amazon Alexa skill I created? Just say "Alexa, enable moon lander".

DESCRIPTION:
Your mission is to land the Apollo 11 Lunar Module to the surface of the Moon.Alexa will help you by reading out your altitude and velocity. Houston Mission Control is also monitoring your descend using telemetry. The telemetry data is shown on your Alexa companion app or website.

HOW TO PLAY:
You control the descent by throttling the rocket engine burn."Burn 100" will give maximum 100% thrust and "Burn 0" will give you no thrust.You can use any value between 0 and 100 to control the descent velocity.

The game starts at 1000 meters with descent velocity of -50 meters/second.The maximum landing velocity is 5 meters/second and you have 75 seconds to complete the mission.If you make a successful landing, you will be added on the Leader board with your score and ranking.
In a discussion on Reddit, the Python developer behind the game also remembers watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's actual 1969 moon landing on TV. "I added some 1969 sound clips from Apollo 11 mission to make the game experience sound more real...."

The original submission also offers some more hints about winning the game, while Wikipedia has a whole page devoted to the "Lunar Lander videogame genre," noting that the first version was created in 1969 on a PDP-8.

19 comments

  1. astronaut played this game by pen-helm · · Score: 3, Funny

    In 1980 the Apollo 13 astronauts visited Louisville. One of them played a similar game at the science museum, but he was unsuccessful and crashed!

    1. Re:astronaut played this game by kackle · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Reminds me of this video.

      And should you want to play Atari's 1979 version ("Lunar Lander"), I was lucky enough to find one last year. (I am not connected to this place, but had a nice time.)

    2. Re:astronaut played this game by commodore64_love · · Score: 3

      I have that game on both my Atari 2600 and my Commodore 64 (but with a different name). It's unique in being one of very few games that uses the hi-resolution mode (320x240), since it's only two colors.

      Most games of the period used 160x240 to allow multicolor mode.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    3. Re:astronaut played this game by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      A student in the dorms once hooked up a model of the lander in his room with thread, pulleys, and a stepper and you could play the game that way on his text-only computer.

    4. Re: astronaut played this game by cornjones · · Score: 1

      Ok, that is excellent

    5. Re: astronaut played this game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We played it programmed in HP 2000 BASIC on ASR33 teletypes. ASCII graphics FTW!!!!

  2. Re: Most people understand it never happened by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The fake moon landing was rendered on a PDP-8.

  3. Geek uses spying "appliance" to play ancient game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Alexa, make goofing around with spying appliances seem like legitimate uses of time.

    Alexa : I'm sorry, I don't understand you retards.

  4. Oh, hell no. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    "Alexa, please launch thermonuclear weapons."

    "Yes, I'm fucking sure, you cow."

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re: Oh, hell no. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, the only way to win is to form a oligarchy to exploit underpaid players for personal gain.

  5. "We are the priests..." apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "... of the temples of Syrinx: Our great computers fill the hallowed halls. We are the priests of the temples of Syrinx. All the gifts of life are held w/in our walls..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    * :)

    APK

    P.S.=> That song in & of itself GOT me back into computing (after a 5 yr. hiatus)... apk

    1. Re:"We are the priests..." apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did it also get you into fisting your own asshole or is that just something you have always done?

  6. make fire come down from heaven in sight of men by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion(operation of wandering)(planet) so that they will believe the lie.
    https://ipfs.io/ipns/QmRjnvwZFj8bWba3HHKo7pnLm5kep4nvQepMcM1eejzgsn

  7. Cheating by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The problem with pure voice controlled games is that you can use text-to-speech software to control the game for you perfectly. For example with this game if you find out at exactly 20 seconds into the game to slow the thrusters 50% and then 10 seconds after that switch to only 12% thrust, etc... You could get as close to a perfect score as possible every time then.

    1. Re: Cheating by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The optimum landing is to go 100% thrust at the perfect moment to hit 0 vertical velocity and the ground at the same time. Any other strategy wastes fuel as you're fighting gravity for longer.

      Of course, that's not manually pilotable and leaves no room for error, but if you plan to try your idea of doing it by text to speech that's how.

  8. Re:Most people understand it never happened by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, we know Alexa didn't exist 50 years ago you moron.

  9. Re:Geek uses spying "appliance" to play ancient ga by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But... but... it's a SKILL! People like having skills!

  10. Prog by dohzer · · Score: 1

    Skills? Do they actually call programs "Skills"? Wow.