Jupiter Lander was among the first titles I've ever played on any computer. I don't think it was the very first, but surely I played it when I was still in elementary school, when moving to Japan was not even a thought that has crossed my mind, or a decision I even understood I could make. I played it on my aunt and uncle's Commodore 64. It was never in my top 10, but it certainly is nostalgic.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Jupiter Lander was programmed by HAL Labs (for Commodore, on the VIC-1001, VIC-20, Max Machine, and Commodore 64), and as HAL Labs was also the designer of the PCG for the MZ-700, I guess it makes sense that they would release this title on this platform, as well. The Commodore 64 version was certainly more polished. The Commodore 64 version had a starting jingle, SID sound effects for the jet propulsion and a different tune for successful landings and unsuccessful landings. It also had more detailed and natural curves to the terrain (not that I've actually ever been to Jupiter). They did leverage the PCG pretty well, though, not only rendering the ship, but also adding (limited) texture to the edges of the terrain.

Like the VIC versions, and unlike the Commodore 64 version, you don't have a single thrust speed. You have to choose your thrust level from 1 to 9. This gives you finer control in balancing your speed and fuel consumption.

I love the vibrant graphics and neon-sign font used on the cover!