---
title: Astro Command
tags:
- horizontal scrolling
- shoot them up
- space
years:
- '1983'
params:
  specs:
  - label: year of release
    value: '1983'
  - label: companies
    value: Epoch
  - label: type
    value: game
  - label: media
    value: cartridge
  - label: systems
    value: Epoch Cassette Vision
  - label: number of players
    value: 1 player
  screenshots:
  - title: level 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: destroy the mines
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: level 2 - you must maneuver smartly to pass this part
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: level 3 - in the caverns
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: destroy the energy pods to turn off the laser wall
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: level 4 - the big boss
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: shoot in the center, its weakness
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: bravo, you destroyed the boss
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: you can also be shot
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: game over
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: Box
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: box art
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: box - back
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: cartridge
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: cartridge
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: documentation
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: documentation (verso)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  machines:
  - /museum/epoch-cassette-vision
  company: /companies/epoch
  oc_id: 668
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20220819044353/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=668
    date: '2022-08-19'
---

Astro Command is a clone of the arcade hit Scramble from Konami (1980), and quite a good one considered the limited features of the Epoch Cassette Vision console. Its is also one of the latest games released for the Cassette Vision. It's clear the that programmers tried to push the system to its limits.

As in the original version, your fuel is limited and you must constantly keep an eye on its level (upper left number on the screenshots). If it reachs zero, your ship will crash. So you have to keep destroying fuel tanks on your way to keep the fuel level high.

Each game is divided into four levels:\
\- the city: avoid ground missiles and destroy mines while flying over the space cuty\
\- enemy base: maneuver smartly inside the tight corridors of the enemy base\
\- the cave: avoid missiles launched from the ground and the ceiling\
\- the boss: after the laser barrier, fight the big boss. Kill it by shooting in its center five times.

The game is one player only but offers 2 difficulty levels.

As usual with the Cassette Vision when games require 4 driections movement, the controls are difficult to get used to, as there are no up/down built-in the console. Here the left player leveler is used to move your ship up/down while the two action buttons are used to move forward/backward. Cumbersome.