Caverns of Mars is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up that draws inspiration from the 1981 arcade classic Scramble, but with a unique twist. Instead of flying sideways through the caverns like in Scramble, players navigate their ship downward into the depths of Mars. The vertical scrolling design was chosen for the Atari platform because it is technically simpler to implement than horizontal scrolling. Unlike in Scramble, most of the targets in Caverns of Mars remain stationary relative to the map.
Players use a joystick to control a spacecraft as it descends through Martian tunnels, firing at targets along the way. The ship is equipped with two cannons on either side, both of which shoot downward. As you navigate, you'll need to avoid crashing into the cavern walls while taking out targets. Fuel tanks can be destroyed to add 5 points of fuel, but if the spacecraft runs out of fuel, it's game over.
Players use a joystick to control a spacecraft as it descends through Martian tunnels, firing at targets along the way. The ship is equipped with two cannons on either side, both of which shoot downward. As you navigate, you'll need to avoid crashing into the cavern walls while taking out targets. Fuel tanks can be destroyed to add 5 points of fuel, but if the spacecraft runs out of fuel, it's game over.