Pest Patrol

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Overview

Pest Patrol is a fixed shooter arcade game published by Sierra On-Line in 1982 for the Apple II computer.¹² The game follows the Space Invaders formula, challenging players to defend against waves of insect invaders across 39 increasingly difficult levels.³ The title was released under the SierraVision label, which Sierra used for some of its arcade-style releases during this period.⁴

The game features a variety of animated insect enemies including armored snails, butterfly fighters, and other creatures that “bite, bounce and bomb their way” toward the player.⁵ Pest Patrol showcased Sierra’s Hi-Res graphics capabilities for the Apple II platform and required 48K of memory.⁵⁶ Due to the game’s copy protection scheme, Pest Patrol only runs on the original Apple II and Apple II+ hardware, and is incompatible with later models in the Apple II line.⁶

Game Info

Developer: On-Line Systems¹ Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Engine: Machine Language Platforms: Apple II, Apple II+¹⁵ Release Year: 1982¹ Series: None Protagonist: N/A (player controls defense turret) Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

Pest Patrol presents a simple but compelling arcade premise. Players must defend against an endless insect invasion, with wave after wave of bug attackers descending toward the player’s position.⁵ The game’s original packaging described the experience: “PEST PATROL offers a never-ending challenge from so many different insects that you better not blink while you play… it could be fatal!!!”⁵

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Pest Patrol uses the classic fixed shooter control scheme where players move horizontally across the bottom of the screen while firing upward at descending enemies.³ The game supported joystick and keyboard input on the Apple II platform.¹

Structure and Progression

The game features 39 levels of play, with each level presenting a unique attack pattern from the insect enemies.³ A practice mode allows players to train on any of the first 29 levels, while the final 10 levels can only be accessed through regular gameplay.³

Attack Patterns:

• Each of the 39 levels features a different arrangement and behavior pattern³
• Practice mode covers levels 1-29³
• Levels 30-39 are play mode exclusive³

Enemy Types

The game features a variety of insect enemies rendered in Hi-Res graphics:⁵

• Armored snails
• Butterfly fighters
• Various other “insectivorous irritation”

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

No contemporary reviews have been preserved in accessible archives.

Modern Assessment

Aggregate Scores:

• MyAbandonware: No user ratings yet¹
• MobyGames: 5.0/5 (1 rating, 0 reviews)³

Pest Patrol has been preserved through multiple abandonware archives and Apple II disk image collections, including the woz-a-day project which captures flux-level disk images for accurate preservation.¹⁷⁶⁸ The game represents Sierra’s contributions to the early 1980s fixed shooter genre before the company pivoted primarily to adventure games. It is included in the 4cade Apple II game launcher, a modern preservation project that catalogs and provides access to classic Apple II software.⁹

Development

Origins

Pest Patrol was developed during Sierra On-Line’s early arcade phase, when the company was producing multiple action games for the Apple II market alongside their growing adventure game catalog.¹ The year 1982 was significant for Sierra—the company had just renamed from On-Line Systems to Sierra On-Line and relocated to Oakhurst, California, taking the “Sierra” name from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range.¹⁰

The game was released in the same period as other Sierra arcade titles like Crossfire (1981), Threshold (1981), and Frogger (1982).¹¹¹⁰ Sierra’s 1982 catalog also included the ambitious Time Zone adventure and Ultima II, demonstrating the company’s range during this formative period.¹⁰

Technical Specifications

Apple II Version:¹⁵⁶⁸

• Memory Required: 48K
• Graphics: Hi-Res
• Media: 5.25” Floppy Disk (DOS 3.3)
• Compatible Systems: Apple II, Apple II+ only (copy protection prevents later models)
• Disk Size: 140 KB physical, 49 KB used⁸
• Download Size: 43 KB (compressed disk image)¹

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	1982	Apple II	Initial release1

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• Pest Patrol was part of Sierra’s 1982 game catalog alongside titles like Cannonball Blitz, Creepy Corridors, and Dragon’s Keep¹¹¹⁰
• The game featured 39 unique levels, more than many contemporary shooters³
• Sierra’s Hi-Res graphics were marketed as a key feature⁵
• The practice mode was an unusual feature for early shooters, allowing players to train on specific levels³
• Modern Apple II preservation projects have documented that Pest Patrol includes an “infinite lives” cheat mode category⁹
• The game was published under the SierraVision label on the original packaging⁴

Legacy

Series Context

Pest Patrol was a standalone title with no sequels. It represents Sierra’s participation in the Space Invaders-inspired fixed shooter genre that dominated early 1980s home computer gaming.³

Related Sierra Arcade Titles (1982):

• Cannonball Blitz
• Creepy Corridors
• Dragon’s Keep
• Frogger
• Lunar Leeper
• Marauder
• Mouskattack

Critical Perspective

Pest Patrol exemplifies Sierra On-Line’s strategy in the early 1980s of producing arcade-style action games for the Apple II market. While the company would later become synonymous with adventure games through the King’s Quest series, these early shooters helped establish Sierra as a leading publisher of home computer entertainment.¹¹

Downloads

Digital Availability

• Not available on modern storefronts

Preservation / Emulation

• MyAbandonware - Pest Patrol - Apple II disk image download¹
• Virtual Apple - Pest Patrol - Browser-playable Apple II version⁷
• Internet Archive - Pest Patrol (woz-a-day) - WOZ format preservation with flux capture⁶
• Internet Archive - Pest Patrol (DOS 3.3) - DOS 3.3 disk image⁸
• 4cade Apple II Launcher - Preservation project including Pest Patrol⁹

References

Footnotes

1. MyAbandonware - Pest Patrol - release year 1982, publisher Sierra On-Line, Apple II platform, download size ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. ROMs Games - Pest Patrol - Apple II ROM availability, 1982 release confirmation ↩

3. MobyGames - Pest Patrol - Space Invaders-type gameplay, 39 levels, practice mode details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

4. eBay - Pest Patrol SierraVision Listing - SierraVision label packaging confirmation ↩ ↩²

5. Original packaging description - insect enemies, Hi-Res graphics, 48K memory requirement, Apple II/II+ compatibility (via web search) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

6. Internet Archive - Pest Patrol (woz-a-day) - WOZ format disk image, 48K requirement, copy protection compatibility limitations ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

7. Virtual Apple - Pest Patrol - online playable version, disk image preservation ↩ ↩²

8. Internet Archive - Pest Patrol DOS 3.3 - DOS 3.3 disk image, 140 KB disk size, 49 KB used space ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. 4cade Apple II Launcher - GAMES.CONF - preservation metadata, 1982 confirmation, infinite lives cheat category ↩ ↩² ↩³

10. Apple II History - 1982 - 1982 Sierra catalog context, Cannonball Blitz, Frogger, Crossfire ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

11. Sierra Gamers - Game List - 1982 Sierra catalog context, contemporary releases ↩ ↩² ↩³