Defender

Defender is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed by Williams Electronics for arcades. The game is set on either an unnamed planet or city (depending on platform) where the player must defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts. Development was led by Eugene Jarvis, a pinball programmer at Williams; Defender was Jarvis’s first video game project and drew inspiration from Space Invaders and Asteroids. Defender was demonstrated in late 1980 and was released in March 1981. It was distributed in Japan by Taito.

Defender was one of the most important titles of the golden age of arcade video games, selling over 55,000 units to become the company’s best-selling game and one of the highest-grossing arcade games ever. Praise among critics focused on the game’s audio-visuals and gameplay. It is frequently listed as one of Jarvis’s best contributions to the video game industry and one of the most difficult video games. Though not the first game to scroll horizontally, it created the genre of horizontal scrolling shoot ’em ups. It inspired the development of other games and was followed by sequels and many imitations.

Ports were developed for contemporary game systems, most of them by either Atari, Inc. or its software label for non-Atari platforms, Atarisoft. The 1982 Atari 2600 version was one of the best-selling games for the system and sold over 3 million cartridges.

Defender is a side-view, horizontally scrolling shooter set on the surface of an unnamed planet. The player controls a spaceship flying either to the left or right. A joystick controls the ship’s elevation, and five buttons control its horizontal direction and weapons. The player starts with three “smart bombs”, which destroy all visible enemies. As a last resort, the “hyperspace” button works as in Asteroids: the player’s ship reappears in a random—possibly unsafe—location. Players are allotted three ships at the start of the game; another ship and smart bomb are awarded every 10,000 points (adjustable per machine). Two players can alternate turns.

The object is to destroy all alien invaders, while protecting astronauts on the landscape from abduction. Landers pick up humans and attempt to carry them to the top of the screen at which point they turn into fast-moving mutants. A captured human can be freed by shooting the lander, then catching the human before it falls to its death, and dropping it off on the ground.

Defeating the aliens allows the player to progress to the next level. Failing to protect the astronauts, however, causes the planet to explode and the level to become populated with mutants. Surviving the waves of mutants results in the restoration of the planet. A ship is lost if it is hit by an enemy or its projectiles, or if a hyperspace jump goes wrong (as they randomly do). After exhausting all ships, the game ends.

Defender is a classic arcade game released by Williams Electronics in 1981. Here’s a guide on how to play it:

Objective

Your goal in Defender is to protect humanoids on the ground from being abducted by alien invaders while destroying as many enemies as possible to earn points.

Controls

Thrust: Propel your ship forward.
Reverse: Change the direction of your ship.
Fire: Shoot lasers at enemies.
Smart Bomb: Destroy all enemies on the screen (limited supply).
Hyperspace: Teleport your ship to a random location on the screen.

Gameplay Tips

Protect Humanoids: Watch for enemy ships trying to abduct the humanoids. If a humanoid is abducted, shoot the enemy ship to save them.
Use the Radar: Keep an eye on the radar at the top of the screen to track enemies and humanoids.
Smart Bombs: Use smart bombs strategically to clear the screen of enemies, especially in tough situations.
Hyperspace: Use hyperspace as a last resort to escape danger, but beware—it can place you in a more dangerous position.
Wave Progression: Survive each wave of enemies to progress to the next, with increasing difficulty.

Scoring

Destroying Enemies: Earn points by destroying various types of enemies, each worth different amounts of points.
Saving Humanoids: Gain bonus points for saving humanoids from being abducted.
Completing Waves: Receive a bonus for completing each wave successfully.

By mastering these controls and strategies, you’ll improve your skills and achieve higher scores in Defender. Have fun playing this classic arcade game!

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