''Defender'' is a
scrolling shooter
In computer displays, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display, vertically or horizontally. "Scrolling," as such, does not change the layout of the text ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Williams Electronics
WMS Industries, Inc. was an American electronic gaming and amusement manufacturer in Enterprise, Nevada. It was merged into Scientific Games in 2016. WMS's predecessor was the Williams Manufacturing Company, founded in 1943 by Harry E. Williams ...
in 1980 and released for
arcades in 1981. A
side-scrolling shooter, 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
Eugene Peyton Jarvis is an American game designer and video game programmer, known for producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. Most notable among his works are the seminal arcade video games '' Defender'' ...
, a pinball programmer at Williams; ''Defender'' was Jarvis' first video game project and drew inspiration from ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter an ...
'' and ''
Asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
''. ''Defender'' was demonstrated in late 1980, before entering production in early 1981. It was distributed in Japan by
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. I ...
.
''Defender'' was one of the most important titles of the
golden age of arcade video games
The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...
, 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' best contributions to the
video game industry
The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide.
The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstrea ...
and one of the most difficult video games. Though not the first game to scroll horizontally, it created the genre of purely horizontal scrolling
shoot 'em ups. It inspired the development of other games and was followed by sequels and many imitations.
Several ports were developed for contemporary game systems, most of them by either
Atari, Inc.
Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Atari was a key player in the formation of the video arcade and video game industry.
Based primarily around the Sunny ...
or its software label for non-Atari platforms,
Atarisoft
Atarisoft was a brand name used by Atari, Inc. in 1983 and 1984 to market video games the company published for home systems made by competitors. Each platform had a specific color attributed by Atarisoft for its game packages. For example, video ...
.
Gameplay
''Defender'' is a side-view, horizontally
scrolling shooter
In computer displays, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display, vertically or horizontally. "Scrolling," as such, does not change the layout of the text ...
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
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
'': 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.
Development
![EugeneJarvis cax2006 brighter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/EugeneJarvis_cax2006_brighter.jpg)
''Defender'' was Williams Electronics' first attempt at developing a new video game; the company's earlier game was a ''
Pong
''Pong'' is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Al ...
'' clone.
The popularity of coin-operated arcade games in 1979 spurred the company to shift its focus from pinball games to arcade games.
The company chose Eugene Jarvis, who had a successful record of Williams pinball games, to head development.
Larry DeMar
Lawrence E. "Larry" DeMar (also known as L.E.D.) is a video game and pinball designer and software programmer. He is known as co-designer, alongside Eugene Jarvis, of the classic arcade games '' Defender'' and '' Robotron: 2084''.
He is the found ...
, Sam Dicker, and Paul Dussault assisted Jarvis.
At the time, Williams had a small staff and the management was unfamiliar with technology used for its electronic games. As a result, the staff was afforded a large amount of creative freedom.
Initial development
Space was a popular setting for video games at the time, and Jarvis felt the abstract setting would help obscure simple graphics that lacked realism.
Initially, Jarvis spent 3–4 months developing color variations of
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. I ...
's ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter an ...
'' and
Atari's ''
Asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
''.
First inspired by ''Space Invaders'', he created a similar game with new gameplay mechanics. After spending a few weeks on the design, however, the team abandoned the idea, believing it lacked enjoyment. Development then shifted to emulating Atari's ''Asteroids'', but hardware differences between ''Asteroids'' and ''Defender''s proposed specifications were problematic. ''Asteroids'' displays
vector graphics
Vector graphics is a form of computer graphics in which visual images are created directly from geometric shapes defined on a Cartesian plane, such as points, lines, curves and polygons. The associated mechanisms may include vector display ...
on a special monitor, while the staff planned to use pixel graphics on a conventional monitor. The team experimented with recreating the game with pixel graphics, but also abandoned it because they felt the gameplay lacked enjoyment and visual appeal.
Believing their first attempts to be too derivative, the developers held brainstorming sessions. During a session, they agreed that one of ''Asteroids''s favorable elements was its
wraparound
Wraparound, wrap around, or wrap-around is anything that wraps around something.
It may more specifically refer to:
Apparel
* Wraparound sunglasses or goggles
* Wraparound baby sling, or wrap, a piece of cloth that supports a baby
* Wraparound ...
.
They felt a game that allowed the player to fly off the screen would be exciting, and decided to create a game world larger than the screen displayed. The game's environment was made longer than the screen, with the visible area scrolling horizontally.
Expanding on the idea, they envisioned a version of ''Space Invaders'' rotated 90
degrees. By changing the orientation of ''Space Invaders'' design, the ship moved up and down while flying horizontally. Large asteroids, an element from ''Asteroids'', were then added to the game world, but were later removed because the staff felt it lacked enjoyment.
Jarvis intended the screen to scroll only from left to right; fellow Williams employee
Steve Ritchie, however, convinced him the game should be able to scroll in either direction.
After six months of development, the team felt the game had not made enough progress. They examined other games and concluded that survival was a necessary component to implement. To achieve this, they devised enemies to present a threat, the first of which was the "Lander".
Jarvis enjoyed violent, action entertainment, and wanted the game to have those elements, but felt the action should have a reasonable objective. Inspired by the 1960s television show ''
The Defenders'', Jarvis titled the game ''Defender'', reasoning that the title helped justify the violence.
He added astronauts to expand on the space theme and give players something to defend while they shot enemies.
The element of flying over a planetscape was added after a brainstorming session between Jarvis and Ritchie.
The landscape is depicted as a line only a pixel wide, primarily because the hardware was not powerful enough to generate anything more detailed.
Later development
By July, development was behind schedule and Jarvis's superior began to pressure him to finish the game in time for a then-upcoming trade show, the AMOA, in September. Jarvis spent several weeks creating the astronauts, which his boss felt should be omitted if the process didn't speed up. The pressure frustrated him to the point he considered resigning. Around that time, a new programmer named Sam Dicker was hired.
He assisted in programming the game and added visual and audio effects.
For example, Dicker implemented a particle effect
algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific problems or to perform a computation. Algorithms are used as specifications for performing ...
to generate unique explosions for destroyed enemies.
The new elements re-invigorated Jarvis, who felt the project began to show promise.
Development then shifted focus to the enemies. Landers were given the ability to capture humans, and a new enemy was devised from the mechanic: "Mutants", captured humans that had turned hostile. The Mutants added a rescue element to the game that Jarvis believed made it more interesting to players and encouraged them to continue playing. The element of making a "comeback" from a dire situation was applied to the planet as well. Jarvis felt it mimicked the ups and downs of real life. "Bombers", enemies which release floating bombs on the screen, were added next. More enemies were added to create different gameplay elements. "Swarmers" and "Pods" were designed to attack the spaceship as opposed to the astronauts. "Baiters" were included to add pressure to the player by preventing them from lingering. The enemies quickly follow the spaceship to collide with it, and were based on a similar enemy in ''Asteroids''.
By September, the game was still unfinished, and almost every Williams programmer assisted in meeting the deadline for the AMOA trade show.
The evening before the trade show, the arcade cabinets were delivered for display.
The developers, however, forgot to create an
attract mode
This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.
0–9
A
...
(an automated sequence designed to entice an audience to play) and high score system for the game, and began working on them that night, with DeMar coding the attract mode, Dussault and Dicker creating the high score table, and Jarvis doing
playtesting
A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before releasing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with board games, collectible card games, ...
and bug fixes.
Early the next morning, the team created the final
EPROM
An EPROM (rarely EROM), or erasable programmable read-only memory, is a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. Computer memory that can retrieve stored data after a power s ...
chips for the mode and installed them in a cabinet. The chips were put in backwards, causing an
electrical short
A short circuit (sometimes abbreviated to short or s/c) is an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance. This results in an excessive current flowing through the circuit ...
when the cabinet was turned on, so the team had to quickly burn a new set of EPROMs.
[ Once the attract mode was operational, Jarvis and the team returned to their homes to prepare for the show.] After the show, the developers expanded the game to allow users to play indefinitely. The display model featured five levels, which the team felt was more than enough because of the game's difficulty. Most Williams employees could not progress past the third level and Jarvis's score of 60,000 points seemed unbeatable to them. The developers decided it was best to be prepared for players that might exceed their expectations and added more levels that repeated.
Hardware
The game features amplified monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduc ...
sound and pixel graphics on a CRT monitor
A cathode-ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, which emit electron beams that are manipulated to display images on a phosphorescent screen. The images may represent electrical waveforms ( oscilloscope), pictu ...
. A Motorola 6809
The Motorola 6809 ("''sixty-eight-oh-nine''") is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit microprocessor with some 16-bit computing, 16-bit features. It was designed by Motorola's Terry Ritter and Joel Boney and introduced in 1978. Although source compatible wi ...
central processing unit
A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just Processor (computing), processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes Instruction (computing), instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU per ...
handles the graphics and gameplay, while a Motorola 6800
The 6800 ("''sixty-eight hundred''") is an 8-bit microprocessor designed and first manufactured by Motorola in 1974. The MC6800 microprocessor was part of the M6800 Microcomputer System (latter dubbed ''68xx'') that also included serial and para ...
microprocessor handles the audio. A pack of three AA batteries
AA, Aa, Double A, or Double-A may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* '' America's Army'', a 2002 computer game published by the U.S. Army
* '' Ancient Anguish'', a computer game in existence since 1992
* Aa!, a J-Pop musical group
* D ...
provide power to save the game's settings and high scores when the machine is unplugged from an electrical outlet. The cabinet artwork is stenciled on the wooden frame.
Development started by focusing on the game's hardware. The staff first debated what type of monitor to use: black-and-white or color. They reasoned that using advanced technology would better establish them as good designers and chose a color monitor. The developers estimated that the game would require 4 colors, but instead chose hardware that could display each pixel in 16 colors. At the time, the designers believed that was more than they would ever need for a game. The monitor's resolution is 320×256, an expansion from the then-industry standard of 256×256. The staff believed that the wider screen provided a better aspect ratio and would improve the game's presentation. Video games at the time relied on hardware to animate graphics, but the developers decided to use software to handle animation and programmed the game in assembly language. The switch allowed them to display more on-screen objects at a lower cost.
The game's control scheme uses a two-way joystick and five buttons. Jarvis designed the controls to emulate both ''Space Invaders'' and ''Asteroids'' simultaneously. The player's left hand manipulates the joystick similar to ''Space Invaders'' and the right hand pushes buttons similar to ''Asteroids''. The button functions also use a similar layout to ''Asteroids'', with the button to shoot projectiles and accelerate on the far right and left, respectively. Jarvis reasoned that players were accustomed to the control schemes of past games, and felt altering past designs would prove difficult for them.
Reception
Commercial performance
The game was slow to gain popularity, not attracting much attention at the 1980 AMOA show. In retrospect, Jarvis believed many passersby were intimidated by its complexity. The game was well-received in arcades, and crowds gathered around the cabinet during its first nights of play testing. The success spurred Williams to release a cocktail version as well. ''Defender'' eventually became Williams' best-selling arcade game, with over 55,000 units sold worldwide, and it became one of the highest grossing arcade games ever, earning over US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
1 billion. , it has sold 70,000 arcade units and grossed worldwide.
Six months after its release, the game was one of the top earners in the United States video game industry. On the 1981 arcade game charts, it topped the ''Play Meter
''Play Meter'' (initially ''Coin Industry Play Meter'') was an American trade magazine focusing on the coin-op amusement arcade industry, including jukebox and arcade game machines. It was founded in December 1974 by publisher and editor Ralph C. ...
'' arcade chart in August, and the ''RePlay'' arcade charts for most months between April and November. The annual '' Cash Box'' and ''RePlay'' arcade charts listed ''Defender'' as the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1981 in the United States, just below '' Pac-Man''. The Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) later listed ''Defender'' among America's six highest-grossing arcade games of 1982.
Co-designer Larry Demar was surprised by the game's popularity. At the time of its release, Stan Jarocki, director of marketing at then-competitor Midway Manufacturing
Midway Games Inc., known previously as Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known as simply Midway, was an American video game developer and publisher. Midway's franchises included '' Mortal Kombat'', '' Rampage'', ''Spy Hunter'' ...
,[Williams Electronics purchased Midway in 1988, and later transferred its games to the Midway Games subsidiary.] described the game as "amazing".
In Japan, ''Defender'' was not as highly successful, but was a moderate success. It was tied with ''Turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...
'' and ''Galaxian
is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' as Japan's 18th highest-grossing arcade video game of 1981.
The Atari VCS port sold over copies, becoming the second best-selling Atari home video game of 1982 (just below the Atari version of ''Pac-Man''). However, at least 68,993 copies of ''Defender'' were returned in 1983.[ Via ]
Reviews
'' Softline'' in 1983 wrote that it "remains one of the hardest arcade games ever developed. Initial attempts lasting less than ten seconds are not uncommon for novices".
Ed Driscoll reviewed the Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...
version of ''Defender'' (where, due to its graphical limitations, was reformatted to a city setting, rather than the planet setting of the original arcade version) in ''The Space Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the ...
'' No. 57. Driscoll commented that "all in all, if you want a good game for your Atari, this qualifies. ''Defender'' lovers have a few gripes, but I would recommend this one to any VCS owner". The port won the "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame" category in the 1983 Arcade Awards. '' Computer and Video Games'' later reviewed the game, giving it a 90% rating.
In 1983 ''Softline'' readers named the Atari 8-bit version fifth on the magazine's Top Thirty list of Atari programs by popularity. The magazine was more critical, stating that "the game's appeal does not justify its unreasonable cost" of being shipped on ROM cartridges. David H. Ahl of '' Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games'' said in 1983 that the Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 520 ...
version was "a substantial challenge to the most seasoned space gamers". ''Computer Games'' magazine reviewed the IBM PC conversion, giving it a mixed review. They said the "action is very fast" but "it becomes boring after a short time."
Retrospective
In 1995, Flux magazine rated Defender 34th in its Top 100 Video Games. They lauded the game stating: "the ultimate side scrolling arcade shooter." '' Next Generation'' ranked the arcade version as number 13 on their 1996 "Top 100 Games of All Time", saying that its balanced difficulty makes gamers keep coming back for more instead of giving up. In 1996, GamesMaster listed the game number 5 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time", they described the game as "One of the greatest shoot-‘em-ups of all time." In 1999, '' Next Generation'' listed ''Defender'' as number 23 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that "despite exceptionally complicated controls, gamers fell in love at first sight. The difficulty is high but fair - when you die, it's always your fault, and that leaves you wanting one more chance to beat the game". In 2004, ''Defender'' was inducted into GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's list of the greatest games of all time. In 2008, Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
listed it as the number six arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact. That same year, ''Retro Gamer
''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...
'' rated the game number ten on their list of "Top 25 Arcade Games", citing it as a technical achievement and a difficult title with addictive gameplay. Also in 2008, ''Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
'' ranked ''Defender'' the sixth best game from the 1980s. The editors described its design as very "elegant" despite a lack of narrative and characters.
GameSpy's David Cuciz lauded ''Defender''s challenging gameplay, commenting that it is representative of what other games should be. He described the graphics as "beautiful", citing the varied sprites and flashing explosions. Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice of ''Gamasutra
''Game Developer'', known as ''Gamasutra'' until 2021, is a website founded in 1997 that focuses on aspects of video game development. It is owned and operated by Informa and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine '' Gam ...
'' stated the audio-visuals and gameplay's depth balanced the excessive difficulty. They praised the game's "catch and rescue" feature, as well as the mini-map. Cuciz also praised the mini-map, stating that the game is impossible without it and that it allows players to plan strategies. Author John Sellers praised the audio-visuals and the connection between the game's plot and gameplay.
GameDaily in 2009 rated ''Defender'' the ninth most difficult game, citing the attack and rescue gameplay. Author Steven L. Kent called it "one of the toughest games in arcade history". He also stated that novice players typically are able to play only a few seconds, and that enthusiasts saw proficiency at the game as a "badge of honor". David Cuciz echoed similar comments. Sellers described ''Defenders difficulty as "humbling", saying that few could play it with proficiency. He further stated that players would continue to play despite the difficulty. Author David Ellis attributes the game's success to its challenging design. Its difficulty is often attributed to its complex control scheme. ''Edge'' magazine called ''Defender'' "one of the most difficult-to-master" games, describing its controls as "daunting".
Impact and legacy
Players have competed to obtain the highest score at the game and the longest play time on a single credit. Competitive playing for the longest play time was popularized by Mario Suarez from Atlantic City, who played ''Defender'' for over 21 and a half hours in 1982 at the Claridge Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. It was authenticated by the facility and the many witnesses that watched along with the press of Atlantic City; the media attention spurred other players to attempt the same feat. Expert players exploited software bugs to extend the length of their play time. ''Defender'' was the focus of the first Twin Galaxies
Twin Galaxies is an organization and social media platform for people involved in the culture and activity of playing video games. It facilitates their interaction as well as their competition and recognizes their achievements.
Twin Galaxie ...
video game contest. Players in 32 cities simultaneously competed on the weekend of April 3–4, 1982. Rick Smith was the victor with a score of 33,013,200 which took 38 hours. One bug, related to how the game keeps track of scoring, allows players to earn a large number of "extra lives". Players can then use the extra lives to leave the game unattended while they rest. Other bugs allow the ship to avoid damage from the enemies, also prolonging the length of play.
''Defender'' is considered the first side-scrolling shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charac ...
, predating ''Scramble
Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game
Music Albums
* ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers
* ''Scrambles'' (album)
...
'' by two months. Professor Jim Whitehead described ''Defender'' as a breakthrough title for its use of full 2D motion, multiple goals, and complex gameplay that provides players with several methods to play. James Hague of Dadgum Games called ''Defender'' a landmark title from the 1980s. Stearny said that the game's use of scrolling helped remove design limitations associated with the screen. Cuciz stated that ''Defender''s use of scrolling introduced the "first true 'gaming environment'". He further said that though the game's mini-map feature had been introduced before, ''Defender'' integrated it into the gameplay in a more essential manner. Stearny described it as the most important space game in the early 1980s. He commented that its realism and technological advances pushed developers to create more popular games, citing '' Gorf'' and ''Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'' as examples. Vince listed the game as a classic title that introduced new technology, specifically scrolling. Ellis stated that prior to ''Defender'', companies designed video games to have a balanced challenge. They believed games should be easy enough to attract players, but difficult enough to limit play time to a few minutes; anything too challenging would dissuade players. Loguidice and Barton commented that ''Defender''s success, along with '' Robotron: 2084'', illustrated that video game enthusiasts were ready for more difficult games, which spurred developers to create more complex game designs.
Jarvis's contributions to the game's development are often cited among his accolades. Author John Vince considered him one of the originators of "high-action" and "reflex-based" arcade games, citing ''Defender''s gameplay among other games designed by Jarvis. Ellis said that Jarvis established himself as an early "hard-core" designer with ''Defender''. In 2007, IGN listed Eugene Jarvis as a top game designer whose titles (''Defender'', ''Robotron: 2084'' and ''Smash TV
''Smash TV'' is a 1990 arcade video game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams Electronics Games. It is a dual-stick shooter (one for moving and the other for firing) in the same vein as 1982's ''Robotron: 2084'' (co-created b ...
'') have influenced the video game industry. Barton and Loguidice stated that the game helped establish Williams and Jarvis as key figures in the arcade game industry. Sellers echoed similar comments. After the success of ''Defender'', Williams expanded their business by building a new facility and hired more employees. Before the expansion, Jarvis could work in isolation. But the influx of people created an environment he was unhappy with. He left Williams along with DeMar to found their own development company, Vid Kidz. The company served as a consulting firm to Williams and developed two games for them.
Remakes and sequels
The success of ''Defender'' prompted Williams to approach Vid Kidz, who originally wanted to create a new game. DeMar, however, suggested creating an enhanced version of ''Defender'' to meet Williams' four-month deadline. Vid Kidz titled the game '' Stargate'', and developed it as a sequel to ''Defender''. It features new elements and improved the original's performance. Some home ports of ''Stargate'' were released under the title ''Defender II'' for trademark purposes.
Williams released a ''Defender''-themed pinball machine in 1982. It has many elements from the original game: sound effects, enemies, waves, and weapons. Williams produced fewer than 400 units.
Midway's 1991 '' Strike Force'' is an arcade update to ''Defender'' in the same way that ''Smash TV
''Smash TV'' is a 1990 arcade video game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams Electronics Games. It is a dual-stick shooter (one for moving and the other for firing) in the same vein as 1982's ''Robotron: 2084'' (co-created b ...
'' is an update to '' Robotron: 2084''. Jarvis and DeMar assisted with the game, but it was not widely distributed.
Atari Corporation released '' Defender 2000'' in 1995 for the Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and released in North America in November 1993. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it competed with the 16-bit Sega Genesis, the Super NES and th ...
. It was written by Jeff Minter
Jeff Minter (born 22 April 1962) is an independent English video game designer and programmer who often goes by the name Yak. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and has created dozens of games during his career, which began in 19 ...
, who had previously updated ''Tempest
Tempest is a synonym for a storm.
'' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare.
Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film
* ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...
'' as ''Tempest 2000
is a tube shooter video game originally developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar in North America on 13 April, 1994. It was released in Europe on 27 June and in Japan on 15 December of the same year, with ...
''.
''Defender'' is included in the 1996 compilation ''Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits
''Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits'' is a video game anthology for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, Saturn, Game.com, Dreamcast, MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows. The IBM PC compatible and game.com versions are ...
''.
In 1997, Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics Ltd. (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as ''Brain Warp'' and th ...
released a handheld edition of ''Defender'' with a grayscale
In digital photography, computer-generated imagery, and colorimetry, a grayscale image is one in which the value of each pixel is a single sample representing only an ''amount'' of light; that is, it carries only intensity information. Graysc ...
LCD screen, which doubles as a keychain
A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or b ...
ornament.
A 2002 remake, published simply as ''Defender'', uses 3D graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...
and a third-person viewpoint. It was released for the Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
, GameCube, and PlayStation 2.
Influenced games and clones
Home games that copied ''Defender''s design include ''Gorgon
A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
'' (1981) and ''Repton
Repton is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, located on the edge of the River Trent floodplain, about north of Swadlincote. The population taken at the 2001 Census was 2,707, increasing to 2,8 ...
'' (1983) for the Apple II, ''Alien Defense'' (1981) for the TRS 80 Model III, ''Defender 64'' (1983) and ''Guardian'' (1984) for the Commodore 64, '' Invasion of the Body Snatchas!'' (1983) for the ZX Spectrum, '' Dropzone'' (1984) for the Atari 8-bit family, and for the BBC Micro ''Defender'' (1982) was renamed to ''Planetoid'' (1984) to avoid litigation. It influenced Jeff Minter
Jeff Minter (born 22 April 1962) is an independent English video game designer and programmer who often goes by the name Yak. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and has created dozens of games during his career, which began in 19 ...
's ''Andes Attack'' for the VIC-20 home computer, and later his bigravitational ''Sheep in Space
''Sheep in Space'' is a video game written by Jeff Minter for the Commodore 64 and published in 1984 by Llamasoft. It is a horizontally scrolling shooter which borrows gameplay from '' Defender'' re-themed to involve sheep.
The title screen f ...
''.
Other games built upon the core concept of protecting people or vehicles along the ground in a horizontally scrolling world, such as '' Protector II'' for the Atari 8-bit family, ''Chopper Command
''Chopper Command'' is a horizontally scrolling shooter released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in June 1982. It was written by Bob Whitehead.
Gameplay
In ''Chopper Command'', the player controls a military helicopter in a desert scenario pr ...
'' for the Atari 2600, and ''Choplifter
''Choplifter'' (stylized as ''Choplifter!'') is military themed scrolling shooter developed by Dan Gorlin for the Apple II and published by Broderbund in 1982. It was ported to the Atari 8-bit family the same year and also to the VIC-20, Com ...
'', all three of which were released in 1982.
Later games influenced by ''Defender'' were '' Datastorm'' (1989) for the Amiga and ''In My Defense'' (2021) on Steam.
Cultural references
The game has been referenced in music: Lou Reed's song "Down At The Arcade" on his 1984 album '' New Sensations'', Manilla Road
Manilla Road was an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, founded by Mark "The Shark" Shelton (vocals and guitar) and Scott "Scooter" Park (bass guitar). Beginning in 1977, the early years of Manilla Road were spent playing mostly pro ...
's song "Defender" on their 1982 album ''Metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
'', Buckner & Garcia's song "The Defender" on their 1982 album '' Pac-Man Fever'', and the Beastie Boys' song "Body Movin'
"Body Movin'" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released as the second single from their fifth studio album ''Hello Nasty''.
Track listing
CD single
#"Body Movin'" – 3:09
#"Body Movin'" ( Fatboy Slim Remix) – 5:33
#"Peanut ...
" on their 1998 album ''Hello Nasty
''Hello Nasty'' is the fifth studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, released by Capitol Records and Grand Royal Records on July 14, 1998. It sold 681,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album ...
''. Nerdcore
Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by subject matter considered of interest to nerds and geeks. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term (to describe this genre) in the 200 ...
rapper MC Chris
Christopher Brendan Ward IV, better known by the stage name mc chris (stylized in all lower case), is an American rapper, voice actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his high-pitched voice and for combining his "geek" background with the ...
mentions ''Defender'' in the chorus of his anthemic song "Never Give Up" from his 2008 album, '' MC Chris is Dead''. Other artists to have used sound effects from ''Defender'' include Aphex Twin (on "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount" and "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball"), and Limp Bizkit (used to censor swearing on the clean version of "My Generation"). The game was featured prominently in the music video for the Sheena Easton
Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
song " Almost Over You".
Tim Waggoner
Tim Waggoner is the author of numerous novels and short stories in the Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller genres.
Education
Waggoner graduated from Wright State University in 1989 with a Master of Arts in English with a Creative Writing Concentra ...
's 2004 novel ''Hyperswarm'' is based on the video game.
The game is used as a running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
in the film '' Avengers: Infinity War'', where Groot
Groot () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Tales to Astonish'' #13 (Nov. 1960). An extraterrestrial, senti ...
is playing the game despite being told not to.
In ''Ready Player One
''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'', the ship from ''Defender'' is referenced, mentioning its ability to jump into hyperspace.
In ''Wonder Woman 1984
''Wonder Woman 1984'' (also known as ''WW84'') is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC character Wonder Woman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and The Stone Quarry, and distributed by Warner Bros. P ...
'', in the Shopping Mall scene, there is a ''Defender'' machine visible inside the Amusement Centre.
In the fourth episode of season 3 of ''NewsRadio
''NewsRadio'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995 to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Steph ...
'' entitled "Arcade", station manager Dave's addiction to Defender as a teenager returns when the station gets a Defender arcade machine to replace an unused sandwich machine.
Defender is one of many classic arcade games that appear in the Midway Arcade World in Lego Dimensions, as it is played in Gamer Kid’s level “Retro Wreckage”, both in the start of the level, as he is shown playing Defender on his phone while he has his headphones in and it is playable in Gamer Kid’s world using the Arcade Machine vehicle, which is a part of Gamer Kid’s Level Pack.
See also
* Golden age of arcade video games
The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...
* Midway Arcade Treasures
''Midway Arcade Treasures'' is a video-game compilation of 24 arcade games, emulated from the original PCBs. The overall release was developed by Digital Eclipse and issued by Midway Games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Microsoft ...
* Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits
''Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits'' is a video game anthology for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, Saturn, Game.com, Dreamcast, MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows. The IBM PC compatible and game.com versions are ...
Notes
References
External links
''Defender''
at Coinop.org
*
for the Atari 2600 at Atari Mania
for the Atari 8-bit family at Atari Mania
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Defender (Video Game)
1981 video games
Adventure Vision games
Alien invasions in video games
Apple II games
Arcade video games
Atari 2600 games
Atari 5200 games
Atari 8-bit family games
BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games
ColecoVision games
Commodore 64 games
VIC-20 games
CP/M games
Horizontally scrolling shooters
Intellivision games
Midway video games
Mobile games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
SAM Coupé games
Assembly language software
TI-99/4A games
Video game franchises introduced in 1981
Video games developed in the United States
Video games set in the future
Video games set on fictional planets
Williams video games
Xbox 360 Live Arcade games
ZX Spectrum games