Defender
Five buttons, one scanner and a whole planet to save.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1981
- Manufacturer
- Williams
- Players
- 2 players, alternating turns
- Genres
- Shoot 'em ups, Vintage classics
- Decade
- '80s arcade games
Defender had a reputation as the toughest cabinet in the arcade, and it earned it. While other shooters kept you on one fixed screen, here you were screaming across a world that scrolled both ways, with a scanner up top and aliens abducting people off the surface.
Anybody who could handle all five buttons earned instant respect. Everybody else stood behind them with a quarter in hand, waiting their turn and taking notes.
History
Williams Electronics, best known for pinball at the time, released Defender in 1981. It was designed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar and became one of the top earners of the golden age of arcades.
It was one of the first games with a playfield that scrolled sideways beyond the screen, plus a mini-map to see the whole world at a glance. It got a sequel, Stargate, and left a mark on plenty of shooters that came after. Jarvis went on to make another classic, Robotron: 2084.
How to play
The joystick moves your ship up and down. The buttons handle thrust, reverse, fire, smart bomb, which wipes out everything on screen, and hyperspace, which warps you to a random spot and might just get you killed.
Enemies called Landers swoop down to grab the humanoids on the surface. If one carries a human to the top of the screen, it turns into a much nastier Mutant. Shoot the Lander, catch the falling human and set them down safely. Lose all the humanoids and the planet blows up, and things get ugly fast.
Fun facts
- Williams was a pinball company before it struck gold with Defender.
- With five buttons and a joystick, it was one of the most complex control panels of its day.
- The scanner at the top shows the entire game world at once.
In the arcade
Defender isn't on the UsuArcade floor yet, but it's on our wish list. If you want it in the arcade, hit Want to Play on this page. The most-voted games get added first.
Meanwhile, the arcade has other early-80s space classics to warm up your trigger finger: Asteroids with its spin-and-thrust ship, Galaxian with its dive-bombing aliens, and Phoenix with its birds and mothership.
FAQ
Can I play Defender on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wish list and you can vote for it with Want to Play. In the meantime, try Asteroids, Galaxian or Phoenix in the arcade.
What year did Defender come out?
The Defender arcade game came out in 1981, made by Williams.
How many players is Defender?
Up to two players, taking turns.
Why is Defender so hard?
Speed, swarms of enemies and five buttons: you're thrusting, reversing, shooting and deciding when to burn a smart bomb or jump to hyperspace, all at once.
