Defender Game Online - Play Fun Classic Space Web Games
Defender, released by Williams Electronics in February 1981, is a classic arcade shooter set on a fictional planet. Players must defend against waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts. Developed by Eugene Jarvis, Defender was inspired by Space Invaders and Asteroids. Despite development delays, the game became one of the most important titles of the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games, selling over 55,000 units and becoming one of the highest-grossing arcade games ever. Critics praised its audio-visuals and gameplay, and it remains one of Jarvis' most significant contributions to the industry, known for its high difficulty.
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How to Play Defender Game
The controls to Defender were unusually difficult for the time, and continue to be involved. They are: UP and DOWN arrows to move your ship up and down the screen. ALT/OPTION to thrust your ship. CONTROL to fire. SPACE to fire a Smart Bomb. SHIFT to go into Hyperspace. Z for Reverse. If you'd like to change these settings, press TAB and go to Input (This System) to make changes - please bear in mind these changes will disappear when you close your browser. Defender is a two-dimensional side-scrolling shooting game set on the surface of an unnamed planet. The player controls a space ship as it navigates the terrain, flying either to the left or right. A joystick controls the ship's elevation, and five buttons control its horizontal direction and weapons. The object is to destroy alien invaders, while protecting astronauts on the landscape from abduction. Humans that are successfully abducted return as mutants that attack the ship. 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. Players are allotted three chances (lives) to progress through the game and are able to earn more by reaching certain scoring benchmarks. A life is lost if the ship comes into contact with an enemy or its projectiles. After exhausting all lives, the game ends. SPECIAL NOTES ON THE OPERATION OF DEFENDER IN THE BROWSER: Defender is a particularly difficult game to play, both in the original Arcade version and especially in this browser-based edition. Here are some basic tips: First, all Williams games of this era require the "ADVANCE" button to be pressed after the game has booted and in Operator Mode. You can press F2 on your keyboard (although many browsers will not understand you pressing F2 or try to do other actions), or you can use the virtual keyboard next to the screen to press the "ADVANCE" button. At this point, the game will be in attract mode and playable.
Smart Bombs in Hyperspace are just Cool
Armed with smart bombs and the ability to use hyperspace to move quickly around the planet, the player ship must fight against Bombers, Pods, Swarmers, Baiters, and Landers - that can capture the humanoids and transform them into deadly and relentless Mutants. Fail to save the humanoids from freefall or Mutant transformation, and the planet is destroyed.
Short History of the Classic Defender Arcade Game
Defender, released by Williams Electronics in 1981, is a seminal arcade game that revolutionized the shooter genre. Designed by Eugene Jarvis, Defender was a departure from traditional shooters like Space Invaders, offering fast-paced action and innovative gameplay. Players controlled a spaceship tasked with defending humanoids from alien invaders, navigating horizontally-scrolling landscapes to protect the vulnerable humans below.
Defender's challenging gameplay and groundbreaking features, such as horizontal scrolling and the ability to fly in any direction, set it apart from other retro games of its time. Its complex controls, requiring players to manage speed, direction, and weapons simultaneously, added depth and difficulty. Defender's success led to several ports and adaptations, cementing its status as a classic and influencing future game development.
