Defender
DOWNLOAD
MAME
RETRO
DOWNLOAD:
RETROMAME
Williams
1981
GENRE:
Shooter
DOWNLOAD

The first game by Eugene Jarvis and one of the most iconic and popular arcade games of all time, Defender's relatively simple concept masks its high level of difficulty. Players control a ship trying to rescue humanoids on a planet's surface from capture by aliens, while avoiding their increasingly aggressive attacks. Development of the game began as Williams was chasing the success of Space Invaders and Asteroids, but ended up introducing numerous new concepts and ideas to arcade games that influenced an entire generation of games, including more complex control schemes, scrolling environments, multiple competing objectives and more challenging gameplay. Defender was followed by sequel Stargate the same year, which added various new enemies and mechanics.

More overlays you may like:
Ketsui
Cave
 – 
2002
Shoot Em Up
Ketsui
Night Driver
Atari
 – 
1976
Racing
Night Driver
Buster Bros
Capcom
 – 
1989
Action
Buster Bros
Vigilante
Data East
 – 
1988
Beat Em Up
Vigilante
BROWSE ALL OVERLAYS >
More overlays you may like:
BROWSE ALL OVERLAYS >
Prehistoric Isle
SNK
 – 
1989
Shoot Em Up
Prehistoric Isle
Gauntlet
Atari
 – 
1985
Hack and Slash
Gauntlet
Defender
Williams
 – 
1981
Shooter
Defender
Viper Phase 1
Fabtek
 – 
1995
Shoot Em Up
Viper Phase 1