I'm addicted to Defender

[Krytol]

I recently picked up the Defender cart for my 800XL (my third 8-bit cart, the first two being Star Raiders and Donkey Kong.) I can't stop playing it! I haven't been this addicted to a game in along time.

 

There's a Defender at my local arcade, and I play every now and then, but nothing like this!

 

What a great port. There's something about using the 2600 joystick with it; like there's a tighter response to the controls or something.

 

I actually like the different sounds.

 

Anyone else like this port as much as I do?

[NE146]

I go through a Defender "addiction" too every couple of years like clockwork. It's truly a gamers game and can bring anyone to their knees YET the game is definitely masterable

 

Personally, I naturally prefer the arcade version and the original arcade button layout. The control scheme, once you get it under your skin, becomes second nature and it sort of screws up your "flow" trying to play it otherwise... simplified with a joystick or not.

 

That being said, the 5200/800 version is an awesome port It was the best to capturing that Defender frenzy back in the day. My only complaint was that when the screen got pretty frenetic, sometimes the enemies/bullets seemed to flicker too badly (i.e. dissapear) but would still kill you. In the arcade version, when the screen got too cluttered, the enemies would dissapear as well.. but they'd REALLY dissapear as in they'd warp to another part of the planet Still though, an excellent port

[Christophero Sly]

I love 'Defender'. It's one of my top 5 favorite arcade games of all time. I haven't played the 8-bit/5200 version much though. I usually get my 'Defender' fix by playing 2600 'Stargate'.

[Goochman]

800 Defender is a bit too easy - I played for mucho hours getting over 2 mill once - not again

[Fourth Horseman]

Yup, great port. Like others have said here, though, once you get it mastered you can play forever. Still a helluva lot of fun, though. One of my favorites.

[ZylonBane]

I used to be extremely impressed by Defender... then I played DropZone. Now I look at it and just shake my head at the choppy scrolling, deformed Landers, flickery animation, weird striped explosions, nasty double-spaced font, etc.

 

This port of Defender was actually written on an Apple II. It shows.

[TwiliteZoner]

Are you saying the Atari 8-Bit version of Defender was written on an Apple II?

 

That can't be right.

[Stein]

Defender is one of two real arcade games that I WILL own in my lifetime (Donkey Kong the other) so that says how I like the game...

 

I just can't get into the ports of defender tho, like has been mentioned I find them too easy, but definitely worthy games tho, after all they're Defender.

 

I think Williams was 'the' company, not only did they make the best arcade games but the best pinballs too.

 

Stein

[ZylonBane]

Are you saying the Atari 8-Bit version of Defender was written on an Apple II?  

 

That can't be right.

It is.

 

http://www.qlam.com/atari/s_defender.html

[Bryan]

It looks like he just used the Apple II as an assembler.

 

-Bry

[emkay]

I prefer Drop Zone anyway

[Inky]

Gimmie the 8-bit Missle Command ANY day!

[Shannon]

800 Defender is a bit too easy - I played for mucho hours getting over 2 mill once - not again

 

And you got that playing on the highest difficulty level?

[Goochman]

Not on the highest difficulty level - at 200K on the 'Hard' level I stopped playing.

 

Got too boring

[NE146]

Not on the highest difficulty level - at 200K on the 'Hard' level I stopped playing.

 

Got too boring

 

Sounds like you're ready to "graduate" to the actual arcade game (and it's notorious difficulty) along with the default arcade controls then!

[Shannon]

Too each his own, I guess.

 

Although I agree... I find defender for the 8-bit easy I still love to play it.

 

Back when I was really into my atari I could play the thing for hours, same with missile command. I think I even flipped the score on missile command. (both 8-bit and 2600 version).

[Goochman]

Not on the highest difficulty level - at 200K on the 'Hard' level I stopped playing.

 

Got too boring

 

Sounds like you're ready to "graduate" to the actual arcade game (and it's notorious difficulty) along with the default arcade controls then!

 

I suck at the Arcade version

 

I have an Arcade PC Deluxe so I can almost duplicate the correct stick/button layout - The original cant be duplicated