Am I the only one who really liked Defender 2000?

[dalton4life]

I've seen it get some rather mediocre reviews but I really like the game. I played it today with my pro controller for the 1st time and I made it futher alone then I ever have before. Maybe it was the pro controller. I think the game was made to be used with the pro controller but I didn't notice. The hidden pong was fun too.

[Lost Monkey]

I love it... it is one of the few Jag games I have kept...

[racerx]

Your ship is just way too big...it throws off the whole balance of the game. Protector is Defender done right.

[Hyper_Eye]

That is one of the few games that I actually don't have. I have been meaning to get a copy. I can say that I just got Defender for the XBox and I think it is absolutely awesome. Anyone who hasn't played it should pick up a copy. It is available on Gamecube and *shudder* PS2 as well.

[Feralstorm]

I love the "Classic Defender" game. The others are just too overdone IMO.

 

Defender 2000 is one of those wierd games that are almost too difficult, but if you pick up a few powerups and humaniods, it then becomes too easy.

[SwinginDick]

I really like D2K, but I have to say that I am in a unique position:

 

1. I loved arcade Defender but always really sucked at it. I just couldn't hack the coordiation of so many buttons. Lame, eh?

2. Defender Plus and D2K (while not perfect) are actually less frustrating for me than Classic, especially with the rapid fire shooting and the droids.

3. I love the chaotic action, music, cool sound effects and lots of stuff blowing up. In the end, high scores mean little to me if I'm not having fun.

 

I would probably have a different opinion if I was actually good at Classic Defender.

 

So, go ahead and LOVE it for what it is... :-)

[Isgoed]

Yes, a very cool game this is

Non-stop action, good graphics, good sound, I like it

 

I also own ProtectorSE, and I like this one too, but to me it is a different game, more relaxed

 

So I play them both, they're both great

[dalton4life]

I really like D2K, but I have to say that I am in a unique position:

 

1. I loved arcade Defender but always really sucked at it. I just couldn't hack the coordiation of so many buttons. Lame, eh?

2. Defender Plus and D2K (while not perfect) are actually less frustrating for me than Classic, especially with the rapid fire shooting and the droids.

3. I love the chaotic action, music, cool sound effects and lots of stuff blowing up. In the end, high scores mean little to me if I'm not having fun.

 

I would probably have a different opinion if I was actually good at Classic Defender.

 

So, go ahead and LOVE it for what it is... :-)

 

I think were are in the same boat. Hey I'm even originally from CT but I moved to warmer weather 8 years ago. I never was a huge fan of Defender. In fact I never really enjoyed the spaceship side scrolling shooter until Gradius. I like the fast paced mayhem of D2K. There's not too much thought involved. You just need really fast reflexes and good hand eye coordination.

[Goochman]

D2K is a great demo - game I wouldnt call it - I use that classification for things that are not based on luck or random behavior. D2K mode lends itself to nothing more than hopfully finding the shotting powerup, flying full blast at the top of the screen and praying.

 

Plus Mode and Classic are games I enjoyed.

[SwinginDick]

Yes, a very cool game this is

Non-stop action, good graphics, good sound, I like it

 

I also own ProtectorSE, and I like this one too, but to me it is a different game, more relaxed

 

So I play them both, they're both great

 

Is ProtectorSE really all that and a bag of chips? Is it worth the exhorbitent price? Subjective question, I realize ...

[Clint Thompson]

Defender 2000 is pretty good.... not really one of Minters best titles but good and the music rocks! What other 2000 titles were there again?

[goatdan]

Is ProtectorSE really all that and a bag of chips? Is it worth the exhorbitent price? Subjective question, I realize ...

 

I didn't get a bag of chips with mine...

 

But Protector SE fixes all of the balance problems that the first Protector had and the game is definitely a blast. Easily one of my top Jaguar releases.

 

As for Defender 2000, I have played Classic mode literally for hours upon hours. 2000 mode? I haven't gotten too far. You have to play it the same way you have to play Defender to be really good -- IE watch the radar and not the screen -- but it just seems to be a lot less fun because when you get down to one last guy, you still really can't use the screen, while in Classic you can.

 

Protector is like a hyper original Defender. D2K is like a total upgrade. Protector is often seen like more of an updated Defender than D2K because Tempest was more or less an updated -- but not total upgrade of Tempest.

 

I wish that Protector had slightly better graphics though, but as for gameplay it doesn't get much tighter... and really, that's what matters... isn't it?

[Feralstorm]

Defender 2000 is pretty good.... not really one of Minters best titles but good and the music rocks! What other 2000 titles were there again?

 

no more by Minter that I know of. There's Breakout 2000, which I like, but could've been better (mostly should just be smoother). There's also Missile Command 3D, which I consider an honorary '2000' title, and a helluva game.

 

Also heard of a "Gorf 2000" a long time back. anything ever come of that?

[SwinginDick]

Defender 2000 is pretty good.... not really one of Minters best titles but good and the music rocks! What other 2000 titles were there again?

 

no more by Minter that I know of. There's Breakout 2000, which I like, but could've been better (mostly should just be smoother). There's also Missile Command 3D, which I consider an honorary '2000' title, and a helluva game.

 

Also heard of a "Gorf 2000" a long time back. anything ever come of that?

 

Now, the big question - near and dear to my heart as a controller guy - did anyone build in backdoors for "proper" controllers for these games? A trackball option for MC3D and a rotary control for Breakout 2000?

 

Did Minter do Breakout 2000 BTW?

[K3V]

Defender 2000 is pretty good.... not really one of Minters best titles but good and the music rocks! What other 2000 titles were there again?

 

no more by Minter that I know of. There's Breakout 2000, which I like, but could've been better (mostly should just be smoother). There's also Missile Command 3D, which I consider an honorary '2000' title, and a helluva game.

 

Also heard of a "Gorf 2000" a long time back. anything ever come of that?

 

Still in progress

[The_Laird]

Space War 2000 - Although not finished a pretty good game (avialable from 16/32systems)

Tempest 2000 - Of course.

Missile Command 3D - Originally a '2000' game before Atari decieded to make it the V.R helmets first game, which never ended up coming out.

Hoverstrike - Originally known as Battlezone 2000 and there is a Lynx Battlezone 2000 too.

Breakout 2000 - Later released by Telegames.

Pong 2000 - Saw screens for this many years back in ST User magazine it was also scheduled for release on the Falcon, don't know what happened to it though????

Star Raiders 2000 - Was also mentioned in early release schedules for the Jag and the Lynx. Don't think it was ever started but i did read that Jeff Minter wanted to do it after Defender 2000.

Joust 2000 - Also known as Dactyl Joust, early screens were shown in magazines.

[Isgoed]

I never said that ProtectorSE is "all that and a bag of chips", but I said that this game is different and that I also like it

 

My copy came with a bag of chips though......

 

And it has already been said, but I also do think that this is one of the best games for the Jaguar available, and worth the price

[+Stephen]

Now, the big question - near and dear to my heart as a controller guy - did anyone build in backdoors for "proper" controllers for these games? A trackball option for MC3D and a rotary control for Breakout 2000?

 

Did Minter do Breakout 2000 BTW?

 

Unfortunately, there is no rotary controller option in Breakout 2000 (analog or digital). The author of B2K is Mario Purdue. Seems to be nice guy - we had a couple of e-mail conversations a few years back. He answered a few questions about his game, and pogramming in general. He seemed to enjoy talking about his experiences with the Jag.

 

I doubt MC3D has trackball support, but it does have the ultimate in custom controlls. If you are lucky enough to have a VR helmet with tracking hardware, you can play the game in proper VR mode. Beats a trackball IMHO!

 

Stephen Anderson

 

 

Stephen Anderson

[justclaws]

Hello,

 

Now, the big question - near and dear to my heart as a controller guy - did anyone build in backdoors for "proper" controllers for these games? A trackball option for MC3D and a rotary control for Breakout 2000?

Did Minter do Breakout 2000 BTW?

Sadly not, but I think the job done for the joypad input is great.

 

As Stephen wrote, if you find another headset, play MC3D using that,

but otherwise not. Mario Perdue told me that he'd have liked to support

a rotary, but there wasn't enough time, the window of opportunity to

get Breakout 2000 released at all was almost shut, (hence he rather

minimal classic Breakout included) and he didn't have one anyway.

 

Subsequently, it's been discovered how difficult it is to get a rotary

working with code which is CPU intensive anyway, and for me that

just reinforces how well written Tempest 2000 is. The requirement

to check the inputs from the joypad port in a very tight loop (as it

is so time-dependent) is a great disadvantage to rotary or mouse

(and a mouse is conceptually the same as a track-ball for code)

that support for them has been limited and I think will stay so.

 

Regarding how good Protector SE is, I give it a "thumbs up" and I

don't know about "exorbitant" price as written earlier, but it's good

value in my opinion, offering a BJL loader / unencrypted CD bypass

as built-in bonuses, and most of all, it's a fun game, with balanced

gameplay, like Defender, but nothing special in the graphics area.

 

Cheers,

Richard.

[doctorclu]

Yes, a very cool game this is

Non-stop action, good graphics, good sound, I like it

 

I also own ProtectorSE, and I like this one too, but to me it is a different game, more relaxed

 

So I play them both, they're both great

 

Is ProtectorSE really all that and a bag of chips? Is it worth the exhorbitent price? Subjective question, I realize ...

828645[/snapback]

 

Not easy making carts when they are not mass produced.

 

I have only bought a handfull of the recently released carts. I have to choose my battles when it comes to my hobby, so I have chose...

 

Skyhammer

Battlesphere

Battlesphere Gold

ProtectorSE

 

I personally HATE Defender. I hate Stargate, and all titles similar. I also hate Pac-Man, but that is another story entirely. Let me say the only reason I really bought Protector was to load Soulstar.

 

The CD bypass on Protector is worth that alone. Protector as a game is fun. Played it a few times.

 

Defender 2K... I have to agree with what is being said here. I think a Jaguar collector would be at a loss without it. It is a beautiful game. It is fun, it is zanny even. Obviously Minter tried to make a dull game like like the arcade Tempest, and make something llke Tempest 2K all over again. And I wish he would have succeeded. T 2K is just... drrroooooooollllllllllll.....

 

.. oh, sorry, I was thinking of T2K ... (slap slap slap) ok.. I'm awake, I'm awake. I was in heaven there for a bit, with a hot chick saying "Yes... yes.. yes!!" .. sigh...

 

Why Defender 2K was not as great as T2K well.. T2K was a tough act to follow. I have friends that are avid PS2 fans who will clamour to play T2K. I try to show them Battlesphere.

 

"Looks like X-Wing vs. Tie... kinda dated...." they say.

 

But put T2K in their hands..well.. I didn't see one of my Jags for like three months. That tell you something?

 

So wrapping this up...

 

Defender 2K - beautiful, fun game. A collection is not complete without it. I hate Defender, and I am glad I have a copy. Shame it didn't do well, because I think Minter would have tried to do more adaptations.

 

Protector & SE - Good as a Defender style game... if you go for that sort of thing. And SE has a bypass cart for CD's.

Edited April 15, 2005 by doctorclu

[else]

Joust 2000 - Also known as Dactyl Joust, early screens were shown in magazines.

 

Man I wish this would surface. The ROM has got to be out there somewhere!!!!!!!

[leearco]

Let me say the only reason I really bought Protector was to load Soulstar.

 

 

hahahaha

 

Soulstar is a cool game, I agree. But having owned Protector first then getting Protector SE, I have to say Pro SE is a great game. True the graphics arent the best, but its the same old story.......playability. Its a great game.

Wait this thread was about Defender 2000 right? I love that game. Im a big fan of side scrolling shooters. I love Rtype, I love UN Squadran(SNES) and Defender 2000 is definately up there. Native is cool but incomplete so I wouldnt put it up there because of this. But if it was complete and from what Ive seen its a fair call it would be up there.

So to answer your thread Question. NO your not the only one the likes Defender 2000, its a great game.

[griff]

Hi people, I'm new here. Although I'd been a guest for awhile. GREAT BOARD!

Anyhow, back to the topic. Nope you're not alone. It's one of my favorite games. At first I was really turned off of D2k with the big ship and vertical scrolling, but it definitely grew on me.

My favorite game on the cart is the Classic Defender, it's a work of art. I've been a defender

freakoid for ages, and the jag version is the smoothest and most playable console version I've ever played. I definitely prefer Minter's Defender over Protector SE. While Protector is a great game, I can't put it above Defender, and somewhere deep down I was hoping that it would be a remake of Mike Potter's "Protector", a fantastic game from the 800 days.

I'm still fuming over Midway's 3D remake of "Defender", what the $%#@!! were they thinking?

At least throw in 1 survivor level akin to the classic game, ah well.

Enough blabbering, back to T2k!

[Mr_King]

i love the game, but it makes my fingers bleed. lol

[holygrailvideogames.com]

It is one of the few Jaguar games that I enjoy. I know that there are a lot of Jaguar fans but it is my least favorite game system that Atari released.