Defender [SRAI]

Play free reimagined classic video arcade games of the past from Sonic Radiation

About

Defender is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Williams Electronics. It was released in Japan by Taito. Set on an unnamed planet, the game puts players in control of a spaceship tasked with defending against waves of invading aliens while protecting helpless astronauts on the ground. Development was led by Eugene Jarvis, a former pinball programmer for whom Defender was his first video game project. It drew inspiration from Space Invaders and Asteroids. The game was first demonstrated in late 1980 and officially released in March 1981. Defender became one of the most significant titles of the golden age of arcade games. It sold over 55,000 units, making it Williams’ best-selling game and one of the highest-grossing arcade titles of all time. Critics praised its intense gameplay, audio, and visuals. Often cited as one of the most difficult video games ever made, it is also regarded as one of Eugene Jarvis’s greatest contributions to the industry. While not the very first horizontally scrolling shooter, Defender effectively created and popularized the genre. It inspired numerous other games, spawned several sequels, and led to many imitators.