Defender: Together Retro Discussion

Post by **marurun** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:37 pm

Because you don't already have enough to keep track of? ;)

Post by **racketboy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:22 pm

marurun wrote:Because you don't already have enough to keep track of?

I know -- that's the problem

Usually, I'm just trying to stay alive

Post by **m3talst0rm17** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:59 pm

racketboy wrote:
marurun wrote:Because you don't already have enough to keep track of?

I know -- that's the problem
Usually, I'm just trying to stay alive

Yeah, same here. I guess it is a decent enough game, though it is frustratingly hard. I am playing a snes copy of the game on my psp. I couldn't get my mame emu to work. Anyway, it is just frustrating to me. For some reason, I can't get past the first level without loosing a life, which is killing me (Oh, I know the reason, I SUCK!!!). So, I haven't made it past the second level. The little punks that swarm me after I shoot the square are annoying. I think the thing that is turning me off the most about this game is the forever scrolling landscape. I want defined borders not to be going around in circles. I guess I can't wrap my head around the concept. I always feel like a chicken with its head cut off because the map makes me panic. I start going in one direction and see an area where I need to focus my attention, but I can't make myself continue in the opposite direction because it will get me there quicker than turning around. I think I'm just to the point where I can't play this game anymore. I don't think this is my kind of challenge. :oops:

Post by **Mapoosa** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:08 am

Never really played this one more than a few minutes, so I never realized what kind of depth there is to it. The graphics are just beautifully done - the laser beam one in particular is perhaps the best use of a single line of pixels that I've seen. But the best part about it is the controls - they're responsive, and, in the arcade version that I'm playing, the acceleration is just perfect. The 'turn around' button is, I think, critical to the way this game works. I don't think it would be the same with a simplified scheme.

Flying around like this really feels like you're swooping down in a spaceship. It's cool. And being able to rescue captured people and set them down for a point bonus makes you feel like one heck of a badass.

I find it interesting how there are many different levels to this game. There's the basic 'shoot everything' game. Then there's the 'rescue people' game, which is related to 'shoot everything' because the aliens get stronger if you don't rescue people. That game has a second part which is 'put people back on the ground.' Finally, there's also a 'choose where to go next' game that works because of the radar view about the top. The radar is really a critical element in Defender, I think - if there was no radar, then it wouldn't make sense to have such fast motion, and the entire effect would be lost.

Oh, and it's really hard.

Post by **xraydash** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:24 am

Insightful comments, Mapoosa, and I agree. Another aspect that I think really makes this game great is the sound. From that deep distorted bass when you start the game to the echoing heartbeat when you blast a mutant, it's all just perfect. I also love the sort of reverse explosion sound of the mutants warping onto the screen and the little alien garbling noises when a human has been picked up.

It's interesting that a lot of people are having a hard time with the mechanics. The thrust/reverse does make it unique. I think I have an advantage because I started playing this game as an 8-9 year old when it came out. I spent many a quarter at the arcade in the little back room of the local bowling alley. I seem to remember playing it the roller rink too. Anyway, I'm far better now than I was then!

Post by **Niode** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:33 am

Oh just thought i'd chip in, if you haven't figured it out yet you can pick up multiple humans and save them all. You don't have to pick one up then drop it off taxi style. You can just grab as many as you want and drop em down when it's convenient. Obviously if you die you lose the humans and the bonus for dropping em off. Guess that shows the risk in grabbing multiple humans. My scores have increased incredibly since I figured that little gem out

Post by **xraydash** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:40 am

devilmyarse wrote:Oh just thought i'd chip in, if you haven't figured it out yet you can pick up multiple humans and save them all. You don't have to pick one up then drop it off taxi style. You can just grab as many as you want and drop em down when it's convenient. Obviously if you die you lose the humans and the bonus for dropping em off. Guess that shows the risk in grabbing multiple humans. My scores have increased incredibly since I figured that little gem out

Haven't tried this yet. Do you get more points doing it that way? Like a compounded bonus? Normally it's 500 for one catch, 500 more for dropping the human off.

Post by **EquilizeR** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:19 pm

hello folks
i cant seem to get defender to run without weird graphics & glitches in emulation on stella atari 2600.
so i am playing defender on Colecovision emulator is that ok ?
i will post my high scores soon

Post by **Niode** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:17 pm

xraydash wrote:
devilmyarse wrote:Oh just thought i'd chip in, if you haven't figured it out yet you can pick up multiple humans and save them all. You don't have to pick one up then drop it off taxi style. You can just grab as many as you want and drop em down when it's convenient. Obviously if you die you lose the humans and the bonus for dropping em off. Guess that shows the risk in grabbing multiple humans. My scores have increased incredibly since I figured that little gem out

Haven't tried this yet. Do you get more points doing it that way? Like a compounded bonus? Normally it's 500 for one catch, 500 more for dropping the human off.

Nope. I haven't noticed extra points. It's a lot easier when you have landers picking up humans left right and center on wave 4. It get's stupidly hectic then. I just spend my time avoiding everything and just saving the humans. I think it balances it out with the fact that if you die while carrying those humans you lose them all (obviously) so just be careful 'cos you could die AND instigate the end of world! Which ain't fun unless you enjoy all the landers turning into mutants instantly and suicide bombing the crap out of your ship constantly hehe!

EquilizerR wrote:hello folks
i cant seem to get defender to run without weird graphics & glitches in emulation on stella atari 2600.
so i am playing defender on Colecovision emulator is that ok ?
i will post my high scores soon

If you're taking the emulation route I would suggest doing it through MAME using the guide that racketboy has posted up for windows users. If you use linux or mac os x just ask and i'll post a walkthrough. It seems that the majority of people are emulating the red label version of defender through MAME. You can play it on whatever you want though of course it's just if you wanna compare high scores it's helpful to be using the same version as the ports aren't as hard as the original.

Post by **xraydash** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:31 pm

What keyboard or controller setup do you use? Here's mine: