Let's Compare ( Defender ) REMAKE

Video Locations:
Arcade 0:39
DOS 1:58
Apple 2 3:16
BBC Micro 4:35
Atari 2600 5:53
Entex Adventurevision 7:12
VIC 20 8:30
TI99 9:49
Commodore 64 11:07
Colecovision 12:26
Intellivision 13:44
Atari 8 bit/800/XE/XL 15:02
Atari 5200 16:21
Atari ST 17:40
Gameboy COlor 18:58
Genesis / MegaDrive 20:17
Super Nintendo 21:35
Amiga 22:53
Windows 24:12
Jaguar ( Defender 2000 ) 25:30
ZX Spectrum ( CLONE deffendar ) 26:49
MSX 2 ( CLONE Desolator ) 28:08
Amiga ( CLONE Anarchy ) 29:22
Amstrad ( CLONE Defend or Die ) 30:41
Vectrex ( CLONE Protector ) 31:59
Creds: 33:18
Description Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defender...
Defender is an arcade video game developed and released by Williams Electronics in 1980. A shooting game featuring two-dimensional (2D) graphics, the game is set on a fictional planet where the player must defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts. Development was led by Eugene Jarvis, a pinball programmer at Williams; Defender was Jarvis' first video game project, and drew inspiration from Space Invaders and Asteroids. Williams planned to display the game at the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) trade show, though development delays resulted in the team working on the game up until the show started.
Defender was commercially successful, selling over 55,000 units to become the company's best selling arcade game. Praise among critics focused on the game's audio-visuals and gameplay. It is frequently listed as one of Jarvis' best contributions to the video game industry, as well as one of the most difficult video games. Defender was ported to numerous platforms, inspired the development of other games, and was followed by sequels and many imitations.
Gameplay
Defender is a two-dimensional side-scrolling shooting game set on the surface of an unnamed planet. The player controls a space ship as it navigates the terrain, flying either to the left or right. A joystick controls the ship's elevation, and five buttons control its horizontal direction and weapons. The object is to destroy alien invaders, while protecting astronauts on the landscape from abduction. Humans that are successfully abducted return as mutants that attack the ship. Defeating the aliens allows the player to progress to the next level. Failing to protect the astronauts, however, causes the planet to explode and the level to become populated with mutants. Surviving the waves of mutants results in the restoration of the planet. Players are allotted three chances (lives) to progress through the game and are able to earn more by reaching certain scoring benchmarks. A life is lost if the ship comes into contact with an enemy or its projectiles. After exhausting all lives, the game ends.
Protector is a home brew for Clone of Defender
for the Vectrex. By: Alex Herbert 2003, 2005
PROTECTOR and Y*A*S*I is not public domain.
Download is avalible here vECTREX
www.herbs64.com/py_bin.html
Windows
devmaster.net/forums/topic/423...

[@GamingHistorySource]

I am still working on several more remakes. It's slow going but will be worth it. I'll upload them as I finish them. This one took me 3 months. >_< ENJOY !!!

[@janX9]

3 Months! Thank You for your hard work. Do you use original hardware or emulators?

[@RonRose]

Great series. I really enjoy these and look forward to more in the future.

[@unebonnevie]

Thanks for the let's-compare vids! Subscribed!

[@bjbell52]

well, I'll say one thing. Your video does what so many others fail to do. "Let's compare 20 systems" and then they don't display what system you're watching. IMHO - well done. Keep it up.

[@GamingHistorySource]

TO SEE THIS VIDEO AS IT WAS INTENDED. CLICK HERE. www.dailymotion.com/video/x18admi_let-s-compare-defender-remake_videogames

[@Outlander999]

p.s. the VECTREX version too, is pretty incredible.

[@thestew56]

I havent thought of this game in forever...used to play this on Atari ha. I recently bought a PS4 and have been playing a game called "Resogun". It's a great game and I couldn't help but notice some similar mechanics that reminded me of Defender. Hats off to the parties that created these games.

[@wingnut4427]

Thank you. I'm glad You enjoy them & hope You will continue to enjoy them for years to come. :)

[@BrianPicchi]

Wow, you even did the Adventure Vision! Impressive.

[@RichardCraig]

These are so much fun to watch. I'd love to see some mini episodes, perhaps from old console wars like SNES vs. Genesis or PS1 vs Saturn vs N64, etc, where there aren't more than 2 or 3 versions of a game, and then there could be some side-by-side comparisons... maybe it could be a spinoff series where the episodes are no more than 5 minutes.

[@Vargon7]

My favourite version/development of Defender is a game called Pentasma. It's true to the arcade original, but also adds a lot of stuff (eg Ground units, extra weaponry) that really enhances the gameplay.

[@timmarshall2062]

great video your new version is wild looking do you make these i am looking to get a defender game i have not played since 1980s i just do not know how to go about getting a small version of defender

[@Wasted_on_4loko]

The Atari ST version, I swear there are a couple of sampled sounds in there. The gunfire sounds like the gun that Robocop uses in the first film, and at 18:14 & 18:53, the howling noise sounds exactly like the howl of the werewolf in An American Werewolf in London (1981) then there's the noise at 18:45 which I recognise from somewhere but can't place it.

[@bionikball75]

Wastedon4loko good ear!! Howling is also used in Altered Beast as well

[@oldhomehaibane8714]

You should have also included some footage from the version of Classic Defender that is on Defender 2000 for the Atari Jaguar! After watching this video in its entirety I have to say I think Classic Defender looks and plays like an absolute dream on my Jaguar. The increased size of the sprites gives it more character and I love the saturation/vibrancy of the colors. I got myself a Jaguar recently and I'm so glad that Defender 2000 was my introduction to this classic game...having a total blast with both this and Tempest 2000 right now =)

[@Hologhoul]

I can't wait to watch this one, Defender has always fascinated me. Eugene Jarvis must have some kind of crazy, eccentric and brilliant mind to come up with it way back then. From what I recall, there was a specific chap who worked a lot on the sounds (assume same for Robotron) which is perhaps an overlooked point given the sound in both is absolutely fantastic (especially in Robotron!) A word about Defender on the VCS; here in the UK at least, we loved it. We appreciated it wasn't the same as the arcade game, but all the ideas and characters were present and it was great to play, we had 2-player battles for hours (sometimes ending in my reaching for the reset switch if my opponent was close to breaching my high score!) I've now got Defender II on the VCS via Stella, and that's amazing, but I still think the original was a good attempt for its time.

[@kurtwpg]

As a kid who had already been immersed in the arcade games since Space Invaders, Defender was a shock to the system, in every aspect. But the sounds were light years ahead of the pack.

[@Hologhoul]

Agreed! When I hear Robotron I still get taken right back to Bournemouth arcade by the sea in southern England. So evocative!

[@rikswift]

Good idea mate.

[@GlenTindal]

I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but the Jaguar version is awesome!!

[@oldhomehaibane8714]

Yes, it was! This video is remiss in not including the amazing soundtrack in the Defender 2000 mode or footage from the Classic Defender mode that was also a part of the game. After looking at all the versions here, I am firmly of the opinion that the version of classic Defender on Defender 2000 for the Atari Jaguar is hands down the best version of the game! I love the increased sprite size, which adds to the character of the game, as well as the greater saturation/vibrancy of the colors. Classic Defender on the Atari Jaguar looks and plays like a dream!

[@darthsidious1485]

Are you going to do a let's compare Missle Command? Suprised you haven't gotten to that one yet as it was HUGELY popular.

[@lesdixon7487]

I remember an Amiga game called Star Ray(Defender clone ) having a great soundtrack with amazing graphics for its time.

[@bangerbangerbro]

The colecovision version has some nice non-overlapping parallax scrolling. It really shows because the stars are cut off vertically with a horizontal boundary just above the mountain range.

[@Outlander999]

The most impressive to me is the MSX clone, "DESOLATOR". It lacks of humans, but runs so smooth and play SO well. In the video it says "MSX2", but the game is absolutely identical and runs perfectly on MSX1.

[@bangerbangerbro]

Outlander999 Way too fast for me. And lack of humans kind of defeats the object of the game like sonic 3d with no flickies.

[@KTPurdy]

Defender.... my favorite game of all time.

[@handsomebrick]

The ST version is Defender 2, which has versions on the Apple II, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, DOS, NES, and of course arcades, among some other things. There are also a ton of Defender clones, and there's practically a whole genre of Defender-likes, most notably Uridium.

[@METAL1ON]

Desolator is being played on an MSX2 emulator it was available for the MSX1 ive still got my copy.

[@zombies8u]

I didn't even know intellivision had Defender. :( Great video! Amiga port is very true to the original.

[@MattMcIrvin]

Curious how the Apple II and VIC-20 (but not Commodore 64) versions look so similar to the Atari 8-bit computer/5200 version. I wonder if they were literally ports of it. I'm really impressed by the smoothness of the Colecovision port's animation.

[@eclecticjon1019]

The original Defender was my favourite video game at the arcade. I was actually not to bad at it considering how difficult it was. I had no idea it had been remade so many times.

[@Exacerbate42]

The Ti-99/4a version of Defender was a fantastic port, and I enjoyed it a lot more than Parsec. Fast speed, great sound and graphics almost like in the arcade. It was good that Texas Instruments dropped the Ti-99/4a, otherwise there would have been no Atari games for the Ti home computer.

[@lurkerrekrul]

There was another Defender type game for the Amiga called Datastorm. It was quite difficult though.

[@Lauren_Tyler]

They say the Java and Flash versions of Defender are out there somewhere. I've yet to find them.

[@wingnut4427]

That was Star Gate / Defender 2. No worries. I'm working on that video. :)

[@wingnut4427]

noted. :)

[@mike462727]

So I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer to this. There was a version of defender for Mac G3s and the intro had this short but badass music couldn't have been more than 15 notes long. Any idea where I can find it? It's right before you can start moving your ship

[@jwaughtal]

ACTUALLY TI-99 is not at the correct time in the description and is actually at 9:49

[@ztoxtube]

ColecoVision version looks surprisingly awesome.

[@neodonkey]

Yeah I think the ColecoVision was a great console. TI9918 video chip was really revolutionary for its time and inspired (it is said) the NES PPU, and of course the Sega VDPs are descendants of the TI9918 and were developed by Yamaha. Never did figure it out but it seems like Yamaha licensed the design after TI grew tired of it and were concentrating on DSPs.

[@rickybeann]

Hi dear i AM bulding a arcade replica, Congratulations, what program and hardware are you using to turn on with ghe original interface?

[@GamingHistorySource]

+ricky ant ?? I do not comprehend what you are saying.

[@janX9]

@@GamingHistorySource I think this person is asking if you use original hardware or software (emulators) to make these clips. Like how did you do it, because they are making a replica Defender case. Basically I think they want to make a mame cab, but don't know what to do or how to do it.

[@meropealcyone]

As noted below, the BBC Micro version is broken. The original was very smooth, and the landers/humanoids did not bunch together.

[@Boatswain1985]

I Love this Game..

[@wingnut4427]

There is also a Sam Coupe' version that's good .. but for some reason I forgot to add it. :(

[@bangerbangerbro]

What happened to the music in the Jag version?

[@RydiasRevenge]

18:15 - Does anyone notice this sound effect is possibly where Altered Beast got its little cutscene whenever you transform into one of the beasts?

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

Starray, oblivion, star defender, overkill are some good defender clones on the Amiga. The best for me is Datastorm.

[@RayWrightRayrite]

Vincent GR datastorm! great game! love the boss battles and the big swarm!

[@Martroid]

Does anyone know if it's still possible to get that Windows Remake version (no. 19)?

[@WizardOfTheNth]

Anyone know where I can get the Windows PC version shown here ? www.logosdev.co.nr does not exist any more..

[@stevenwheat3621]

7:40 "Pew pew pew!!"

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

I am hoping "California Games" is among them, since the Amstrad CPC port requires attention so that all six events are played without any disk errors.

[@wingnut4427]

If That is what You're looking for then You'll love this channel. user/Openholes

[@wingnut4427]

I didn't know it existed. it was the only one I could find. :( You could make a video response with it. :)

[@samcoupe4608KB]

you wouldn't add the sam coupe version please?

[@greendayb.g.s1577]

What was the music at the beginning

[@michaelcripwell1724]

I would have cried if I had paid money for some of those versions.

[@GamingHistorySource]

I got my atari 2600 in 1981 about 2 years before the video game crash of 83 & 84. I ended up buying a copy of defender for 50 cents. lol As the liquidations continued I ended up with a huge stack of games for less that 30 bucks for christmas. I was a happy camper ! :D

[@michaelcripwell1724]

@@GamingHistorySource the later versions looked excellent and very playable, the early Atari and DOS looked appalling.I had the BBC Micro version which was a fair representation for a 32 k machine.

[@GamingHistorySource]

@@michaelcripwell1724 My favorite version in those days was the NES version. It was the one I had waited on for years ! :D Still one of my favorites.

[@madmax2069]

wow, the vectrex is pretty impressive, but i have to say the Genesis and SNES versions are pretty spot on

[@BigDuke6ixx]

Jesus wept! Some real mingers there. Imagine having the ZX Spectrum version 27:00, you could learn another language in between the frames!

[@MrNotsoscary]

Thanks for the video! Defender was hard... was the arcade vector monitor? I am trying to track down a NES game that was a first person shooter with giant robots where you never moved and had alternating attacks with the enemy. You could power up weapons and you would blow body parts off the other robot, it looked like RobotJox but I don't think that was the title? Anyone remember this one?

[@NoName-bt3oy]

Cyborg Justice?

[@neodonkey]

It was raster, but the video hardware was all custom TTL as was the way then and it had a blitter! The hardware is sweet.

[@konajinx]

I know the 2600 version gets shit on a lot, but I received it for Xmas the year it came out and I loved it. The arcade version was so damn difficult for me as a kid (still is a tough game), but the 2600 version allowed me to feel like I could actually enjoy Defender. As I got older, it got super easy for me, but I played it a lot and always liked it. You have to remember that back then, we never expected to get arcade quality ports on our consoles. Intellivision always crowed about having better graphics, but they weren't that amazing and their controllers were garbage. At that time in the early '80s, ColecoVision was probably the best at delivering graphics as close to the arcade as you could get for home, yet that system didn't even outlast the 2600. The 2600 was a beast, outlasting many of its competitors, including Atari's other consoles of the time.

[@Hologhoul]

Exactly the same this end of town, we never considered VCS Defender to be weak, we loved it. We were kids, but we understood it wasn't going to be same as the arcade (though the later Defender II is really impressive!)

[@soda1530]

What's the music used?

[@Fortuna1]

only missing the original gameboy version in the pack Defender/Joust

[@KurisuKagato]

I prefer the Game Boy Color version. The absolute FIRST version of Defender i've ever played.

[@Lurch666666]

Looks like the BBC micro version has a problem-Possibly with the emulator used.I don't remember the landers bunching together like they did in the video.

[@JetFire0422]

Defender 2000 looks pretty sweet

[@coach41]

I'm a bit biased but the Atari 5200 version was probably the best of the home translations (I played the 5200 when I was young). But even the C64 / Atari ST versions weren't that great. The Amiga had a decent version and the Midway games collections are essentially the arcade games so hard to compare those. The Apple II version is decent except for the lack of color and sound.

[@lesdixon7487]

The Spectrum excels once more..At showing us how shite it was..

[@MetalSonicodraco7342]

Les Dixon It is a clone, it's no official, your comment cannot agree nothing, unless the game was official That Defender is more like ''BASICfender''

[@lesdixon7487]

The Spectrum was shite full stop.

[@MetalSonicodraco7342]

Les Dixon Why? just for a CLONE of Defender? just for that?, Arguement or shut up.

[@lesdixon7487]

No, have you seen other Spectrum titles..colour clash, sorry lack of colour, let's not mention the sound. I know great graphics and sound don't always make a great game but it helps, especially when you can't always see what's happening on screen.. Overrated shite.. Stop being such a fan boy and wake the fuck up.

[@andymouse]

The Sega Genesis is defender, mix up ?

[@perfectionbox]

Funny how the ports don't mimic the original 8-bit game until running on 16-bit hardware

[@OldAussieAds]

BBC version looked great. As did the Colecovision and Atari 8-bit.

[@nicolasribeirodossantos6082]

You forgot the Entex version from Infinity War.

[@Fortuna1]

the gameboy color version, but not the Super gameboy version, this is missing Differences: Has BGM, support super gameboy, is possible play 2 players alternative, etc.

[@jamesheyworth3566]

FortunaChan I

[@wingnut4427]

That one is at 18:59. :)

[@sglider]

Growing up, loved the 2600 and C64 versions. What the heck is up with the sound on the Atari ST version? Sounds like machine guns and howling werewolves.

[@msbae]

The Jaguar and Amiga versions were easily the best home versions. The DOS version was just a shameless attempt to cheat people of their money.

[@janX9]

I have to disagree. To me, it looked like the SNES and Genesis versions looked pretty close to the original. Jaguar looked like a clone and that background ruined the whole feel of the game.

[@RichardCraig]

OMG, the DOS version... I haven't seen that in a looooong time... I used to just shoot all the humanoids right away because the game would run faster without them.

[@ztevezen9434]

Wheres the gameboy advanced version?

[@staffanbergstrom2265]

I will never understand the success of the Spectrum. Basically every system are able to make a better clone, even the more low end ones.

[@samcoupe4608KB]

try the updated version

[@wingnut4427]

Emulator.. but I can't remember the name. When I find it, I'll let You know. It handled it pretty good.

[@thepumpkingking8339]

Is it just me or on the BBC version. Does it look like the Defender is rescuing Lemmings !!

[@andymouse]

Acorn Electron is a great version.

[@SvetoslavBatsoev]

Hm, so the idea of River Ride probably came from this game.

[@alvamiga]

Datastorm on the Amiga puts all of these to shame... That said, half of them are already shameful, especially those on hardware easily capable of doing the job well.

[@bjbell52]

LOL, you must have skipped over the Atari Jaguar version.

[@SensibleChuckle]

I agree 100%! I was surprised it wasn't included, but likely because it's in its own league.

[@SammYLightfooD]

Datastorm is a cool game but it's a little different in gameplay. And most importantly - it has no laser, lol.

[@JohnSTF72]

How did they manage to botch the DOS version like that is anyone's guess.The Jaguar and MSX2 versions were interesting.The Vectrex version is very smooth and appealing as well.The less said about the Spectrum version,the better...

[@servantoflordjesus1150]

Check out Defender 3d on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/928230/DEFENDER_3D/

[@mattjackson9859]

Why oh why is the Speccy represented by the worst version possible? Why not something like Guardian II?

[@hartoz]

Amiga clone is great but a little too fast. SNES clone is closest to original. ZX Spectrum clone was written by a 6mo old chimp with learning difficulties (seriously WTF, the Amstrad is a similar computer and yet it's port is 100% better). Vectrex port is amazing all things considered.

[@handsomebrick]

Looks like the Spectrum one was coded in BASIC by a kid, common for pre-1983, meanwhile that Amstrad version looks like it might be post-1985.

[@thesman32]

yea the arcade version is just impossible to play properly with a joypad i play it on my arcade machine cos i just can't play it with a joypad. good effort tho.

[@samcoupe4608KB]

what about sam coupe defender please?

[@GamingHistorySource]

When I made the video I had that version but for reasons unknown I just forgot it. :(

[@samcoupe4608KB]

@@GamingHistorySource www.podboy.demon.co.uk/coupe/defender/index.html

[@samcoupe4608KB]

@@GamingHistorySource think he has improved on the old version more accurate and have you seen the pacman clone?

[@GamingHistorySource]

@@samcoupe4608KB Got a link to download the rom for the pac-man clone ? I will add it to my new updated compare of pac-man.

[@samcoupe4608KB]

@@GamingHistorySource oh dear i did have i used a rom site that i used to use for mame roms - you are absolutely right you need the arcade rom....

[@paulcollins3725]

The BBC Micro poked version does not count!

[@Darrylb500]

No, the arcade original was raster.

[@AndrewAHayes]

wot no sound?

[@GamingHistorySource]

I'm not sure what is going on. KZbin has gone wonky lately. I'll see what I can do.

[@GamingHistorySource]

Video is restored to it's original state. :)

[@Guernicaman]

Best version for me was the Atari 2600 version. It played the best.

[@homeelectricco]

on meth ??

[@richbiles230872]

2600 Defender was fantastic.

[@rikswift]

That version for the ZX Spectrum looks awful. Why not show 'Defenda' instead? It's pretty much arcade perfect.

[@filou93dc]

The "gauntlet" (a clone by micro power) should be compared : "it was released on the Acorn Electron & BBC Micro in 1984 & on the Amstrad CPC in 1985" (dixit the wiki "Gauntlet Micro Power video game"). It's a fantastic clone: I prefer it over the arcade game !! I used to pass hours on the Amstrad CPC version !! Originally it was a challenge for Chris Terran to write it. "Gauntlet Micro Power cpc" youtube kzbin.info/www/bejne/epbdpZ2BfqZ9kLs

[@shapeshifter8986]

super nintendo seems to be the best clone

[@phj9894]

it's a disappointing port to be honest. all enemy particles are colered red and don't move smooth(same goes for robotron 2084) , the resolution is little smaller. genesis version is more faithful to the arcade.

[@KurisuKagato]

Nah.. Definitely the Genesis version is better. As fucking close as you can get to the arcade version. Although, the SNES version isn't that bad at all.

[@datasilouk1995]

That Atari 2600 version looks dire. I don't know why they even bothered.

[@bryede]

Well, it's not great but 2600 games never look right on KZbin because video codecs can't deal with the flickering sprites, so they just keep disappearing. On a real CRT, the games don't look too bad.

[@Hologhoul]

VCS version was actually really good to play, as the controls felt good. It was quite easy to get big scores, so epic 2-player battles could ensue.

[@codiepereira636]

25:30

[@noiselabproject9659]

the MSDOS version basically looks like a broken machine ha ha

[@maximukhin45]

You forgot ps4 version

[@GamingHistorySource]

Please note the date of the video.

[@maximukhin45]

0_0

[@WillScarlet1991]

There were far better versions for the ZX Spectrum than what is in the vid.

[@richardward5762]

the origenal is great the rest look crap

[@bluepatch11]

the 2600 and Amstrad were the best imo. non were as good as the arcade. the bbc version is poorly emulated, the sound is bad. the real beeb does a better job.

[@jwaughtal]

the ZX spectrum clone sucks