Defender (1980) puts the player in command of a ship that has to protect humanoids on the ground from being abducted by aliens, with a radar showing the entire level and a control scheme — five buttons — unusually complex for its time. It was one of the toughest, most respected arcade games of the early '80s, and its influence is felt throughout the entire free-scroll shooter genre that came after; it remains a trial by fire for any fan of the classic shmup.
If you liked this one
