Editing Defender (1981 video game) (section)

{{short description|1981 video game}}
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{{Infobox video game
| title = Defender
| image = Defender red label.flyer.png
| caption = Promotional flyer featuring the upright arcade cabinet with the game at the title screen. Displayed at the bottom are the cabinet's joystick and numerous buttons.
| alt = Artwork of a vertical rectangular poster. The poster depicts the upper half of a black arcade cabinet with the title "Defender" displayed on the top portion. Above the cabinet, the poster reads "First, the pinball universe. Now, the world of video. Once again, Williams reigns supreme".
| developer = [[Williams Electronics]]
| publisher = '''Arcade''' {{vgrelease|NA/EU|Williams Electronics|JP|[[Taito]]<ref name="MAD">{{cite web |title=ディフェンダー アップライト筺体版 |trans-title=Defender upright cabinet version |url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M729292 |website=Media Arts Database |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |language=ja |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref>}} '''Ports''' <br>[[Atari, Inc.]]<br>[[Atarisoft]]
| designer = {{Unbulleted list|[[Eugene Jarvis]]|[[Larry DeMar]]}}
| director = 
| producer = 
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Eugene Jarvis|Larry DeMar|Sam Dicker|Paul Dussault}}
| artist = 
| writer = 
| composer = 
| release = {{vgrelease|NA|March 1981<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-03-07.pdf#page=44|title=Coin Machine: Chicago Chatter|author=<!-- Staff -->|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|date=March 7, 1981|page=40|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728055505/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-03-07.pdf|archive-date=July 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>|JP|February 1981<ref name="MAD"/>|EU|1981<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Arcade Action |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=18 November 1981 |issue=2 (December 1981) |pages=30–1 |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/159/429}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Scrolling shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| arcade system = 
| platforms = [[Arcade video game|Arcade]], [[Entex Adventure Vision|Adventure Vision]], [[Apple II]], [[Atari 8-bit]], [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 5200]], [[BBC Micro]], [[ColecoVision]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Intellivision]], [[IBM PC]], [[SAM Coupé]], [[TI-99/4A]], [[VIC-20]], [[ZX Spectrum]]
}}

'''''Defender''''' is a 1981 horizontally [[scrolling shooter]] [[video game]] developed by [[Williams Electronics]] for [[Arcade video game|arcades]]. The game is set on either an unnamed planet or city (depending on platform) 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's first video game project and drew inspiration from ''[[Space Invaders]]'' and ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]''. ''Defender'' was demonstrated in late 1980 and was released in March 1981. It was distributed in Japan by [[Taito]].

''Defender'' was one of the most important titles of the [[golden age of arcade video games]], selling over 55,000 units to become the company's best-selling game and one of the highest-grossing arcade games ever. Praise among critics focused on the game's audio-visuals and gameplay. It is frequently listed as one of Jarvis's best contributions to the [[video game industry]] and one of the most difficult video games. Though not the first game to scroll horizontally, it created the genre of horizontal scrolling [[shoot 'em up]]s. It inspired the development of other games and was followed by sequels and many imitations.

Ports were developed for contemporary game systems, most of them by either [[Atari, Inc.]] or its software label for non-Atari platforms, [[Atarisoft]]. The 1982 [[Atari 2600]] version was one of the [[List of best-selling Atari 2600 video games|best-selling games]] for the system and sold over 3 million cartridges.