Editing Defender (1981 video game) (section)

===Retrospective===
In 1995, [[Flux (magazine)|Flux]] magazine rated ''Defender'' 34th in its Top 100 Video Games. They lauded the game stating: "the ultimate side scrolling arcade shooter."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n27/mode/2up |journal=Flux |publisher=Harris Publications |issue=4 |pages=28}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' ranked the arcade version as number 13 on their 1996 "Top 100 Games of All Time", saying that its balanced difficulty makes gamers keep coming back for more instead of giving up.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1996|page=66}}</ref> In 1996, [[GamesMaster (magazine)|GamesMaster]] listed the game number 5 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time", they described the game as "One of the greatest shoot-‘em-ups of all time."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=July 1996 |title=Top 100 Games of All Time |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf |journal=GamesMaster |issue=44 |pages=78 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211224737/https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1999, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' listed ''Defender'' as number 23 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that "despite exceptionally complicated controls, gamers fell in love at first sight. The difficulty is high but {{nowrap|fair{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}when you die, it's always your fault, and that leaves you wanting one more chance to beat the game".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 50 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=50 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1999|page=77}}</ref> In 2004, ''Defender'' was inducted into [[GameSpot]]'s list of the greatest games of all time.<ref name="Gamespot">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-44.html|title=The Greatest Games of All Time: ''Defender''|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008134032/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-44.html | archive-date=October 8, 2007}}</ref> In 2008, [[Guinness World Records]] listed it as the number six arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact.<ref name="GWR08-1"/> That same year, ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' rated the game number ten on their list of "Top 25 Arcade Games", citing it as a technical achievement and a difficult title with addictive gameplay.<ref name="Retro54">{{cite magazine|magazine= [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]| issue = 54| page =68| title = Top 25 Arcade Games|url=http://www.freegamemanuals.com/pdfmagazines/RetroGamer054.pdf | author = Retro Gamer Staff|date=September 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140201211526/http://www.freegamemanuals.com/pdfmagazines/RetroGamer054.pdf | archive-date = February 1, 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Also in 2008, ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' ranked ''Defender'' the sixth best game from the 1980s. The editors described its design as very "elegant" despite a lack of narrative and characters.<ref name="Edge-50">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/best-50-games-1980s?page=6 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115034607/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/best-50-games-1980s?page=6 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-15 |title=The Best 50 Games of the 1980s |author=Edge Staff |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |date=2008-03-23 |access-date=2009-12-06 }}</ref>

[[GameSpy]]'s David Cuciz lauded ''Defender''{{'}}s challenging gameplay, commenting that it is representative of what other games should be. He described the graphics as "beautiful", citing the varied sprites and flashing explosions.<ref name="GS-Hall"/> Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice of ''[[Gamasutra]]'' stated the audio-visuals and gameplay's depth balanced the excessive difficulty. They praised the game's "catch and rescue" feature, as well as the mini-map.<ref name="Gamasutra-Defender"/> Cuciz also praised the mini-map, stating that the game is impossible without it and that it allows players to plan strategies.<ref name="GS-Hall"/> Author John Sellers praised the audio-visuals and the connection between the game's plot and gameplay.<ref name="Fever"/>

GameDaily in 2009 rated ''Defender'' the ninth most difficult game, citing the attack and rescue gameplay.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2009/04/14/the-top-25-hardest-games-of-all-time.htm| title = Top 25 Hardest Games of All Time| date = 14 April 2009| publisher = videogamesblogger.com| access-date = 2014-03-09}}</ref> Author [[Steven L. Kent]] called it "one of the toughest games in arcade history". He also stated that novice players typically are able to play only a few seconds, and that enthusiasts saw proficiency at the game as a "badge of honor".<ref name="Ultimate"/> David Cuciz echoed similar comments.<ref name="GS-Hall"/> Sellers described ''Defender'''s difficulty as "humbling", saying that few could play it with proficiency. He further stated that players would continue to play despite the difficulty.<ref name="Fever"/> Author David Ellis attributes the game's success to its challenging design.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/> Its difficulty is often attributed to its complex control scheme.<ref name="GWR08-1"/><ref name="Fever"/><ref name="Gamasutra-Defender"/> ''Edge'' magazine called ''Defender'' "one of the most difficult-to-master" games, describing its controls as "daunting".<ref name="Edge-50"/>

In 2025, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Defender'' into its [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-08 |title=World Video Game Hall of Fame inducts Defender, Tamagotchi, GoldenEye 007 and Quake |url=https://apnews.com/article/video-game-hall-of-fame-defender-tamagotchi-2e4ad6ec2258d482dc3a34ed324ee7f5 |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Members of the ''Defender'' development team attended the induction ceremony, including team lead Eugene Jarvis. Jeremy Saucier of The Strong Museum said ''"Defender''’s punishing gameplay raised the level of competition in arcades, and it was among the first games to truly separate dedicated players from more casual ones."<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees Announced |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/press-release/2025-world-video-game-hall-of-fame-inductees-announced/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=The Strong National Museum of Play |language=en-US}}</ref>