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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Defender
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 1 vote
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Game Info
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Genre(s): Action
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: November 17, 2002
Summary
Fend off the alien advance on the various planets and moons of the solar system including Venus, Mars and Earth. Engage the alien invaders in Single-Player Campaign Mode or Two-Player Cooperative Campaign Mode. Choose from six different types of ships, from heavily-armed bombers to quick and stealthy fighters. Upgrade your ship between missions and earn multiple power-ups including shields, advanced weapons, cloaking technology and more. Employ special tactical maneuvers such as barrel rolls, 360-degree loops and 360-degree reversals. Take strategic control by positioning various ground units including tanks and missile launchers. [Midway]
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Nintendo Power
Three versions of the first side-scrolling shooter give Defender for the GBA old-school flair. [Feb 2003, p.160]
TotalGames.net
A distinct lack of pace (something that made the original so absorbing) also makes the action far less exciting than it should be.
Read Full Review >GameZone
There are too many "button" needs to limit yourself to such a tiny panel of controls. You really need to stand back and SEE what's going on. You must have very quick fingers to survive for long.
Read Full Review >Pocket Games
The main part of the game is a complete mockery of the Defender franchise. [Spring 2003, p.31]
GameSpot
The updates really don’t do anything to improve the gameplay and in some cases actually detract from it.
Read Full Review >All Game Guide
Defender proves that more is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to modes of play. Rather than take a rock solid format and enhance it through multiple variants of the same basic theme, the developers have created a mess and tried to cover it up with different versions that all have weaknesses.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Don't confuse this game with the console games however. Console games good; GBA game bad.
Gamer's Pulse
The graphics are simply poor. The sound is painful to the ears at time, although it stuck very close to the original game.
Read Full Review >IGN
I haven't seen a worse classic remake since Atari botched "Pac-Man" on the 2600 more than two decades ago.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
The arcade died years ago, but this is surely an uncalled-for goober spit on its grave. [Feb 2003, p110]
Gaming Age
Terrible gameplay, terrible animation, terrible AI, the addition of new modes that actually detract from the original, revamped controls that manage to both suck and blow at the same time – if given a choice between playing the GBA version again or eating the cartridge, plastic and all, I’d be firing up my microwave and looking for a plate.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chris A. gave it an 8:
I like this game. A great shooter.
