Defender is a horizontal shoot ’em up for the Game Boy Advance, developed by OutLook Entertainment and published by Midway. It shares its name and box art with the 2002 console remake but is a separate 2D game. Three modes are included: Classic Mode with the original 1981 arcade game, XG Mode with an enhanced version, and XGP Mode with new levels, ships, and weapons.
How To Play Defender
Control
Action
D-Pad
Fly your ship up, down, forward, and back across the scrolling landscape; move through menus and mode selection
A
Fire your main weapon; confirm a menu selection
B
Reverse your ship’s facing direction
L
Smart bomb, clearing enemies on screen
R
Hyperspace, warping your ship to a random position
Select
Switch special weapon in XGP Mode
Start
Pause the game and open the menu
About Defender
Release date
NA: November 2002; EU: March 24, 2003
Developer
OutLook Entertainment
Publisher
Midway
Platform
Game Boy Advance
Genre
Shoot ’em up, horizontal
Series
Defender; a separate handheld version of the 2002 console remake
Modes
Single-player across three modes; two-player cooperative and competitive play over the Game Link Cable
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
