ASTOUNDING. I feel like like I am back at the mall, 1982-84, and hanging on the side of the machine with 10 other people, who are all wondering how you can possibly be so good. A smoky room, and cigarette burns on the top of the control panel would make it truly complete. Thanks for the memory.
I was 15 in 1981 when I first played this when it just came out and this song had just ab entered the charts,. I could play it at this speed to, but it cost me a lot of 10p s.
I just went back and watched this again after seeing it for the first time a year ago... Defender is one of the hardest games ever... especially using the arcade controls. I still stand by my earlier comment that this is truly some of the best video gaming you will ever see. The precision and hand eye coordination is simply at another level.
+EZ Does It What set Defender apart from all the other games back in -81 was the "unlimited" space, the freedom of movement, the complex enemy AI (no patterns - all situations are "new"). And the fact that there's no end to how good you can be at this game. I mean, it's possible to play indefiniteley with only 1 ship, in space, without Smart Bombs, and on hardest difficulty - nothing stops a player from doing that: there's always a way to deal with every situation. It took me 9 months to learn to roll Defender on its default settings back in -81. But it took me several years to manage to roll it on max difficulty. And I haven't managed to roll it on 15K bonus YET. There's always a goal, and skills will evolve if you keep playing. This game is forever.
This brings back all the memories of my video game addiction. It wouldn't have been so bad but this was the only game I played that I couldn't master. You have no idea how good it feels to actually watch someone beat the crap out of it.
Yes - it's part of the early 80's atmosphere! I was a hard core Motörhead fan in my teens and collected all the different editions, colored vinyls, bootlegs and such. And music with the right energy actually adds something to your game. Look what happened when the music stopped at 709K: immediately I was down to 4 ships for the first time in almost 500.000 pts! :-)
I feel you man. Yeah I used to play like this on a stock arcade machine. But you are right that background track to set your tempo is extremely important to keep focus. And twisting one up before hand doesn't hurt either. lol
The interaction at 6:36 has been my go-to clip for exposing new players to Defender for years. Effortlessly weaving through a baiter attack, then going on to catch a falling humanoid through an array of bullets is unbelievable.
I love watching this video. I’ve recently found a lot of satisfaction in Defender and its sounds (gameplay and the buttons it requires you to press), and throwing in the Motörhead behind it just creates this perfect aesthetic lol. Plus seeing the game played well is so thrilling. It’s like a dance of combat and survival. Incredible game.
Lol. I remember seeing a guy trying for the world record in the arcade when I was a little kid. I loved this game in the arcade and on my 5200. Usually the gameplay videos are so poor, with players having no clue how to play - to the point where they don’t even show off the game properly. You sir, can most certainly play! Outstanding.
Defender was the one game that I could never come close to mastering. To me, it was EASILY the hardest video game to play back in the Arcade era. It was literally too much to watch and do in that game. The guy on this video is absolutely incredible. And even he is dying frequently.
Eugene Jarvis was a gameplay genius, his work gave me so many hours of pleasure as a kid - the pinball machines, Robotron and this game. In fact, there was a period where if you saw it had a Williams badge on it, you knew it was going to be quality. And you sir, have mastered probably the hardest game on the hardest setting. Massive respect.
I literally cannot BELIEVE what I've just seen. Some of the moves you put on here defy belief. I can't count the number of times I said "no &%$#ing WAY!" out loud as I watched this. You, sir, are a GOD. I'm sorry but this is unreal- literally one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Wow.
what he said - could not have put it better myself , never got past level 3 personally - that was a completely insane display of twitch reflexes. I feel u have put to shame most modern day twitch gamers- yes - u sir are the GOD OF DEFENDER !
Gripping video man I couldn't pull myself away! I used to have to wear a golf glove to play Defender Stargate because of blisters but never was able to play on the most difficult setting. Great job.
Great job man. This was one of my favourite arcade games bitd and back then I could ‘beat’ the game and then pass it on to one of the small crowd of onlookers. Looking at it now, I can hardly believe I could do it regularly but I was around 40 years younger. Still looks a great game and I’m still gaming now. I guess it was easier back then when we used the joystick on the arcade machines, flicking with thumb and forefinger. Btw, great music, I was also a big Motörhead fan back then :-)
Well done. Great job! I feel your pain everytime you die with only one lander left to kill before the level ends. All the best from this veteran arcade game player in the UK
Absolutely BRUTAL, wicked hard classic arcade game. Defender wasn't satisfied with being challenging, it crushed players and grinded whatever remains were left over into a fine talcum-like powder. Awesome gameplay my friend, great stuff indeed!
Hi, there! And thanks a lot. 😌 Yes, March 11, 2012 - it’s been up here a while. I see that I have 60.000 views (!). I also see that I have 15 x 👎. Wtf? What’s the problem? 😁 I regret so much I didn’t pursue the 15K goal on these settings. All machines are down now: 2 x Stargates, 2 x Robotrons & 2 Defenders. It’s the monitor on all of them. Probably need to be re-capped (I hope). Still got one Defender working, playing off and on, just to keep in touch. What about you - still playing some?
@@mikeville66 Hi Mike! Yes! I am playing. I have a Defender and a Stargate, both running on JROK, which basically means I have 2 Defenders one of which can also be a Stargate. The Defender is down, it's JROK failed. And I can't goddam get a new one, they are always out of stock; I think it must be the global semiconductor shortage. But I'm glad I got the extra machine as a backup--it's really great to have it! The monitor is a tad bit glitchy, though Matt Householder comes by from time to time and does hardware fixes for me. Also, my reverse key just started acting up a little. I've been playing in, shall we say, retirement mode. I'm not playing for hard core skill acquisition or to get records, but just playing kind of recreationally when I feel like chilling out. I also find it's an interesting and/or useful way to gauge my current physiological and mental state. If I can play well then I know I'm alert. But if I haven't slept well, or something else is going on, I see it right away in my play. Also, playing in retirement mode there's certainly a lot less swearing, lol :-) Oh, and I didn't mention: I'm actually playing Stargate currently. On default settings. Weirdly I find that I'm only about equal to my skill level from back in the day. Well, I did have one game up to 1.5M where I stacked about 35 ships, so probably I'm a bit better now. Mike if I ever come to Sweden I'd like to visit you, I think that would be amazing. I think we're connected connected on email, if not maybe we can connect via Jim Bowley. You were such an inspiration to me when I found these videos. Such awesome skill, and so great to hook up with you and the other top players on Facebook, though I had to kick that spyware to the curb. I hope you can get your hardware fixed up soon! Maybe adapt one of those medical CRTs or something. Or buy an entire rig from Jim, I think his machines give a pretty authentic experience.
Great game man! I really need to get one of these consoles, this really brought back memories for me. I could play all night on one quarter, or at least until I had to pee, lol. On those max levels, I used to shoot all but one of my humanoids and then carry that last one all the time. It prevented the landers from mutating and allowed you to clear the wave easier and faster before too many baiters showed up.
Thanks. :-) It sounds like you should join our fb group 'Williams Defender Players Unite'. 1000 members, everyones there: players, collectors, techies, old Williams staff ... They'll hook you up with a dedicated Defender/Stargate panel so you play the game like it should be played.
Man, this brings me back! I mastered Gradius pretty quickly back in 1985, but never lasted more than 2 minutes on Defender. Truly awe-inspiring skills - you should be a heart surgeon, my friend!
Unreal playing! I knew somebody out there must know how to REALLY play this game. I've been watching it destroy everyone since 1980. Glad to see someone finally show the game who's boss!
Wow...I thought "I" was good at this game...you are BOSS my friend. ...I remember being kicked out of many a skating rink losing my cool on this game :p
Probably the best play I've ever seen... well done man. I just recently made a Mame cabinet with custom Defender control layout and am reliving my high school days. Still a bit rusty, lol.
Yeh sir. You made me feel I was actually playing the game. Bet you can blow your last ship up to attain highest score possible before the score clocks itself. You are very good sir. Salutes to you from the uk
Well, thank you very much, Sir. 🙏 Sad I never got around to pursuing & recording a 15K bonus ship game (i.e. rolling it). I even had a 15K Max Diff track made at Twin Galaxies, but I never posted any video. ☹️
What do you have done is an achievement itself. Very impressive records. Back at time I was able to get to 700 on the regular setting.Your gameplay is at at another level.
This is the game that got me addicted to video games, spent my dinner money down the arcades , i always wanted to be good but i was rubbish, hardly ever got past 20000 points, but i loved playing it, the sounds are so nostalgic, i loved them back in the day and love them even more now. I have never seen anyone play the game as well as i just seen, i wish i could be half as good, best i ever seen.....well done
This game was fast! Sometimes I was 'in the zone' so to speak and other nights I was just no good. Trouble is, today and I'm 60 years old, that things can't keep up with my Defender mindset. I've broken more than one industrial touch screen with my Defender fingers! Thanks for bringing back the full Defender experience!
Yes, it’s like that with Defender: sometimes you’re just in ’The Zone’, and it’s almost like you’re hands are faster than your brain. What do you mean - you play Defender on a touch screen?
@@mikeville66 Sorry for the confusion, I was so used to how fast the game was, when I use some of the production machines at work that are interminably slow, I forget that touch screens don't need hammering like the old fire buttons. I couldn't play Defender on a touch screen, I need the old 1980's buttons and joystick for the full experience. I've only just realised how noisy the controls are.
@@mikeville66 I'm a maintenance engineer in a foundry, I can't cope with 21st century industrial furnaces, injection moulding machines and the like, that have gigabytes of processing ability but have controls that are still slower to react than a 1980's game that fits on a 1.44Mb floppy complete with the Williams emulator, from the CD rom that came out years ago. Or maybe I've got zombie fingers that don't work touch screens so well🤣. I still play Defender on a laptop with a dedicated keyboard attached to save the laptop keys from being destroyed. I can only dream about having an original arcade machine. Thanks for all the replies.
If I'm ever snatched up by an alien I hope like hell you're flying the fighter that saves me. Spent hundreds on this game back in the day. Never was even close to that level.
Brilliant. Fantastic play. Used to play when on holiday in the early 80's, as a young boy, it was my favourite. Used to end up having a Fucking heart attack at the end, think that's where I get my anxiety from. Im getting one, don't know what the wife is going to say though.
Awesome! I actually had one of these real arcade Defender machines in my San Francisco home many moons ago until my little sister had to give it to her hubby, the surgeon, as a B-Day gift. I never mastered it like you have but my bro-inlaw is actually close to your skill level. After watching this, I may need to go find another Defender or maybe a Stargate machine.
Yes, do that - you won’t regret it. Beat that B-in-law! 😁 Join our Williams group on fb: ‘Williams Defender Players Unite’, since 2012. 900+ members. We’re all there: the players, the collectors, the techies & all the folks from Williams bitd.
Yes, the early ’80s Williams sounds are iconic. Originally by Eugene Jarvis for the ’Firepower’ pinball (March -80), then expanded upon for Defender (Nov/Dec -80).
My friend Keith and I could hit the 999975 score frequently (which is the real challenge). If you know the game, you know that after the 990,000 score, you get advances in your ships. Once, we ran through past the 1,000,000 mark and had a huge amount of ships. We were at a lonely arcade and left for lunch. Came back and the game was still going. Awesome times. Great video. I applaud your moves, sir!
Thank you. 🙏 Yes, 999.975 pts can be a real problem sometimes - easy to roll it by mistake. You know about the extra ship bug 990.000 - 999.975 pts? How it works?
I wondered if I could sit through an hour and a bit of someone playing an old arcade game but here I am at minute 43 and still glued to the screen with my jaw on the floor! EPIC skills!
At one arcade that I used to go to, there was a Star Castle geek that would walk into the arcade with a knee pad, when they opened in the morning, and would put one quarter in the machine, kneel on the pad, and play all day long on that one quarter until the arcade closed for the night, I think about 10-12 hours later.
Anxiety, holding my breathe and lifting my legs whilst watching this in bed........your baiter bashing skills are touch notch....i have only ever played the standard arcade settings and clocked it on a regular basis........But yous is in a different league Sir.
+TNT Amusements Inc Thanks! Well, I've been playing "for a while" ... Started playing when it came out, and played through the whole 80's (bought my own machine in -85). Then not a single game for 20 years, till I brought my games (Defender, Stargate, Robotron) down from the attic, like 5 years ago.
+mikeville66 Watching you play was sort of like watching a movie...and was fascinating watch you catch the humanoids in the "splitest" of seconds and setting them down and flying right back up... Really neat stuff!
Nice memory. Great music. Feels. Remember kids, all that punishment delivered by an 8 bit 6809, on a bitmap screen, no sprites, single buffer, each screen half drawn off monitor scan. Bad ass.
Ha, ha - thanks, guys! This was almost 1½ years ago, so I thought I'd record & upload another game (same settings, but with 15K bonus), but couldn't find the cord to the camcorder. I'll get to it soon. Steve: if you could clock Def at will bitd, you will do it on your first game if you'd try it now. Believe me - that's exactly my experience 2-3 yrs ago, when I played it for the first time in almost 20 yrs. Defender is like swimming and riding a bike: once you've learned it - you'll never forget
BRILLIANT. Waves 40&41 are probably some of the best waves of Defender I've ever seen during my 32year love-affair with the game! And what about the epic struggle from 700k to 900k! Make no mistake people, Mikeville66 is one of the few people who can do this stuff on 99-99. Check out the end of this game for his calibre - even with no more ships remaining AND on 909,000pts he'll back himself against a 99-99 baiter instead of wussing out and smart bombing! PURE CLASS!
Never heard that one - very inventive and smooth. Got to try it out on my own game! We used to tape a thin nylon thread (thinner than fishing lines) to a coin. But I remember seeing a big skinhead using a more brutal method: he shoved a metal coat hanger down the coin slot!
Thank you very much! When was the last time you played? There are a number of ’Retro Arcades’ you could visit. You won’t be disappointed - it’s as fun as it was bitd. Fantastic game.
Wow, incredible performance! What a game; still looks and sounds great even now, fantastic. I cannot imagine being that good at Defender, it's so difficult.
WOW. WTF. Never in my life have I saw anyone play Defender like you have. Dude. You were fucking killing it. Defender is a hard game to play. Much respect. I had to watch the whole video.
I remember bunkin of school in the 80s slipping down our local arcade haunt with me mates and an old gas oven igniter and clockin up hours of fun on this game.total classic.
I can't believe u didn't clock it. This was my favourite game and after 35 years I still have the scars on my middle finger from the up/down joystick. Excellent play.
Yeah, that was stupid. I’ve never counted the bombs, but there must’ve been plenty. Could probably have used like 4/wave up to 990K. Right hand pinkie has a huge callous since 1981. 😁
You play well, reminded me of myself. The shopkeeper hated us because with 10p we played for hours double clocking it until we got tired. I have not come across the game again since the 80's, I do miss it. 👍
Not come across a Defender since the 80’s? That’s sad. What about Arcade Club in Bury? Never heard of it? I know the UK lot in our Williams arcade group on facebook frequent it. They have even had the creators of Defender, Stargate & Robotron - Eugene Jarvis & Larry DeMar - over 2 times. You should join our group, ’Williams Defender Players Unite’. Since 2012 and 900+ members. If you can’t find it - let me know.
I found my copy of Williams Arcade Classics today after having lost it for years - best version I've ever found for a home computer! Fortunately it runs on Win XP, so I was able to play it for the first time in years! Just over 200k was my best ever.
I got over a million in early 80s a couple of times, used to play it in this big record store that had a small arcade. Used to get all the latest rock and metal albums playing in background also. Ace times.
that was good playing. back in the 80's I got pretty good at defender. one quarter and I could play all night long. id have so many ships built up I couldn't count them. I'm 50 and can still feel the callus on left middle finger from the joy stick. best game ever
Wow man, I'm watching this video ... again ... I'm impressed by how casual you are, like you're in no hurry to complete the waves, almost cavalier. Or surgical: snip, cut a baiter here, snip, cut a baiter there. The more I'm playing maximum difficulty, the more I'm seeing how refined your technique is. Ok, I'm going to go to bed now and dream about being a better Defender player.
An interesting observation about effective smart bombs: check out 46:00 and the next 5-10 seconds. Notice the pause before actually hitting the smart bomb: I think that a pause like that can contribute to making the pods not break. I notice in my play that such a pause often seems to help.
THAT...WAS...INCREDIBLE!!! I can't help but think that you would have broken a million if that Motorhead CD was on repeat mode. They seem to give you special powers!
Thank you. 🙏 After taking up Defender again, after an 18 year hiatus, it took me 1,5 years of playing regularly to get back to where I left off. Regret I didn’t pursue doing it with bonus ships at 15K. Don’t think I will muster that energy/will again. Wonderful game - will never get tired of it. ☺️
@@mikeville66 I'm very tempted to seek out an old cab or get something setup with MAME after seeing that. There's no other game that's as much being in the zone as it is skill and tactics. One of the best games ever imo
I think the best way would be for you to join our Williams group on fb: ‘Williams Defender Players Unite’. Since 2012, 900+ members. We’re all there: the players, the collectors, the techies & all the folks from Williams bitd. Being able to really p l a y Defender is so much about the original control panel, the layout of the buttons, how responsive they are & the way they feel. We have people there who manufacture plug-in panels for MAME & JROK, and could advice you on different Defender riggs to set up.
Back in the day in the pubs in Leeds you'd find people playing this game like thier lives depended on it racking up unbelievable scores. I was really crap at it but it was amazing to watch someone who was good on it while drunk.
Damn this takes me back! I remember very well suffering Defender finger after clocking it. I had a callous on my left hand from the wear from the joystick movement and the front plate. You'll know exactly what this is if you were a serious Defender player!! You defo have it on the hardest settings the way the baiters are appearing!! I don't know which settings I played on but at about 950k everything you hit would give you a bonus ship. That had to take you to about 200k after wrap around/clocking before you started earning bonus ships again. But Motorhead in the background is just classic. Good call !! This is absolutely my favourite game and I spent way too much time in the arcades as a kid playing this!!! There were 2 of us who were really good at this. My buddy was better than me and actually won a few competitions. When he was playing (mega long game) he'd hand it to me for a while whilst he went for a pee/food. Good times!! I doubt I'd have the reaction time required these days !!
It was actually 990k-1m, and then ships were awarded again depending on exactly how many extra ships you got between 990k-1m: so for example, if you got 30 extra ships then ships would start to be awarded again at 1.3m :)
@@andthereisntone3454 Ah, never knew it was based on ships awarded. Cool. There's something to be said about the old Arcades where we all congregated. A social scene for sure. Unlike modern games where everyone plays at home!!
When this came out in the arcades it was a huge progressive and new stand out game because of it's graphics, amazing sounds, number of buttons, radar, scrolling screen, aggressive clever aliens and difficult gameplay. NOTHING like this had ever been seen before. i loved it. But was useless at it i admit. But I was only 9. To see someone play it like this is amazing - thankyou. I got good at Robotron and Stargate 800k+ but still find this too hard to play. Maybe when i'm in my retirement home and have loads of time I can play it and get good at it?
Just to add - the guys who invented and programmed this game (and Robotron/Stargate) said they wanted to develop a game that would kick your arse. So you keep coming back to try and beat it.
Yes, Defender was seriously addictive. Looking back, it was almost a ’sickness’ there for a while. It was that freedom of movement, the room for a personal style, the fact that you could always improve your skills, that also made it very interesting to watch other players’ games. Good times. 😊
I used to love playing playing this game back in the day!! It always seemed a bit ahead of its time... I wonder what kids would say about Defender these days?..
Its funny how music can take you to places. My old favourite arcade (that was a room above a baked potato shop!) also had a pool table and a jukebox. This place always was 2-3 months ahead of the game for some reason. First in newcastle to have a Defender, and eventually had 3 of them. The first to have a Stargate and the first to have a robotron. Whenever i hear "dead ringer for love" it reminds me of Stargate, as it was playing on the Jukebox the first time i played Stargate
Sorry, I don't think I can watch more than 15 minutes without PTSD - either from watching you imaging it's me or days I played this game myself. Those buggers are persistent. Keep practicing - we might need Gundam pilots in the future!
This is awesome to watch. I scored 6.4 mill. back in 1982 (at a lower setting I'm sure!). Had to kill 29 surplus spaceships because the arcade closed for the day (I wanted my name in the Hall of Fame even if it was futile as the machine was turned off aftwerwards). I played from 2.30 pm. until 11.30 pm. with only one toilet break. Apparently you've been practising ;-)
@BrundleMoose 5-man/Tournament? Are you on Twin Galaxies? The Blues and Greens looks & plays exactly the same, but the blues are certainly harder on TG settings (5-15), so they might be a little faster on 99-99 as well - hard to tell. The biggest difference is between the Blue/Green ROMs and the Reds. Be sure to play the Red ROMs if your going for the TGTS record.
ASTOUNDING. I feel like like I am back at the mall, 1982-84, and hanging on the side of the machine with 10 other people, who are all wondering how you can possibly be so good. A smoky room, and cigarette burns on the top of the control panel would make it truly complete. Thanks for the memory.
Don't forget..."prepare to qualify" out in the distance.
Me too! I remember playing this game.. it was so hard.. If you hadn't shared this I wouldn't have believed this could be done! Thanks for sharing!!!
@@dcfan1107 nice touch 👍
@@dcfan1107 haha brilliant
Except leave out the hideous cancer sticks! One of mankind's worst inventions.
My hat is off to you, sir.
Defender is the hardest arcade game I ever played. Every game was short, but intense.
usually short....
Same. The Atari 2600 version is more in my league lol. Arcade = @$$ $TOMPER.
That is some of the best video game playing that I've seen in my lifetime!
The HARDEST video game of all time with Motorhead as the sound track... Nice! This was a quarter muncher.
I was 15 in 1981 when I first played this when it just came out and this song had just ab entered the charts,. I could play it at this speed to, but it cost me a lot of 10p s.
I also remember Stand and Deliver a lot too. I'm UK based.
Defender was a tough cookie to master ,so many buttons and one hell of a difficult game to master , this guy is incredible
I just went back and watched this again after seeing it for the first time a year ago... Defender is one of the hardest games ever... especially using the arcade controls. I still stand by my earlier comment that this is truly some of the best video gaming you will ever see. The precision and hand eye coordination is simply at another level.
+EZ Does It What set Defender apart from all the other games back in -81 was the "unlimited" space, the freedom of movement, the complex enemy AI (no patterns - all situations are "new"). And the fact that there's no end to how good you can be at this game. I mean, it's possible to play indefiniteley with only 1 ship, in space, without Smart Bombs, and on hardest difficulty - nothing stops a player from doing that: there's always a way to deal with every situation. It took me 9 months to learn to roll Defender on its default settings back in -81. But it took me several years to manage to roll it on max difficulty. And I haven't managed to roll it on 15K bonus YET. There's always a goal, and skills will evolve if you keep playing. This game is forever.
Great point - endless space, infinite possibility.
wow - keep at it dude - hope u keep postin stuff
Good comment
This brings back all the memories of my video game addiction. It wouldn't have been so bad but this was the only game I played that I couldn't master. You have no idea how good it feels to actually watch someone beat the crap out of it.
Addiction is right. If I had all the quarters back that I fed that damn machine back in the day, I'd have...well, a *shitload* of quarters!
I was the same, couldn’t quite get Defender, but it was great watching someone good. I could finish Rygar and last for hours on Tron. Nice play 👍
Agree!!!!!
Wow... this is a blast from the past. I played Defender EVERY day on the way home from school.
Maybe the toughest video game, ever.
Yes - it's part of the early 80's atmosphere! I was a hard core Motörhead fan in my teens and collected all the different editions, colored vinyls, bootlegs and such.
And music with the right energy actually adds something to your game. Look what happened when the music stopped at 709K: immediately I was down to 4 ships for the first time in almost 500.000 pts! :-)
I feel you man. Yeah I used to play like this on a stock arcade machine. But you are right that background track to set your tempo is extremely important to keep focus. And twisting one up before hand doesn't hurt either. lol
The interaction at 6:36 has been my go-to clip for exposing new players to Defender for years. Effortlessly weaving through a baiter attack, then going on to catch a falling humanoid through an array of bullets is unbelievable.
I love watching this video. I’ve recently found a lot of satisfaction in Defender and its sounds (gameplay and the buttons it requires you to press), and throwing in the Motörhead behind it just creates this perfect aesthetic lol.
Plus seeing the game played well is so thrilling. It’s like a dance of combat and survival. Incredible game.
Lol. I remember seeing a guy trying for the world record in the arcade when I was a little kid. I loved this game in the arcade and on my 5200. Usually the gameplay videos are so poor, with players having no clue how to play - to the point where they don’t even show off the game properly. You sir, can most certainly play! Outstanding.
Defender was the one game that I could never come close to mastering. To me, it was EASILY the hardest video game to play back in the Arcade era. It was literally too much to watch and do in that game. The guy on this video is absolutely incredible. And even he is dying frequently.
Took me 2 years to master, I play about as good as this video. He’s super strong.
Robotron was close
Eugene Jarvis was a gameplay genius, his work gave me so many hours of pleasure as a kid - the pinball machines, Robotron and this game. In fact, there was a period where if you saw it had a Williams badge on it, you knew it was going to be quality. And you sir, have mastered probably the hardest game on the hardest setting. Massive respect.
Unbelievable!! Still my favourite arcade game. I'd love to have your skills. Just amazing .
I literally cannot BELIEVE what I've just seen. Some of the moves you put on here defy belief. I can't count the number of times I said "no &%$#ing WAY!" out loud as I watched this. You, sir, are a GOD. I'm sorry but this is unreal- literally one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
Wow.
what he said - could not have put it better myself , never got past level 3 personally - that was a completely insane display of twitch reflexes. I feel u have put to shame most modern day twitch gamers- yes - u sir are the GOD OF DEFENDER !
Yep, the cat can play. I tip my hat
Hmmm it's ok.. a simple game to master...
@@johngodfrey1622 whats your highest score?
Gripping video man I couldn't pull myself away! I used to have to wear a golf glove to play Defender Stargate because of blisters but never was able to play on the most difficult setting. Great job.
Great job man. This was one of my favourite arcade games bitd and back then I could ‘beat’ the game and then pass it on to one of the small crowd of onlookers. Looking at it now, I can hardly believe I could do it regularly but I was around 40 years younger. Still looks a great game and I’m still gaming now. I guess it was easier back then when we used the joystick on the arcade machines, flicking with thumb and forefinger. Btw, great music, I was also a big Motörhead fan back then :-)
Dude, you rock. You play this game like you're conducting a symphony. I have to get this good at Defender!
Well done. Great job!
I feel your pain everytime you die with only one lander left to kill before the level ends.
All the best from this veteran arcade game player in the UK
Damn, this guy's good. I remember this game being, sort of, the ultimate video game in the 80s...the one with the most skill requirement...
Me too!
Absolutely BRUTAL, wicked hard classic arcade game. Defender wasn't satisfied with being challenging, it crushed players and grinded whatever remains were left over into a fine talcum-like powder. Awesome gameplay my friend, great stuff indeed!
Mike: This video just does not. Get. Old.
I love re-watching your awesome skills, so badass. Thanks. --Kai
Hi, there! And thanks a lot. 😌
Yes, March 11, 2012 - it’s been up here a while. I see that I have 60.000 views (!). I also see that I have 15 x 👎. Wtf? What’s the problem? 😁
I regret so much I didn’t pursue the 15K goal on these settings. All machines are down now: 2 x Stargates, 2 x Robotrons & 2 Defenders. It’s the monitor on all of them. Probably need to be re-capped (I hope). Still got one Defender working, playing off and on, just to keep in touch.
What about you - still playing some?
@@mikeville66 Hi Mike! Yes! I am playing. I have a Defender and a Stargate, both running on JROK, which basically means I have 2 Defenders one of which can also be a Stargate. The Defender is down, it's JROK failed. And I can't goddam get a new one, they are always out of stock; I think it must be the global semiconductor shortage. But I'm glad I got the extra machine as a backup--it's really great to have it! The monitor is a tad bit glitchy, though Matt Householder comes by from time to time and does hardware fixes for me. Also, my reverse key just started acting up a little. I've been playing in, shall we say, retirement mode. I'm not playing for hard core skill acquisition or to get records, but just playing kind of recreationally when I feel like chilling out. I also find it's an interesting and/or useful way to gauge my current physiological and mental state. If I can play well then I know I'm alert. But if I haven't slept well, or something else is going on, I see it right away in my play. Also, playing in retirement mode there's certainly a lot less swearing, lol :-) Oh, and I didn't mention: I'm actually playing Stargate currently. On default settings. Weirdly I find that I'm only about equal to my skill level from back in the day. Well, I did have one game up to 1.5M where I stacked about 35 ships, so probably I'm a bit better now. Mike if I ever come to Sweden I'd like to visit you, I think that would be amazing. I think we're connected connected on email, if not maybe we can connect via Jim Bowley.
You were such an inspiration to me when I found these videos. Such awesome skill, and so great to hook up with you and the other top players on Facebook, though I had to kick that spyware to the curb. I hope you can get your hardware fixed up soon! Maybe adapt one of those medical CRTs or something. Or buy an entire rig from Jim, I think his machines give a pretty authentic experience.
Great game man! I really need to get one of these consoles, this really brought back memories for me. I could play all night on one quarter, or at least until I had to pee, lol. On those max levels, I used to shoot all but one of my humanoids and then carry that last one all the time. It prevented the landers from mutating and allowed you to clear the wave easier and faster before too many baiters showed up.
Thanks. :-)
It sounds like you should join our fb group 'Williams Defender Players Unite'. 1000 members, everyones there: players, collectors, techies, old Williams staff ... They'll hook you up with a dedicated Defender/Stargate panel so you play the game like it should be played.
Man, this brings me back! I mastered Gradius pretty quickly back in 1985, but never lasted more than 2 minutes on Defender. Truly awe-inspiring skills - you should be a heart surgeon, my friend!
Unreal playing! I knew somebody out there must know how to REALLY play this game. I've been watching it destroy everyone since 1980. Glad to see someone finally show the game who's boss!
Wow...I thought "I" was good at this game...you are BOSS my friend.
...I remember being kicked out of many a skating rink losing my cool on this game :p
LOL you just teleported me back in time to my local 7-11 to watch this in amazement!!
Probably the best play I've ever seen... well done man. I just recently made a Mame cabinet with custom Defender control layout and am reliving my high school days. Still a bit rusty, lol.
I almost needed a Dramamine after watching this, and I loved every second!
Nothing best those Williams sound effects.
Omg I can’t believe YT detected the background song track over defenders super loud sfx.
Great play though man!
Yes - it was actually banned for watchers in Europe for like 2-3 years because of those old Motörhead tracks in the background. 😁
What a milestone. And still the best sound in video game history. Excellent skills Sir.
Yeh sir. You made me feel I was actually playing the game. Bet you can blow your last ship up to attain highest score possible before the score clocks itself. You are very good sir. Salutes to you from the uk
I had to leave another review. You have truly mastered this game. I really enjoyed watching the whole video.
Well, thank you very much, Sir. 🙏
Sad I never got around to pursuing & recording a 15K bonus ship game (i.e. rolling it). I even had a 15K Max Diff track made at Twin Galaxies, but I never posted any video. ☹️
What do you have done is an achievement itself. Very impressive records. Back at time I was able to get to 700 on the regular setting.Your gameplay is at at another level.
This is the game that got me addicted to video games, spent my dinner money down the arcades , i always wanted to be good but i was rubbish, hardly ever got past 20000 points, but i loved playing it, the sounds are so nostalgic, i loved them back in the day and love them even more now.
I have never seen anyone play the game as well as i just seen, i wish i could be half as good, best i ever seen.....well done
This game was fast! Sometimes I was 'in the zone' so to speak and other nights I was just no good. Trouble is, today and I'm 60 years old, that things can't keep up with my Defender mindset. I've broken more than one industrial touch screen with my Defender fingers! Thanks for bringing back the full Defender experience!
Yes, it’s like that with Defender: sometimes you’re just in ’The Zone’, and it’s almost like you’re hands are faster than your brain.
What do you mean - you play Defender on a touch screen?
@@mikeville66 Sorry for the confusion, I was so used to how fast the game was, when I use some of the production machines at work that are interminably slow, I forget that touch screens don't need hammering like the old fire buttons. I couldn't play Defender on a touch screen, I need the old 1980's buttons and joystick for the full experience. I've only just realised how noisy the controls are.
You have a Defender, then? Or a Control panel hooked up to something?
@@mikeville66 I'm a maintenance engineer in a foundry, I can't cope with 21st century industrial furnaces, injection moulding machines and the like, that have gigabytes of processing ability but have controls that are still slower to react than a 1980's game that fits on a 1.44Mb floppy complete with the Williams emulator, from the CD rom that came out years ago. Or maybe I've got zombie fingers that don't work touch screens so well🤣. I still play Defender on a laptop with a dedicated keyboard attached to save the laptop keys from being destroyed. I can only dream about having an original arcade machine. Thanks for all the replies.
Masterful playing. Nothing beats these old classics in playability.
If I'm ever snatched up by an alien I hope like hell you're flying the fighter that saves me. Spent hundreds on this game back in the day. Never was even close to that level.
The way this game comes after you is ridiculous, you have to think so fast. Great playing bro🤘Rest in peace Lemmy.
Brilliant. Fantastic play. Used to play when on holiday in the early 80's, as a young boy, it was my favourite. Used to end up having a Fucking heart attack at the end, think that's where I get my anxiety from. Im getting one, don't know what the wife is going to say though.
Awesome! I actually had one of these real arcade Defender machines in my San Francisco home many moons ago until my little sister had to give it to her hubby, the surgeon, as a B-Day gift. I never mastered it like you have but my bro-inlaw is actually close to your skill level. After watching this, I may need to go find another Defender or maybe a Stargate machine.
Yes, do that - you won’t regret it. Beat that B-in-law! 😁
Join our Williams group on fb: ‘Williams Defender Players Unite’, since 2012. 900+ members. We’re all there: the players, the collectors, the techies & all the folks from Williams bitd.
Love the game, the sound effects are awesome, played it many times in the arcades back in the day, but I was always terrible at it! Great job.
Yes, the early ’80s Williams sounds are iconic. Originally by Eugene Jarvis for the ’Firepower’ pinball (March -80), then expanded upon for Defender (Nov/Dec -80).
Wow!!! This is the most incredible Defender skills I've ever seen!! Hand eye coordination is mind blowing!
My friend Keith and I could hit the 999975 score frequently (which is the real challenge). If you know the game, you know that after the 990,000 score, you get advances in your ships. Once, we ran through past the 1,000,000 mark and had a huge amount of ships. We were at a lonely arcade and left for lunch. Came back and the game was still going. Awesome times. Great video. I applaud your moves, sir!
Thank you. 🙏
Yes, 999.975 pts can be a real problem sometimes - easy to roll it by mistake. You know about the extra ship bug 990.000 - 999.975 pts? How it works?
I wondered if I could sit through an hour and a bit of someone playing an old arcade game but here I am at minute 43 and still glued to the screen with my jaw on the floor! EPIC skills!
At one arcade that I used to go to, there was a Star Castle geek that would walk into the arcade with a knee pad, when they opened in the morning, and would put one quarter in the machine, kneel on the pad, and play all day long on that one quarter until the arcade closed for the night, I think about 10-12 hours later.
Thanks, watching you play got it out of my system for another 30+ years..
Legendary Play :-) Such a tough game... you killed it !!
I'd even shit in my hands and throw it about my flat
I Spoke to Eugene Jarvis..on RED Rom the difficulty peaks at level 14 on default settings. you are a phenomenal player. nothing else..phenomenal.
Anxiety, holding my breathe and lifting my legs whilst watching this in bed........your baiter bashing skills are touch notch....i have only ever played the standard arcade settings and clocked it on a regular basis........But yous is in a different league Sir.
The old days where the good ones. Very good reflexes. And I never thought it was beatable. Good music. This is cool to watch him kick ass the memory's
amazing play !! just WoW !! the baiters appear so quickly on these settings it's insane
I flipped this game on a regular basis but watching U play this... dude. Bowing down now.
OMG! Just amazing...what action! What skill!
+TNT Amusements Inc Thanks! Well, I've been playing "for a while" ... Started playing when it came out, and played through the whole 80's (bought my own machine in -85). Then not a single game for 20 years, till I brought my games (Defender, Stargate, Robotron) down from the attic, like 5 years ago.
+mikeville66 Watching you play was sort of like watching a movie...and was fascinating watch you catch the humanoids in the "splitest" of seconds and setting them down and flying right back up... Really neat stuff!
That was a spectacular display of skill. Defender is definetly one of the all time (and most difficult) arcade games of its time.
Nice memory. Great music. Feels.
Remember kids, all that punishment delivered by an 8 bit 6809, on a bitmap screen, no sprites, single buffer, each screen half drawn off monitor scan. Bad ass.
Ha, ha - thanks, guys!
This was almost 1½ years ago, so I thought I'd record & upload another game (same settings, but with 15K bonus), but couldn't find the cord to the camcorder. I'll get to it soon.
Steve: if you could clock Def at will bitd, you will do it on your first game if you'd try it now. Believe me - that's exactly my experience 2-3 yrs ago, when I played it for the first time in almost 20 yrs. Defender is like swimming and riding a bike: once you've learned it - you'll never forget
BRILLIANT. Waves 40&41 are probably some of the best waves of Defender I've ever seen during my 32year love-affair with the game! And what about the epic struggle from 700k to 900k! Make no mistake people, Mikeville66 is one of the few people who can do this stuff on 99-99. Check out the end of this game for his calibre - even with no more ships remaining AND on 909,000pts he'll back himself against a 99-99 baiter instead of wussing out and smart bombing! PURE CLASS!
Never heard that one - very inventive and smooth. Got to try it out on my own game!
We used to tape a thin nylon thread (thinner than fishing lines) to a coin.
But I remember seeing a big skinhead using a more brutal method: he shoved a metal coat hanger down the coin slot!
Damn I love watching this,..you’re killing it!!!! I’ve never seen such precision!
I was a badass at this game back in the day ... but you sir, are the KING.
Thank you very much!
When was the last time you played? There are a number of ’Retro Arcades’ you could visit. You won’t be disappointed - it’s as fun as it was bitd. Fantastic game.
Wow, incredible performance! What a game; still looks and sounds great even now, fantastic. I cannot imagine being that good at Defender, it's so difficult.
Amazing Skillz and endurance displayed here , I played Defender back in the day , but this is next level !
Wow. That is the best Defender playing I have ever seen. I am in awe.
WOW. WTF. Never in my life have I saw anyone play Defender like you have. Dude. You were fucking killing it. Defender is a hard game to play. Much respect. I had to watch the whole video.
WOW. Just wow. These skills are mind blowing. I'm watching this while coding, literally getting an adrenaline rush.
Well, thank you. 🙂
Coding? What?
best arcade game ever, the intensity and reward for skill has never been surpassed
I agree. 💥🥊
I remember bunkin of school in the 80s slipping down our local arcade haunt with me mates and an old gas oven igniter and clockin up hours of fun on this game.total classic.
I can't believe u didn't clock it. This was my favourite game and after 35 years I still have the scars on my middle finger from the up/down joystick. Excellent play.
Yeah, that was stupid. I’ve never counted the bombs, but there must’ve been plenty. Could probably have used like 4/wave up to 990K.
Right hand pinkie has a huge callous since 1981. 😁
You play well, reminded me of myself. The shopkeeper hated us because with 10p we played for hours double clocking it until we got tired. I have not come across the game again since the 80's, I do miss it. 👍
Not come across a Defender since the 80’s? That’s sad. What about Arcade Club in Bury? Never heard of it? I know the UK lot in our Williams arcade group on facebook frequent it. They have even had the creators of Defender, Stargate & Robotron - Eugene Jarvis & Larry DeMar - over 2 times.
You should join our group, ’Williams Defender Players Unite’. Since 2012 and 900+ members. If you can’t find it - let me know.
I didn't know there was a club, never thought of looking. Thanks.
I found my copy of Williams Arcade Classics today after having lost it for years - best version I've ever found for a home computer! Fortunately it runs on Win XP, so I was able to play it for the first time in years! Just over 200k was my best ever.
I got over a million in early 80s a couple of times, used to play it in this big record store that had a small arcade. Used to get all the latest rock and metal albums playing in background also. Ace times.
walked from a 10,000,000+ score after 3 hours on Robotron. Blisters popped, blood on the sticks.
I know the pain, I respect the pain.
I barely made it past the 2nd wave on normal play. Your an amazing player at this game. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
One of my all time favorite video games.
that was good playing. back in the 80's I got pretty good at defender. one quarter and I could play all night long. id have so many ships built up I couldn't count them. I'm 50 and can still feel the callus on left middle finger from the joy stick. best game ever
Yes - there was a diagnosis, even: 'Defender wrist'. 😂
Join our facebook group: 'Williams Defender Players Unite' - 800+ members.
Wow man, I'm watching this video ... again ... I'm impressed by how casual you are, like you're in no hurry to complete the waves, almost cavalier. Or surgical: snip, cut a baiter here, snip, cut a baiter there. The more I'm playing maximum difficulty, the more I'm seeing how refined your technique is. Ok, I'm going to go to bed now and dream about being a better Defender player.
This is insane ;-) Really nice play, lots of memories of the 80's. Thank you for sharing.
An interesting observation about effective smart bombs: check out 46:00 and the next 5-10 seconds. Notice the pause before actually hitting the smart bomb: I think that a pause like that can contribute to making the pods not break. I notice in my play that such a pause often seems to help.
You, sir, are a true savage! Excellent play the best l have seen so far
THAT...WAS...INCREDIBLE!!! I can't help but think that you would have broken a million if that Motorhead CD was on repeat mode. They seem to give you special powers!
Great stuff!!! brings back great memories of all the fun & how good I never quite was
Wow - good play! Brings back best memories at 7/11 arcade
I used to consider myself pretty good at Defender, but that is some next level game play. I doff my cap, sir!
Thank you. 🙏
After taking up Defender again, after an 18 year hiatus, it took me 1,5 years of playing regularly to get back to where I left off. Regret I didn’t pursue doing it with bonus ships at 15K. Don’t think I will muster that energy/will again. Wonderful game - will never get tired of it. ☺️
@@mikeville66 I'm very tempted to seek out an old cab or get something setup with MAME after seeing that. There's no other game that's as much being in the zone as it is skill and tactics. One of the best games ever imo
I think the best way would be for you to join our Williams group on fb: ‘Williams Defender Players Unite’. Since 2012, 900+ members. We’re all there: the players, the collectors, the techies & all the folks from Williams bitd. Being able to really p l a y Defender is so much about the original control panel, the layout of the buttons, how responsive they are & the way they feel. We have people there who manufacture plug-in panels for MAME & JROK, and could advice you on different Defender riggs to set up.
@@mikeville66 That sounds amazing. Thanks for the advice!
Back in the day in the pubs in Leeds you'd find people playing this game like thier lives depended on it racking up unbelievable scores. I was really crap at it but it was amazing to watch someone who was good on it while drunk.
Gnarly, thanks for explaining the different ROMs
Damn this takes me back! I remember very well suffering Defender finger after clocking it. I had a callous on my left hand from the wear from the joystick movement and the front plate. You'll know exactly what this is if you were a serious Defender player!! You defo have it on the hardest settings the way the baiters are appearing!! I don't know which settings I played on but at about 950k everything you hit would give you a bonus ship. That had to take you to about 200k after wrap around/clocking before you started earning bonus ships again. But Motorhead in the background is just classic. Good call !! This is absolutely my favourite game and I spent way too much time in the arcades as a kid playing this!!! There were 2 of us who were really good at this. My buddy was better than me and actually won a few competitions. When he was playing (mega long game) he'd hand it to me for a while whilst he went for a pee/food. Good times!! I doubt I'd have the reaction time required these days !!
It was actually 990k-1m, and then ships were awarded again depending on exactly how many extra ships you got between 990k-1m: so for example, if you got 30 extra ships then ships would start to be awarded again at 1.3m :)
@@andthereisntone3454 Ah, never knew it was based on ships awarded. Cool. There's something to be said about the old Arcades where we all congregated. A social scene for sure. Unlike modern games where everyone plays at home!!
@@GodzillaGoesGaga Indeed. They were a lot of fun :)
When this came out in the arcades it was a huge progressive and new stand out game because of it's graphics, amazing sounds, number of buttons, radar, scrolling screen, aggressive clever aliens and difficult gameplay. NOTHING like this had ever been seen before. i loved it. But was useless at it i admit. But I was only 9. To see someone play it like this is amazing - thankyou. I got good at Robotron and Stargate 800k+ but still find this too hard to play. Maybe when i'm in my retirement home and have loads of time I can play it and get good at it?
Just to add - the guys who invented and programmed this game (and Robotron/Stargate) said they wanted to develop a game that would kick your arse. So you keep coming back to try and beat it.
superb skills , immense ,gave me the flashback feeling as i "clocked" it once back in the 80's wish to god i could get a game now,
My first addictive game...outstanding game play...unreal.
Yes, Defender was seriously addictive. Looking back, it was almost a ’sickness’ there for a while. It was that freedom of movement, the room for a personal style, the fact that you could always improve your skills, that also made it very interesting to watch other players’ games. Good times. 😊
I used to love playing playing this game back in the day!! It always seemed a bit ahead of its time... I wonder what kids would say about Defender these days?..
These days:
This game is fkd
Its funny how music can take you to places. My old favourite arcade (that was a room above a baked potato shop!) also had a pool table and a jukebox. This place always was 2-3 months ahead of the game for some reason. First in newcastle to have a Defender, and eventually had 3 of them. The first to have a Stargate and the first to have a robotron. Whenever i hear "dead ringer for love" it reminds me of Stargate, as it was playing on the Jukebox the first time i played Stargate
The end of attack wave 7 was very well done Sir.
I had to watch wave 7. I agree. 😓
mikeville66 I just subscribed to you after watching a few minutes of this!!! Mad skillz & props. What else you enjoy playing?
Sorry, I don't think I can watch more than 15 minutes without PTSD - either from watching you imaging it's me or days I played this game myself. Those buggers are persistent. Keep practicing - we might need Gundam pilots in the future!
That was.... superb.
This is awesome to watch. I scored 6.4 mill. back in 1982 (at a lower setting I'm sure!). Had to kill 29 surplus spaceships because the arcade closed for the day (I wanted my name in the Hall of Fame even if it was futile as the machine was turned off aftwerwards). I played from 2.30 pm. until 11.30 pm. with only one toilet break. Apparently you've been practising ;-)
You’re an 80’s king!
@BrundleMoose 5-man/Tournament? Are you on Twin Galaxies? The Blues and Greens looks & plays exactly the same, but the blues are certainly harder on TG settings (5-15), so they might be a little faster on 99-99 as well - hard to tell. The biggest difference is between the Blue/Green ROMs and the Reds. Be sure to play the Red ROMs if your going for the TGTS record.
Sick Defender Skills....had my fingers crossed for the rollover
Dude, you are amazing on this game.
Thanks! ☺️
You got mad skills.
sweet ! This game was brilliant. Our college bar game in the 80s