From where I stand, graphics seem to be about the only thing upgraded for
this version of the classic Defender on Game Boy Advance. The
classic version of the game is intact here, so purists will at least have
their game to play. And, what's called the XG Mode is simply a take on the
classic with some prettier graphics and color. The XGP Mode is a full-on,
large scale retrofit of the old Defender, with lots of pretty
backgrounds. Explosions, animation and 6 stages of action across Water,
Sea, Land and Space make for some nice visuals, but don't do anything for
gameplay. In XGP, you can choose from an entire cast of ship 'characters,'
each with a distinctive look and feel. I found the graphics in XGP mere
window dressing for the Same Old Thing, and although this might be fun
escapism for Defender fans, it doesn't do anything for folks who
might have enjoyed the Arcade hit and like playing it some, but really
wanted something new and different for this conversion. These upgrades in
the graphics actually seem to have the net effect of pulling the XGP mode
down in terms of speed. Once you get past the graphics, I'll wager you
spend much more time playing Classic or XG Mode.
Gameplay:
Defender stood as a game that set some milestones back in The Day. It
really brought in the idea of a game 'world' through the radar you used to
identify the enemy threat. At a time when draw-in and 3D was just a pipe
dream, the Defender team managed to create a sense that you and your
ship really were navigating left and right in a sky filled with threats you
could see coming and then attack. Moving around was part of the fun, since
the control scheme was totally different than most '1-Button + Joystick
cabinets' in the old arcade. So, with an update promised, I expected
something really cool, a variation on the old Defender model with
upgraded graphics and some cool play modes. As mentioned, the modes seem to
just layer on more and more pretty stuff, but not add anything of substance
to the Classic Defender. Even in XGP, you're still just flying left
and right, shooting aliens and launching the occasional bomb. In Classic
it's fun, and XG serves as the obvious, 'gee-whiz, look, we added color!'
mode. But, once you get to XGP that schtick has gotten old and you're
looking for something else. It just isn't there. With 6 stages, you can be
sure you'll knock this one down pretty quick. 2-Player Co-Op XGP comes
close to saving the day, since it definitely rocks being able to play with a
friend, but the logistics of this (2 carts, 2 systems and a link cable) may
mean it lies out of reach for all but the most committed. In fact, the
2-Player Co-Op ends up being the freshest thing about Defender in
this version, which shouldn't be the case. Level after level is identical,
and again this was good enough for retro, but doesn't pass muster as an
improvement. Some kind of extra challenge would have been nice, and the
attempt to supply a script or infer a story and then pass out the exact same
action in another color wrapper is disingenuous.
Difficulty:
In setting difficulty at different levels, you can actually change the way
enemies come on screen, so fans will find a great deal of replay value in
just notching up the difficulty and trying again. I forget how hard the
original could be, until I play it again. With aliens popping in all the
time, trying to figure out which way you need to be turned, and waiting to
use that bomb strategically...it's enough to make you nervous. In XGP Mode,
more so than the others, mutated aliens (those who have grabbed humans and
absorbed them) will really come after you with a vengeance, and it'll take
everything you have to knock them out. But, if things really start to get
too hard, you can also tweak the number of ships you have to play with.
Game Mechanics:
The real trick was mapping all the controls in the Arcade version to the
GBA! Anybody old enough will remember all the buttons that damn cabinet
had!! Keeping track was hard, and especially in a pinch. At first, playing
Classic and XG will require an adjustment period. One shoulder button
reverses the direction of the ship, one fires the thruster, the D-Pad really
only controls up and down, and you fire and launch your 'smartbomb' with the
other buttons. This pretty much mirrors at least the complexity of the
arcade, even if it's a bit more ergonomic. With XGP, the controls fit into
what you might expect from a flight combat game (especially a side-scroller)
on GBA. D-Pad does up-down, left-right and the other buttons are assigned
mostly to weapons. This mode is a good starting place, unless you're really
coming for the Defender action, old-school style. It's hard to say
where the majority of people will come from who enjoy this game. Looking at
XGP Mode without any real consideration of the 'classic' status of
Defender, I have to say there isn't much there to get excited about.
>From the addition of Classic and XG, I suspect Defender for GBA will
draw the real fans who might also enjoy something different. Playing off
the old formula is fine, but I have to say I was disappointed Outlook
Entertainment didn't try to do more with the game. I suppose there are
always politics involved, and if you turned Defender into just a copy
of every retro side-scrolling shooter out there, purists would have
screamed. In that light, at least the advanced mode is true to the formula
that made Defender a great success. Any real fan will have the game
anyway, and I suspect being able to play Defender 3 different ways
and play cooperatively with a friend is going to be a treat for the
faithful.
From where I stand, graphics seem to be about the only thing upgraded for
this version of the classic Defender on Game Boy Advance. The
classic version of the game is intact here, so purists will at least have
their game to play. And, what's called the XG Mode is simply a take on the
classic with some prettier graphics and color. The XGP Mode is a full-on,
large scale retrofit of the old Defender, with lots of pretty
backgrounds. Explosions, animation and 6 stages of action across Water,
Sea, Land and Space make for some nice visuals, but don't do anything for
gameplay. In XGP, you can choose from an entire cast of ship 'characters,'
each with a distinctive look and feel. I found the graphics in XGP mere
window dressing for the Same Old Thing, and although this might be fun
escapism for Defender fans, it doesn't do anything for folks who
might have enjoyed the Arcade hit and like playing it some, but really
wanted something new and different for this conversion. These upgrades in
the graphics actually seem to have the net effect of pulling the XGP mode
down in terms of speed. Once you get past the graphics, I'll wager you
spend much more time playing Classic or XG Mode.
Defender stood as a game that set some milestones back in The Day. It
really brought in the idea of a game 'world' through the radar you used to
identify the enemy threat. At a time when draw-in and 3D was just a pipe
dream, the Defender team managed to create a sense that you and your
ship really were navigating left and right in a sky filled with threats you
could see coming and then attack. Moving around was part of the fun, since
the control scheme was totally different than most '1-Button + Joystick
cabinets' in the old arcade. So, with an update promised, I expected
something really cool, a variation on the old Defender model with
upgraded graphics and some cool play modes. As mentioned, the modes seem to
just layer on more and more pretty stuff, but not add anything of substance
to the Classic Defender. Even in XGP, you're still just flying left
and right, shooting aliens and launching the occasional bomb. In Classic
it's fun, and XG serves as the obvious, 'gee-whiz, look, we added color!'
mode. But, once you get to XGP that schtick has gotten old and you're
looking for something else. It just isn't there. With 6 stages, you can be
sure you'll knock this one down pretty quick. 2-Player Co-Op XGP comes
close to saving the day, since it definitely rocks being able to play with a
friend, but the logistics of this (2 carts, 2 systems and a link cable) may
mean it lies out of reach for all but the most committed. In fact, the
2-Player Co-Op ends up being the freshest thing about Defender in
this version, which shouldn't be the case. Level after level is identical,
and again this was good enough for retro, but doesn't pass muster as an
improvement. Some kind of extra challenge would have been nice, and the
attempt to supply a script or infer a story and then pass out the exact same
action in another color wrapper is disingenuous.
In setting difficulty at different levels, you can actually change the way
enemies come on screen, so fans will find a great deal of replay value in
just notching up the difficulty and trying again. I forget how hard the
original could be, until I play it again. With aliens popping in all the
time, trying to figure out which way you need to be turned, and waiting to
use that bomb strategically...it's enough to make you nervous. In XGP Mode,
more so than the others, mutated aliens (those who have grabbed humans and
absorbed them) will really come after you with a vengeance, and it'll take
everything you have to knock them out. But, if things really start to get
too hard, you can also tweak the number of ships you have to play with.
The real trick was mapping all the controls in the Arcade version to the
GBA! Anybody old enough will remember all the buttons that damn cabinet
had!! Keeping track was hard, and especially in a pinch. At first, playing
Classic and XG will require an adjustment period. One shoulder button
reverses the direction of the ship, one fires the thruster, the D-Pad really
only controls up and down, and you fire and launch your 'smartbomb' with the
other buttons. This pretty much mirrors at least the complexity of the
arcade, even if it's a bit more ergonomic. With XGP, the controls fit into
what you might expect from a flight combat game (especially a side-scroller)
on GBA. D-Pad does up-down, left-right and the other buttons are assigned
mostly to weapons. This mode is a good starting place, unless you're really
coming for the Defender action, old-school style. It's hard to say
where the majority of people will come from who enjoy this game. Looking at
XGP Mode without any real consideration of the 'classic' status of
Defender, I have to say there isn't much there to get excited about.
>From the addition of Classic and XG, I suspect Defender for GBA will
draw the real fans who might also enjoy something different. Playing off
the old formula is fine, but I have to say I was disappointed Outlook
Entertainment didn't try to do more with the game. I suppose there are
always politics involved, and if you turned Defender into just a copy
of every retro side-scrolling shooter out there, purists would have
screamed. In that light, at least the advanced mode is true to the formula
that made Defender a great success. Any real fan will have the game
anyway, and I suspect being able to play Defender 3 different ways
and play cooperatively with a friend is going to be a treat for the
faithful.