Arcade game:Defender

Defender is renowned as both one of the most popular and one of the most difficult video arcade games in history. Pinball giant Williams Electronics released Defender in 1980. It was their first video game since Paddle Ball- an unsuccessful Pong clone- in 1973 and only their second video game ever. First-time video game programmer Eugene Jarvis worked feverishly for months to develop the game in time for the Amusement Machine Operators of America Convention of 1980. Although the game was largely overlooked at that year's convention, it was named the "video game of the year" at the AMOA convention of 1981.
Defender is a shooting game set in space. Players control a spaceship and must defend the humanoids of a small planet from alien invasion. If the enemy aliens reach the surface of the planet at the bottom of the screen, they carry the humanoids upwards to be transformed into alien mutants. The player can save these humanoids by killing their captors and landing the humanoids safely back on the planet's surface. Once mutants the humanoids turn evil and attack the player's ship head-on. If all humanoids are transformed into mutants, the game ends in a theatrical explosion of color. The difficulty of the game acted as an incentive for gamers to prove their skills.
Jarvis chose a space setting for his video game not only because it was a popular theme of the time, but also because it masked any flaws in the graphics. The humanoids and aliens could be abstracted rather than realistic forms. However, Jarvis' lack of video game programming experience did not prevent Defender from becoming one of the most technologically sophisticated games of the early 1980s. Jarvis enhanced the fast-paced 2D game by using both commonplace and newly-developed features. The horizontally-scrolling screen provides space for an enlarged universe extending beyond a single screen. Players can move both forwards and backwards in this universe. Jarvis devised a new weapon for the game: the "smart bomb", which kills all enemies on the screen at once. A scanner at the top of the screen allows players to view activity beyond their current playfield. Defender is also noted for its excellent sound effects and difficult controls. Players use a joystick to control their spaceship's altitude and buttons for direction, thrust, and weapons.
Defender was not only a technological masterpiece; it was also a hugely popular game. Selling over 60, 000 cabinets and 5 million home cartridges, Defender is one of the most successful video games of all time. The game's legacy was continued on in two sequels: Stargate- later renamed Defender II- and Robotron: 2084. Its popularity and technological innovations make Defender an arcade game classic.