Released by Williams in 1981 Defender was one of the first major hits of the golden age of arcade games. This is an extremely rare and sought after arcade game.

This rare original machine has been comprehensively refurbished in our workshop over many hours by our specialist engineers who have years of experience. Working fastidiously to ensure the machine is restored to a high standard this machine will leave us in A1 condition, inside and out. As one of the most important titles of the arcade machine era this is a unique opportunity to own a piece of history.

A horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up, the game is set on an unnamed planet where the player must defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts. Development was led by Eugene Jarvis, a pinball programmer at Williams; Defender was Jarvis' first video game project and drew inspiration from Space Invaders and Asteroids.

Defender was one of the most important titles of the golden age of video arcade games, selling over 55,000 units to become the company's best-selling game and one of the highest-grossing arcade games ever. Praise among critics focused on the game's audio-visuals and gameplay. It is frequently listed as one of Jarvis' best contributions to the video game industry and one of the most difficult video games. Though not the first game to scroll horizontally, it created the genre of purely horizontal scrolling shooters. It inspired the development of other games and was followed by sequels and many imitations. Several ports were developed for contemporary game systems, most of them by either Atari, Inc., or its software label for non-Atari platforms, Atarisoft.

Contact us at The Games Room Company on 01932 568 414 to discuss our refurbished arcade machines in more detail.