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Defender II

NES

NES

Alien marauders are attacking your planet. They're kidnapping resident humanoids and turning them into mutants! You pilot your ship along the planet surface, blasting away. But first you go for the Landers - the most treacherous of the aliens. You race to the nearest Stargate and whoosh! You expe...

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Developer
HAL Laboratory

Released on
1987

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Shooter

Publisher
HAL America

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Alien marauders are attacking your planet. They’re kidnapping resident humanoids and turning them into mutants! You pilot your ship along the planet surface, blasting away. But first you go for the Landers – the most treacherous of the aliens. You race to the nearest Stargate and whoosh! You experience that eerie – time warp – feeling as you’re transported to the other side of the planet. Only you, with the help of the Stargate, can save the planet against attack!

Defender II

Overview & History

Originally released in arcades by Williams Electronics as Stargate in 1981, this iconic sequel to Defender was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System by HAL Laboratory and published by Sammy in 1988. Set in a distant science-fiction universe, the storyline thrusts players back into the role of a lone pilot defending a fragile human civilization from hostile alien armadas. Unlike its predecessor, this iteration expands the scope of interstellar warfare, introducing advanced tactical elements while retaining the punishing, adrenaline-fueled difficulty that defined the golden age of arcade shooters.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Defender II is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up played across a wrap-around horizontal plane, monitored by a top-screen long-range radar. Your primary objective is twofold: eradicate waves of bizarre extraterrestrial invaders and prevent them from abducting humanoids wandering the planet's surface. If an alien captures a human, they ascend to the top of the stratosphere to mutate into a deadly predator. To combat this, players utilize an upgraded arsenal, featuring standard forward laser fire and the screen-clearing 'Smart Bomb.' A marquee addition is the 'Inviso' cloaking device, which grants temporary invulnerability against enemy collisions. Furthermore, players can instantly traverse the sprawling map using the titular Stargate portals, which function as emergency warp gates to immediately transport your ship directly into the thick of enemy formations.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move (Left/Right to fly, Up/Down to alter altitude)
Action Keys: Attack / Jump (A/B keys control Laser, Smart Bomb, Inviso cloak, and Reverse)
Enter: Start / Pause