Arcade purists will enjoy the movies on the history of Defender and the making of the new game, included under 'Video Extras.' Especially the history of the original game, which is a hoot. Seeing and hearing all the little things that went into the formation of the game, it's clear the designers were a bit maverick for their time. At a point where most games were doing the same thing a bunch of different ways, Defender took on some design ideas that have remained firmly planted in the gaming world and expanded over time. Take, for instance, Radar. Who wouldn't imagine that to be standard in any flight sim these days? How about the idea of a game 'world' that can be traversed and explored? Sound basic? Well, it wasn't before Defender. The idea that there were areas off-screen where things were happening and where you could travel to, based on little blips on the radar was something at the core of Defender. In the end, presentation was everything.
So, in looking at how the team at Seven Studios created this new game, how did we make the conversion? You can hear them tell it in their own words on the 'Making Of' short feature, also under the video extras. It's interesting. Some of the original sounds are there, and many of the visuals aren't too far removed from the original game, so long as you imagine what a side-scrolling 2D game would look like in full-on 3D. The quick reverse move the ship does looks great when triggered in this game, and believe me when I say you won't find yourself missing the old version. The H.U.D. is minimal, but gives you all the information you need. And where the old aliens were just little blobs, we now have lots of variety and some scary lookin' thangs! The voice-overs complete the experience, with lots of mid-mission chatter and the screams of fallen colonists if you fail to rescue them or they're 'converted' by the aliens.