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Indefensible Defenda
DEFENDA, for the Spectrum, is hardly earth-shaking and it would barely register on the Richter scale of software, as it is yet another version of the well-worn arcade favourite Defender.

Interstella, the company which manufactures the game, may be new to the software scene and the Spectrum but that is no excuse for producing a game which appears outdated and uninventive.

You will experience a sudden attack of déjà vu as your ship appears above an alien landscape. It can move in all directions on the screen. As it moves horizontally the landscape below it scrolls across the screen and the aliens materialise, ready to kill or be killed.

As in the arcade version, the alien ships have a habit of picking up refugees who are on the ground. If you shoot an alien which is carrying a refugee the little figure will fall to the ground and die. It is also your job to rescue refugees who look as though they may meet with a sticky end.

The game is joystick-compatible but it is scarcely worth using such an aid as the keyboard is ample for earning points. Neither is it worth moving through to the depths of skill in the game as the graphics do not become any more than ordinary. It can be obtained from Interstella Software, Brockenhurst.




DEFENDA Memory: 48K Price: £5.50 Joystick: Interface Two, Kempston Gilbert Factor: 2

DEFENDA
Interstella Software / £5.95
Landers, mutants, mine layers, pods, swarmers, baiters, humanoids, smart bombs and mines are the hazards you'll meet in this shoot-'em-down arcade extravaganza.
Johnathan: This is probably the best Defender game ever written for the Spectrum. It's really excellent, with graphics that are equal to the arcade version, and a speed that makes it very playable. The quality is stunning.

George: Graphics, speed, colour and so on are all on a par with other similar programs, but with a number of refinements.

Mike: While this is a fairly good version of the familiar Defender-type games it makes little use of sound and is virtually impossible to play without a joystick.

Johnathan Hit
George Hit
Mike Miss

Johnathan Norman, George Price, Mike Skinner

Defenda
Producer: Interstella
Memory required: 48K
Retail price: £5.50
Language: machine code
Author: A.J. Lloyd



Smooth graphics for Defenda help defeat the pods, swarmers, mutants and landers.

Having said in last month's issue, that after Starblitz, there wouldn't be much point anyone else doing a 'Defender' game, it's always worth being able to say that you've changed your mind if someone proves you wrong, and Interstella have come up with a 'Defender' well worth changing minds for.

It is a classic version with green landers, purple mutants, mine layers, pods, swarmers and humanoids. Your ship is equipped with a powerful laser and three smart bombs. Destroying a lander who has grabbed a human will earn you points, but you'll get more for catching the human before it falls back to earth. Humans falling from a great height blow up when they hit the ground, but they tend to be safe if it's only a small fall.

There is the obligatory radar at the top of the screen and the ship has the customary facilities of reverse and hyperspace.

CRITICISM
An excellent copy of the arcade original with detailed and fast aliens. The ship behaves very realistically, especially when slowing or reversing direction, when it slews backwards for several inches before gathering speed in the other direction. Colour is well used and the sound is average for this type of game. The keys are well positioned, which is important in a 'Defender'. A brill game.

The game is played with the usual attack waves, each screen bringing more and varied aliens as hazards. The graphics are very fast and smooth, lovely laser blasts and explosions, especially when 'you' go for a burton. I was disappointed with the sound which is non-existent during play, the only explosion sound being when your ship is destroyed.

Lack of sound makes this version a fraction less exciting to play than the Softek one, but I thought the graphics were actually slightly better, and that makes up for it. The keys are well thought out and the radar is quite accurate. If you like the thrills of a classic arcade game, then this is a very good buy.

COMMENTS
Control keys: T to Q=up, V to Z=down, G to A=reverse, P=fire, O=thrust, H to ENTER and B to SPACE=smart bombs
Joystick: Kempston, ZX 2
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: smooth, detailed, fast
Sound: fair
Skill levels: progressive difficulty
Lives: 3
General rating: very good

Use of computer 79%
Graphics 93%
Playability 93%
Getting started 91%
Addictive qualities 90%
Value for money 85%
Overall 89%