Defenda

ZX Computing

Graphics 75%

Instructions 65%

Playability 85%

Use Of Machine 65%

Value For Money 80%

Mark Tynan

Here's a game for all you arcade game players that suffer from lOp-Nitus (lack of ten pence pieces for your favourite machines!). The game is of course - you guessed it - a take off of "Defender", and a pretty good take off at that. The game features most of the features of the arcade original, including humanoids to be rescued from the grip of the alien Landers, mutants, baiters and other little oddities to ensure sleepless nights. There is even a radar at the top of the screen (as in the original), showing how many little nasties are left to be dealt with as dots. The action and screen scrolling is fast and smooth, enough to prove a real challenge. The graphics are good, very good in fact. When you rescue a falling humanoid, you see a small "500" whizzing past your ship stowing the amount of bonus points you received. Very impressive! There is even reverse! All in all the game is quite like the "Real Thing", except for the fact that you can use Interface II and Kempston joystick interfaces with the Spectrum version (something you can definitely not do with the arcade version!). Another little advantage of the Spectrum version is the game produces special codes to verify your high-scores, Hyperspace is no problem except for the fact that when you use the hyperspace button, you sometimes get materialised onto an alien, which results in an instant ship loss. The instructions on the inlay card are quite good. There are graphic representations of what the aliens look like in the screen, with the scores for shooting the alien alongside. The only problem is the inlay card instructions assume you know how to play the game Defender already. My only gripe about this game is that there is no sound during the course of the game, not even the low growl of the engines, or even when you shoot an alien nastie. In fact, the only sound being when a lander takes a humanoid, there is a low series of clicks, and when you go into hyperspace or get killed, there is a sound like something you could make using a FOR-NEXT loop, with a BEEP statement in the middle.

Your Spectrum

George Price HIT

Johnathan Norman HIT

Mike Skinner MISS

JOYSTCK JURY Evaluating the batch this month is the Gloucester Computing Club. Any club wishing to offer their services should contact Ron Smith, Your Spectrum, [redacted]. This month's reviewers (all ten of them!) are members of the Gloucester Computer Club and, in alphabetical order, they are: Stephen Avent (28), Andrew Base (15), Robert Ledbury (22), Mark Manning (15), Nigel Newland (13), Peter Newland (15), Johnathan Norman (15), George Price (35), Mike Skinner (30) and Richard Vernon (15). They all set to work with Spectrum, pen and paper to tell us what's right and what's not so right with the latest new releases. THE GLOUCESTER COMPUTING CLUB In a moment we'll get on to the verdicts of our nimble-fingered, boggle-eyed band - to find out which new games are bound for the YS Top 20. But first, some details on the club. It was formed approximately eight months ago by Mr B Ledbury (who happens to be the father of Robert - one of our reviewers) and it's already built up a membership of 35 enthusiasts - ages ranging from 10 years to 'mature'. Meetings are currently held in two rooms at Mr Ledbury's home; one for games evaluation, the other for more serious studies. Membership is free and for more information, contact Mr Ledbury, [redacted]. 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.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 5/10

Sound 4/10

Originality 2/10

Lasting Interest 7/10

Overall 6/10

Steve Cooke 6/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K CONTROL: Keys, Sinc, Kemp FROM: Interstella This is an above average version of Defender that should please all shoot-'em-up addicts. This version has reasonable graphics and impressively fast action. All the usual features are here as you zap about the skies blasting aliens and rescuing humans. If you don't have a joystick, not to worry, there's a good selection of control keys to choose from.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 2/10

INDEFENSIBLE DEFENDA Memory: 48K Price: £5.50 Joystick: Interface Two, Kempston 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 deja 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 it 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, [redacted].

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Crash

Use of Computer 79%

Graphics 93%

Playability 93%

Getting Started 91%

Addictive Qualities 90%

Value For Money 85%

Overall 89%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Interstella Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £5.50 Language: Machine code Author: A. J. Lloyd 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. 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

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

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition