I am always on the look out for interesting pickups and last year I picked up a handheld arcade Defender game. This was quite a find on Facebook Marketplace as this game is very much increasing in value and it was also featured in the 2018 Marvel Film: Avengers Infinity War where the game was played by Groot.
I was extremely pleased to add it to my retro collection, and it came as part of a bundle too which made the deal great value overall.
80s Gaming Fun:
Arcade Defender Handheld Pick Up Video
You can see the bundle in my Retro Hunt video below from my YouTube Channel.
Not a Cheap Electronic Game
If this Defender handheld game is something you would like to add to your own retro collection then be prepared to pay for it. At the time of writing this article the cheapest I could find it for on eBay was around £120 and it isn’t a widely available game which helps it maintain a high price compared to other handheld games from the early 1980s.
Defender Arcade to Home Handheld
Now when it comes to the original Defender arcade machine it is a game that I have never been able to master but that is probably because I have never had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the original cabinet. When I do get the chance for a quick game I inevitably die quickly as I always struggle with the controls.
With the handheld version I’ve managed to spend some more time playing this basic but very impressive version that was released in 1982 by Entex. The controls are comfortable and after a few plays you soon get used to all the buttons.
Arcade Defender Handheld Controls and Game Play
Like the arcade game you have a fire, thrust and smart bomb buttons along with up, down, reverse and hyperspace buttons too. What I have also been impressed with was the reverse button which allows you to switch from travelling left to right on screen to the opposite direction. For a handheld that was produced in the early 1980s this really impressed me and the fact that it was such a key feature in the arcade game it was great to have it on this version too.
Another feature that I really like is that it has a rotary switch to control the game speed. You can really make this little game quite hectic if you want to. The screen display is a nice size too and the game like many of the devices from this era has basic sound, but it still works well with the game.
Overall the game play closely follows that of the arcade original with the player defending the colonists from the invading aliens and it is a lot of fun. If you ever get the chance to play this handheld, I would highly recommend you do so. A really nice addition to my collection.
For more about 1980s video games give these a try…
The Best Commodore 64 Games – My Top 10
10 Things Only 1980’s Gamers Did
Keep it Retro.
Daz
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