Amstrad Action


Defend Or Die

Publisher: Alligata
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Action #1

Defender is an all-time classic arcade game and this accurate conversion has all the features of the original. Your job is to defend 10 scientists on the surface of an alien planet from the landers that will turn them into mutants.

The screen is composed of the planet surface below with a scanner showing the whole wraparound play area above it. Your ship thrusts left or right and also moves up and down firing bursts of laser that are deadly if your trigger finger is fast enough. There are six types of alien, all with different characteristics but all deadly to you.

Landers try to steal your scientists and mutate them, and if you lose all of them your planet blows up and things get much tougher. Swarmers are fast and small and like baiters will rapidly home in on your ship. Bombs are also shot at you and bombers will leave stationary bombs for you to run into.

Defend Or Die

You have some advantages in being able to hyperspace to somewhere else when in trouble or drop a smart bomb to kill everything on screen.

Good News

1. Tough action against dedicated opponents.
2. Accurate conversion of the old classic.
3. Hours of blasting practice guaranteed.

Bad News

1. Actual screen movement is sluggish and acceleration isn't easy to handle.