Aarrrggghh! - mutants are attacking the Earth again, after being fought back in Guardian I. These mutants carry Eathlings out of the atmosphere and then turn them into yet more mutants - which then attack you. Eeeek! Guardian II is a actually a Defender clone. The enemy mutants attack in waves and you must destroy the whole wave while defending the people standing around on the ground.

There are a dozen Earthlings hanging around below you waiting to be kidnapped, and if you let them all get carted off then the Earth blows up with a feeble fizzle and a few beeps and buzzes. Mind you, having the Earth destroyed doesn't make much difference, seeing that you could fly straight through it anyway, but the number of attacking enemies does nearly double or even triple after the Big Bang.

The enemy is more mobile than your ship, which is fast enough, but about as manoevrable as a rampaging juggernaut. And the bad guys outnumber you about 50-1, so your chances don't look good. However... as well as your laser you have the ability to hyperspace and you have a smart bomb and cloaking shield to help you out too. These do not help much, though, because in the middle of air-to-air combat it is a little hard to hit H TAB or DEL without taking your eyes off the screen...

In addition the sprites are tiny and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the enemy fire and the stars in the background. Scrolling is smooth and really fast - in fact, so fast that you can't see anything! Sound is limited to a few spot effects.

Guardian II is an outdated sequel to a Defender clone that looks positively prehistoric today. Nevertheless, the original game was great fun, and if you can ignore its antique origins, it's still well worth a play.

An absolute classic. The game is pretty basic by modern standards, but retains that magic indefinable element - utter playability.

Destroy seven waves.

No problem!

Graphics 33%
P. Fast scrolling.
N. Small, outdated sprites.

Sonics 25%
N. A few spot effects.

Grab Factor 70%
P. You get to kill things fast.
N. Too easy to die.

Staying Power 32%
N. All levels the same.

Overall 60%
If you really need a Defender clone, check out the PD libraries.