Stargate vs. Defender: Why 1981’s Sequel Rewrote Shooter Rules
1🕹 Stargate
📛 Alternate Names: Defender II
📅 Release Date: November 1981
🔫 Genre: Horizontally Scrolling Shooter
👨 🏻 💻 Developers: Vid Kidz (Eugene Jarvis & Larry DeMar)
👨 🏻 💻 Publishers: Williams Electronics
🔢 Max Players: 1‑2 (alternating turns)
⁉ Cooperative: No
🕹 Game Introduction:
Williams’s 1981 sequel to Defender cranks up the heat with new aliens, a cloaking device (“Inviso”), and the eponymous Stargate warp. Pilot your ship over a wraparound world, rescue humanoids, and battle relentless waves of Landers, Phreds, and Firebombers in lightning‑fast action.
🕹 Game Description:
Use separate buttons for beam shots, smart bombs, hyperspace jumps, and Inviso cloaking. The Stargate warp teleports you to a humanoid under attack or skips three waves if you’re carrying four or more (only in Waves 1–10). A top‑of‑screen radar shows alien and humanoid positions. Each wave adds new threats—Firebombers at Wave 5, Space Hums, Dynamos—keeping reflexes razor sharp.
🎴 Game Play:
👉 🏻 Joystick controls vertical movement; “Reverse” button flips horizontal direction
👉 🏻 “Thrust” accelerates forward; “Fire” shoots your beam; “Smart Bomb” clears all on‑screen enemies
👉 🏻 “Inviso” cloaks you briefly—use it to dodge deadly salvos, but it depletes over time
👉 🏻 “Stargate” button warps to nearest humanoid in peril; if carrying ≥4 humanoids in Waves 1–10, skip ahead three waves
👉 🏻 The radar bar at the top tracks enemy/humanoid icons—save all humanoids each wave or risk losing bonus lives
📕 Background & History:
Created by Eugene Jarvis & Larry DeMar under Vid Kidz, Stargate built on Defender’s success by introducing warp gates and cloaking—firsts for any arcade shooter. Released November 1981, its vector‑style side art is coveted by collectors. Atari 8‑bit and Commodore 64 ports as Defender II spread its legend at home.
🐣 Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs:
👉 🏻 Enter Stargate carrying ≥4 humanoids (Waves 1–10) to skip three waves—prime high‑score tactic
👉 🏻 Executing Hyperspace exactly as an alien spawns can glitch that alien off‑screen, granting bonus points
👉 🏻 Surviving Firebombers in Wave 5 leads to the “Yllabian Dogfight” bonus stage with no humanoids to rescue
🐱 💻 Hacks:
👉 🏻 MAME builds let you adjust dip switches to start at higher wave numbers or give unlimited smart bombs
👉 🏻 Fan ROM hacks expand Inviso meter capacity for longer cloak periods and more daring plays
🎉 Trivia:
👉 🏻 Eugene Jarvis later created Robotron: 2084 and Smash TV—both sharing Stargate’s frantic DNA
👉 🏻 The “Defender II” home ports confused many, since Stargate is a loose sequel, not a straight port
👉 🏻 “Phreds” nod to Jarvis’s childhood nickname; “Yllabian” aliens reference a Houston comic store called “Johnny Yllab”
👉 🏻 Vintage NewsRadio episodes include a background Stargate cabinet cameo, with Jarvis appearing as a delivery guy
👓 Lonster's Review:
Stargate is pure arcade chaos: toggling Inviso, dropping smart bombs, warping through Stargates—all within seconds. The multi‑button layout demands surgical timing. Few games make you feel every second of tension like saving a humanoid, hitting the warp, and praying you don’t collide. Its breakneck pace still hooks me; nothing matches that “rescue or perish” thrill.
🌟 Legacy:
By adding warp gates and cloaking, Stargate shaped the future of shoot ’em ups. Franchises like R-Type and Gradius borrowed its screen‑clearing bomb concept. Vid Kidz’s reputation soared, leading Jarvis and DeMar to create Smash TV and influence nearly every ’80s‑’90s shooter.
✨ Cultural Impact:
Williams’ cabinets kept arcades thriving in the early ’80s. Stargate helped cement the space‑shooter genre, inspiring home players through Defender II ports. Its warping mechanic became a touchstone—later appearing in mid‑’80s console games. Modern retro compilations introduce it to new generations, preserving its legacy.
💭 Lonster's Final Thoughts:
Every decision in Stargate is life or death—cloak too long, and you lose; warp at the wrong time, and you explode. That brutal risk‑reward is why I still drop quarters today. It’s more than nostalgia: it’s a masterclass in ruthless arcade design.
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