Year 2104: Which game is listed FIRST on Jarvis' gravestone?

[Trenchbroom]

Just rereading old Next Generation issues, remembering the days when I still used to care about NEW gaming.  Anyway, saw Eugene Jarvis listed in the Movers and Shakers section as one of the top 75 big names in gaming today ("today" circa 1995--the Crusin' USA/World games basically).

The blurb about him went on and on about his great contribution to gaming history:  Defender.  No mention of Stargate, Smash TV or his exquisite masterpiece, Robotron!  Defender this, that and every which way.

Which made me start thinking:  which game is he going to be most remembered for?  Which one should be at the top of his list for historical importance (not just listing the games chronologically...work with me here people).

[Sasquatch!]

As much as I loves me some Robotron, Defender is easily his most prominant contribution.

[SirPeale]

I didn't even see the year you listed...only thing I could think of was "he's dead?  When?"

[danny_galaga]

in australia he would definitely be thought of as the guy who designed defender...

[Gunstar Hero]

It's gotta be Defender.

[Tritoch84]

De. Fen. Der.

[paigeoliver]

Defender outsold Robotron like 7 to 1 as far as arcade units went, and there was only a single console Robotron that I was aware of (7800 version), while Defender was ported to like 6 systems.

[Gunstar Hero]

Robotron was on 5200 and 7800. The 5200 included a joystick holder that held the sticks together even!! It plays a mean game of Robotron.

Defender was on EVERYTHING.

[lucindrea]

defender was basicly 2 bottons and a joy , almost any cab could use it , robotron needed 2 joys and if i rember 1 button , thats not a cab you would see often , so you see ALLOT more defender than robotron.

[Gunstar Hero]

defender was basicly 2 bottons and a joy , almost any cab could use it , robotron needed 2 joys and if i rember 1 button , thats not a cab you would see often , so you see ALLOT more defender than robotron.

Have you ever even seen a Defender CP? It's a 2 way stick and 5 buttons. The only buttons on a Robotron: 2084 CP are 1 and 2 player start.

The reason you see ALOT of Defender machines is because Defender sold like 750,000 units, making it one of the highest selling arcade games ever!

[lucindrea]

hmm thought it was 4 way , smart bomb and fire..  unless it was a converted cab and they replaced thrust with one of the joy directions?

[Gunstar Hero]

Defender has an up/down stick with Reverse, Thrust, Fire, Smart Bomb and Hyperspace buttons.

[Gunstar Hero]

You see many many converted Defenders, but I don't know that you ever see another machine converted to a Defender... the hardware was pretty much only used in Defender, Stargate and Robotron.