Stargate

Name:	Stargate
Company:	Atari
Model #:	CX-26120
Programmer:	Bill Aspromonte
Year:	1984
Released?	Yes
Notes:	Renamed Defender II when released in 1988

Stargate was the 1982 sequel to Williams' smash arcade hit Defender.  Stargate's name was changed to Defender II sometime after 1984 due to some kind of copyright problem.  As with most sequels, Stargate didn't change the game formula that helped make the original game a hit.  Instead Stargate expanded on the formula.

Stargate added a number of new features to the Defender formula including new enemies, new abilities, and of course stargates!  Stargates allow players to instantly warp from one area of the level to another, which can be very handy if used right.  Stargates can also be used to warp forward levels if four or more humanoids are carried into them.  The ability to score bonus points for carrying multiple humanoids is also a new feature first introduced in this game.

Other new abilities include the Inviso power, which is basically a super cloaking device.  Using Inviso makes your ship invisible and allows it to pass through all enemies and their shots.  However you can still shoot while "Inviso", so make the most your Inviso time.  Stargate also includes the ability to enter Hyperspace.  Entering Hyperspace is just as dangerous as it was in defender, and while it can save your life in an emergency it can also blow you to smithereens.  Use the Hyperspace option sparingly! 

Stargate is one of the few Atari 2600 games that made use of two joysticks.  Mapping all these abilities to a single button joystick would have been impossible, so instead of stripping them out like some developers would have done, Bill decided to make use of a second joystick.  While this may sound confusing, it actually works surprising well.  The fire button activates Smartbombs, up activates Inviso, and back activates Hyperspace.  Once you run out Smartbombs the fire button will activate Inviso and after you run out of that it will activate Hyperspace.

Much like Joust, Stargate has several different special waves.  Wave 5 (and every 10 waves afterwards) are Yllabian Dog Fight waves were the only enemies are the difficult to kill Yllabian Space Guppies and Dynamos.  Every 10th wave is a FireBomber Showdown wave where all the enemies will be FireBombers.  These themed waves add a bit fun to the game and an extra challenge.  

The graphics is Stargate are some of the best to grace the 2600.  Not only are they colorful and impressive looking, but they mirror the arcade game quite well.  The game also plays amazingly well with almost all the features from the arcade game being implemented.  The scrolling mountain-like landscape is especially impressive and the game doesn't have any flicker.  Oddly enough Stargate was renamed Defender II when it was released as a red box game in 1988.  The title screen was changed to match the new name, but everything else was left the same.  This was done for legal reasons so that Williams could own the copyright on the name Defender.  Both names work, so the change isn't as bad as it could have been.

Prototype Box Artwork

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