Dragon Defender is a 1984 action game for the Atari 2600, published by Ariola. In this game, players control a dragon as it battles against waves of enemies that appear from the right side of the screen. These enemies include ball-like creatures that, while not firing projectiles, can destroy the player’s dragon upon collision. Additionally, large saucers appear, shooting at the player and requiring four hits to be destroyed. Each hit shrinks the saucer until it becomes a small alien invader that moves up and down the screen.
At the bottom of the screen, a strange creature attempts to pass the player, but it can be bombed as it crawls by. Unfortunately, Dragon Defender was not well-received due to its bland graphics, tedious sound effects, and lackluster gameplay. The game primarily consisted of repeatedly pressing the fire button on the joystick, making it a monotonous experience with the main goal being to reach a score of ten thousand points. As such, Dragon Defender stands as an example of a low-quality entry in the gaming market of the early 1980s.