Defender

"When they cry out to the Lord because of

their oppressors, he will send them a

savior and defender, and he will

rescue them"

Isaiah 19:20

Here is another great game and a great verse! Although I have to admit that Defender has to be one of the hardest games out there. I mean, your joystick only moved up and down, and then you had five buttons to manipulate: thrust, fire, reverse, smart bomb and hyperspace. Almost sounds like some of today's console game controllers (lol).

In the game, you are the captain of Defender. And your mission is to defend the human population from swarms of attacking aliens. You have a scanner at the top of the screen that lets you see where the humans and the aliens are located. Your job is to shoot all the aliens before they can take away the humans. If an alien captures a human, you still have a chance to save him by shooting the alien, but you have to catch the human, before he falls to his death, and set him on the ground.

This is where the game is so hard - controlling your ship. By pushing the thruster button you determine how fast you go - tap it and you only go a little bit, hold it down and its kamikaze. All the while you need press the fire button (conveniently located next to the thrust button); the reverse button (next to the joystick) to change directions; the smart bomb button in case you get surrounded by enemies; and the hyperspace button which transports you to a different location. Not to mention all the flying enemies and ammunition.

Just like in the game, we have a Defender and His name is God!! He sends His angels to guard over us. As David writes in Psalm 68:5, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling." He is our refuge, a strong tower against the foe. He has come to save us and catch us when we fall!


It is funny that this game was deemed a flop when it was showcased at a 1981 Chicago arcade machine trade show because of it's difficulty, yet it shares the title as "Highest Grossing Video Game of All Time" along with Pac-Man. The world looks at us like that sometimes, as flops and failures, but God doesn't look at the outward man He looks at our heart. And to Him, we all share the title "All-Star".

Pitfall

"Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction;"

Lamentations 3:47

Surely we can all relate to this verse. Life is full of panic and pitfalls. Everyday we deal with issues at home, at work, with family, with friends.

Just like Pitfall Harry, who searches for lost treasure in the jungle and caverns, and runs and jumps to avoid creatures and obstacles throughout his quest, we too are seeking treasure and avoiding obstacles.

"The thief (satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

But unlike Harry, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (alligators, rattlesnakes and scorpions), but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Satan and his minions are watching us and knows our weaknesses. On our own, we are helpless. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

This was one of my favorite games for the Atari 2600 (one of the best selling too), and I vaguely remember playing it at the arcade. At that age, I was all about exploration. What 12 year boy didn't want to be Indiana Jones or some archaeologist searching for lost treasure. Funny thing is, a relationship with God is actually what our souls are searching for. The One who created us and wants to give us the desires of our heart.

"Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgementday to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames." 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

So seek God first. And as you encounter the pitfalls of life, and they will come, He will be the helping hand, the bridge, the rope swing across the alligators and quicksand.

Can you find Jesus in arcade games?

Sounds like a funny question, but I want to begin this blog with an explanation of what it is and what it is not.

This blog is not going to try an make you think that all the really cool arcade games in the 80's where based on the Bible. Now some may have been, but that is not the point here. The point is to open people up to the Word of God and draw people to Jesus Christ thru humorous parallels with those games we so loved (and spent all our spare change on) as a kid.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do, and that through this "Bible study" we can both grow closer to God!!

***Side Note***

If you are looking for Biblical based games (pc, console, ccg, board games) feel free to check out my other blog.