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Tower defense video games
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== History == Before tower defense games existed, a Japanese company named [[ASCII (company)|ASCII]] released a game in 1983 that is today described as a "reverse tower defense" or "tower attack" game, ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', wherein the player must storm an enemy castle, avoiding towers built to shoot at them as they pass, rather than defend it.<ref name=Gamasutra>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php?print=1 Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today], [[Gamasutra]]</ref> Another prototypical example that same year was [[Koei]]'s ''[[Stop That Roach!|Hoi Hoi]]'', a [[turn-based strategy]] [[personal computer game|PC game]] that involved defending [[Confectionery|confectionaries]] from cockroaches, which was later remade as ''[[Stop That Roach!]]'' for the [[Game Boy]] in 1994. Another early prototypical tower defense game was the [[Atari Games]] release ''[[Rampart (arcade game)|Rampart]]'' in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=11898 | publisher = PALGN | title = Tower Defense: Bringing the genre back | author = Luke Mitchell | date = 2008-06-22 | accessdate = 2008-12-24 }}</ref> Yet another early example of a tower defense game was ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]{{'}}s'' [[Minigames of Final Fantasy|Fort Condor minigame]] in 1997.<ref>David Smail, [http://blastmagazine.com/2009/12/14/creature-defense-review/ Creature Defense review], ''[[BLAST (magazine)|Blast]]''</ref> By 2000, maps for ''[[StarCraft]]'', ''[[Age of Empires II]]'', and ''[[Warcraft III]]'' were following suit.<ref name="PALGN"/> Eventually, [[Independent video game development|independent]] [[Video game developer|game developers]] began using [[Adobe Flash]] to make stand-alone tower defense [[browser game]]s,<ref name="gamaDOTA">{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18863 | publisher = GamaSutra | title = Analysis: Defense of the Ancients - An Underground Revolution | date = 2008-06-12 | accessdate = 2008-12-09 | author = Michael Walbridge }}</ref> which led to the release of ''[[Flash Element Tower Defense]]'' in January 2007<ref name="JIGFETD">{{Cite web | url = http://jayisgames.com/archives/2007/01/flash_element_td.php | publisher = Jayisgames | title = Flash Element TD | author = Jay | date = 2007-01-11 | accessdate = 2007-01-11 }}</ref> and then ''[[Desktop Tower Defense]]'' in March of the same year.<ref name=Lib>{{Cite web | title = Jouer plus pour travailler moins Jeux vidéo. Sélection de petites douceurs en ligne, dangereusement addictives. | author = Erwan Cario | date = 10 November 2007 | url = http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/ecrans/290440.FR.php?mode=PRINTERFRIENDLY | publisher = Libération }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21102 | title = Interview: Flash Tower Defense Creators On VC Deal, Social Gaming Site | author = Chris Remo | publisher = Gamasutra | date = 2008-11-18 | accessdate = 2008-12-09 }}</ref><ref name="twonotable"/> ''Desktop Tower Defense'' became immensely popular and earned an [[Independent Games Festival]] award,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17541 | title = 2008 IGF Awards Topped By Crayon Physics Deluxe | date = 2008-02-21 | publisher = Gamasutra | accessdate = 2008-12-09}}</ref> and its success led to a version created for the [[mobile phone]] by a different developer.<ref name="ign">{{Cite web|url=http://uk.wireless.ign.com/articles/839/839846p1.html|title=Tower Defense Review|author=Roush, George|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2007-12-05|accessdate=2008-03-07}}</ref> Several other tower defense [[computer games]] achieved a level of fame, including ''Protector'',<ref name="twonotable">{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18164 | title = Q&A: Kongregate's Greer And Sirlin On Metagame Hopes With Kongai | date = 2008-08-01 | publisher = Gamasutra | author = Alistair Wallis }}</ref> ''Immortal Defense'',<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20798 | title = Best Of Indie Games: Ready, Set, Jill Off | date = 2008-10-24 | accessdate = 2008-12-09 | publisher = Gamasutra | author = Tim W. }}</ref> ''[http://gemcraft.gamepedia.com/Gemcraft_Wiki| GemCraft]'',<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19009 | title = Best Of Indie Games: Rose, Camellia, Ziczac & Nameless | author = Tim W. | publisher = Gamasutra | date = 2008-06-13 | accessdate = 2008-12-09 }}</ref> and ''[[Plants vs. Zombies]]''.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://gaming.icrontic.com/news/plants-vs-zombies-nominated-for-pc-game-of-the-year | title = Plants vs. Zombies nominated for PC Game of the Year}}</ref> By 2008, the genre's success led to tower defense games on [[video game console]]s such as ''[[Defense Grid: The Awakening]]'' on the [[Personal computer|PC]] and [[Xbox 360]],<ref name="joystiqpreview">{{Cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/pax-2008-hands-on-defense-grid-the-awakening/|title=PAX 2008 hands-on: Defense Grid: The Awakening|author=Kevin Kelly|date=2008-08-30|work=[[Joystiq]]|publisher=Weblogs}}</ref> and ''[[PixelJunk Monsters]]'' and ''[[Savage Moon]]'' for the [[PlayStation 3]].<ref name="PALGN">{{Cite web | url = http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=11898 | publisher = PALGN | title = Tower Defense: Bringing the genre back | author = Luke Mitchell | date = 2008-06-22 | accessdate = 2008-12-24 }}</ref> Tower defense games have also appeared on [[handheld game console]]s such as ''[[Lock's Quest]]'' and ''[[Ninjatown]]'' on the [[Nintendo DS]],<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://ds.ign.com/articles/912/912110p1.html | title = Ninjatown Multiplayer Hands-on | publisher = IGN | author = Daemon Hatfield | date = 2008-09-22 | accessdate = 2008-12-30 }}</ref> and there are dozens of games for the [[iPhone]]/[[iPod Touch]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]]. In November 2010, the genre was first brought to the blind gaming community with the release of ''Aprone{{'}}s'' ''[[Towers of War]]''.<ref>The game was first released on ''[[AudioGames.net]]'' 11-2010</ref>
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