Defender of the Crown
↘ 14%
🙂 7.3/10
(GameBoy Advance - US, Action & Adventure)
_2.png)
.png)
.png)
Complete
$42.90
Loose $15.90
Manage Collection
Developed_By:
Crawfish Interactive
Published_By:
Zoo Digital Publishing
Released On:
08 Oct 2002
Also available on:
The game Defender of the Crown drops the player into medieval England, where the Saxons and Normans are at war over control of the land. The King is dead, his crown has been stolen, and the two groups blame each other for the conflict.
The player takes on the role of one of four Saxon knights, starting with a single castle and 10 soldiers under their command. From there, they must build their army, take control of additional territories, and fight against the three Norman lords. However, things can get complicated as the player may also encounter other Saxon friends who need to be defeated.
Gameplay involves building your army, conquering opponents, and making strategic decisions such as engaging in jousting contests to gain fame or land, raiding castles for loot or a princess's hand, or joining houses and territories. With these options, the player can fine-tune their play style and navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries.
UPC-A:
650001771159 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
8796 (United States)
Nintendo Media PN:
AGB-ADHE-USA (United States)
ASIN:
B000063RRK (United States)
YouTube
Reddit
Twitch
Wikipedia
DB
IGDB
RG
RAWG
M
Metacritic
HowLong
GF
GameFAQs
Number of Players Supported:
1 Player
Prices as of 19 Sep 2026
Typical $35.61–$37.71 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
Loose
Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Volume
More GameBoy Advance Action & Adventure
007 Everything or Nothing
$29.99 (Complete)
Nov 2003
007 Nightfire
$59.99 (Complete)
Mar 2003
2 Games in 1 Double Pack: SpongeBob
$22.00 (Complete)
Sep 2006
😐 5.7/10
Ace Combat Advance
$19.99 (Complete)
Feb 2005
🙂 6.3/10
Advance Guardian Heroes
$81.38 (Complete)
Sep 2004
🙂 7.2/10
Aero the Acro-Bat
$64.71 (Complete)
May 2002
🙂 7.3/10
 (En,Fr,De,Es).png)
Aladdin
$147.79 (Complete)
Sep 2004
Alex Rider Stormbreaker
$10.00 (Complete)
Oct 2006
.png)
Alienators Evolution Continues
$21.33 (Complete)
Nov 2001
Altered Beast Guardian of the Realms
$80.49 (Complete)
Nov 2002
More from Crawfish Interactive
Aliens Thanatos Encounter
$222.09 (Complete)
Mar 2001
Aliens Thanatos Encounter
$62.23 (Complete)
Apr 2001
Ballistic Ecks vs Sever
$50.03 (Complete)
Sep 2002
🙂 7.3/10
Bust-A-Move 4
$44.99 (Complete)
May 1999
Cruis'n Exotica
$82.50 (Complete)
Nov 2000
🙂 6.9/10
Driven
$20.63 (Complete)
Nov 2001
🙂 6.9/10
Driven
$9.62 (Complete)
Jan 2001
🙂 6.7/10
Driver
$32.10 (Complete)
Apr 2000
Ecks v Sever
$28.52 (Complete)
Dec 2001
Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
Set in a war-torn Britain following the death of its king, this action-adventure game casts you as a Saxon knight fighting to liberate your people from Norman oppression. You must wage war against the foreign invaders, turning the tide of conflict through heroic deeds and battle until either the last Saxon knight falls or the Norman castles are reduced to rubble.
Story
A Time of Strife
A time for heroes. A time of bitter strife, when great men rise above their peers to perform great deeds. A chapter of history is in the making.
The Throne Vacant
Your liege the king is dead, the throne vacant. Britain enters a season of destruction, a winter of killing that can end only when the last brave Saxon knight lies dead or the castles of the Normans lie in heaps of rubble, emptied of the foul oppressors who have enslaved your people.
The Time of Heroes
It is a time when foreign invaders shall learn truths administered by the shining blades of Saxon swords. It is a time when heroes are made, and legends are born.
Controls
L Button
Not specified in the provided text
R Button
Not specified in the provided text
POWER
Not specified in the provided text
Control Pad
Aim the lance
A Button
Press to begin charging an attack; release to swing
B Button
Hold to block
START
Not specified in the provided text
SELECT
Not specified in the provided text
Control Pad Right
Advance toward your opponent
Control Pad Left
Retreat
How to Play
Getting Started
Insert the Defender of the Crown™ Game Pak in your Game Boy® Advance and turn the power ON.
•
Begin Campaign: Starts a new game. This will save over any previous game in progress.
•
Continue Campaign: Loads a previously saved game.
•
Enemy Skill: Sets aggressiveness and skill of foes to EASY, MEDIUM, or HARD.
•
Music: Setting to OFF turns off music for the remainder of the game.
•
SFX: Setting to OFF turns off sound effects.
•
Credits: Allows you to view the credits for Defender of the Crown.
To access the OPTIONS menu for sound adjustments, press START while the map of England is displayed. Music and SFX can be turned back on from this menu.
Begin Your Campaign
After beginning a new game, choose your character on the character selection screen. Press the Control Pad Left or Right to bring up one of the four Saxon lords. Press the A Button to select your character.
Each of the four lords has different strong and weak points. Be sure to consider your choice of character carefully and pick one that suits your own playing style.
Lord Skills
•
Leadership: Measures a lord's skill in battle. A high rating may turn the tide even when outnumbered.
•
Jousting: Determines effectiveness on tournament grounds. A high rating makes controlling the lance easier and hitting opponents more likely.
•
Swordplay: Measures skill with a blade. A high rating means dealing more damage and receiving less during sword battles.
Your goal is to claim the throne of England by conquering all three Norman castles in the south. Although you and your fellow Saxons share a common enemy, they may turn on you as the war rages on.
Choose actions by pressing the Control Pad to highlight options on the game menus. Each turn takes one month of time. At the beginning of each turn, you receive income based on the lands you currently occupy.
Pressing START from the main map brings up the OPTIONS menu. Here you can set various options such as sound and QUIT the current game.
Saving
Defender of the Crown features an auto-save function. The game is saved at the beginning of each month, after every lord has taken his action.
Do NOT turn off your Game Boy® Advance while the game is being saved, even though the process takes very little time.
Reading the Map
The map of England is divided into 18 territories, each with its own income level and number of vassals. When a lord conquers a territory, that income is added to his monthly total and vassals can be recruited.
Each territory offers a different strategic advantage. Use the READ MAP command to select a territory for a report on its income, vassals, and current owner. If owned by a lord, the report shows their skill in battle, swordfighting, and joust.
Each lord's domain is represented by a different color. To get a better view of the England map, press and hold either the L Button or R Button to make the main menu disappear.
Building Your Army
To purchase troops for your army, select BUY HOME ARMY from the main menu. Press the Control Pad Up or Down to select the troop type from SOLDIERS, KNIGHTS, CATAPULTS, or CASTLES.
Troop Types
•
Soldiers: The backbone of any army. They lack high attack power and fall quickly but are cheap and effective in large numbers.
•
Knights: Elite armored units. They are more costly but take more damage and can overpower weaker soldiers.
•
Catapults: Massive siege engines that are slow but immensely damaging. They are a must for attacking castles.
•
Castles: Use these to fortify captured lands. You must have at least one free territory to purchase a castle.
Press the Control Pad Right to add troops for the listed cost. Press Control Pad Left to sell back any troops just purchased. Pressing R or L Button transfers troops in groups of ten.
Select CONTINUE to complete your purchase. Press B to cancel. Any new troops are added to your home army and your turn ends. Purchasing a castle does not cost a turn, but you must choose the location from your available territories. Only one castle can be placed in each territory.
Conquest
Your campaign army is represented on the map by your character's banner. Select MOVE CAMPAIGN to capture hostile or undefended territories, or to move through friendly ones. You may enlist the help of Robin Hood before attacking by choosing VISIT ROBIN.
After selecting MOVE CAMPAIGN, highlight the territory you wish to move to with the Control Pad and press A. You can only move freely through territories you already own. Moving through another lord's land requires permission or conquest by force.
As your army grows, fortify your lands by leaving troops to guard them. Use the TRANSFER FORCES command to move troops into a territory you currently own, adding a layer of defense. If a castle is manned, it provides a formidable barrier.
Troops can also bolster your home castle. Once at your home territory, you can TRANSFER men into and out of your castle, including previously purchased troops.
Transfer forces into your campaign army by selecting a troop type and pressing Control Pad Right. Press Left to transfer forces out of the campaign army into the occupied territory. R or L Button transfers troops in groups of ten.
Battles
Siege warfare involves using payloads to weaken enemy defenses before battle.
•
Boulders: The only payload
Tips & Maps
Battles
Entering territory occupied by another lord may trigger a battle. You can choose from various combat strategies like Ferocious Attack, Stand and Fight, Outflank, Catapult Barrage, or Wild Retreat, and can change your strategy mid-battle. You can also choose to defend or let your garrison defend an attacked territory.
Ferocious Attack
Sends armored knights to the front of the battle. It can be devastating against soldiers but may backfire against many knights or skilled opponents.
Stand and Fight
A standard engagement where soldiers and knights stand their ground and fight with honor.
Outflank
Uses superior tactics to overcome the enemy. It doubles the effect of leadership, so a strong leader increases army effectiveness while a weak leader has no effect.
Catapult Barrage
Pulls troops back to bombard the enemy with catapult fire. It is slow but devastating, even against superior numbers, and is only available if you have catapults.
Wild Retreat
Calls troops back from the battlefield to salvage what you can from a losing battle. You cannot retreat from your home castle, forcing a battle to the death if invaders reach it.
DEFEND TERRITORY
Allows you to take full control over your garrisoned troops during an attack on your territory.
LET GARRISON DEFEND
Allows your garrisoned troops to choose their own combat strategy during an attack, though they will always fight to the death.
SIEGES
Attacking a territory with a castle requires at least one catapult to break through the keep's defenses. You select ammunition from the Control Pad to begin bombardment.
Tournaments
Hosting a tournament costs five gold, while attending others is free. You can joust for fame, which can grant a Leadership bonus, or for land, which requires wagering a territory and selecting an opponent.
Search Games
Popular Consoles
Trending Now
By Year
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
© 2026 RetroGold. All rights reserved.