Grey area here, what's a prototype and what's a copy. you see it's very easy nowadays to copy this old technology, but back in the day, it wasn't. so any EPROM based carts from in the day, I could class as a prototype. but any made today would be a copy. To be more strict a prototype would be an unrealised game or variant. a test copy, if you like. I'm classing this as protos as they're not modern remakes but 1980s versions. given away as the name "defenders" has been established as the protos name at the time before "freedom fighters" was decided upon. however, anyone could label a copy Defenders. This however has provenance. The stickers support the claim...but most of all the time of purchase, "protos" weren't collectable, so the amount paid didn't benefit the seller. when the time comes there needs to be a bin dump to compare each byte to see if there's any variation, but for now, initial playing suggests it's the same as standard release...watch this space. anyway, another interesting aspect to collecting.
PLAYINGUnsurprisingly based on the very popular arcade game "defender" of the time, however, this is set in free space and you men that you rescue float around in square capsules, this is a fast addictive scrolling game, with plenty of life in it, well worth a blast. TIP: Start off in any mode and move your ship to any of the corners, quickly switch to hyperdrive with the ship facing the opposite side of the screen, then no pulsar ships or drones will attack from the back and since your ship is on one of the far sides of the screen you will have more time to aim at the mines and pulsar ships. (Steve Routolo, Cincinnati, Ohio, Odyssey Adventure summer 1983)