Defender 11-??-81

   

This prototype which appears to date from around November of 1981 is a late WIP version of the game.  The gameplay is all accounted for, but there are some different sound effects and colors that were tweaked before the game was finalized.  Most jarring of these is the 'bong' sound when the game starts, which was wisely changed in the final.  There's also a bug in this version which makes it impossible to shoot an enemy at the very top of the screen (your shot goes underneath them).  Thankfully this was fixed in the final.


The starting sound is very different.  In this version it's a deep 'bong' sound which is very similar to the sound Pac-Man makes when eating dots in the 2600 version of the game.
Upon turning the game on the radar and copyright text are green instead of yellow.  Once the game has been started the radar is pink instead of yellow on odd number levels, but changes to yellow on the even numbered levels.
The score is green instead of yellow
Your ship, lives counter, and smart bomb counter are pink instead of light blue
The pod swarm is green instead of
The saucers are pink instead of blue
The end of level number indicator is pink when the radar is pink but yellow when the radar is yellow.
There is a bug in this version that makes it impossible to shoot an enemy at the top of the screen as your shot goes just underneath them.  This was fixed in the final by having the enemies not be able to go to the very top of the screen.
Bob Polaro's initials may not be present (untested).

 

Green copyright

 

Pink saucers

 

Green pods

 

Pink round numbers

 

 

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