Protector: Special Edition

Protector is a scrolling shooter game similar to Defender (1981) and Defender 2000 . The story is set in a future where an interstellar war erupts after alien forces arrive on Earth. The inhabitants of a nearby planetoid called Haven-7 are left to fend for themselves, with the Starblade ship as their only defense. The player commands the Starblade, protecting Haven-7 against waves of invading aliens.

The Starblade can fly from left to right, with a radar showing both dangers and humans across the level. Enemy landers pick up humans and attempt to transport them to the top of the screen for mutation, but the player can interrupt this by shooting them down. The player's ship has a standard laser fire and smart bombs capable of destroying enemies within their blast radius. The player advances through each level by defeating all the enemies.

There are over 40 levels in total. On certain levels, the player must survive a meteor shower or fight a boss . Enemies sometimes drop red orbs, which the player can spend at a shop between levels, allowing them to purchase items such as shields, bombs, extra lives , and rapid fire. Some enemies instead drop green pods, offering power-ups such as energy, hyperspace jumps, or "Protectors" that block enemy landers from kidnapping humans.

The player can endure three hits before losing a life, forcing them to restart the level with only their basic firepower. In addition, the game allows two players to play by alternating turns.