Prototype is a great-looking but little-known horizontal shooter from NEO Software.
The game boasts excellent multi-parallax scrolling graphics with amazing illusion of depth. There are 8 levels and hundreds of enemies to attack. One of the game’s strengths is that the number and pattern of enemies change from game to game, which give the game an excellent replay value since no two game will be exactly the same.
On the downside, the enemies – especially end-level “bosses” - are neither as imaginative or challenging as h-shooter classics. The range of weapons you have is also a bit too limited, with many weapons being just small variations of the standard gun.
Still, the excellent production value, smooth animations, and even an outstanding soundtrack (over 30 minutes of original music) makes this underdog far above your average shooter. Recommended for action fans, especially those who like graphical details in the scenery. Thumbs up!
Review By HOTUD
English 
German 
Comments and reviews
This game uses CD Music. In order to play it with DosBox, you have to mount the BIN/CUE image with a virtual CD-Tool. Afterwards you have to mount the Windows drive letter to DosBox.
Syntax in DosBox:
mount d: l:\ -t cdrom
This mounts the Windows drive letter l as drive d in DosBox.
Change directory to d in DosBox and install the game. Usually it installs everything to c:\proto
Change directory to c:\proto and type start.
The game runs and plays music.
Remember, you have to specify the drive letter c in DosBox. For example:
mount c: k:\games\dosbox\
Thats in my CUE file:
FILE "PROTOTYPE.BIN" BINARY
TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO
PREGAP 00:02:00
INDEX 01 03:56:07
TRACK 03 AUDIO
INDEX 01 07:32:44
TRACK 04 AUDIO
INDEX 01 10:57:37
TRACK 05 AUDIO
INDEX 01 14:48:14
TRACK 06 AUDIO
INDEX 01 18:44:37
TRACK 07 AUDIO
INDEX 01 22:28:67
TRACK 08 AUDIO
INDEX 01 23:46:02
I hope this is usefull for you.
I recall, that this game was quite difficult to install under DOS, and that it contained a lot of bugs. Technical service provided me a modified START.EXE file (on 1.44 MB disc for the time being ;-) ), but problems were quite persistent. I will now give the game a new try under D-Fend Reloaded an dhope, that the game works there.
I still have the original game CD and handbook (in German) and can upload a digital copy of the handbook, if requested.
If you want to have the music an FX with the game (as far as I remember) the game CD has to be in a CD drive. I don't know if this is manageable with a CD image...
I'm sorry, I don't know which NFO files you mean? I once got the game running using dosbos. But without the awesome soundtrack. I don't play the game without the music. When the music is turned on with setup.exe, the game crashes.
After some research, you can play the game by editing the NFO files to correspond the actual drive letters for dosbox.
FLI.NFO = C
DRIVE.NFO = (set it to the imgmount drive letter for the .CUE file)
I can not get either version to work.
Unfortunately, the game cannot be started. I made it to the shown main menu (see screenshot). But only if I switch off the music in the setup before. :(
Does anyone know how to solve this problem? I have the original CD of the game, but via dosbox it just won't start. After running proto.exe and confirming with "Enter", you will immediately return to the input prompt.
I tried the "Prototype_DOS_DE_RIP-Version.zip" version. I would be very happy if someone could help.
I downloaded the ISO version, but Boxer says the game is a Windows game and does not contain any DOS files. I can not play this version on Boxer, or on DosBox.
This is the EOD (Empire Of Darkness) CD-Rip.
I cannot get this release to work in DOSbox.
The browser emulation here does not work either.
No comment nor review for this game at the moment.