Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are a cancelled and unreleased Video games archive with prototypes, developer history and assets for many computers and consoles of all ages. A non-profit large archive dedicated to preserving lost games that were never released to the public. Sharing history and stories from the developers, assets and more before it is too late. GTW has been preserving lost video game history online since 1999, and long before that offline.

Please Browse our archive and discover the many entries that we host for many different platforms.

Latest News and Posts

Mortal Kombat 3

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1996 Atari Corporation

Platforms: Atari Jaguar

Mortal Kombat 3 was once officially announced for the Atari Jaguar way back in March 1995, but sadly would never see release on the platform. Despite its high-profile status, the project quietly disappeared during the Jaguar’s final years. However, available documentation and developer recollections suggest the game progressed further than people might realise.

mk3 logo

Atari Corporation and Williams Entertainment had issued a joint press release in March confirming that Mortal Kombat 3 was in development for the Atari Jaguar, with a planned release window of Q2 1996. Atari described the title as one of the most frequently requested games from Jaguar owners and positioned it as a major upcoming release for the system. Continue reading →

Posted in: Atari Jaguar, Atari Jaguar CD, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Bomb Race (Bomb Uzal C64 prototype recovered)

Posted: by Frank Gasking

A nice Commodore 64 curiosity added to the archive today thanks to Nigel Critten, with Bomb Race – an earlier version of Bomb Uzal due for release under the old Mirrorsoft label, before ImageWorks was born, and the game rebranded. A few visual differences present, and there might be more tucked away to discover!

Posted in: Commodore 64 (C64), Prototype, Unused materials | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Aftershock

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1990 Lightsource Productions

Platforms: Commodore Amiga

Next into the archives is a game you will never have heard of, and was due from the creators of Shockwave on the Amiga. This was a very early top-down multi-directional shooter called Aftershock – also for the Commodore Amiga.

L002 003

The game was being created by Lance Abson, and had a neat feature where you could zoom in and out of the background, similar to the arcade game Metal Hawk by Namco. Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Aliens

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1990 Konami

Platform: SEGA Mega Drive

It’s early days with our next entry, but its always been wondered why Konami’s Aliens arcade game never appeared on home consoles or computers. According though to Jaz Rignall back in November 1990 of Mean Machines, a Mega Drive version was in the pipeline.

aliens arcade large
A screenshot from the arcade game. How close would a Mega Drive version have been?

“You’ll be pleased to hear that a Mega Drive version of Aliens is in the pipeline, but I don’t think it’ll appear until the middle of next year.” Jaz replied to a reader who had written in asking about the game.

Sadly, nothing was to appear at all – and so when Martyn Carroll covered the game in issue 243 of Retro Gamer magazine, he asked Julian about it. Julian couldn’t recall the exact details, but he definitely remembered hearing from an insider at SEGA that Konami were developing it. Continue reading →

Posted in: Mega Drive / Genesis, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Four lost Super A’Can entries added

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Today we’re taking a look thanks to Yassine Bakrim at four lost titles for the obscure Super A’Can console: Dinosaur War, City Escape, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Quick Fighting Attack:

Posted in: News | Leave a comment

Quick Fighting Attack

Posted: , last updated: by Yassine Bakrim

1995 Funtech

Platforms: Super A’Can

Quick Fighting Attack was a title for the Super A’Can – a relatively obscure console released in 1995 exclusively in Taiwan by Funtech. Fresh to the market, the Super A’Can was Funtech’s ambitious attempt to rival fourth-generation consoles like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64.

quickfighting hi3

However, since the console was based around the Motorola 68000 microchip – the same one that powered the Sega Genesis and Neo Geo – Funtech soon realized their ambition never even reached the starting line. Eventually, the console failed, dragging its manufacturer down with it. Continue reading →

Posted in: Reviews, Super A'Can | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Dinosaur War

Posted: , last updated: by Yassine Bakrim

1995 Funtech

Platforms: Super A’Can

Dinosaur War was a title for the Super A’Can – a relatively obscure console released in 1995 exclusively in Taiwan by Funtech. Fresh to the market, the Super A’Can was Funtech’s ambitious attempt to rival fourth-generation consoles like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64.

dinosaur war hi3

However, since the console was based around the Motorola 68000 microchip – the same one that powered the Sega Genesis and Neo Geo – Funtech soon realized their ambition never even reached the starting line. Eventually, the console failed, dragging its manufacturer down with it. Continue reading →

Posted in: Reviews, Super A'Can | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Posted: , last updated: by Yassine Bakrim

1995 Funtech

Platforms: Super A’Can

Journey to the Center of the Earth (地心歷險) was a title for the Super A’Can – a relatively obscure console released in 1995 exclusively in Taiwan by Funtech. Fresh to the market, the Super A’Can was Funtech’s ambitious attempt to rival fourth-generation consoles like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64.

journey to earth 2

However, since the console was based around the Motorola 68000 microchip – the same one that powered the Sega Genesis and Neo Geo – Funtech soon realized their ambition never even reached the starting line. Eventually, the console failed, dragging its manufacturer down with it. Continue reading →

Posted in: Reviews, Super A'Can | Tagged: | Leave a comment

City Escape

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1995 Funtech

Platforms: Super A’Can

City Escape was a title for the Super A’Can – a relatively obscure console released in 1995 exclusively in Taiwan by Funtech. Fresh to the market, the Super A’Can was Funtech’s ambitious attempt to rival fourth-generation consoles like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64.

city escape hi1

However, since the console was based around the Motorola 68000 microchip – the same one that powered the Sega Genesis and Neo Geo – Funtech soon realized their ambition never even reached the starting line. Eventually, the console failed, dragging its manufacturer down with it. Continue reading →

Posted in: Reviews, Super A'Can | Tagged: | Leave a comment