199X UPL Company Limited
Platform: Unknown
UPL Company Limited was a Japanese game developer best known for titles like Kōtetsu Yōsai Strahl, Vandyke, and Black Heart. These games later received modern re-releases, introducing them to a new generation of players – myself included, as I might never have discovered Vandyke without these ports.
Shortly after releasing Kōtetsu Yōsai Strahl and Mahjong Haōden: Kaiser’s Quest, UPL went out of business. However, before its closure, the company was secretly developing a shoot-’em-up titled Breakshow.
Little is known about the game aside from a handful of pre-production sketches, which offer vague hints at its potential design. Given UPL’s history, Breakshow was likely intended for arcades, with possible ports to home consoles like the TurboGrafx-16 or Sega Genesis. Unfortunately, without further evidence, this remains speculative.
Mind you, Breakshow wasn’t the only cancelled project—another title, High Speed, was also in development. Like Breakshow, details about this game are scarce.
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