Author Archives: Frank Gasking

GTW Highlight No.21: In June, we recovered a very different version of World Class Rugby for the #SNES, dated July 1992 – some time before the final release. The engine was very different from the final version, with different sprites + faster pace.

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/06/world-class-rugby-snes-prototype/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.20: In June, we recovered The Grid – a canned 1995 space shooter by D3. We added an early #PC demo with Descent-like movement + a few ships to shoot. Plus Concept art too. Lots still unknown and to be discovered.

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/06/the-grid/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.19: In June, we recovered an earlier 1992 NES build of Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing by Gremlin. Used as a reference for a conversion, this build featured title screen, credit and speed differences:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/06/nigel-mansells-world-championship-racing/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.18: In early June, we released early builds of a cancelled and previously unknown Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes conversion for #GameBoyAdvance. Developed by DC Studios in 2000, scrapped before release. Full story:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/06/army-men-sarges-heroes/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.17: In May, we recovered a very early 1992 #SNES prototype platformer called Chaos Drop. Developed by Enigma Variations, the game was dropped and eventually morphed into Magician’s Apprentice for PC/Konix. Check out early builds here:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/chaos-drop/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.16: In May, we uncovered 7 NES prototype builds of The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt (1993 Ocean)- including an early version with cut content and different room layouts. A fascinating glimpse at the game in development.

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/the-addams-family-pugsleys-scavenger-hunt-nes-prototypes/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.15: In May, we were honoured to give a talk at Zzap! Live about Games That Weren’t and 25 years of uncovering unreleased, cancelled, and forgotten games with a C64 focus. Here is a link to the full talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlOGKwrN7uk Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.14: In May, we uncovered a PC DOS-era prototype called ShelShock from Finlay Munro. Possibly a pitch for a game or just its engine. Think Damocles, but with mouse interaction and a village to explore. Now preserved at Games That Weren’t:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/shelshock/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.13: In May, we took a deep dive look at the SEGA Master System development of Tintin on the Moon. It nearly made it in 1992 but was sadly cancelled. Now after 32 years, lost Matt Furniss music & SFX intended was also recovered!

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/tintin-on-the-moon/ Continue reading →

GTW Highlight No.12: By April/May, we had recovery and release of Anco’s Tip-Off for #NES + #SNES. You can now experience early developments of the game, and also hear the long-lost David Whittaker NES music, compiled from source.

https://gamesthatwerent.com/2025/04/tip-off/
https://gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/tip-off-2/ Continue reading →