Preserving Cancelled & Unreleased Video Game History Since 1999
Total results: 150
Great news, but a reprint of The Games That Weren’t book is now available for pre-order. The Games That Weren’t chronicles 40 years of video game projects that never made it past ‘work-in-progress’. Discover more than 80 unreleased gems from … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.01: Last December, we recovered very early remains of Cult on the #PC. A third person zombie game due for release in 1997 by Argonaut Games that aimed to showcase the new Voodoo 1 3DFX card and BRender engine at the time. Continue reading
A tough year for many reasons – so winding down slightly whilst preparing our special GTW Christmas posts from the 17th to the 23rd December. Including some big recoveries once more! Until then, we’ll now reflect back daily on our … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.2: Also in December, we made a hugely important discovery from the disks of the late Archer Maclean. The origins of Dropzone were recovered in the form of Defender and Stargate conversions on the Atari 800: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2023/12/defender-and-stargate-discoveries/ In … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.02: Last December, we released Team SAS prototype for the original #Xbox. 1st person arcade shooter with 4 different characters and several levels to check out. Due for release in 2003, it didn’t make it after issues with the PS2 edition. Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.3: Our annual #Commodore64 Christmas update saw various International Karate and IK+ prototypes recovered, with other Archer Maclean materials and many other games preserved for the first time. What will we have this year I wonder? https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2023/12/gtw64-christmas-update-2023/
GTW Highlight No.03: Not unreleased, but we took a look last December at rare, never seen IK+ development documents from the late Archer Maclean’s archive, including ideas + graphical concepts that led to creation of the famous fighting game. Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.4: In January, we took a look at a complex 3D space simulator called Tantalus for the Amiga, Atari ST and PC from 1991. Due for release in 1992 by Electronic Arts, it disappeared without a trace: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2024/01/tantalus/
GTW Highlight No.04: Last year’s Commodore 64 Christmas update saw the recovery of the unreleased Wacky Races V1, Aladdin’s Cave, Apprentice and 666 games and a lot more. More is on the way for this year’s update – so watch this space! Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.5: At the end of January, we presented a #PC demo of the lost Battle Bowls, a Puzzle Bobble clone due for release on #AtariST, #Falcon, #Amiga + #PC. Now you could see just how good this puzzler … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.05: Also in December, we revealed early prototypes of Jimmy White’s Whirlwind Snooker, including early PC tests, Atari ST protos. Also showcasing concept artwork + icons from the game – created by the late and great Archer Maclean: Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.6: In March, preservation work of Archer Maclean’s disks continued with a look at many arcade concepts that Archer had created on the Atari 800 and sadly abandoned, including an early Robotron development. https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2024/03/archer-macleans-atari-concepts/ As well as our … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.06: One of our final December updates saw unseen screens from the lost Dropzone 2 on the Atari + Commodore64, along with a strange Arcade edition of Dropzone. Also various International Karate protos and IK+ graphical assets too:
https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2024/12/archer-maclean-a8-prototypes-and-unused-assets/ Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.07: In February, we were honoured to give a talk at Retro Collective about Games That Weren’t and 25 years of uncovering unreleased, cancelled, and forgotten games. Here is a link to the full talk: Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.7: Again in March, we released an early prototype of Prehistorik Kart on the #Nintendo #GameBoyAdvance for the first time – a Mario Kart clone due as a compilation bonus for the GBA release of Prehistorik Man by … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.8: Finally in March, we carried out a huge preservation project on Micro-Antics, the company that produced the amazing Chariot Race for the Commodore VIC-20. All titles were fully preserved, including dev materials + an unreleased game: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2024/03/a-tribute-to-micro-antics/
GTW Highlight No.08: A huge surprise in March, when we recovered a previously unknown #NES conversion of Sensible Soccer. A complete conversion that had been missing for 32 years, and which you can now finally play. Go be a goal-scoring superstar hero! ⚽
https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/03/sensible-soccer/ Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.9: In April, we looked at Into The Shadows – an impressive 3D fantasy fighting game developed for Scavenger in 1996 for PC, PlayStation + Sega Saturn. Only a rolling demo currently exists, but something playable is hoped … Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.09: In March, we also had a massive discovery with the release of the long-lost god sim Populous for the #NES. A full conversion lost for 33 years – which now you can finally play.
https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/03/populous/ Continue reading
GTW Highlight No.10: Again in April, another recovery was made – this time with Bushido Warrior on the Amstrad CPC. A neat oriental themed Gauntlet clone due for release in 1988. https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2024/04/bushido-warrior/
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