Welcome to Games That Weren't (Also known as GTW), a site dedicated to unreleased/incomplete/cancelled games and prototypes on both consoles and computers. As well as news, reviews and features, we have platform specific projects with downloads, photos, scans, screenshots, videos, reviews and interviews. Our main platforms consist of the C64 and Amiga, where there is a full digital archive of games being preserved for both machines.

Please note - we are a non-profit digitization project, aiming to digitally preserve history of unreleased/incomplete/cancelled software which would otherwise be lost for good. If for any reason there is anything that you do not wish to be on the website, please contact us for removal.

Latest news

Make My Day game fully recovered

Updated on by fgasking

Following on from the release of Mirage, we are pleased to announce the preservation and recovery of yet another title in the form of Make My Day. A full diagonal scrolling Western game which was intended for Power House back in 1988.

After providing a copy of Mirage for the site, Mark Clements very kindly sent a copy of Make My Day down via post the other day. Thankfully the disk preserved first time without any issues at all.

The additional bonus of the recovery is the inclusion of a previously unheard Matt Gray tune on the title screen. Enjoy!

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/make-my-day-2/

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Leave a comment

Cold Steel (Super Nintendo)

Updated on by fgasking

1992 Ocean Software

Brian Flanagan has been in the games industry for over 30 years, working on well over 40 shipped titles. He once worked at Ocean Software for around 10 years, working (uncredited) on Operation Wolf and then infamously on the first version of Operation Thunderbolt on the Commodore 64, which saying was a bit of a mess is a slight understatement.

We chat with Brian (with some added input from Dawn Hollywood) regarding an intriguing SNES platformer called Cold Steel. Not really covered in any depth or detail as far as we know, apart from the odd mention online and in the press. Developed back in 1992, and which could have been one of Ocean’s early SNES releases following the likes of The Addams Family, had it been completed. Continue reading →

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Unreleased Mirage (C64) added to the site

Updated on by fgasking

A surprise to kick off the weekend for you all, with the full and unreleased Mirage game that was never released by Mark Clements.  Mark was better known for his Summer and Winter Camp music, but also did a lot of coding work too, including a few games.

Not seen for over 30 years, this is a neat single screen shooter with some cool end of game bosses to shoot.

Check it out at: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/mirage/

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news, News, Prototype | Leave a comment

GTW book pre-orders now open!

Updated on by fgasking

I’m pleased to announce that pre-orders for our Games That Weren’t book are now open at http://www.gtwbook.co.uk

To give a bit of background to regulars of the site (as well as new visitors)… Primarily my aim was to produce something special to mark 20+ years of the Games That Weren’t archive. Originally I thought it may only take a year to write such a book way back in 2013, but I had completely underestimated. It was really important throughout the creation to try and make something special and enjoyable to others, and not just rush it out for the sake of it – so 7 years later here we are today. Continue reading →

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Joust (C64) found!

Updated on by fgasking

Great news, but collector Ken Van Mersbergen (known to many as Dutchman2000) has found and preserved the long lost AtariSoft conversion of Joust, which we have had an entry on for some time here.

Ken got in touch with GTW yesterday and informed us that the game was recovered from the archive of a retired programmer who used to work for Roklan.  It was found on an 8-inch CP/M disk that was labelled “Popeye” and had the full source code and hex image to be able to create a CRT image.

We learn that the game was coded by Joe Hellesen at Roklan Corporation, and Ken plans to show the game in public for the first time since 1984, at the VCFMW/ECCC show in September (if it goes ahead).  The CRT will be released after the show, or earlier if the show doesn’t happen and will be added to the GTW64 site.

For now, enjoy the screenshots and a massive thank you to Ken for preserving another piece of gaming history.

Posted in Commodore 64, Features, GTW64 news, News, Reviews | 19 Comments

GTW64 update for May 2020

Updated on by fgasking

Another month and another update, including some preservation work for some released titles and a number of new entries.

7 new entries added

Bailiff, Ophir, Raiders of the Valley of the Kings, Secrets of Science, Steam Powered Computer Company titles, Treasure Hunter, Vampyr Motel

13 updates added

Argonautica, Batman Returns, Breakdance 2, Devious Designs, Freddy Fish, G.I. Hero, Giana 2 – Arthur And Martha In Future World, Judge Death, Karnov V1, Legend Of Fairghad, Monster Museum, Piper Software games, Zone Of Darkness

Early version posts

V pre-release shots, Troll pre-release shot

Other general C64 presentation work

Various C64 preservations

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Leave a comment

Various C64 preservations

Updated on by fgasking

Kevin Wilson has very kindly sent some obscure titles to be preserved fully for the C64, so here they are:

The Game (Simple early Pacman clone)

TAP files, DC2N dumps and Scans

Dinosaurs (Early BASIC educational title)

TAP files, DC2N dumps and Scans

Action Biker Sampler Only

TAP files, DC2N dumps and Scans

With Action Biker, there seems to be no real differences to the final retail version, but interesting to check out anyway.

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Leave a comment

GTW64 update for April 2020

Updated on by fgasking

A few more updates to the site, which includes a number of new entries and various updates. Batman Returns in particular has been tidied up a bit, and i’ve added some much better and high quality screenshot scans, thanks to the amazing Stephen Stuttard.

There are some concept sketches from Ned Langman too for a few entries and details about yet another Lemmings conversion that was intended. Full updates are below:

4 new entries added

Catch’em, Lordlings of Yore, Reader’s Digest Software, Underland

16 updates added

Batman Returns, Big Top, Civilization, Elevator, Enemy, Exodus, Labyrinth, Legendary Deed, Lemmings V1, Nuker, Pet Person, Quest for Eternity, Star Force Seven, Stellar 7, Warcraft 64, Worms

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Leave a comment

Redbeard’s Revenge (Amiga)

Updated on by fgasking

Thanks to Dasse Evertsson for the heads up, but at the end of the fantastic Amiga game Traps ‘n Treasures, there is a little hint of a sequel with “Redbeard’s Revenge”.

Due for release it seems in 1996, we are guessing that Starbyte had left the Amiga scene by that point.  The last Amiga games from the company were in 1995.

@DillyDylan on Twitter commented that there was a Super Nintendo version of the game planned and was being programmed by Simon J. Francis. Below is a magazine article, but showing a screenshot from the Amiga version unfortunately:

Developer of the Amiga game Roman Werner was not aware of any SNES materials existing, and wasn’t involved directly. When asked about the sequel, Roman suggests the sequel was more of a “good will” mention rather than actual plans. They had ideas and graphics left over that couldn’t be implemented in the 1993 game, so there was potential for a sequel. Sadly though, it never happened and nothing was ever started.

Case closed!

Posted in Amiga, News | Leave a comment

Lemmings early screens (C64)

Updated on by fgasking

Flicking through the last issue of Zzap!64 back in late 1992, I rediscovered an early screenshot and the first to be shown of the Commodore 64 version of Lemmings. It would be a year until the final game saw release.

Scan courtesy of Stephen (Mort) Stuttard  (Click for full size)

Looking at the constructed screenshot, it seems this was a test level, as I think there are more lemmings on the screen than the C64 version eventually allowed, plus usually you only get the floater icon on this level. Also at this stage the shading is quite simple, and the graphics may have been quickly wired at this stage from the Amiga.  Or is it even just a quick mock up?

Continue reading →

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news, Prototype | Leave a comment

The Sporting News Baseball (C64) – Early screen

Updated on by fgasking

Contributor Mathew Chakko flagged up that “The Sporting News Baseball” game by Epyx Software in 1988 was advertised with a panel area that had a number of differences compared to the final game. Here it is:

Now compare to the screenshot from Gamebase64:

There is a MPH meter and also what seems to be a wind direction line too? Very minor differences from what was probably just a slightly earlier build used to screenshot. Interesting though to see 🙂

Posted in Commodore 64 | 2 Comments

GTW64 update for March

Updated on by fgasking

Another month and another update at GTW64, with a number of new entries and updates that we’ve been adding since the last. Hope everyone is well, and keep safe in these strange times.

8 new entries added

Bugs in buggyland, Civilization, Elevator, King Of The Air, Labyrinth, Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Sagan om ringen, Warcraft 64

29 updates added

3 Days In Carpathia, Andromeda 3, Anteater, Beavers, Bomber Clot, Cargo run, Catch 23, Chelsea of the South Sea, Club Jr’s, Dr Who and the Warlord, Dragonstone 2, Dune Buggy, Gauntlet 3, Ground Zero, Hard Drivin’ V1, Lauren of the 25th Century, Old Scores, Pony Express, Populous, Quest for Eternity, Snow Bros, Super Scramble, The Greedy Dwarf, The Search For Sharla, The Tripods, Toby’s Rescue, White Feather Cloak, Worms

Posted in Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Leave a comment

Aliens vs Predator (PlayStation)

Updated on by fgasking

Thanks to Ross Sillifant for the heads up, a short clip of what seems to be the unreleased PlayStation version of Aliens vs Predator can be found in this fascinating video of the E3 show back in 1997:

It should start at the right place, but if for any reason it doesn’t – skip to 2:05:29.

The entire video (which has been online for a few years) is worth checking out, as it features a number of unreleased titles within. The game was also planned for release on the Sega Saturn, which also saw cancellation. The PC version was delayed and eventually released in 1999.

Posted in Playstation, Sega Saturn | Leave a comment