Games That Weren't^®

Advertised in various magazines and mentioned at CES in 1989, Trails of Honor was a Commodore 64 game which would never see the light of day, with an Amiga version also planned.

The game would be part of the latest releases in the Epyx Masters Collection for advanced game players. This medieval adventure challenges the player in a series of contests of physical strength and strategy to determine who will avenge the fallen monarch. Among the contests are sword fighting, arm wrestling, a dice game and slaying demons.

Nothing more seems to have surfaced of the game, and it completely disappeared. How far did it get, and can anything of the game be found?

Thanks to Anonymous Contributor, it seems that this was just to be a US version of Ubi-Soft’s Iron Lord. I’ll hand over to them:

“An article in Commodore Magazine, May 1989, page 84, mentions the game, but calls it Trials of honor‘

“Trials of Honor, another spring release, takes place during the dark ages of Europe. Your beloved monarch has been slain, and his killer now sits upon the throne. You are a brave young hero, setting off on a quest to unseat this false ruler. Along the way you’ll encounter evil kings, brave knights, powerful wizards and the local peasants. Players participate in realistic swordplay, arm wrestling with powerful opponents, and gambling for gold. You can even try your hand at military strategy. After slaying the demons that protect the Labyrinth, it’s time to face the man with the crown. Trials of Honor is a true test of one’s strength, wisdom and ability to deal with the unexpected.”

Assuming it went under a different name in Europe, and assuming that UBI Soft was behind it (like with Curse Buster), is there a game that fits? Yes, there is – Iron Lord, released by UBI Soft in 1990.

The GTW description runs like this: ‘This medieval adventure challenges the player in a series of contests of physical strength and strategy to determine who will avenge the fallen monarch. Among the contests are sword fighting, arm wrestling, a dice game and slaying demons.’

The official description for Iron Lord is this (See MobyGames entry):

“In a once serene Kingdom, your father has been overthrown as King. As a true crusader of justice your only desire is to recover the throne amidst traitors, spies and assassins. Demonstrate your skills at archery, arm wrestling and sword fighting in your preparation to fight for your Kingdom and prove you are the Iron Lord!”

Medieval times. Avenge a fallen king. Compete in arm wrestling, sword fighting and other events. The two do match up fairly well.

Any more direct evidence? Yes, French magazine Tilt, March 1989, reported from CES 1989 – and contains a tantalizing passage:

“EPYX: Any news at Epyx? Yes, there are…for the Americans! Judge for yourself: we saw Skate Wars (Skateball) and Trials of Honor (Iron Lord), two titles in eternal preview mode, Death Sword (Barbarian from Palace Software), Undersea Commando (Bob Morane Ocean), Space Station Oblivion (Driller from Incentive) and Curse Buster (Puffy’s Saga).”

This all but confirms that the games are connected and are American and European editions. Trials of Honor with Iron Lord, Curse Buster with Puffy’s saga and Undersea Commando with Bob Morane Ocean – the French name for the game Operation Neptune. See comments section on this Lemon Amiga page.

All in all, this implies that Epyx went shopping abroad, licensing some promising French games from their European associates instead of developing original titles of their own. The C64 market was still alive and Epyx had a good name to it. After some NTSC fixing, the games would be released under new names. So what happened to the American originals? Ever released under the new names? According to Wikipedia, Epyx went bankrupt in 1989, which could very well mean that all new releases stayed in a warehouse somewhere, if ever manufactured.”

As with Puffy’s Saga and Curse Buster, and so another case closed! But can a US edition with the name change be recovered some day?

Advertised in various magazines and mentioned at CES in 1989, Undersea Commando was a Commodore 64 game which would never see the light of day, with an Amiga version also planned.

In the game you play a secret government agent based in an ultra modern submarine. A deadly arsenal and sophisticated sensory devices are at your command to help you battle the ‘Yellow Shadow’ bent on underwater domination.

Nothing more seems to have surfaced of the game, and it completely disappeared. How far did it get, and can anything of the game be found?

Thanks to Anonymous Contributor, it seems that this was to be the US edition of a game called Operation Neptune that was released by Infogrames. First of all, there were more details in Commodore Magazine, May 1989 on Page 84 (see scans and below):

“The Yellow Shadow, a treacherous alien race, is setting up an empire beneath the sea. I believe they could actually accomplish this mission if not for the Undersea Commando. Your assignment consists of locating and destroying these alien fiends, who have no concern for human life. In the program, the player is the commander of a modern submarine (equipped with an arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons and sophisticated detection gear). When you encounter attacking enemy patrols, use the hydro-scooter to outmaneuver your enemies. If taken by surprise, be prepared to go one-on-one with alien assassins or creatures from the deep. Undersea Commando is a fine blend of excellent graphics, superior challenges and above-average arcade action. Look for this exciting new product when the magnolias are in bloom [i e spring].”

I’ll hand over to Anonymous Contributor to explain the rest:

“Going with the European renaming theme, is there a game that fits this description? Yes, there is: Operation Neptune. Not published by UBI Soft, but by another French publisher, Infogrames. Swedish magazine Datormagazin, issue 13 1989 gives a detailed review of this game.

A few quotes:

“You are Bob Morane (known from [Swedish comic book] Seriemagasinet), a so-called hero. The secret service of the free world has discovered a gang named “The Yellow Shadow”. The gang is led by Mr Ming, one of your most feared archenemies. Increased underwater activity has also been noted in a [security-]classified area. […] Further investigations revealed several underwater bases in the area.”

Then:

“After this, a water scooter battle ensues, where you have to kick the other one into the sea.”

Finally:

“Your bathyscaphe (mini submarine) appears, and you discreetly climb aboard. […] You are now inside the so-called “cockpit” and have plenty of activities to choose from. But first you should probably find the map and see where you are in relation to your enemies. When that’s done, it’s time to approach their bases. Pretty soon, you’ll encounter a mine field or hostile patrol […].”

The features do match up: hydro scooter – water scooter, the gang being named “Yellow shadow”, the submarine part. This surely must be the same game. American newsletter Computer Entertainer July 1989 provides the missing link with its post-CES 1989 report:

“Epyx also showed underwater action that was realistic, current and believable in PROJECT NEPTUNE, a game that appeared to be a re-worked and refined version of the game previewed at the January CES under the title of “Undersea Commando.”

“Project Neptune” presumably being a working title for what later became Operation Neptune.

Why does Commodore Magazine mention aliens (see above), when there are seemingly none to be found? Mr Ming’s gang seem as terrestrial as they come. Belgian comic book hero Bob Morane regularly fought the “Yellow shadow” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Morane_(comics)), so this is taken straight from his adventures.

Perhaps Morane was not well known in the US, forcing Epyx to change the backstory to a more general secret service hero, and the gang name into being the name of an alien race instead, enabling them to keep the game as it is. Or, it was done to avoid ethical issues. Or perhaps the magazine just made it up for show.

Any more direct evidence? Yes, French magazine Tilt, March 1989, reported from CES 1989 – and contains a tantalizing passage:

“EPYX: Any news at Epyx? Yes, there are…for the Americans! Judge for yourself: we saw Skate Wars (Skateball) and Trials of Honor (Iron Lord), two titles in eternal preview mode, Death Sword (Barbarian from Palace Software), Undersea Commando (Bob Morane Ocean), Space Station Oblivion (Driller from Incentive) and Curse Buster (Puffy’s Saga).”

This all but confirms that the games are connected and are American and European editions. Trials of Honor with Iron Lord, Curse Buster with Puffy’s saga and Undersea Commando with Bob Morane Ocean – the French name for the game Operation Neptune. See comments section on this Lemon Amiga page.

All in all, this implies that Epyx went shopping abroad, licensing some promising French games from their European associates instead of developing original titles of their own. The C64 market was still alive and Epyx had a good name to it. After some NTSC fixing, the games would be released under new names. So what happened to the American originals? Ever released under the new names? According to Wikipedia, Epyx went bankrupt in 1989, which could very well mean that all new releases stayed in a warehouse somewhere, if ever manufactured.”

As a result, it’s very clear it is the same game, and a case closed! But can a US edition with the name change be recovered some day?

A recently acquired copy of Competition Karate by Martin/Stadium64 includes a reference chart inside the card folder mentioning a sequel in development. However, this sequel was never released.

The game was also developed for the Apple II, likely before the Commodore 64 version, so the question is whether a C64 version was ever started or not.

If you know anything more, please do get in touch.

In 1986, the Swedish computer magazine Datormagazin launched a programming contest in their second issue, running from August 21 to December 31. The contest accepted entries in two categories: Games and Utilities, allowing any programming language or tools, including Game Maker and The Quill.

We learn of this thanks to Martin/Stadium64. Hundreds of submissions were received, but exact numbers per category are unknown. Results were announced in the June 1987 double issue (4/5). The top three game entries were:

• Hats by Albert Schnelzer (age 15, Karlstad) – A climbing game coded in machine language, praised as very professional. Albert reportedly spent nine months developing it.
• Baldorfs hämnd (Baldorfs Revenge) by Mårten Johansson (Lund) – A Swedish adventure game noted for its humour and strong programming.
• Red Fox by Joakim Karlsson (Asarum) – An honourable mention for a shoot-’em-up game.

Datormagazin aimed to help winners bring their games to market, possibly collaborating with American Action. However, American Action faced difficulties and eventually closed, leading to these games fading into obscurity.

We hope that these games can some day be found, and if you can help – please get in touch. It would be great to also try and find any other submissions for the competition that were submitted too.