Preserving Cancelled & Unreleased Video Game History Since 1999
Welcome to Games That Weren't!
We are an Cancelled & Unreleased Video games archive with prototypes, developer history and assets for many computers and consoles of all ages. A non-profit large archive dedicated to preserving lost games that were never released to the public. Sharing history and stories from the developers, assets and more before it is too late. GTW has been preserving lost video game history online since 1999, and long before that offline.
Please Browse our archive and discover the many entries that we host for many different platforms.
Another CRL title for the archives, and in the shape now of Pete Cooke’s simulation game – Juggernaut.
This was mentioned in an small review in Aktueller, 05/1986 – where the C64 version is listed as a format. Only the Spectrum and Amstrad editions were to surface however.
It is possible that there were problems with a C64 conversion, which was something that cursed many of the CRL titles currently in the archive. If anything was started, how far did it get?
A short entry for now until we find out some more, but this was a text adventure game that was mentioned in a German C64 magazine called Aktueller Software Markt – where the title Classroom Chaos was announced as coming soon on the C64.
Although it seems the Spectrum version had got a release – the C64 version is very much at large. We don’t currently know if the game was actually started at all, or if the title is just vapourware.
Well, considering that Central Solutions did do other C64 titles – then this could well have been started. But due to the poor quality of titles released, it could be that the company closed before the C64 version could get out of the door perhaps?
If you know anything more about the game, please let us know!
A short entry for now until we find out some more, but this was a quiz game that was mentioned in a German C64 magazine called Aktueler Software Markt – where the title Hotline Quiz was announced by Chalksoft Ltd.
Although it seems the Spectrum version had got a release – the C64 version is very much at large. We don’t currently know if the game was actually started at all, or if the title is just vapourware.
Well, the advert that was printed in some magazines suggest that the C64 and BBC micro editions were due soon, so maybe it was started?
If you know anything more about the game, please let us know!
Yet another quick entry into the database, for a title which may not have been ever planned for the C64, but it was included within a C64 game inlay as a new title coming soon.
Advertised in Turbo Kart Racer’s inlay, Miami Cobra GT was a Chase HQ clone that did get a release on the Spectrum and Amstrad.
It is very possible that a C64 version was also in the works, but possibly the developers struggled to get a decent racer going in comparison to the other 8-bit editions.
Still very much early days, but can anyone confirm if this was ever a C64 title? Is there a mention in the Spectrum/Amstrad’s inlay perhaps?
Some years ago I was talking on the Lemon 64 of a strange recollection of a rather different looking version of the C64 Wonderboy. I had the budget edition of the game, which I played to death – but also later picked up the game on a Beau Jolly 30 pack of games. The recollection was of a rather expanded looking main sprite (where as the version I originally played had two sprites bolted together).
Sure enough – on further examination, the Beau Jolly edition was rather different. After some initial examining back in 2008 and quick comparisons – I found that it wasn’t just the main sprite that was different, but some sprites and segments of the game were quite different.
It’s been long overdue, but I’ve finally gone through a good bulk of the game to bring a proper look at some of the key differences between both games. Below are some comparison screenshots and interesting differences I’ve found.
Originally it was believed that this odd version was the NTSC version of the game – with cut down sprites due to speed issues; but that doesn’t seem to be the case. This in fact looks to be a slightly earlier version of the game, which may have been sent back to the developer to make some amendments or final changes on request. One critical omission has to be the Skateboard – which does not feature at all in the Beau Jolly version. You will also see a slightly different end after killing one of the big bosses as well at the very end of the screenshots.
So how did it come to get released on the Beau Jolly pack? We are not quite sure – maybe Activision/Electric Dreams accidentally gave a pre-final change version of the game instead of the correct final master version. It is believed that the same thing happened with Enduro Racer, with Nick Pelling’s unfinished version sneaking out on some packs.
Shortly after posting this entry, Gurt on the Lemon64 forum found a promotional video which shows an even earlier version of the game. It seems to be earlier than the V1 Beau Jolly title with a different expanded sprite, a different font used in the top panel and high res parts to the background graphics. The video can be found towards the bottom of the screenshots, along with screen grabs.
Also – I later played all the way through the entire game – and as well as enemy patterns I can establish the following:
Music does not slow when getting the enemy fairy
Fairy only starts appearing half way through the game
Says “Game Over” after completing every level on the last Area (Area 7)
Slightly different completion screen – still small girl (even though the big sprites exist). Last character explodes into loads of 100 points with last object to collect.
But! … after Game Over then appeared for Point 4 – I was suddenly in “Area BLANK Level 1″…. Wonderboy’s very own “World 0”. Check out the screenshot here:
As you can see, the top object part is now corrupt – but the level starts from this point, and the platforms are all borked. It seems to be a portion of Level 1. As you go to the end of the level, there are 3 flames which seem to be impossible to pass to see what comes next.
It’s likely just a glitch in the game – but could be that the coder at this stage didn’t tidy up properly and deliberately put in 3 flames to prevent the player from progressing. Thanks to Vinny Mainolfi, you can use the following pokes to get past the flames and other objects:
POKE 9854,234 POKE 9855,234
To change it back (if you get stuck) , enter:
POKE 9854,240 POKE 9855,36
The game does progress to an Area 0, Level 2 – with loads of mad clouds everywhere and octopuses It is just likely part of the game’s memory coming into play and corrupting things where the programmer hasn’t tied the game off properly. It sadly crashes half way across some clouds :-(
To compare for yourself, there are two versions to download below and also VICE snapshots for Area 0, v1 ending and beyond Area 0.
You can see some of the differences between both games via a series of comparison dumps and screenshots in the gallery below – including an even earlier version found in a UK Activision promotion video, thanks to Gurt from the Lemon 64 forums. Video is below:
Potentially not to be confused with the other Telecommando game that we have in the archives.
This game was to be a sort of Paradroid clone, where you would do a bit of hide and seek and steal codes. There were numerous phones dotted around, which we assume would be used to steal codes or something similar.
It sounds like the game didn’t get too far, as they moved efforts onto a game called Geister (which also didn’t get finished). NecroPolo’s tune for the game was later released several years back, which you can now check out here.
As for the game – sadly it seems it was all lost in a house fire in 1994 – so the likelihood of anything ever surfacing apart from the music is almost nil.
A trip to my local computer shop (Level Up Games) in Canterbury usually unearths a few C64 gems from time to time, but this time in the bargain bin – I noticed a few C64 disks sitting loose. Most were blank, and were likely to have backed up games on – but you never know what you might find.
Apart from some KCS Power Cartridge backups (thanks Jason Kelk for the heads up about the odd backup format), there was an odd set of Graphic Adventure Creator files labelled “BRECONSTREET”.
Loading it up shows what seems to be a home attempt at making an adventure game, which was getting on well – apart from a few odd instruction sequences required to make much progress. I ended up collecting several presents, but not knowing up to put under the tree!
It is very unlikely to be complete, and was probably mapped around the author’s home at the time. Date wise, the game is probably from about 1990-91 – due to some of the file back ups that were present. The author we believe was a chap called “Nathan J”. Hopefully by chance the author may look online for his game and come across this page.
So just a small piece of homebrew preserved. Along with the game are some BASIC programs of what seems to be the start of a Cricket and Football game that never made it. Really simple stuff, but included so its out there.
If you know anything about this really obscure adventure game – please let us know!
A brief entry once more, where a sequel to a cool early platform game (called Tronix would you believe!) was mentioned in the game’s scroll text.
Little more is known at this point in time – but it is very likely by the same developer. I’m not sure if the actual first game was released properly, or if it was an early form of homebrew.
Was anything started of the sequel, or was this it?
Evil Garden was first highlighted to us by Lenny Bronstein, as a title covered in Power Play magazine 6/89. The Amiga version (which was released) was reviewed, which listed the C64 version as coming soon – which you can see in the scans section.
As Demonware (not to be confused with the Irish based software development company) did release C64 games eventually with PP Hammer and The Power, there is a distinct possibility that a C64 version was actually in the works. Well, we can confirm that there WAS a version in development – the C64 instructions actually are present in the Amiga manual (see PDF download thanks to Hall of Light).
The game itself (a centepede clone) would certainly have been possible on the C64. A coder by the name of Lutz Vieweg was named as being responsible for the conversion. So what happened to it?
Originally Demonware had decided that they wanted a Centipede clone on the Amiga, and whilst the game was in development, Lutz accompanied his friends (who were the Amiga developers) to talk about the recently started Amiga project. The idea was that Lutz could help with the Amiga project (which he did), but when they met at Demonware, the idea of also doing a C64 version was born. Lutz agreed to do all of programming, with graphic and musical help from two others – Joachim Rosenögger (Gfx) and Dennis Sarratou (Music).
The idea was that the game was to go beyond that of a standard Centipede clone, with two players and multiple weapons – but Lutz decided to add some extra elements compared to the Amiga version. These included some unusual ideas such as a clock that ticked and change the game from daylight to night. In between levels you could camp and take a rest to replenish ammo, and if you wanted to enter a high-score – you had to voluntarily leave the game. More details of these ideas are explained by Lutz in “Creator Speaks”.
The game was developed smoothly, and featured impressive sample sounds throughout and was all ready to ship. Lutz and his team was paid in full also for their work (though not quite for other projects, as Lutz tells us). Demonware were happy, and would continue to release games into 1992/93 time. So why not release the game?
Lutz feels that Demonware felt that the game on the C64 platform was going to be a huge gamble, what with all the costs involved – and decided to just try their luck with the Amiga version (which didn’t do particularly well). It could also be the poor Amiga sales which resulted in their decision not to release the C64 edition. A massive shame!
For years Evil Garden has remained dormant – though Lutz had long ago backed up the game, knowing that some day he would release it to the world. He even posted on some news groups many years ago, and never had a response. So when GTW got in touch, Lutz felt it was now the right time to put the game out there for people to check out.
So here it is! A very interesting Centipede clone, with some nice features worth checking out. Although the graphics look quite dated, the game plays very smoothly and the inclusion of samples in the main game is very nicely done. It was a shame that Demonware didn’t release the game properly in some shape or form, but at last – here is the game some 25 years later than intended!
A quick entry for a graphical text adventure that was due out by Rihannon Software, where they were intending to put out an entire series of games with different themes by creators Elisabeth Stott and Lucy Ewell.
Two titles which managed to make it out were Jenny of the Prairie and Cave Girl Clair, but two other titles – Chelsea of the South Sea and Lauren of the 25th Century were not so lucky.
It is possible that they were released, but just in limited numbers. But we need more help to try and find them to ensure they are preserved.
Thanks to Fabrizio Bartoloni, we learn that the game was released at least on the Apple 2, and you can also play it online as well. This gives a good indication of what the C64 version would have been like. Can it be found?
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