Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are a 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.

Latest News and Posts

Dreamland Chronicles: Freedom Ridge

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

2001 Mythos Games

Platforms: PC and Sony PlayStation 2

By the creators of UFO: Enemy Unknown and being led by Julian Gollop, and was a 3D evolution of the previous X-COM strategy games produced by Mythos Games. The press at the time were very excited about the game, and one even felt it could have been one of the greatest turn-based strategy games ever produced.

It was felt to be the most ambitious yet from Mythos, and was to be designed primarily for the PlayStation 2, with a port to the PC taking second place. The game itself was set on earth in the near future, with the Sauran alien race having invaded and killing most of humanity. A few groups have survived and you must control one of the groups called the Terran Liberation Army, to build a fighting force to overthrow the aliens. Continue reading →

Posted in: PC, Reviews, Sony PlayStation 2 | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Various unreleased Amiga titles

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

A short post to highlight two Amiga titles that never were (thanks to Karl Kuras) which were mentioned in the pages of Commodore User magazine.

The Legend of Billy Boulder

This title was actually due for release on PC and Atari ST, as well as Amiga. Although fully reviewed by two magazines, it never surfaced for any platform it seems. The reviews were fairly poor, but when would that give U.S. Gold an excuse not to release a game? Continue reading →

Posted in: Atari, Commodore Amiga, PC, Reviews | Tagged: | 2 Comments

GTW64 update for September 2020

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

Pretty much the end of summer already and time of the month for another GTW64 update, with various updates and additions that were added over the past month.

2 new entries added

Elite 2, The Spelling Bee

31 updates added

A Chance In Hell, Arcade Wizzard, Astromine, Barbarian 3, Circus Fun!, Counting Bee, Dungeons Of Death, Dying High, Dynablaster, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade V1, Jimmy’s Grand Prix, Joust, Koshimo, Lemmings V1, Liverpool V1, Lunar Jetman, Maze Patrol, Megatree, Mindsmear, Miner Willy Meets The Taxman, Mumbles – Superspy, Operation Thunderbolt V1, Pipemania 2: Plumber’s World, Starglider 2, Sturmtruppen, The Final Matrix, Titus The Fox, Top Wrestling, Total Recall V1, Tujad, Zzap Italia homebrew

Posted in: Commodore 64 (C64), GTW64 news | Leave a comment

Turrican 3

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1994 Renegade

Platforms: PC and Acorn Archimedes

A short entry for a title due for release by Renegade on the PC and Acorn Archimedes (thanks to Kevin Tilley for flagging this one up to cover). This was to be a conversion of the 3rd game in the Turrican trilogy, which had already been released on the Amiga and other platforms. Continue reading →

Posted in: Archimedes, PC, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

S.U.B

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1993 Thalamus

Platforms: Commodore Amiga and PC

A short entry for a title due for release by Thalamus on the Amiga and PC late into the publisher’s life (thanks to Kevin Tilley for flagging this one up to cover). This was a cool looking strategy game set underwater, and had previews released for the Commodore Amiga that can be checked out.

sub 1

The game was reviewed by several magazines during late 1993, but sadly the collapse of Thalamus would see the title caught up in the mess. Screenshots and links to the reviews can be found here: http://hol.abime.net/2163. Does anyone know where the real screenshots have come from? (we’d love to add the demo here if there is one). Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | 4 Comments

The Last Starfighter

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1984 Atari

Platform: Arcade

As part of the launch and release of The Games That Weren’t book, we are gradually adding assets and content that didn’t make it to print as bonus content to share with you. Check out our growing Bonus Content page for more materials added over time.

Whilst covering Captain Seahawk, developer Mike Albaugh kindly shared a joke asset that was to be included in the cancelled Last Starfighter arcade that he was a part of, and which is one my favourite films of all time. Continue reading →

Posted in: Arcade, Atari, Bonus, Reviews | Tagged: | 7 Comments

Captain Seahawk

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1978 Atari

Platform: Arcade

As part of the launch and release of The Games That Weren’t book, we are gradually adding assets and content that didn’t make it to print as bonus content to share with you. The book contains a detailed 6 page full story about the unreleased 1970’s Atari arcade, Captain Seahawk – talking to those involved in the development, with input from Mike Albaugh, Dave Stubben and Dan Moss. Check out our growing Bonus Content page for more materials added over time.

At the time, no-one sadly had anything relating to the game (based on part of the VCS title Air-Sea Battle), or at least wasn’t able to find anything at the time of writing. Instead, we included some artist impressions to show how the game could have looked. Just before publication however, Mike managed to find the mock up produced for the banner art that was to be produced for the cabinet (Click for full size):

Continue reading →

Posted in: Arcade, Atari, Bonus, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Green Lantern

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1991-1995 Ocean Software

Platforms: Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, SEGA Mega Drive and Super Nintendo

As part of the launch and release of The Games That Weren’t book, we are gradually adding assets and content that didn’t make it to print as bonus content to share with you. The book contains a detailed 14-page full story about the game’s various developments, talking to many people involved in the different iterations undertaken. Check out our growing Bonus Content page for more materials added over time.

Below are a selection of character concept sketches, sprites and screenshots, most never seen until now, which have been kindly provided thanks to artists Mike Marshall, Ray Coffey, John Lomax and John Reitze to share with you.

We have also recently added saved SPC files for the music (just 2 segments seem to be present) from the recovered prototype, which you can download below.

Continue reading →

Posted in: Atari, Bonus, Commodore Amiga, Mega Drive / Genesis, Nintendo, Reviews | Tagged: | 5 Comments

Early various C64 screens and G-LOC development

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

With many thanks to Martin Inter, a number of early screens from actual released C64 games such as G-Loc, Dragon Ninja, Batman The Caped Crusader and Hammerfist have been added to this page. These show different sprites (in the case of Dragon Ninja), panels (Hammerfist). in game graphics (Batman) and vastly different and unused scenes (G-Loc). Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore 64 (C64), GTW64 news, Prototype, Unused materials | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Paradroid 90 and Total Recall (Graftgold)

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

With thanks to Ross Sillifant, it has been highlighted from a MEGA Power interview with Steve Turner that a PC Engine edition of Paradroid was once in production, as well as a unknown console edition of Total Recall.

Paradroid 90 was being produced right up until Hewson sadly collapsed, and then Total Recall would get the same issues when Mirrorsoft/ImageWorks went under in a bad sequence of events for Graftgold. Eventually, it was their conversion of Bitmap Bros’ Gods to the Sega Mega Drive which would result in their breakthrough onto console platforms in the early 1990s. Continue reading →

Posted in: Mega Drive / Genesis, PC Engine, Reviews | Tagged: | 3 Comments