Preserving Cancelled & Unreleased Video Game History Since 1999
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.
Tangram was to be an interesting puzzler released for the PC, Amiga, ST and C64 back in 1990 time by Kingsoft, where you would have to use various shapes to complete a shape puzzle.
The Amiga version was actually reviewed in PowerPlay 9/90 and scored an average score – so its possible the C64 edition never got released as a result (perhaps?). Interestingly the Amiga, PC and ST versions are at large as well, but Thalion released a game of the same name in 90 for the Amiga. A c64 game was also released in the very same year by CP Verlag – so was this also related in anyway? … http://www.gamebase64.com/game.php?id=2194&d=18&h=0
So was either version the same game as from Kingsoft, but with enhancements? What happened and why were there three very similar developed games in the same year with the same name (well, with Digital prefixed for CP Verlag’s title – but close enough!)?
As well as the C64 game itself, there seems to be a mystery to solve as well with the Kingsoft release as a whole across all formats first. It may well be that Thalion took over the game – but we need more information. Can you help?
Lenny suggests that PowerPlay was very trustworthy and never reviewed unreleased games, so it could be that it was just separate releases that clashed, and Thalion’s edition came out on top? As Alex rightly points out in the comments, the name wasn’t unique and was for a common puzzle game, so it could just be a co-incidence.
Many of you may remember the very cool Bomberman clone that appeared in the early days of Protovision, in the shape of Bomb Mania.
Not only was it a great little game, but it also supported up to 4 players simultaneously with a special adapter.
A sequel was actually put into production around 2002, this time coded by Stefan Gutsch – which would also feature music by Glenn Rune Gallefoss (which you can download from here in .SID format). Glenn was doing music and sfx, and had previews of the introduction screens and game menu – but sadly lost all of the files.
The intro screens were pretty well done, though we’re not sure just yet if there was any game running at all. Hopefully Stefan will still have all of the files relating to the game and will be able to fill us in on what happened to the game.
Briefly mentioned in Aktueller Software Markt (05/1986), it was stated that Quazatron (the Spectrum version of Paradroid), was to be released also on the Amstrad and CPC. Mostly as it was practically a different game!
One issue later however, the magazine mentioned just a Spectrum edition.
So did they get it wrong perhaps? Was anything ever started?
Eventually, the sequel Magnetron did make it onto the C64 – so maybe this could have started out as a conversion of Quazatron?
More details needed, but potentially just vapourware.
According to an article Aktueller magazine (05/1986), Nu Wave’s ID game was not only to be produced on the Spectrum, but would later get converted to the Amstrad and Commodore 64 platforms.
It didn’t quite happen though – possibly due to poor sales of the Spectrum title.
The question though is whether anything was actually started on the C64 version, or if it was merely a plan that never came to any kind of fruition.
With a distinct lack of info in the press about a C64 version, we assume it was canned before it was even started. Can you help confirm?
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.
DISCLAIMER: We are a non-profit digitisation project, aiming to digitally preserve software and history 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.
Games That Weren't® is the registered trademark of Frank Gasking.
