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

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

Hellraiser

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1990 Color Dreams

Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari Lynx and Sega Mega Drive

Just a short entry for a cancelled film title that was due for release on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari Lynx and Sega Mega Drive. It was to apparently feature an ambitious Wolfenstein style engine.

However, it was to be achieved using a special SuperCartridge on the NES that would have an extra processor and allow for better graphics and sound capabilities as well. The Lynx and Mega Drive were no doubt already powerful enough to do the game that Color Dreams had anticipated. Ross Sillifant kindly dug out an advert for the game, as well as a brief article that talks about the Super Cartridge technology. Continue reading →

Posted in: Atari Lynx, Mega Drive / Genesis, Nintendo, Reviews | Tagged: | 2 Comments

Blue Vault

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

2004 Elixir Studios

Platform: PC

Due originally for release in Q4 of 2005, this was to be a sequel to Republic: The Revolution. “Blue Vault” the working title of the game. The development would consist of an 18-strong development team, and had been under way for around 6 months at the time of PC Zone magazine showing off the game in May 2004. Continue reading →

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

Treasure Tails

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1993 SEGA

Platform: Sega Mega Drive

Graphic artist Craig Stitt has recently been putting up a lot of brilliant unseen materials from his SEGA days, and has today just added a video showing screens from another Sonic related title called “Treasure Tails”, featuring Tails as the main protagonist:

Unfortunately Craig doesn’t recall much about it. Just how far it got, we’re not sure – but it would be wonderful if something playable could be found of this isometric puzzle title. However, the screens shown are confirmed by Craig to be mock ups, so they probably never progressed any further. Continue reading →

Posted in: Mega Drive / Genesis, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Star Control III

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1996 Accolade

Platforms: Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation

A short entry for now on what sadly was to be an abandoned conversion of Star Control III for both the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation platforms. The game was eventually released on the PC and Mac. There is a pretty decent article about the game at http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/star-control-3/

There was some brief press at the time talking about the conversions, and here are some scans for now from Sega Pro magazine (August 1996) that talk about the conversion to the Saturn (thanks to Ross Sillifant). Continue reading →

Posted in: Reviews, SEGA Saturn, Sony PlayStation | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Ray Trace VS The Megadeath Aliens

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

We had a request from contributor Robin Gravel, who has spent some years looking for this Mastertronic/Virgin game that was advertised for PC back in 1988 called Ray Trace VS the Megadeath Aliens.

Ray Trace VS The Megadeath Aliens

It was described as an arcade action game in a town with a different attitude. Proclaimed to be the first ever game to display 16 colours with CGA.

Was it ever released?  Nothing has yet surfaced of the game, so we have no idea at this stage. Please get in touch if you know anything more or even have a copy!

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

GTW64 update for August 2020

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

Another month and another GTW64 update with a number of new entries and various page updates that have been added over the past month. Enjoy!

11 new entries added

Ball Breaker, Black Tiger V1, Bushfire, Counting Bees, Eskape, Fighting Survivor, Humpy64, Nuclear War, Spin Out, The Last Commando, The Magic Garden Talking Book Series

33 updates added

A Chance In Hell, Argonautica, Barbarian 3, Batman Returns, Blast, C64GS cartridge titles, Cyclone, Danger! High Voltage, Dragon Slayer, Dragon’s Lair 2: Timewarp, Eye Of The Beholder, Infer, Inspector Gadget, Joe Blade 3, Joust, Mega Games, Mega Moto, Mishun, Molar Madness, Move Out, Nodule, Orcus, Outrun 2, Paperboy 2, Penguin Tower, Penguin Tower V2, Phantom Rider, Scooby Doo V1, Space Ace, Tusari 2, Warrior Of Darkness, Your Computer Software Exchange, Zolo

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

The Heist – Released on Atari / IBM PC * jr?

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

A quick post after receiving an email today from a Robin Gravel who has highlighted the classic title “The Heist” – a title I remember well on the Commodore 64.

In the advert which you can see here, the game is additionally advertised for the Atari and IBM PC + jr platforms. However, neither of those versions seem to be out there at all.

So the question is, were these two ever released at all? Or did they just sneak out in limited numbers?  Let us know if you know anything more and thanks to Robin for flagging this one up.

Posted in: Atari, PC, Reviews | Tagged: | 1 Comment