Preserving Cancelled & Unreleased Video Game History Since 1999
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.
More Game Boy prototypes added to the Games That Weren’t archives, with a set of Tip Off ones for the Nintendo Game Boy. However, there are also an interesting set of early Game Boy Color versions that we have also included. More on that a bit later.
The Game Boy prototypes date from the 10th November 1992 to 22nd February 1994. There is a build that had a timestamp of 22-10-99, but we think this was just from a backup, the same as with another from 2021. Continue reading
Following on from the discovery of an early PC demo of X’Treme Roller, we now have a set of five prototypes for the Sony PlayStation (PS1) showing very early test builds of the game before it became X’Treme Roller and the game was likely being pitched around to publishers by Neko.
At one stage, it seems DC Studios were working with Neko with a view to using the engine or to get interest to do a joint project.
The prototypes are dated from the 17th July to the 7th August 2000, with the earlier builds containing a test sea-side route, with ramps, hills and buildings. The main character starts off very slow as they drop onto the course, and then you can kick off to move around. Continue reading
Recently had the pleasure of chatting with the lovely Wayne Goodchild at eneba.com about retro games, preservation, and current developments (beyond just Games That Weren’t). You can check it out here:
Next into the Games That Weren’t archives is a very rare and early PC demo of X’Treme Roller by Neko, before the name had been decided and when the engine was being put together. The game was eventually released by Microids in 2001, but only on the Sony PlayStation 1 platform.
An unreleased N64 version was released by Forest of Illusion back in 2021, though nothing of a PC edition has been known about until now. It seems that the PC version was scrapped, along with the N64 edition. Continue reading
Today we’re adding three very early Kick Off 3: European Challenge prototype builds for the SEGA Mega Drive, which are not playable and just showcase part of the main game graphics and unused menus and graphics that never made the final cut.
These are dated from around February 1994, and long before the final release. The main logo is completely different and the menus also have completely different graphics. Continue reading
Fulltime Soccer is an interesting budget football title that was eventually released by Datel Electronics for the Color Gameboy. It got a very limited release and can be hard to find. But these prototypes recently recovered, reveal that the game was seemingly built over the top of Super Kick Off.
There are two builds in total, plus a 3rd unknown prototype by the same developer which may not be related. The first build from 23-08-00 is titled “Football Crazy, Football Mad” with some temporary titles and a digitized picture not found in the final game. Continue reading
Next up to be added to the Games That Weren’t archives is a car engine prototype by Tuna Technologies, which was created in 1999 and added to into 2000. This impressive racing engine was pitched around to various places in the hope that it would get picked up.
You may notice the rather striking similarity to VRally on the Game Boy Color – which is because the graphics were temporarily ripped and used for the engine demo being produced. The aim was to produce an engine which was much faster and had more features than the VRally version to then ship around.
In the end, Electronic Arts would get the team to use it to produce Road Rash on the platform. And you can see why – the engine is quite cool, especially the early 2000 build which features a car that you can control with the road. The routine is extremely fast, and feels a little like the Lotus Turbo Challenge road routine on the Commodore Amiga. Continue reading
Way back in Commodore User issue 25 (October 1985) is how far we’re travelling for our latest preservation work – a board game tie-in that blurred the lines between digital and physical play: Bryan Robson’s Super League, published by Paul Lamond Games. And that is the key thing, at first on our C64 entry we wasn’t sure if it was published or not, but turns out it was.
The game sees players building a football team and battling their way to the top of the league, facing random hazards like weather, injuries, and bank managers. These events play out across a physical game board that was bundled with the software – merging board game mechanics with home computer interactivity. Continue reading
Our next entry was due for release on the Game Boy Color around 1999-2000, and has a working title of F19 Stealth Air. We’re not sure if it was a homebrew development or intended as a commercial release, though it seems to be leaning towards the prior.
Searching through some of the online homebrew archives, we haven’t been able to find anything that matches its description. There has been a suggestion that the game was a competition entry for BUNG, but we haven’t found it yet.
Additionally – it has been flagged that the game is a demake/conversion of Raptor: Call of the Shadows. The question is whether it was a proper intended conversion or riffed for the competition. If you know anything more about the title, please do get in touch. Continue reading
Pure was a fun, stylish trick-racing game originally released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. But unlike most off-road racers lost in the mud of their competitors, Pure stood out thanks to its exhilarating stunts and the clever twist of rewarding style as much as speed.
Upon release, the game was met with glowing reviews. Critics praised its responsive controls, thrilling mechanics, and visual flair. But as is often the case, critical acclaim didn’t guarantee commercial success—Pure only managed to sell around 300,000 copies back then. Continue reading
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Games That Weren't® is the registered trademark of Frank Gasking.
