1994 Core Design
Platform: SEGA Game Gear
Trunkski (sometimes misspelled as Trunski) was announced by Core Design as a new Game Gear title at the same time they were due to become their very own publisher. The title was a typical cartoony platformer, as was common at that time and was due for a Summer 1994 release.
However, Core Design’s title would feature some unique humour according to Electronic Games magazine, where you control an elephant who has to clean up a valley overrun with hard-hatted, cigar smoking Rhinos and other amusing animated enemies.
Mean Machines Sega gave a bit more detail about the game in their preview, and even a screenshot too. They suggested that Core Design were taking a little breather from their Mega-CD efforts and getting some light relief with development of the platformer, where you control a little elephant who has to get across a series of 8-way scrolling stages, with just your trunk to protect you.
Consoles+ magazine then went a bit further to explain that you have taken a tour away from your native jungle and find it populated by Rhinos on your return, who are lead by ‘Rhunus P.Itus’ and plan to set up a mining installation in the middle of Trunkski’s home. The game was described as non-violent, humorous, ecological and politically correct.
They even featured the exact same screenshot as Mean Machines, suggesting that the magazines never saw anything playable and were sent a press preview screenshot.
Oddly, Core were not sure if the game was going to be released in the UK or not. However, just after Mean Machines Sega announced the game in issue 18, the very next issue they would reveal that Core Design had decided to cancel the title. No reason for the cancellation was given.
It isn’t clear just how far the development had got, though it is likely to have only been at an early prototype stage. We hope to hear from ex-members of Core Design to shed some light on the title, and even see if anything may still exist.
If you know anything more about this title, please do get in touch. With thanks to Karl Kuras for highlighting the title, Abandonware magazines and Archive.org for the scans.
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