During 1990 when Commodore was planning its launch of the ill fated C64GS console, a string of top developers signed up to support the console and the prospect of ridding of many a horrendous multiload by using the Cartridge format. One such developer was Anco, with a planned enhanced version of their Kick Off 2 title which had been already released. The released game had recieved quite poor ratings, so the cartridge version was to rid of these problems and create something a little more closer to the successful Amiga version.
For a start, the game was to be given a fantastic new front end and menu system. There was rumour of somekind of management system to be built and a much stronger game engine and set of improvements throughout by Ben Hayes (Both from Enigma Variations at the time). Moppe was to be behind the music for the game, and produced a fantastic digi tune ready for the game which managed to sneak out and is now sitting nicely in HVSC. There are also some unnamed tunes in the Sonic Graffiti folder in HVSC which could well have been tunes for the game (Management section in particular).
Sadly the game never quite got past the early development stages, and it was reported to be quite a tough time. Ben Hayes, who is mainly known for his music for Sonic Graffiti, was actually behind a lot of the programming and once told Commodore Scene fanzine that the development was hell and especially with the menu system which was being produced. He recently got in touch with GTW directly and shed some more light on the development, mentioning that the addition of a decent scanner was one of many problems. However it was at some stage starting to look really nice, but not a nice first game project to cut your teeth on. Essentially fixes were being bolted over the existing code, where as the game may have been better suited being started from scratch.
Ben eventually left EV before the game could be finished off, and apparently Mark Greenshields picked up the project to finish off and according to Finlay got all of the management code complete. Just how integrated everything was, Mark couldn’t remember as it was a long time ago. Before the game could be inished off, it was found that the C64GS was not a viable format afterall and Anco pulled the plug. Parts of the code reused in the NES/GB version for the menu systems and what not.
Unfortunately it is unlikely that the game ever survived, and Ben confirms that he lost all his disks in a flood at his friend’s house. There is a slight possibility that Ben has a stray disk out there somewhere but its unlikely. Mark Greensheilds offered hope that he may still have some remains, that he’ll happily let GTW take a look at, but its early days yet and we now wait to see what Mark may uncover…
Ah well, at least we have the music, and the memories… for now maybe?…
Will it be extra time for this title?…
Contributions: Ben Hayes, Mick Hanrahan, Mark Greenshields, Finlay Munro, Will Morton
