Another game we’d better start looking for, and one which might be slightly harder for me being in the UK. Super C (Or Super Contra/Super Commandos) is a US only release it seems and one which had it been released would have been as hard to find as Simpsons Arcade in the UK on the C64.
Super C is confirmed as having a C64 conversion in the pipeline, due to the C64 mention in the advert (See Scans). It is not a US re-release of the original Contra game from Ocean, but a totally new game which was developed by Konami.
However, although IBM and Amiga versions were released, the C64 version never surfaced and is now a mystery to GTW. Could it be the same development team as Simpsons Arcade?… maybe… but we need help to find out!
Konami’s US releases were generally ok, so we could potentially find a nice conversion out there somewhere.. but how much of one? A full game or just an early preview?… We are hopeful of anything, but most of all we want to find out exactly what happened to this Konami title.
Contributor “Termie Gen” makes a good suggestion that Konami periodically updated its status about its games, so the C64 version was likely in production and may have just been heavily delayed before cancellation due to the dwindling C64 market in the US. The lack of screenshots could be a good indication that it never got too far either. A valid point is made that as DSI/USI did the DOS and Amiga versions, but also did convert some games to the C64 – they could well have been involved on the C64 version of Super C too!
Contributor “Anonymous” makes a good suggestion that Konami may have needed to rename the game at some point, as “Super C” was also the name of a C compiler from Abacus Software, which was heavily advertised for the C64/C128 around 1987-1989. Did this have any affect on the game not being released? Unlikely – but who knows?
We don’t know much else at the moment, but maybe someone can help us find out more?… Can Super C be saved on the C64?…
Contributions: Wendell, Termie Gen, Anonymous
I believe that the games collector Mr Fox and/or someone that was helping him disperse his collection some years ago claimed that he owned the C64 release of Super C(ontra). It was discussed on the Lemon64 forum – see https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=592394&hilit=super+contra#p592394
Hi Gaz, this won’t be the case at all I’m afraid. Back then there were also claims about other lost titles, including Murder!
It was also once claimed of there being two review copies (both from outside the UK) of Daffy Duck at one stage, with never any clear evidence provided (or for any of the other titles). Unbeknown, I’d already confirmed with those from Hi-Tec that Daffy was only ever sent out to the Newsfield group, and no-one else before they collapsed. So, early on after some exchanges – it was clear to be some strange kind of attention seeking thing, so I just carried on as usual.
Tragically the same person DOES have the unreleased version of Outrun Europe purchased via ebay many moons ago, teased via a series of videos with no intention it seems of ever being released. Just a bragging right by the looks of it. It happens unfortunately – most collectors are very good at helping preserve works, though in some rare cases they don’t, which doesn’t help our preservation cause at all.
It’d be fantastic to find out more on this one, as i loved Gryzor on the C64 (though it was even better on the Amstrad CPC!), so hardware could of done the game justice, i’d of thought?.
Sad to read of a poster making up a claim he had a copy of the game though :-(.
Why people do things like this (create false hope a game exists) i will never know..from claiming to have a copy/know someone who has a copy, to have coded a game, to doctoring footage from other versions to suggest it was a WIP, to simply making up false claims..it’s just madness.
Just post on what you do know, back up claims with sources and let folks decide for themselves.
Lost Games research is hard enough without all the Red Herrings often thrown in for good measure.
Did you get the Super C scan claiming the Spring 1991 C64 release from Konami’s brochure “Introducing the hardest software ever”? If not, where did this one come from?
One of the scans might be of that brochure you mention? I can’t quite recall exactly, as I think it was almost 10 years ago when someone sent them through.
Contributor “Termie Gen” confirms it was from the Konami brochure. :)
Wasn’t Super C for the c64 developed by the same team that made Simpsons Arcade Game ?
It is possible, and we’ve replicated the credits of Simpsons Arcade just in case. Still need to find one of the authors to confirm if they did work on it or not.
One of my 1st ‘solo’ interviews, was with Mr Neil Cassini (who was superb) and he talked of doing a 1 level demo of a planned Next Gen version of Contra for Konami, sadly despite the Konami producer loving what he’d done, Eurocom never got the contract :-(
Wonder if code still exists and is sat with Neil….?
I believe that while a C64 conversion of Super Contra may have been developed, likely dubbed Super C, it was never released. Also, there might a prototype/beta/pre-release/etc in the hands of a private collector; it definitely will not be a game with full packaging. The minor 2013 stir on lemon64 by the collector Mr. Fox was proven false. He certainly does not own a copy, though why he lied is anyone’s guess, especially considering his supposed reputation (probably just stringing everybody along for a little fun).
I think that the same applies for a few other cancelled Contra titles. For example, the unreleased Amiga version of Contra was (possibly) depicted on various game media, such as game boxes and inserts. Unlike the C64 version of Super C, this one at least had some visual records to accompany it. Perhaps the game data exists, or existed at some point, on an employee’s hard drive.
The dreaded Contra: Legacy of War for PSX was planned to be, but ultimately unreleased in Japan. However, a preview build of the game had been available to try at the (IIRC) 1997 Tokyo Game Show. Considering the nature of such game protos, especially how they’re periodically sold on ebay and some gaming forums, it wouldn’t surprise me if that preview copy is also in private hands.
My point is that, unfortunately, these games will probably only surface in the form of developmental builds. Even then, getting them to surface requires meticulous, time-consuming searches and contacting former devs at the level that borders on stalking (a surprisingly common practice that is responsible for many unreleased and early versions of games surfacing online).
Now I can read everything.
Please check on this picture:
http://www.atariage.com/forums/gallery_ips/gallery/album_185/gallery_1196_185_20.png
Neither me, you and D.Marchese’s comments won’t display.
I know you answered me by checking on the latest comments section.
I tried with IE, Safari and Google Chrome. All browers fail to display latest comments.
Hi Robin, its a caching issue. if you check the direct link to the page, it will work. Comment sub page is currently broke.
Now fixed. Comment sub pages were not refreshing
Thanks Robin!
Why D.Marchese’s comment is not showing up?
Hi Robin, not sure what you mean? his comment is appearing underneath?
Looks like we should find former Konami employees who made Commodore 64 games in the past to team up and make this game Super C.
The Simpsons Arcade was completely written in Hungary, at Novotrade – I know as I used to go there at the time… and Miklós Tihor was a good friend of mine (from a long time, much before Novotrade), although it’s been quite a while since we met…
So if you suspect the game would have been written by the same team, I’d recommend starting your search in Hungary, contacting Miklós, he probably still owns Beholder Kft a book and game publishing company.
Thanks! I will give that a try! :)