Preserving Cancelled & Unreleased Video Game History Since 1999
We are an 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 since 1999.
Please Browse our archive and discover the many entries that we host for many different platforms.
If you are a fan of Dizzy like me, then you might be aware of a number of games written about the acrobatic egg which were created by fans. Quite a few exist, and have been extending the life of the game over the years.
However, there were a number of titles which were started and never finished – and Yolkfolk.com have pulled these together into a two part feature. Part 1 has been released and can be found here: https://yolkfolk.com/article-fan-games-that-werent-part-1/
If you haven’t played Breakdown before, then you should check it out. It’s a fun and simple shooter/platformer/puzzler mix, which was generously given away on Zzap!64 issue 90’s covermount.
When flicking through the magazine the other day, I realized that the magazine shows a screenshot of a loading screen that I can’t recall seeing in the game at all:
Sure enough, checking the original tape image – there is no loader screen, but just a Novaload screen. I suspect that this was supplied as a separate thing to load in, but because it was on tape – it was just jettisoned. The screen seems to have been done by Jonas Holmsten (listed as “Jon”).
Well, in March 2024 – Icon / The Preservers got in touch, as he has been preserving Jonas’ disks. Found was a work stage version of the loading screen, but also a disk version of the game – complete with level editor, and the loading screen. So here is the screen that hasn’t been seen properly until now:
This is likely what was sent to Zzap-64 back in the day, but the loading screen was separate and not added to the tape loader.
Here is the download, so you can check it out for yourself and see the complete version of the game as originally intended.
With thanks to Icon / The Preservers for saving!
Creatures 1 and 2 were two fantastically cute, but violent titles from Apex Computer Productions, and published by Thalamus during the early 1990s. So popular, it was decided to convert Creatures to the the Amiga and ST, with a a ZX Spectrum version muted and never released.
The first game was converted to the 16-bit platforms by Wayne J. Smithson Design (or W.J.S for short), coded by Philip Watts, with graphics by Noel Hines and music by Tim Bartlett. Unfortunately the game didn’t fare as well as the C64 original, and had just above average reviews in general. Continue reading
Only recently has GTW made a surprise recovery of an abandoned Commodore 64 development of Denton Design’s classic Wreckers, though more famous is the ZX Spectrum 128k edition which was promised in 1991, but would never see the light of day.
This is odd considering that the game was fully reviewed by Crash magazine in May 1991, but then something seemed to happen behind the scenes which prevented a release. And it was a decent review too – perhaps a swan-song for the platform from the Denton Design greats.
A few issues later, Crash were reporting that the game hadn’t been released yet. Your Sinclair also gave a preview of the game in May, but oddly no review at all. It wasn’t until much later in October of 1991 that Your Sinclair were reporting that the game was due out in September now. Continue reading
MicroProse’s flight sim, A.T.A.C: Advanced Tactical Air Command was previewed for the Amiga in various magazines back in 1992, but was sadly only to get a DOS release in the end. It seems that the PC edition was released first, and an Amiga conversion was following. The developers were none other than Argonaut, who had a rich history with 3D developments.
Described as a simulation/strategy game, the title sees you as a Supreme Commander of an entire anti-drugs campaign. At your disposal are an entire army of undercover infiltration agents, two fully armed attack helicopters, four F22 stealth fighter/bombers and a secret base tucked away in South America. Continue reading
Not a massively early version as such, but contributor Bruce Coates has highlighted that the Commodore User review of Target Renegade seems to have the baseball bat as a weapon in the other levels in the game.
In the version released, it seems that you can only pick up a baseball bat on the first level – and such pick ups don’t exist from that point on. In the CU review, there is even suggestion of being able to pick up a stick as a dropped weapon. Continue reading
OK, so not as big an update as last month, but still a sizable one none-the-less, and with two very important additions. A total of 14 completely new entries too to further increase the size of the C64 archive, along with 11 updates overall and two very special findings! Many of the new entries are for titles which may well be out there, just not yet preserved. Can you help us find them?
The big news of the month was the recovery of both the long lost first version of Total Recall from Active Minds (missing for 33 years), and a surprise start of a conversion of Wreckers by Denton Designs. Download both for yourself!
Blood Bath at Orc’s Drift, Intellectual Software titles, Island Software titles, JMH Software titles, Micro-Ed, Inc titles, Micrograms, Inc titles, Microphys Programs Inc titles, Moses Engineering titles, Quality Input, Inc titles, Resource Software International titles, Right on Programs titles, Teacher’s Pet Software titles, The Enemy Within, The War of the Worlds
Arsenal FC, Battlecars, Boston Educational Computing, Inc titles, Cyberdyne Warrior Intro, Judge Death, Krell Software, Pharaoh’s Pyramid, R.I.S.K! V1, Rastan V1, Runestone, The War of the Worlds
Considered vapourware, Denton Design’s Wreckers for the Commodore 64 has been recovered in its final build state.
Before you get too excited, sadly the game was only in development for a very short period of time – and essentially what we have is a tech demo showing a navigable game map. There are no playable elements and there is limited map collisions.
Though considering that just a year ago we were doubtful that a C64 conversion ever existed, this is a lovely surprise.
Check it out at: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/wreckers/
Following on from the recent recovery of Total Recall V1 – we today take a detailed video look at the prototype, the story of its search and how it was found.
Including highlighting of differences from the original Zzap!64 preview screens.
Lost for 33 years, we are pleased to announce the recovery of the original abandoned development of Total Recall for the Commodore 64!
So happy to finally see those old Zzap!64 screens in motion after years of searching!
Full story + download at: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/total-recall-v1/
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Games That Weren't® is the registered trademark of Frank Gasking.
