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.
A short entry for a title that we are not 100% certain at this stage was ever started, but has featured for years on the Ward Shrake Vapourware list.
The list contains a number of cartridge numbers which the actual intended title was unknown: Vic-1903, Vic-1934, Vic-1936, Vic-1940. It was suspected that one of them could have been this game, and another Space Vultures which we also have listed in the archive. Continue reading
Hellowoon was a graphic text adventure that was released on the Atari ST and C64 around 1987 by Ariolasoft, and was written by Guido Henkel.
In an interview on Atarilegend.com, Guido reveals that the game went through a number of iterations, and was actually started originally on the Commodore VIC-20. Continue reading
For years I’d thought the Commodore 64 version was never released, when accidently included in an unreleased games feature in Commodore Force magazine. Imagine my surprise in later years when I found an original copy!
ZX Spectrum users sadly have not been as lucky as myself. After waiting patiently and seeing conversions for other platforms come and go, their conversion would never surface at all.
The game was previewed in many magazines of the time, all saying that the Spectrum version was coming. The bold adverts featuring a human brain were plastered around too, all teasing with Spectrum format included in the corner. Continue reading
An interesting title that has been flagged up to us thanks to contributor @AnythingAnyth19. This is a title which was created especially for a competition and was in three segments overall.
We are not sure just yet if this is a competition that never happened, though we haven’t been able to find the game at all in digital archives as of yet. Also, it seems the game and competition was only advertised a few times before disappearing – likely when the competition finished. If the game/s were actually distributed and released, then they may yet need to be preserved. Continue reading
A new year and a new update to the GTW64 archives, with the following new entries and updates – including a bizarre title that may or may not have existed called Vector Chickens.
Alcatrax, Ironoid, Sight Attack, Tank Division, Vector Chickens
Bamboo, Deathstalker, Jet Boat Simulator, Miner Willy Meets The Taxman, Moses: Old Testament Adventure #1, Murder!, Myth 2: Dawn of Steel, Pirates of the Ocean, The 4th Dimension, The Soul Gem Of Martek, Winter Camp V1
A short entry for a title highlighted to us by contributor Stefano Castelli. This is an unofficial Boulder Dash clone done within a 3D environment.
Even though you may argue about how well a 3D version of Boulder Dash could work compared to a 2D edition, the game moves at an impressive rate and made its mark on Amiga users when a demo was released.
Although the developer was interviewed in magazines such as Amiga Review, and the game previewed (see scans), a final version was seemingly never completed and only a demo now seems to remain. Continue reading
Champions was a RPG table-top title created by Hero Games originally back in 1981. Setting you within a superhero/comic book themed world, it won a legion of fans, who continue to enjoy the game to this day.
Back in the early 90’s, its popularity resulted in the planned creation of a computerized PC edition of the game, and was set to be published by Konami. According to one magazine article, there were plans for Amiga and Mac versions too.
Kicking things off, you would set up your character with an initial allocation of “points” given to you to spend. Along with some basic characteristics, you would pick a mask, colour of outfit, power effects and even dialogue for interactions before jumping into the comic book world. Continue reading
Steve Wetherill has just created a post with details of Heart of Yesod, including the raw original Q&A that was used to aid producing the write up the GTW book. The design document from 1989 has also been typed up and tidied up, which you can check out at:
https://blog.stevewetherill.com/2022/01/heart-of-yesod-game-that-wasnt.html
Steve’s blog also contains a number of articles about his past work and projects that should definitely be checked out!
Following on from the recent console cancellation of Myth covered on the site, team member Grzegorz Antosiewicz got in touch to highlight a series of changes to the Amiga/ST editions of Myth. What follows is based mostly on the text which Grzegorz submitted and after briefly speaking in the past to Robin Levy and Paul Docherty.
Firstly, it is believed there were roughly distinctive three phases of development for Myth on the Amiga/ST platforms:
1. A simple port of the Commodore 64 game for both Amiga and Atari with similar art style.
2. A first phase of change for art style and gameplay.
3. A second (and likely final) change of art style and gameplay.
During the first phase, System 3 had Bob Stevenson on board as the main graphic artist. At this stage, the game was going to be released for both Atari and Amiga. The game would have more colours compared to the C64 version of course, but with the same main hero just like in the C64 version.
There were early press previews in “Zero” and “The One” magazine showing this version, where there was going to be picture of girl in the intro, and she would welcome the player with a digitalized voice sample like in the C64 edition. Continue reading
Next up is a short entry for a potential prototype to try and find, thanks to Ross Sillifant for highlighting. When you take a look at the original Tecmo arcade, and various home conversions – you will notice that pretty much all (we haven’t checked every single format) have 5 power-up slots in total. All that is except for the Atari Lynx version:
Above you can see there are only 4 power up slots, which is fair enough – the Lynx has a smaller screen compared to other formats, so a reasonable thing. Continue reading
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