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 online since 1999, and long before that offline.
Please Browse our archive and discover the many entries that we host for many different platforms.
Another update for August and yet another finding, this time of a full game thanks to Wilfred Bos! But also the very very very early remains of Darius+ have been added (in source code form!) thanks to Jonathan Kendall…
Yet another magazine showing screenshots of one of our favourite titles, but with graphics not ever gracing the final game.
Take a look at the screenshots in November 1987’s edition of Commodore User magazine below (scans thanks to Mort!) and in particular at the shots which have no clouds, a different wooden structure and a different tree on the opposite side. There are the words “On” next to the Player one status area instead of a fist – suggesting that Commodore User cheated and used some early screens to fill their review page.
Even the screens with clouds in have a slight difference, where there is a purple haze around the sun setting.
Probably not much difference to the final version – but who knows if Archer may dig out some different builds of his work in the future…
Another GTW64 update with some more new titles and updates, including the finding of Pimple Panic, which you can now download!
Look out also for another long lost Rainbow Arts title which we are about to bring in its final state. Watch this space!
Coloris, Laser Disc to C64 interface, Olli & Lissa II: Halloween
Arsenal FC, Benidorm, Blast, Cyber Attack, CyberCore, Dromedia Software, Fairlight 2, Graham Gooch World Class Cricket, Horror Atoll, Key to Success, Mag Max V1, Mole Squash, Pimple Panic, Solaris, Unknown Educational game, Warlock
We are already currently aware of a very early version of RISK, which can be downloaded from here… http://www.gamebase64.com/game.php?id=10980&d=18&h=0
However, the first issue of The Games Machine showed some preview shots of RISK, which have a slightly different panel, scanner position – but also what looks to be a set of graphics that may not be in the final game.
Here are the shots (click for bigger version). Possibly more assets to save in the future?
Well, in late 2013 we were very pleased to actually find a preview on Cory Kin’s disks which contained the graphics you can see in the screenshots.
It’s pretty early, with a earlier ship build and not really much game play in place. But we also have added the very early build of the game where you just currently walk around on the ground, which depicts a very different game overall. It seems the game went over some major evolutionary phase!
A quick post relating to what seems to be a rather different (and missing) section from Epyx’s G.I. Joe licensed game from 1985. Thanks to Karl “Trantornator” Kuras for the heads up! Click onto the image in the gallery for the full version.
Looking at the 1984 Epyx brochure, it seems that originally the game was due to have a equipment/dressing up scene which seems to have been crucial to kitting out your guy for doing battle. Pretty much looking like the same system that was used in Barbie (also on the same page).
For whatever reason, the idea it seems was dropped and never quite made it. Was this merely a scene that was dropped from the game, or does it suggest that a rather different game was in production?
Considering the game was produced by the same team as Barbie anyway, we doubt there was a different coding team… suggesting the final game was just tweaked. Maybe the game had the feature dropped to meet a Christmas deadline for big sales?
Thanks to Karl, we learn a little more in 2025:
“I interviewed Jeff Johannigman, one of the two developers of GI Joe from Epyx and he confirmed that the early catalogue image was put together before the game was developed and probably without any understanding of the GI Joe 80s reboot (where it went from 6″ action figures with removable clothes and gear to 3.75″ figures with molded on gear).
So, that image was just a mockup by someone who had nothing to do with the actual game design. Michael Katz, then head of the company, kept coming by asking which of the characters in the game was GI Joe.”
Karl also found a magazine segment which gives a brief description of what the gameplay was supposed to be before they actually started development. This comes from Summer CES in 1984.
It is hoped that maybe we can get to see this unused feature in proper form.
With thanks to Karl Kuras for the suggestion of covering and information, plus archive.org for scans.
More for July with the following titles added and updated:
Dromedia Software, Dune Buggy, Jeeps, Muncher, Sophisticated games
Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes, Curse Of The Mushroom People, Judge Death, Kid Saviour, Old Scores, Plan 9 Outer Space, Rhyme Land, Super Scramble, Unknown Educational game, Wild Women Of Wonga
A big thanks to Andreas Wanda for his very kind donation, which has completed our hosting costs for 2013/2014.
Many thanks to all our contributors who have helped to keep GTW going! :)
A big thanks to Roy Fielding for his recent contribution towards our hosting costs!
Many thanks! :)
A big thanks to Vinny Mainolfi and Gary Spence for their recent donation towards our hosting costs! Only a week in, and we’re almost half way there!
Many thanks!
A large update for July, including the Ball game – we have also been in touch with Andrew Rodger (thanks to Andrew Fisher), who has helped shed more light on the Robotronics titles as well as some new titles too. Here are the updates in full…
Castle Boy, Lemonoids, Shuttle, Starburst, Stratagos, Terravasion, Zuid
Ball, Cosmic Shock Absorber, Cyber Attack, Kid Saviour, Last Ninja V1, Mole Squash, Ski Run, Solaris, Spix, The War of the Dragon, Unknown Educational game
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Games That Weren't® is the registered trademark of Frank Gasking.
