Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are a cancelled and 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.

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The NeverEnding Story II

Posted: by Patrick Furlong

1991 Linel

Platforms: Amstrad CPC

The NeverEnding Story II was a film licence from Linel, based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name – the sequel to the popular 1985 film (although it is actually based on the second half of the original German story written by Michael Ende, but with a new ending).

nevershot1

Swiss publisher Linel got the rights to make a game based on this, but it only came out on the Amiga, Commodore 64, PC DOS and Spectrum. It was also due out on the Amstrad CPC – Amstrad Computer User “reviewed” it in their October 1991 issue.

Although it looks like they featured Amstrad screenshots, some of the game appears to be in full colour while other levels seem to be Spectrum-ported. Comparison of the screenshots with the other versions shows that they did use at least one Spectrum screenshot in the review. Continue reading →

Posted in: Amstrad CPC | Tagged: | 2 Comments

Valgaard

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1990 Ubi Soft

Platforms: Amiga, Atari ST

Valgaard was an ambitious Viking themed title in development by Dominique Sablons and his team under the name Zeugma, with a publishing deal signed with Ubi Soft in March 1990. The game put players in the role of a Viking warrior or prince, cast out from his homeland after a duel gone wrong. Forced into exile, you would set sail with a small crew, limited resources and a longship, tasked with surviving and ultimately restoring your honour.

valgaard2

Previews in French magazines at the time told of a very expansive and varied experience within the game. Génération 4 described how players would explore northern Europe, managing supplies and crew morale whilst facing dangers such as sea monsters like the Kraken. Survival could be achieved through multiple means, including trade with merchants, looting villages or outright piracy, with both naval and land based encounters playing a key role. Continue reading →

Posted in: Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | 1 Comment

Moon Child

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1993 Team Hoi

Platform: Commodore Amiga (AGA)

Moon Child is an interesting project that started life on the Commodore Amiga, but ultimately ended up being completed and released on PC instead. The game was developed by Dutch team Team Hoi, made up of Reinier van Vliet, Metin Seven and Ramon Braumuller, who had previously worked together on titles such as Hoi and Clockwiser.

moon large

The team had strong roots in the Amiga scene, not only through their games but also through tools such as SIDmon and Digital Mugician, as well as their demo scene work with Digital Force International. Development of Moon Child began around 1993 as a side project, and was originally intended for the AGA Amiga range. The game itself was planned as a kind of spiritual successor to Hoi, even featuring the original character as a sidekick during early development stages. Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | 7 Comments

Lamborghini FX

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

2004 Milestone S.r.l.

Platforms: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox
Also known as: FX Racing

Lamborghini FX was once an ambitious arcade style racing game developed by Milestone S.r.l. and was set to be published by Titus Interactive, marking a return to the publisher’s earlier successes with Lamborghini-licensed titles Automobili Lamborghini and Lamborghini American Challenge. The game was scheduled for release in July 2004, but was ultimately cancelled following Titus Interactive’s bankruptcy in June of that year.

fond accueil

The title was very much as a throwback to classic arcade racers, prioritising speed and arcade fun over simulation/realism. According to the official press release from May 2004, the game would feature “high-speed arcade-style” racing across a variety of detailed environments, with players able to perform “jumps, spins, drifts or even driving on two wheels” in order to earn weapons to use against opponents. Races were described as full contact, requiring players to be fast, clever and aggressive in order to succeed. Continue reading →

Posted in: Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Reviews, Sony PlayStation 2 | Tagged: | 6 Comments

Æon Flux

Posted: by Frank Gasking

2005 Argonaut

Platforms: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox

This week we’ve received another surprise submission, with a rare video showcasing gameplay footage from a previously unknown cancelled development of Æon Flux by Argonaut, believed to have been in production around 2005.

AeonFlux Zipline

Details are very limited at present, but it appears Argonaut may have been working on their own take of the licence before the project was cancelled. It is unclear how far development progressed or why it was stopped, though the footage suggests something fairly substantial may have been underway. Continue reading →

Posted in: Microsoft Xbox, PC, Reviews, Sony PlayStation 2 | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Special FX tool recoveries (C64)

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Something a bit different today, with the recovery of two Special FX tools that were produced by Gary J Foreman, who has worked on many different Grand Theft Auto games over the years, but also created the Commodore 64 conversion of Rainbow Islands.

special large

In a recent interview with FREEZE magazine, Gary revealed that when he first got started on the C64 – he produced a stock control system, but also some video title utilities for a local nightclub that he was too young to attend at the time. Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore 64 (C64), GTW64 news, Preservation | Tagged: | Leave a comment

One Night in Bangkok

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1988 Superior Software

Platforms: Commodore 64, BBC Micro

This particular entry is closely tied to the Commodore 64 edition of the game, which first helped highlight the project and its unusual origins. For some time, there had been confusion over this title, especially given that Superior Software had already released a Chess game back in 1984. However, this later project was something entirely different, and not simply an update or reworking of the earlier release. Continue reading →

Posted in: BBC Micro / Electron, Commodore 64 (C64), Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Vixen V1

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1988 Martech

Platform: ZX Spectrum

Ok, so before you say it – yes, Vixen was released on the ZX Spectrum by Martech – but not this particular development. This was a completely different version that was being developed by Keith A Goodyer with graphics by The S.A.M. According to credits, the game was due for music by David Whittaker.

vixen2

The original game caused a bit of controversy due to the scantily clad Corrine Russell being featured in adverts and within the game. Not sure it helped too much with sales, as the game was withdrawn by some shops. Continue reading →

Posted in: Prototype, Unused materials, ZX Spectrum | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Fairy Tale

Posted: by Yassine Bakrim

2008 Stormfront Studios

Platforms: PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360

In 2007, Stormfront Studios and designer Joe Wampole (who previously worked on BloodRayne) pitched an eerie and dark take on many established fairy tales – such as Cinderella, Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and many more to Vivendi Games.

Cinderella concept

According to what researcher Susan Flint found, Fairy Tale was going to be a hack and slash action adventure heavily inspired by games like Devil May Cry, Heavenly Sword, Resident Evil and American McGee’s Alice. The targeted platforms were the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and a couple of concept artworks were made for this pitch. Continue reading →

Posted in: Microsoft Xbox 360, Reviews, Sony PlayStation 3 | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Atomic Robo-Kid

Posted: by Patrick Furlong

1991 Activision

Platforms: ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC

Atomic Robo-Kid was a horizontal scrolling game developed and released in Japanese arcades by UPL and in the USA by Nikom. Activision got the rights to port it to the UK home systems and it was released on the Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64 and Atari ST and adverts reflect this fact.

atomiclarge

However, a Spectrum release WAS planned and Your Sinclair included a demo of it on their cover tape (Issue 64) in April 1991, although I’d seen adverts and reviews in late 1990. In theory, an Amstrad CPC version MIGHT have been in the works but I’ve not been able to find any mentions of it in Amstrad Action. There is no mention of it in Amstrad Computer User besides from a ‘preview’ booklet given with one of their pre Christmas 1990 issues (I cannot find a copy of it but I’m 99% certain I saw it in one). Continue reading →

Posted in: Amstrad CPC, Reviews, ZX Spectrum | Tagged: | Leave a comment