PN03

Dead Phoenix [GameCube – Cancelled]

Dead Phoenix was a video game for the Nintendo GameCube that was never released. It was announced as one of the Capcom Five, a set of five Capcom-developed games originally planned as GameCube exclusives. The failed to make an appearance at E3 2003 and was subsequently removed from Capcom’s website and release schedule.

Very little is actually known about Dead Phoenix. The game was cancelled before sufficient development had taken place, so details, such as those regarding the story or gameplay, are virtually unknown. It was said to be set in a somewhat mythical world, full of demons, and dragons. Early screenshots show the player character flying through large, open-ended environments and doing battle with numerous monsters.

Although the game was cancelled, rumors of it being brought back into development are common within certain circles of gamers. One rumor that has become infamous is IGN’s theory of Dead Phoenix being the next generation of Kid Icarus, which began with an article covering GameCube rumors.

While fans have hoped for a continuation of the Dead Phoenix project, Capcom has refused to comment on the possibility of a resurrection. As further confirmation of the game’s demise, the trademark in the United States Patent and Trademark Office was listed as “Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response” in 2004. Therefore, it is unlikely Capcom will ever return to the project. [Infos from Wikipedia]

[Thanks to Matt Gander for the Art Title!]

Images:

Videos:

 

P.N.03 [GC – Beta]

P.N.03, short for Product Number Three, is a 2003 video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo GameCube. P.N.03 is a third-person shooter featuring a dexterous, cybernetically-enhanced woman named Vanessa Z. Schneider who the player controls to destroy a series of robots.

The game was designed to have a “classic” feel through use of use things such as point combos for destroying multiple enemies in a row. Originally, during the planning stages, P.N.03 was a wargame known simply as “Robot War Game”. Five days after starting development, graphics were put on-screen and Shinji Mikami felt nothing from how the game was turning out.

He then decided to change the direction of the game to its current form, with the female protagonist. Later during development, Mikami felt that the game’s name should be Jaguar to reflect Vanessa’s cat-like agility. However, other staff members did not like the name; some claimed that it didn’t describe the game well enough and others thought that White Jaguar would be a better title. Mikami then forced himself to come up with the name Product Number 03, which he shortened to P.N.03 to give it a more mysterious feel. Even after the name was changed, a staff member made Vanessa’s crouch pose on her hands and knees to resemble a jaguar, saying that the game would always be ‘Jaguar’ to him. [Infos from Wikipedia

In these early screens we can see Vanessa using “real” weapons, while in the final version she just shoot energy from her hands.

Images:

Videos: